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Once he gets going, there is quite simply no stopping him. Dynamic, powerful and with the ability to hit sixes at will; a revolutionary, a game-changer. Andre Russell has helped to redefine the scope of short-format batting in and of itself, with his ability to fuse his natural strength with the sheer level of skill that he has developed over time.With an astonishing 90 not out off 32 deliveries, ‘Dre Russ’ saved his very best till last to secure a first-ever Abu Dhabi T10 title for the Deccan Gladiators in devastating style, as they thrashed the Delhi Bulls in the tournament’s final.Alongside Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who smashed 59 not out off 28 himself, the pair put up 159 without loss in their ten overs, with an exhibition-like batting display. There could have been no better moment to score the highest total of the T10 season, as they battered the ball all around the Zayed Cricket Ground.Related

• Drakes four-for helps ensure Team Abu Dhabi wait goes on

• Kohler-Cadmore, Hasaranga have Gladiators dreaming of T10 title

• Hasaranga five-for seals win after Kohler-Cadmore fireworks

• Drakes: 'I don't want to look back and say I had a better 2021 than 2022. I don't want to be stagnant'

• Wahab: 'I'm playing all around the world, but my country comes first'

For the second successive day and the fourth time in the tournament, the Bulls fell short against a Gladiators outfit, led expertly by Wahab Riaz. Dwayne Bravo’s side’s wait for a first T10 title continues after another final defeat, to add to their loss in February.For much of his career, Russell has played the finisher role better than anyone else. It took the Gladiators until the last game of the league phase of the Abu Dhabi T10 to recognise that the nature of the 10-over format meant that leaving Russell in the middle order risked wasting their single most valuable resource.For nine of the ten games, Russell came in to bat at No. 3 or below. Yes, the Gladiators were winning, but their prized asset and his qualities were yet to be truly exploited. After 43 not out in the first game, scores of 0, 9*, 4, 3, 3*, 4*, 22 and 4 indicated of a man that wasn’t really getting the chance to get going and do what he had done in franchise leagues all around the world.On Wednesday against the Bangla Tigers, knowing that qualification into the play-offs was secured, they sent him in to open alongside Kohler-Cadmore. Together, the pair put on 128 but it was Kohler-Cadmore who took centre stage with 96. Russell played an uncharacteristic back-up role with 26 not out but Wahab hailed his attacking intent.”It was about giving much more time and opportunity to someone like Andre [Russell],” he explained. “He’s shown across the world that he’s not just a batter who bats the last three or four overs. He may not have got many runs but his intent was there and at the end of the day, he puts pressure on the bowler because he is Andre Russell.”Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andre Russell were in fine form•Abu Dhabi T10

That fact alone was the difference on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, as Russell epitomised exactly why he is revered across the cricketing world and exactly why the Kolkata Knight Riders chose to retain him ahead of the IPL auction.On Friday night against the Bulls, with a place in the final on the line, Russell blitzed 39 off 14, before dismissing both Eoin Morgan and Dwayne Bravo to seal their place in the final. On Saturday, he went one better with a ruthless clinic of hitting, smashing nine fours and seven sixes.There was no hint of mercy, not least for his fellow West Indians. Each of Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Dominic Drakes and Romario Shepherd were sent all over the park; Drakes went into the final as the joint highest wicket-taker, but went wicketless and was ultimately dispatched for 33 off his two overs.Instead, Wanindu Hasaranga took home the prize for most wickets, after picking up the prized scalps of Morgan and a well-set Chandrapaul Hemraj. That was after Odean Smith had made early inroads, getting rid of the in-form Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sherfane Rutherford in his first over.Smith is a 25-year-old who possesses Russell-like traits with his ruthless six-hitting ability, his knack of striking with the ball and not least, his Jamaican heritage. Tymal Mills was brought on by Wahab to perform the last rites and with the dismissal of Drakes and Bravo, he finished with figures of two wickets for just four runs in his two overs.It was fitting that the man of the night, would have the final say. With a searing yorker off the last-ball of the Bulls chase, Russell cleaned up the stumps of Shepherd to start the party for the Gladiators. He roared with delight and his first embrace was a jubilant one with his captain Wahab, before he was lofted up joyously by his fellow teammates. “In a relaxed environment, you get to be you and express yourself,” Russell said. Express himself, he did.Michael Atherton once wrote that “if you were constructing a perfect prototype of a Twenty20 cricketer in a laboratory, Andre Russell, the Jamaican allrounder, would serve as an ideal template. He is physically imposing, a brutal hitter of the ball, a bowler of waspish pace and a brilliant all-round fielder”. His finishing act to conclude Season 5 of the Abu Dhabi T10 certified his standing in the game as one of the all-time greats.

Chris Lynn was the first pick at the PSL draft•IDI/Getty Images

(players in italics were picked today)Multan Sultans: Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Kumar Sangakkara, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Irfan Khan, Kashif Bhatti, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , , .Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Shakib al Hasan, Kamran Akmal, Darren Sammy, Hasan Ali, Haris Sohail, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Asghar, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , , Karachi Kings: Shahid Afridi, Usman Khan, Usama Mir, Khurram Manzoor, Ravi Bopara, Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , Lahore Qalandars: Umar Akmal, Sunil Narine, Brendon McCullum, Fakhar Zaman, Yasir Shah, Cameron Delport, Aamer Yamin, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Khan, , , , Raza Hasan, , , . Supplementary players: , , Islamabad United: Mohammad Sami, Andre Russell, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Samuel Badree, Iftikhar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Asif Ali, , , , , , , , Supplementary players: , , , Quetta Gladiators: Sarfraz Ahmed, Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Mahmudullah, Umar Amin, Mir Hamza, Asad Shafiq, , , , , , , , Supplementary players: , , ,

Middlesex are to request a hearing with the ECB in an attempt to have the points deduction from their Championship match at The Oval revoked.Middlesex were penalised two points for a slow over-rate after that game against Surrey was abandoned following an incident when a bolt was fired onto the pitch by a crossbow. The early abandonment of the game denied Middlesex the opportunity to catch up on their over-rate.They claim that, at the time, the match officials assured them there would be no penalty in recognition of the extraordinary nature of events.But with Middlesex finishing the season in the relegation positions – and just one point behind Somerset – the decision to overturn the penalty could have far-reaching consequences. It would, in short, see Somerset relegated instead and mean that, for two years in succession, relegation is decided not on the pitch but in committee rooms. Durham were relegated at the end of the 2016 season after falling into financial difficulty, with Hampshire reprieved in their place.”We feel that what has happened to us is unjust,” Middlesex’s chief executive, Richard Goatley, told ESPNcricinfo. “We feel we have an extremely strong case for having those points reinstated and my role, as chief executive, is to make that case on behalf of the club and our supporters to the ECB.”We will write to the ECB and ask for a hearing. We are not asking to have any points deducted from another team, just for points that we have previously won to be reinstated. We are the team that scored more points.”Goatley accepts that the situation is “far from ideal” and maintains the club have no intention of taking legal action against the ECB. He also knows there is no appeal process to cope for such an eventuality.”I can’t believe the ECB won’t give us a hearing,” Goatley said. “The decision to take those two points has turned out to be incredibly consequential and, as the governing body, they have the power to overturn that decision.”

Tier 1

Rain in Cox’s Bazzar meant that play was possible only on the second day in the match between Dhaka Division and Barisal Division. Play was eventually called off early on the fourth day with the game predictably ending in a draw.The second day, which allowed 90 overs, saw opener Rony Talukdar (121) and No.3 Saif Hassan (106*) hit centuries to guide Dhaka to 309 for 2. Talukdar struck eight fours and six sixes in his 195-ball knock, while Saif hit nine fours and five sixes off 193 balls. The pair added 141 runs for the second wicket after Abdul Mazid was dismissed in the 28th over by Tanvir Islam. Monir Hossain was the other wicket-taker for Barisal.Rain also affected the Khulna Division-Rangpur Division match at the Shiekh Abu Naser Stadium and ensured another draw. Play was called off on the fourth day at 2.40, about two hours before the scheduled time for stumps.Mashrafe Mortaza, who returned to first-class cricket after three years, claimed match figures of 4 for 73, including 3 for 12 in the second innings, but Anamul Haque made a bigger impact, scoring his maiden first-class double-hundred.In reply to Rangpur’s 471, Khulna enjoyed an excellent start with Anamul and Robiul Islam Robi putting on 251 for the first wicket. The stand ended when Robiul was pinned lbw by Nasir Hossain for 100, but Anamul went onto make a big one. He struck 18 fours and two sixes during his 512-minute knock. The marathon innings came 10 days after BCB president Nazmul Hassan had made a recommendation to the selectors by asking them to consider Anamul as an opening option for the South Africa Test series later this month.Nasir took 5 for 70 before Khulna declared their innings at 495 for 9 on the fourth day. Mashrafe and Al-Amin Hossain reduced Rangpur to 37 for 4 in eight overs before rain forced a premature end.File photo – Mohammad Ashraful struck his 19th first-class ton, and first in four years•BCB

Tier 2

Farhad Hossain’s 70 in the fourth innings – the only fifty of the match – proved the difference in a low-scoring clash as Rajshahi Division chased down 212 beat Sylhet Division in Rajshahi.Rajshahi lost their openers Mizanur Rahman and Jahurul Islam early in the chase, but Junaid Siddique, who made 46, and Farhad, who cracked 11 fours and a six in his 99-ball innings, lifted their side. Farhad fell when the hosts were nine away from the target, but Myshukur Rahaman and the other Farhad – Reza – wrapped up a six-wicket win on the final day.This after Rajshahi had been shot out for a mere 79 in reply to Sylhet’s 128. Offspinner Sayem Alam’s 6 for 32 proved vital in Sylhet securing a 49-run first-innings lead.Sylhet were then reduced to 22 for 4 in their second innings but a series of cameos from the middle order and the lower-middle order helped the side to 162, setting Rajshahi 212. Farhad and Junaid then gave the chase direction and set up the win.Rain thwarted Dhaka Metropolis‘ push for victory against Chittagong Divison at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. After opting to bat, Dhaka posted 344 on the back of Mohammad Ashraful’s 19th first-class hundred, and first since 2013. He struck 12 fours and two sixes and added 148 for the fifth wicket with Mehrab Hossain jnr, who made 66.Nihaduzzaman’s 5 for 45 built on their good work and skittled Chittagong for 130 in 50.5 overs. After securing a 214-run first-innings lead, Dhaka scored 169 for 6 before declaring their second innings. Captain Marshall Ayub and Asif Ahmed hit fifties, setting Chittagong a target of 384.Dhaka had Chittagong at 193 for 4 before rain stopped play on the fourth day at 2.30pm. The rain refused to relent, and the match was ultimately called off at 4.02pm.

Brendon McCullum smashed 63 off 28 balls•Getty Images

Brendon McCullum led from the front with an exhilarating 63 off 28 balls as Middlesex, who totalled 203 for 6, then dismissed Essex Eagles for 131 to win by 72 runs in front of a 27,000 sell-out crowd at a floodlit Lord’s.Middlesex captain McCullum smashed five sixes and six fours, was given fine support by a John Simpson half-century, and later – after Dan Lawrence had grabbed a T20-best 3 for 21 from his four overs – saw 26 runs plundered from the final over of the innings as Ryan Higgins, Tim Southee and James Franklin all hit the suffering Matt Dixon for sixes.The win was a vital one for Middlesex, who before the game were level with Essex and two other counties on five points at the bottom of the NatWest T20 Blast’s South Group but now move up into the middle of a tightly-packed table.Adam Wheater fell in the first over of Essex’s reply, spearing Southee to cover point, and soon Eoin Morgan had claimed four catches in that position as Varun Chopra, Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate all picked out England’s one-day captain with lifted or mishit cuts.Tom Helm, who ended with his and his county’s T20-best of 5 for 11, earlier removed Chopra with his second ball, while Steven Finn got his revenge for being swatted for two sixes by Lawrence and for conceding 31 runs from his first two overs and added ten Doeschate’s scalp for good measure.By then Ravi Bopara had run himself out for 10, calling ten Doeschate for a single that wasn’t there and failing to beat Simpson’s throw to the bowler’s end after being sent back, and when Ashar Zaidi skied George Scott’s medium pace to backward point to go for 2 the chase was all but over at 62 for 6.James Foster offered some defiance with 50 from 25 balls, but Helm returned to have him, Paul Walter and Mohammad Amir all caught slogging desperately in the 15th over and, in his following over, the 23-year-old fast bowler made it four wickets in six balls by bowling last man Dixon.Middlesex were 54 for 1 after five overs, and then 110 for 2 off ten, as a result of McCullum’s explosive innings, although wicketkeeper-batsman Simpson was not too far behind in terms of destructiveness as they added 73 in little more than six overs for the second wicket.The game’s opening over, bowled by Amir, contained just one run off the bat but, from then on, sixes and fours rained down on a capacity crowd as warm early evening sunshine also graced the occasion. To attract so many spectators to Lord’s for this fixture, when England’s third Test against South Africa had started across London at The Oval earlier in the day, said much both for Middlesex’s marketing strategy and for the enduring popularity of the competition itself.McCullum, put down on 0 by left-arm seamer Paul Walter when the New Zealander crunched his first ball back to him at the start of the second over – it was a difficult chance – immediately celebrated his let-off by driving through extra cover for four, slashing high to fine third man for another four and then swinging to long on for six as 16 came off the over.Nick Gubbins went for 1, well held diving forward by Chopra as he came in from the deep square leg ropes off Dixon, but McCullum uppercut and forced Dixon and Walter for fours before flat-batting the latter over cover for his second six.There were two more sixes pulled off successive balls from Amir in the fifth over, and McCullum’s fifty soon arrived off just 19 balls. McCullum’s fifth and final six was a slog-sweep off Bopara just before the same bowler had him held at long on later in that same ninth over.By now, the left-handed Simpson was also into his stride, going into the 30s by pulling and lofting Bopara for fours and then swinging Simon Harmer’s off spin for a beautifully-timed six over long on. His eventual 51 came off 39 balls, with two sixes and two fours.Morgan contributed a useful 30-ball 39, which included sixes pulled off Amir and swept off left-arm spinner Zaidi, but he was bowled by Lawrence in the 18th over after the occasional off spinner had already slowed up Middlesex’s advance by having Simpson stumped by Foster and then Scott caught behind for a duck in his previous over.The innings, though, finished with a cricketing show of fireworks as Higgins swung Dixon over the deep square leg ropes before being bowled attempting something similar, Southee heaved his first ball over midwicket for six and Franklin flicked a ball aimed down the legside for another six before inside-edging a fortuitous four past keeper Foster as Middlesex made it past the 200 mark.

Concussion substitutes will be trialled in the Sheffield Shield this year, after the ICC cleared the way for the change while allowing the competition to retain its first-class status. A successful trial over the next two seasons could even open a path for concussion substitutes to be introduced into Test cricket.Cricket Australia has pushed hard for cricket to allow concussion substitutes, having introduced the system – in which a team can enact a like-for-like replacement if a player is ruled out mid-match by medical staff due to a concussion – in both men’s and women’s one-day and T20 competitions last summer. In a Matador Cup game in October, New South Wales became the first team to use the system when Nick Larkin was subbed in as a full member of the side after Daniel Hughes was concussed.However, the ICC had rejected Cricket Australia’s proposal for the system to be allowed in first-class cricket last year. That has now changed, after the ICC’s cricket committee met in May this year, and recommended a two-year trial in first-class cricket, a decision that was then approved by the ICC’s Chief Executives Committee.And in July, the MCC’s World Cricket Committee added its support for the two-year trial option without jeopardising the first-class status, though at the same time it decided against altering the Laws of Cricket – which apply at all levels of the game – to allow concussion substitutes.Cricket Australia’s concussion policy was altered following the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014, and team medical staff now have the sole discretion as to whether a player may continue in a match or be ruled out after a blow to the head.”Cricket Australia has been a strong advocate for concussion substitutes and we have successfully introduced this into our other competitions,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said. “We look forward to formalising the introduction of this rule into the Sheffield Shield ahead of this season.”The introduction of concussion substitutes to Sheffield Shield cricket is expected to be formally confirmed after the ICC’s new regulations come into effect on October 1.

Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman has broken into the ICC’s top 10 rankings for T20I batsmen for the first time. He is currently tenth with 627 points, after the rankings were updated following the T20I series between England and South Africa.Sabbir, 25, rose in the rankings despite scoring only 117 runs in five innings this year.Sabbir is the only Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan to break into the top ten rankings for T20I batsmen. Shakib, who is leading the allrounders rankings across all formats at present, achieved the feat in 2012. Mahmudullah, at No. 6, is the only other Bangladesh player among the top ten T20I allrounders.In the T20I bowling rankings, Mustafizur Rahman is at No. 6, while Shakib is ranked ninth.

Match facts

May 19, 2017
Start time 10.45am local (0945 GMT)Tamim Iqbal’s good recent form will leave the onus of building the innings with him•AFP

Big picture

A win percentage of 31.5 in completed ODIs since the start of last year pretty much encapsulates how far Ireland have slid in recent times. In two series preceding the ongoing tri-nation tournament, they lost 2-3 to Afghanistan in Greater Noida, before being swept 2-0 by England in England.Conditions played a part in their toils against Afghanistan as Ireland couldn’t quite cope with the slow surfaces in Greater Noida and succumbed to a team that clearly had superior spin stocks. The familiarity of the cold, harsh climes of Malahide, however, hasn’t bred success for them either: they came up short against a weakened New Zealand team, led by Tom Latham.An ageing team has also played a part – the average age of their XI against New Zealand was 29. Veterans like William Porterfield, Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson – all of whom played significant roles in Ireland becoming the top Associate nation – are well into their 30s now.Bangladesh’s graph has moved in the opposite direction. Since making the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal, series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa have made them a force to be reckoned with in home conditions. They came into the tri-series fresh off levelling Test, ODI and T20I series on the tour of Sri Lanka. However, their recent record outside the subcontinent hasn’t been too encouraging. They returned from their tour of New Zealand without a single win in eight international games across formats and have also had mixed results in Ireland overall, with four wins from eight international matches.

Form guide

Ireland LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Peter Chase, the 23-year old right-arm pacer, has had a mixed start to his ODI career. Chase has 23 wickets from 16 matches, but also averages 38.95 and has an economy rate of 6.83. His performances in this series have typified that. In the opener, he rocked Bangladesh with early strikes before rain intervened, and finished with 3 for 33 in six overs. In his next match, he was slapped for 74 runs in ten overs by New Zealand. Chase can generate pace and bounce and, in conditions amiable for pace-bowling, this series is an opportunity to bring some consistency in his game and step up in the absence of senior bowler Boyd Rankin.Tamim Iqbal has one fifty and a century from his last five outings with the bat. His good form augurs well given Bangladesh’s tendency to lose wickets in a cluster, often from good positions. Tamim’s experience is also welcome in what are likely to be tough batting conditions.

Team news

Ireland gave Simi Singh an ODI debut in place of Stuart Thompson against New Zealand, and Simi had a forgettable match scoring 9 off 14 balls in a chase of 290. Thompson himself had replaced Ed Joyce in the series opener against Bangladesh. If Joyce has recovered from his back injury, it is fairly certain neither Simi nor Thompson will find a place in the XI.Ireland (probable) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Niall O’Brien (wk), 4 Andy Balbirnie, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Stuart Thompson/Ed Joyce, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Barry McCarthy, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Peter ChaseIn Bangladesh’s previous match, against New Zealand, Taskin Ahmed made way for the returning Mashrafe Mortaza, who had missed the first match due to an over-rate suspension. Bangladesh failed to defend 257, but with Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain both taking wickets, Taskin will likely miss out again.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The Malahide pitch is known for being green and pace-friendly but it also turned out to be a good batting track in the previous match between New Zealand and Ireland. Spinners from both sides also did well, with Mitchell Santner claiming a five-for. While it is expected to be partly sunny around start time, rain is forecast at noon and there is cloud cover expected right through the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• Mahmudullah needs 28 more to complete 3000 runs in ODI cricket.
• The average scoring rate in the first innings in Malahide is 5.7, which translates into an average first-innings score of 285.

Leeward Islands ended their Regional 4-Day tournament campaign with a ten-wicket win over Guyana, a result that had no impact on the teams’ standings at either end of the points table. While Guyana had sealed the title in the last round, with a game to spare, Leeward ended the tournament in last place with three wins in ten games.Rahkeem Cornwall led his side from the front, with a match haul of 9 for 136. His 6 for 68 in the first innings had skittled Guyana out for 187, with wickets falling in clusters. Leeward then overcame a slump – they went from 115 for 1 to 140 for 6 in 13 overs – to take a 119-run first-innings lead. Opener Montcin Hodge’s 70 anchored the early part of the innings before Jacques Taylor shepherded the lower order with a 160-ball 72. Raymon Reifer had triggered Leeward’s batting slump with the wickets of Keacy Carty and Hodge, and he finished with returns of 6 for 74.Guyana’s batting struggled for the second time in the game, and they ended up being dismissed for 143. The top score in their innings came from Chandrapaul Hemraj (29), even as Cornwall added three wickets to his match tally and fast bowler Gavin Tonge had returns of 3 for 33. Leeward then needed only 55 balls to achieve the target of 25.

After Royal Challengers Bangalore ambled to their second sub-hundred total and lost by 61 runs, a visibly disconsolate captain Virat Kohli conceded that his team lost the game rather than Rising Pune Supergiant winning it.”I think it is everyone for see. We lost that game. It is hard for a captain to stand here and speak after performances like these,” Kohli said after the side’s third successive loss. “But, [I have] got to embrace it, got to take it in the journey, take it in my stride and move forward and learn from these kind of games, these kind of days.”We are just not getting good performances together. It is lack of intent, guys fearful of getting out and failing and that’s never a good feeling. So, that’s all it boils down to. We lost the game rather than them winning it.Royal Challengers barely escaped being bowled out for the third game in a row after totals of 49 and 134 in their last two completed games. With the exception of Kohli – he made 55 of the team’s total of 96 for 9 – the other batsmen finished with single digits. Royal Challengers were on 49 for 5 at one stage and didn’t strike a single six until the 17th over. Kohli couldn’t point to any specific reason as to how how a batting line-up consisting of himself, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle could fail continuously.”Could be a few reasons, could be expectations, could be even looking at our side,” Kohli said. “We made the playoffs last year, good batting line-up, so all kinds of things play in your head. You can’t really pinpoint something unless you know as an individual. It could be hesitation to get out, hesitation to get runs, all those sort of things as batsmen, you know, they can creep in very quickly.”Mathematically, Royal Challengers could still make the playoffs, but Kohli didn’t rate their chances too highly. “We are almost not in the race for the playoffs now, pretty much All we can do now is just enjoy the four games,” he said. “Not worry about failing, not worry about not getting runs and just go out there and express ourselves.”Coach Daniel Vettori reiterated Kohli’s statements on staying focused for the next four games. “There are still four more games to go and they are really important for the pride of the franchise,” Vettori said. “We travel to Mumbai tomorrow. We need to play well there.”Vettori was pleased that Royal Challengers’ bowlers had restricted Rising Pune to 157. He was particularly appreciative of Pawan Negi, who conceded only 18 runs in his four overs and picked up Rahul Tripathi’s wicket. “Our bowling performances throughout the season have been exceptional. A real improvement from where we were last year and some of that is down to the wickets we have played on,” Vettori said.When asked about the batting failures, Vettori admitted that they had a different batting line-up in mind at the start of the season, but injuries to KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan forced a rethink in strategy. “A number of guys I suppose, aren’t in the form expected of them,” Vettori said. “Virat has led us exceptionally well, not only with the captaincy but with his batting. The group knows where we haven’t performed, that’s what we need to rectify.”Rising Pune, on the other, had no problems with either fear of failure or expressing themselves, as they completed their fourth win in five games. While lauding his team’s “complete” performance, captain Steve Smith singled out pacer Lockie Ferguson for doing everything asked of him.Ferguson, playing only his second game, finished with figures of 2 for 7 in four overs, including the wicket of de Villiers. “That’s a magnificent effort, isn’t it?” Smith said. “Three overs of dot balls from Lockie, hit good lengths and bowled good bouncers as well. He is an exciting player for the future.”Smith, however, admitted Rising Pune didn’t get the runs they were looking for. “We didn’t know what was enough at the halfway point, to be fair. The wicket was a little bit slow and obviously Bangalore players have some quality plyers in their line-up. I thought we came out and bowled really well. We executed our plans really well tonight.”