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Delhi out to settle scores with Pune

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Match facts

Tuesday, April 24, Delhi
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Sourav Ganguly’s all-round performance was the highlight of Pune Warriors’ previous clash with Delhi Daredevils•Associated Press

Big picture

Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils have had a good look at each other, having played a high-octane game on Saturday. Warriors came back from two straight losses to post what was in the end a comfortable victory, led passionately by Sourav Ganguly. Daredevils, the team to beat so far this season, were in the game when Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen set the Kotla alight during five overs of ruthless domination in a big chase, but were shut out once they fell.Barring Deccan Chargers, the tournament is wide open as the teams head towards the half-way stage of their campaigns, and a defeat for Daredevils will spice things up further. Can they level scores with Warriors, who are playing at home, where they won two out of two?

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils: LWWWLPune Warriors: WLLWL

Players to watch

Alfonso Thomas came in for Marlon Samuels in Warriors’ previous game and bagged 3 for 22. He was the joint leading wicket-taker for Titans, the winners of South Africa’s MiWay T20 competition, and is the second-highest wicket-taker in the T20 format. He was accurate against Daredevils both early on and during his return spell, and Warriors have good reason to retain him for Tuesday.Morne Morkel is the highest wicket-taker this season but was smacked around by Warriors, going for 50 in three overs, albeit taking three wickets. He was at the receiving end of an early assault from Jesse Ryder, who began fortuitously, edging to third man and fine leg for boundaries, but dealt with him more convincingly thereafter. Morkel has a score to settle.

Stats and trivia

  • Taking the first six overs of an innings into account, Warriors scored 316 runs off 252 balls in seven games, going at 7.52 an over. This is, at the time of writing, the second-highest in terms of runs scored and third-highest in terms of run-rates for a team this IPL – Rajasthan Royals top the list for runs (329) and Deccan Chargers (7.86) for run-rates.
  • In Twenty20 cricket, Thomas is third on the list of bowlers who have bowled batsmen the most times. He’s had 54 bowled dismissals in 135 matches. Lasith Malinga heads the list with 70 in 101 games and Dirk Nannes is next with 68 in 142. In the IPL, Malinga again tops the list with 38 in 25. Irfan Pathan is next with 19 in 15.

    Quotes

    “Ultimately, we have to see the team balance and right now, his performance behind the stumps has been satisfying. We don’t have many options because we didn’t take part in the auction.”

Sri Lankan fans could be priced out by ticket hike

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Local Sri Lankan cricket fans who want to watch the full duration of the Test against England in Galle will be asked to fork out up to a month’s wages after it was confirmed there would be no cheaper tickets available for locals.Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed it had set the ticket prices at 5000 Sri Lankan rupees ($38) and 7500 Sri Lankan rupees ($57) per day, having seen the demand created by the visiting England fans as a chance to boost their struggling finances. That move has angered England supporters who feel they are being exploited for being loyal followers of their team overseas.However, it also prices many locals out of the game, as paying even for four days would equate to 20,000 Sri Lankan rupees, which is around four week’s pay for a large proportion of the population. Recent Tests in Galle have not been heavily attended by Sri Lankan fans – the game against Australia last year was not sold out despite much lower prices – but rather than trying to encourage more supporters through the gates the board has opted to cash in while it can. Yesterday, a Sri Lanka Cricket official said there would be a 1000 rupee ticket available but that has not materialised.”We need to develop the game of cricket in Sri Lanka so whenever there is an opportunity and a demand for tickets it is our policy to put prices up,” Nishantha Ranatunga, the Sri Lanka secretary, said. “You can see people buying tickets for this price. We will get the best deal. Yes, there is a substantial increase from previous tours and the World Cup but we have seen a lot of Sri Lankans buying tickets at this price.”There is talk of a protest by England fans on the opening day of the Test, suggesting they may decamp to the Dutch Fort which overlooks the ground, although many visiting supporters have arrived with pre-paid tickets bought as part of tour packages.Andrew Strauss did not want to comment on the ticket prices, but wanted as many England supporters in the ground as possible. “I don’t know the Sri Lanka Cricket board’s policy on ticket pricing,” he said. “But clearly we want to have as many fans as possible in the ground and we know the Barmy Army always travels and supports us wherever we go in the world. The more of them that are in the ground supporting us and watching some good quality Test cricket the better it is for not just for us but also the game as a whole.”Sri Lanka Cricket has severe financial problems after running up debts of $32.5 million to finance the building of two international stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele, and to renovate the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, for the World Cup.Payments owed to players, dating back to the World Cup, were only fully settled less than two weeks ago, after the state-owned Bank of Ceylon released 600 Sri Lankan million rupees ($5 million) after discussions with the sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, confirmed they had been paid up to the end of the CB series in Australia. “We got paid last week,” he said. “It’s something we couldn’t control, but the newly elected board made us a promise and they kept to that. We continued playing cricket and the boys were happy with that.”The players might be happier now, but supporters from both sides are unlikely to be having similar feelings.

Bailey, Lyon picked for Caribbean ODIs

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George Bailey and Nathan Lyon will both be in contention for one-day international debuts after being named in Australia’s squad for the tour of the West Indies. The selectors announced a 16-man group for the five ODIs that begin the tour in mid-March and a 13-man squad for the two T20s that follow.The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was named in the one-day squad as the backup for the new limited-overs No.1 Matthew Wade. The inclusions of Haddin, Bailey and Lyon were the major changes from the squad taking part in the final stages of the Commonwealth Bank Series, and there was no room in the attack for Ryan Harris or Mitchell Starc.As the national Twenty20 captain, Bailey was due to tour for two matches, but he will now take on the mantle of reserve ODI batsman. His selection came after a Man-of-the-Match performance in the Ryobi Cup final, when his captain’s hundred narrowly failed to earn Tasmania the title, and the national selector John Inverarity said Bailey would also be in contention for a place in the Test squad.”In the final and the other Ryobi Cup games and in the Sheffield Shield, he’s probably in the form of his life,” Inverarity said. “Post him being in the T20 side, whatever’s happened there seemed to have been a real boost to his confidence. He’s playing exceptionally well at the moment and very much deserves his opportunity in that side.”We realise that some time in the next year or two or whenever, we won’t have Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey in the Test team. So what we’re trying to do is develop players for both forms but not least for Test cricket. We had that very much in mind with Peter Forrest … That door is open for George also, to play in the one-dayers and see how he goes and he’s certainly right up there as one of the players we might be looking to for the future.”While Bailey’s Test chances remain in the hands of the selectors, Lyon will certainly be part of Australia’s squad in all three formats. Although he has played 10 Tests and is yet to make his one-day or T20 debut for Australia, it was in the shortest format that Lyon first made his name for South Australia last summer, and he is well qualified for a position alongside Xavier Doherty in the squad.

Australia squad for West Indies tour

ODI squad Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, Ben Hilfenhaus, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner

Twenty20 squad George Bailey (capt), Shane Watson, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Nathan Lyon, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner

“Nathan Lyon caught the eye of the cricket community and the national selectors because of his performances in T20,” Inverarity said. “That’s where he first caught the eye. He was selected as a fine offspin bowler by the previous panel and that was a very good selection that they made. Towards the end of the [India] Test series he had a sore quad, so essentially he didn’t come to mind as a possible selection [for the T20s or CB Series].”There was no room for Brad Hogg, who came out of international retirement in Australia’s T20s against India earlier this month, but Inverarity said that was a pre-planned selection to allow Lyon some limited-overs exposure. He said it was likely Australia would take Hogg, Doherty and Lyon to Sri Lanka for the ICC World Twenty20 later this year as a diverse three-man spin attack.Michael Hussey has been recalled to the T20 squad after resting from the two matches against India, and having not played for Australia in the format in nearly two years. Forrest was also named in the T20 squad but Inverarity made it clear he was a backup batsman only, and was not considered part of Australia’s best batting line-up in the format.Aaron Finch and Travis Birt have also found themselves out of Australia’s preferred T20 side and face a challenge to force their way into contention for the World Twenty20 in September. And while the left-arm fast bowler Starc was not officially included, Inverarity said he would travel with the squad and work with the bowling coach Craig McDermott as a learning opportunity.”Mitchell Starc has not been selected as a member of this squad,” he said. “However, Mitchell will travel with this group as a further development opportunity and spend valuable time around the Australian squad in the West Indies.”

England call up Coles to Colombo

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Matthew Coles, the Kent seam bowler, has been called up for the rest of the England Lions tour of Sri Lanka after Surrey’s Stuart Meaker pulled out because of a lower back injury. Meaker is returning to the UK for further assessment in the hope that he will regain fitness in time for the start of the English season.Meaker’s 44 first-class wickets at 22.56 played a central role in Surrey’s late rush to promotion last year and they will be unsettled about his potential absence as they try to re-establish themselves in Division One.The Lions have two more ODI fixtures against Sri Lanka, in Colombo on Friday and Tuesday, followed by a match against an England XI in Dubai on February 10. Coles only has to make the short flight from Chennai where he has been with England’s Performance Programme.Coles, 21, has 61 first-class wickets at an average of 36, and was afflicted by injury during much of Kent’s lacklustre 2011 Division Two season but his return to the side in August led to a belated upturn in fortunes for the county.

Ice-cool Dhoni downs Australia

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Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIndia’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92•AFP

A supremely calm MS Dhoni guided India to victory, with two balls to spare, over a sluggish Australia in the ODI at Adelaide Oval.Dhoni’s composure was best measured by how he paced his innings. It bordered on the statuesque early, before he raised tempo with swift running between the wickets. He saved his one stroke to the boundary – a towering six over long on – for when he most needed it: the third ball of the final over delivered by Clint McKay, which began with 13 still required.The next ball was a high full toss that Dhoni swung to deep midwicket, but the no-ball – called for height – gifted India a third run in addition to the two scampered between the wickets. The next delivery was helped around to backward square leg, and the final three runs were collected to take India alongside Australia on two wins from three matches.India’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92, before Dhoni and Suresh Raina took the visitors close with a stand of 61. Raina perished in the 47th over and Ravindra Jadeja followed in the 49th, but Dhoni remained to collar the remaining runs. Test match difficulties notwithstanding, he remains the master technician in limited-overs matches.Australia’s fielding display was its least attentive of the Michael Clarke era. Only one catch of note went down but outfield fumbles were legion, and both Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja could have been run-out in the closing stages had in-fielders held their nerve.Of even greater concern was an apparent hamstring twinge for Michael Clarke, who was running gingerly from the innings’ midpoint and hobbling noticeably by the end, having left the field briefly for treatment. Clarke may now be due a spell of rest after an unbroken sequence of Tests and ODIs dating back to his first tour as captain – to Bangladesh in April 2011.Until the final over, McKay provided the most lasting threat for the home attack, maintaining a disciplined line and changing his pace, while Xavier Doherty bowled some particularly nagging deliveries at the death to make India work for the points.Looking very much at home in international company, the debutant Peter Forrest had built Australia’s total alongside David Hussey after the innings was in danger of stalling at 3 for 81. Clarke’s fluent 38 had ended when he sallied forth to attack Umesh Yadav and dragged a slower ball wretchedly onto the stumps.Forrest was strong square of the wicket and down the ground, while Hussey’s innings was another reminder of his usefulness in most limited-overs contests. Following their departure, allrounder Daniel Christian put together a handy closing contribution at the home ground of his adopted state. Few boundaries were collected in the closing overs, reflecting some diligent bowling but also the slowing of an otherwise friendly batting surface.Yadav and Zaheer Khan were the most effective of India’s bowlers, attacking the stumps while also keeping the runs down, as the tourists sought a manageable target after the selectors chose to rest Sachin Tendulkar.

Smart stats

  • India’s victory meant that it is the highest successful chase by them in ODIs in Australia. Their previous highest was the target of 260 they chased down against New Zealand in Brisbane in 1986. It is also the joint fifth-highest chase by any team against Australia in ODIs in Australia.The win is also India’s first against Australia in five matches in Adelaide.

  • Gautam Gambhir’s 92 is the fifth instance of an India batsman being dismissed in the nineties against Australia in ODIs in Australia. It is also Gambhir’s second-highest score against Australia after the 113 he made in Sydney in 2008.

  • Peter Forrest became the 11th Australia player overall and the second in this series after Matthew Wade to make a fifty-plus score on ODI debut. No Australia batsman has scored a century on ODI debut.

  • The 98-run stand between David Hussey and Forrest is the seventh-highest fourth-wicket stand for Australia against India and their highest against India in Adelaide.

  • Hussey’s 72 is his second-highest score in ODIs and his eighth half-century. It is also his highest score against India, surpassing the 61 he made in the first match between the two teams in this series in Melbourne.

  • Australia’s total of 269 is their second-highest against India in Adelaide, after the 329 they made in 2000.

Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc had found some bounce but no great pace and negligible movement when they shared the new ball, allowing Virender Sehwag and Gambhir the chance to play with freedom as they regularly pierced the offside field.Clarke’s brow was looking furrowed as the 50 was raised inside nine overs, but his introduction of McKay brought immediate results when Sehwag’s leading edge to a nondescript delivery looped to point.Gambhir and Kohli accumulated, albeit at a lesser pace, until the younger batsman tried to lace McKay over the offside field and offered a steepling chance to Forrest. Rohit Sharma’s entry to the crease coincided with the introduction of spin, but after a period of thrust and parry the quicks returned.Rohit’s first response was to lash Starc over square leg for a glorious flat six, and next over he managed a cut that scorched to the fence from Christian. However some tension clearly remained in Rohit’s arms, and he perished in trying to force Harris over the in-field.Gambhir survived a chance on 88, David Warner shelling a sharp drive at short cover, but on 92 he was the victim of an lbw decision when all logic – and subsequent replays – suggested that McKay’s delivery had pitched outside leg stump.The duo of wickets forced Dhoni and Raina into salvage mode, trying to stabilise the innings even as the required-rate slithered up towards eight per over. They were helped by a series of misfields, uncharacteristic by the hosts’ standards this summer.Gradually a few boundaries closed the gap between runs and balls, Raina depositing Xavier Doherty into the crowd wide of long on. Thirty-one were required from the final four overs when Raina played over a delivery by Doherty to be bowled, leaving the stage to Dhoni.Earlier in the day, the selectors rested Michael Hussey to give Forrest a first cap and dropped Matthew Wade down the order, shifting Ricky Ponting to the top, but neither he nor Warner had a significant impact on proceedings.Upon winning the toss, Clarke had no hesitation batting first for the third time in as many matches in this series, but Ponting and Warner made a sluggish start against Zaheer and Vinay Kumar. Reaching out for the ball rather than letting it come to him, Ponting miscued a drive to point.A horrid running mix-up resulted in Warner being stranded as Vinay collected Rohit’s agile field-and-throw to the non-striker’s end. Forrest and Clarke recalibrated somewhat before the debutant signalled his capabilities with a rasping cut from Yadav, followed by a crisp swing off Jadeja down the ground for six.Clarke had lost some of his earlier momentum, and Yadav capitalised when his change of pace met a highly ambitious attempt to reach the boundary, leaving Hussey and Forrest to rebuild again. They did so with wisely-chosen shots – Forrest clattered a second six down the ground off the bowling of Rohit – and eager running between the wickets, lifting the hosts to 179 before Forrest presented a catch to deep midwicket.Hussey went on in the company of Christian, scoring mainly in an efficient series of ones and twos, and looked ready to unfurl his cleanest hitting when Virender Sehwag dived smartly to hold a low chance at square leg. Christian accumulated neatly until he was heedlessly run out, and 57 from the final 10 overs proved inadequate as Dhoni held his nerve.

Canada, Leeward continue to disappoint

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Windward Islands surged to their third win in as many games and cemented their spot at the head of Group A with a 22-run win against Leeward Islands at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Batting first, Windward were on their way quickly, through an electric 42-run opening stand in three overs between Johnson Charles and Miles Bascombe. Gavin Tonge then helped Leeward recover ground with three quick strikes. Justin Athanaze shackled Windward in the middle overs with a spell of 3 for 12 in four overs, while Devon Smith anchored proceedings with 31 off 29 balls. Darren Sammy and Shane Shillingford provided the closing fireworks, slugging four sixes and three fours in all, off the 25 balls they faced between the two of them. Windward were bowled out for 157 with a ball to spare.Leeward’s chase was propelled in ideal fashion by their openers Kieran Powell and Austin Richards, their 45-run stand coming off 6.1 overs. Chesney Hughes maintained the momentum with 25 off 13 balls, but the innings slumped once Shillingford’s offspin came into the picture. He had Hughes stumped and proceeded to slice through the middle order to finish with 4 for 22. Three run-outs did not help Leeward’s cause, and they were bowled out in the 20th over. They have now lost three of their four games.The only solace for Leeward came from Canada who remained winless after three games, thanks to an eight-wicket loss against Guyana at the Kensington Oval. Canada gave a creditable account of themselves with the bat, with Ruvindu Gunasekara (38 off 28) and Jimmy Hansra (40 off 36) providing the platform for a score of 143 for 7. But the total proved insufficient for their bowlers to defend, and Guyana sped to the target in 17 overs. Narsingh Deonarine was the top scorer, with 52 off 32 balls including four fours and two sixes.

Otago, Auckland, Canterbury register wins

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The first round of matches in the Ford Trophy 2011-12, New Zealand’s domestic 50-over competition, saw convincing wins for Otago, Auckland and Canterbury.

Otago beat Northern Districts by 111 runs at the University Oval in Dunedin. Craig Cumming was their star with the bat, scoring 123 off 115 balls to help Otago reach a total of 295 for 6 after choosing to bat. Cumming’s innings was supported by useful contributions from 20-year-old Michael Bracewell, who scored 41, and Nathan McCullum, who got 56. Northern Districts’ Bradley Scott was particularly expensive, going for 71 runs in his 10 overs.Northern Districts’ chase was derailed early by seamer Ian Butler, whose two strikes left Northern Districts 29 for 3. James Marshall attempted a recovery and scored 72, but wickets fell in the middle overs, then the tail collapsed and Northern Districts were bowled out for 184 in 39 overs. Butler finished with 5 for 33 while Nathan McCullum picked up three wickets.

Auckland‘s middle and lower order took them out of trouble before Andre Adams combined with the spinners to bowl Wellington out for 177 and deliver a 72-run victory at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Auckland chose to bat but were 53 for 4 after losing three wickets in the space of four balls: two to fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn and one to James Franklin. Anaru Kitchen and Colin de Grandhomme put on 56 for the fifth wicket but then fell in quick succession. Auckland’s lower order, though, ensured they posted a competitive total. Kyle Mills scored 27, Andre Adams got 33 off 27 balls and Ronnie Hira top-scored with 48 off 39 to take Auckland to 249 all out in 49.4 overs.Wellington’s chase got off to a solid stand thanks to Michael Papps’ half-century but wickets started to tumble once Adams and the spinners came into the attack. Adams finished with 5 for 29, spinners Hira and Bhupinder Singh took two wickets each and Wellington were bowled out for 177.

Four wickets from seamer Matt Henry scuppered Central Districts’ chase and gave Canterbury victory by 66 runs at the Mainpower Oval in Rangiora. Central Districts were in the game at 144 for 2 in the 30th over, chasing 268, and Ben Smith and Mathew Sinclair on half-centuries. Sinclair fell to legspinner Todd Astle and Henry then took two quick wickets to derail the chase. Central Districts ended up being bowled out for 202 and Henry finished with 4 for 25.Canterbury’s total had been built around half-centuries from George Worker, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls. They elected to bat and lost two wickets within the first three overs before Worker and Latham’s 95-run partnership bailed them out of trouble. Worker was dismissed for 50 but Nicholls came in and formed another important partnership with Latham. Nicholls batted on after Latham was dismissed for 78 and finished with 74 not out.

Sri Lanka can still win – Welegedara

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Chanaka Welegedara, the Sri Lanka seamer, says his team are still in with a chance of winning the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai, after a fighting partnership between Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavitana erased 88 runs off Pakistan’s 164-run first-innings lead. The wicket started to offer ample turn, and some uneven bounce, on the third evening of the Test, and Welegedara said a lead of 150 would be enough for Sri Lanka to defend.”This partnership has lifted the morale of the team and has placed us in a good position,” Welegedara, who scored 48 in the first innings and then took 2 for 79, said. “We are now trailing by only 76 runs. If we can take a lead of 150 runs in the second innings then we can win the match. Our bowlers are capable of utilising such a wicket to win the match.”Sangakkara and Paranavitana had to endure some nervy moments, with plenty of appeals for bat-pad catches, and an inside-edge from Sangakkara that missed off stump by a whisker. Their partnership has brought Sri Lanka back into the match but Asad Shafiq, the Pakistan batsman, says he does not expect to be chasing anything more than 100 in the second innings.”This pitch has a lot of help for our spinners and some uneven bounce too,” he said. “We have a good chance of getting them out cheaply. I don’t expect us to have to bat again, and if we do it shouldn’t be chasing anything more than 100.”The deterioration in the pitch has been somewhat sudden, after it looked a decent one for batting over the first two-and-a-half days. Shafiq, who scored a half-century on Friday, said it was the kind of pitch where he should have gone on to score a hundred. “It was a good pitch when I was in the middle and I should have converted my half-century into a hundred. But I will definitely do it next time around.”The pitches in the UAE had come in for criticism when South Africa played Pakistan here last November, but this Dubai pitch has provided help for the bowlers, and with two days left to play, this Test appears destined for a result.

Spin test awaits West Indies

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Match Facts

Bangladesh v West Indies, October 11, Mirpur
Start time 1700 (1100GMT)Marlon Samuels smashed a century in the warm-up Twenty20•Associated Press

Big Picture

It’s been a tough year for Bangladesh. After convincing home one-day series wins against New Zealand and Zimbabwe last year, which helped them go above West Indies in the ICC one-day international rankings, many expected 2011 to be the year Bangladesh would permanently shed the “minnow” tag. Instead, they failed to make it past the group stages of the World Cup, were thrashed at home by Australia and then lost both the one-off Test and ODI series in Zimbabwe. Their captain and vice-captain were sacked after that tour and it is under Mushfiqur Rahim that they attempt a climb back up the rankings.In coming up against West Indies, they revisit the moment when it all started going wrong – when they were bowled out for 58 by the same opponents in a crunch World Cup game in Mirpur, a performance that caused their angry fans to aim stones at the team bus, only to hit the visitors’ bus instead.Bangladesh’s strength at home is based on the effectiveness of their spinners on slow, turning tracks. West Indies, though, might not find the conditions as alien as sides like New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The pitches in the Caribbean of late have often resembled subcontinent ones, and four of West Indies’ batsmen will come to Bangladesh straight from having played for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League Twenty20 in India.West Indies do not have Sunil Narine or Samuel Badree, who were so successful for T&T in Indian conditions, in their squad, but the presence of Devendra Bishoo and Andre Russell, who bowls a good slower ball, means they have an attack that can adapt to the conditions. They established their status as favourites by winning both their practice matches against a strong BCB XI outfit, one through a strong bowling performance and the other through a century from Marlon Samuels.For Bangladesh, a Twenty20 international is the last way they would want to start a comeback. They have only played 16 in their history and their last T20 win came way back in 2007. For West Indies, Twenty20 represents everything that is right and wrong with their cricket. A shock win in England, and T&T’s eye-catching performance in the CLT20 suggest this might actually be the format in which West Indies see most success in the near future.

Spotlight

Mushfiqur Rahim is stepping into the shoes of a man who led from the front. Mushfiqur is as not as outstanding an individual performer as Shakib. He is safe behind the stumps and handy with the bat, but has not won Bangladesh as many games as Shakib has – he has just one hundred in limited-overs internationals. Having been handed the captaincy he will want to contribute more than just cameos down the order and may promote himself.Marlon Samuels’ comeback to international cricket has not really taken off. But in the warm-up Twenty20, he blazed his way to 102 off 56 balls. In the absence of Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo, Samuels is the most experienced player in the West Indies limited-overs squad. This series is an opportunity for him to show he still has the capability to become the world-class batsman he was expected to be when he first arrived on the international scene, way back in 2000.

Team news

Bangladesh have picked the uncapped Elias Sunny in their squad and may want to give him a chance before the one-day series starts. That may mean resting one of Mahmudullah or Nasir Hossain. Alok Kapali and Mohammad Ashraful are the experienced hands in the squad but there may only be place for one in the batting line-up.Bangldesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal 2 Imrul Kayes 3 Naeem Islam 4 Shakib Al Hasan 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk) 6 Alok Kapali 7 Mahmudullah 8 Abdur Razzak 9 Shafiul Islam 10 Elias Sunny/ Nazmul Hossain 11 Rubel HossainWith several senior players returning, the West Indies side will have a completely different look to the one that upset England at The Oval. They used just one specialist spinner in their XIs for both the practice matches but considering the conditions may play both Devendra Bishoo and Anthony Martin, meaning Kemar Roach could be left out. Kieron Pollard is not eligible to play in T20Is since he did not play the Caribbean T20, so Danza Hyatt will probably occupy a slot in the middle order.West Indies (probable): 1 Adrian Barath 2 Lendl Simmons 3 Darren Bravo 4 Marlon Samuels 5 Danza Hyatt 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk) 7 Andre Russell 8 Darren Sammy (capt) 9 Ravi Rampaul 10 Devendra Bishoo 11 Anthony Martin/ Kemar Roach

Pitch and conditions

Scores at the Shere Bangla Stadium have seen some strange fluctuations this year. This is the same ground where Bangladesh were bowled out for 58 against West Indies and 78 against South Africa during the World Cup. But there have also been scores of 370, by India in the World Cup opener, and 361, by Australia. The low scores were more due to poor batting, though, so the pitch can be expected to provide plenty of runs if the batsmen do not make careless errors.

Stats & Trivia

  • This will be the first Twenty20 international to be played in Bangladesh since 2006. It is the first T20I at the Shere Bangla Stadium
  • Though they have won a Test and one-day series in the West Indies, Bangladesh have never won an international match against West Indies at home

Quotes

“I believe we can win the series. West Indies are a good outfit. We have to play well to beat them.”
“Their attack is full of spinners and we have a good mix of pace and spin. It will be the spin of Bangladesh versus the pace of West Indies.”

Khurram leads UAE to second win over Afghanistan

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by 69 runs
Scorecard
Khurram Khan was at the heart of another UAE win over Afghanistan, this one by 69 runs in the second one-day game. UAE chose to bat first and their openers gave them a steady start, adding 47 before Faizan Asif was caught and bowled by Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan made steady inroads thereafter and had UAE struggling at 127 for 5, but Khurram, who top scored with 43, put on 52 runs with Ahmed Raza (35), to help push UAE to 221.Afghanistan lost Gulbodin Naib early but were well placed at 61 for 1 in the 11th over. But Karim Sadiq was caught behind for 31 off Ahmed Raza and the innings lost momentum. Khurram picked up three wickets, two in the same over, to ensure there was no way back for the visitors. He finished with 3 for 24 from nine overs, while Ahmed Raza, Vikrant Shetty and Shadeep Silva took two wickets each.