Tag Futebol

The Redbacks and the Black Caps sound more like families of insects than sporting teams. Fitting then that, as the home side reached a score of8/281 by stumps, there consistently remained a sting in the contest as South Australia and New Zealand opened their tour match at the AdelaideOval today.With an expertly compiled century, the quick clatter of wickets, sizeable partnerships at either end of the day, and contrasting individualperformances, this was the quintessential example of a day of fluctuating fortunes.Last week, South Australia scored 5/589 in a Pura Cup fixture against Tasmania, and two of its number – Darren Lehmann and Greg Blewett -shared a record-breaking association of 386 along the way. That was on a more capricious pitch, and the Kiwis might well have had grounds inmid-afternoon for believing that their bowlers were set to suffer a similar fate today. Especially as they had already experienced a horrible sense ofdéjà vu as an extraordinarily close lbw decision against Shane Deitz (4) was turned down from the very first ball of the match.At 1/131 in mid-afternoon, things could barely have looked any better for the home team. Both Blewett (106) and David Fitzgerald (50) wereplundering runs at will at that stage, leaving acting New Zealand captain Craig McMillan with plenty of headaches in the arrangement of both hisattack and field settings on a cloudless and increasingly warm afternoon.In the rarely-ruffled figure of Daniel Vettori (3/60), though, McMillan had just the right player to combat the situation. The left arm spinner is stillshort both of match practice and full physical fitness but could scarcely have produced a better repertoire of deliveries as he set about relaxing SouthAustralia’s early stranglehold.As Daryl Tuffey (3/71) gained no more than a narrow edge in the battle between their three pace bowlers for elevation to the eleven for the SecondTest, the form of Vettori was particularly encouraging for the tourists. From the brink of potential despair, he swung the complexion of the day’s playcompletely. He is so determined and indomitable in these kinds of situations that he is probably exactly the sort of character who would prove adeptat selling refrigerators to Eskimos too.On a surface blessed by little more than speckled tinges of grass, he extracted both bounce and turn to put something akin to a hex over thebatsmen. Fitzgerald, who had survived a missed stumping only three balls earlier, suddenly found himself induced into cutting to backward point inthe spinner’s 11th over. After a 112-run partnership, the shot kick-started a slide.No contemporary Australian player has a better first-class average than Lehmann (0) but his lead over the field wasn’t about to be extended.When he proceeded to smash Chris Martin (0/63) deliveries to fieldsmen on both sides of the wicket as a means of playing himself in, it appearedthat something typically significant in the way of entertainment was afoot.Yet Vettori promptly ended such a prospect in a trice as the South Australian captain advanced a pace at him and tried to loft a flighted deliveryferociously over the leg side – and possibly even out of the suburb too. He miscued, ballooning the ball toward Shane Bond, who stood his groundwell under the catch at mid off. Less than a week after the powerful left hander had thrashed an innings of 246 in Hobart, more than one observer was heard to mutter something along the lines of cricket being a funny game.All the while, Blewett played some sparkling strokes on the path to his third first-class century for the season.He was subdued in the period that followed Lehmann’s dismissal, was beaten twice in one over by Martin, and wasn’t always certain against theaccuracy of the redoubtable Vettori. But, before top edging a Glen Sulzberger (1/39) off break, he was otherwise in near-complete command. Over222 minutes, his was a fine innings which mixed elegant attacking strokes with periods of watchful and equally stylish defence. It has been a whilesince he last played for Australia, but he looked perfectly happy again in this kind of international company.

Where they finished last seasonFinished the league stage with 24 points in Group B, tied in third place with Gujarat. Thanks to a better run quotient, Vidarbha qualified for the knockouts, where they succumbed to Tamil Nadu in the quarter-finals.Big PictureFor most of the last two decades, barring an odd successful outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Vidarbha was known for a plush stadium, an organised state academy and the rise of Shashank Manohar as an able administrator. But when it came to the big-ticket tournaments in domestic cricket, Vidarbha were merely making up the numbers.Things changed last year. In an endeavour to take the team’s performance to the next level, Vidarbha signed Paras Mhambrey as coach, and imported established players like S Badrinath, Ganesh Satish and Rakesh Dhurv. The move worked wonders as Vidarbha made it to the Ranji knockouts for the first time in 19 years.Come 2015-16 and Vidarbha will be hoping to continue from where they left off last season. They have further bolstered their professionals’ strength by roping in Mumbai stalwart Wasim Jaffer, in place of Dhurv. Jaffer is expected to not only continue piling on the runs but also groom young local batsmen, most of whom struggled last season.Dhurv’s exclusion will mean Akshay Wakhare will lead the spin attack. The offspinner impressed on turning tracks towards the end of the league stage last season. If he can be consistent even at the start of the season, the seam-bowling duo of Shrikant Wagh and Ravi Thakur will be relieved.Players to watchWasim Jaffer, who is the highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, is no stranger to being in the limelight. But it will be interesting to see how he fares while wearing the logo of a team other than Mumbai. That too on the back of the most disappointing season of his career, primarily due to injuries.Shrikant Wagh has been the most consistent Vidarbha player over the past half decade. The left-arm seamer has been leading the charge of their bowling and has also made the cut for India A in the past. Wagh, unsurprisingly, was the highest wicket-taker for his team last year. He will be gunning to repeat the feat this season too.Coaching StaffParas Mhambrey and his team of support staff remains unchanged. Mhambrey, the coach, will have Suhas Pawar (trainer), Dr Ashish Agrawal (physio) and Aniruddha Deshpande (analyst) at his disposal.PreparationVidarbha, sans Mhambrey who was with the India A squad, qualified for the knockout stage of the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s pre-season meet. Even though their own preparatory tournament, the Bapuna Cup, was affected by inclement weather, Vidarbha ensured a decent level of preparation by playing a match against Saurashtra’s probables in Rajkot.Team newsVidarbha were one of the first teams to be announced, finalising their squad for the first three games on September 15. Jaffer is the big addition. Besides, the team has three new faces in Aditya Shanware, Aditya Sarwate and Yadvendra Tembhare. All the three newcomers have played in limited-overs tournaments for Vidarbha but are yet to make their first-class debuts.SquadS Badrinath (capt), Faiz Fazal, Ravi Jangid, Aditya Shanware, Amol Ubarhande (wk), Swapnil Bandiwar, Ganesh Satish, Wasim Jaffer, Aditya Sarwate, Jitesh Sharma, Shalabh Shrivastava, Yadvendra Tembhare, Ravikumar Thakur, Shrikant Wagh, Akshay Wakhare.

Baroda

The expectations on Hardik Pandya will be higher after his breakthrough IPL season this year•BCCI

Where they finished last seasonFifth in Group A, with one win and five draws in eight matches.Big pictureThe 2014-15 domestic season was a disappointing one for Baroda, as they failed to make it to the knockout rounds of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Some part of their mid-table finish in the Ranji Trophy was down to luck – the games against Railways and Madhya Pradesh were affected by weather – but the greater disappointment was their inability to win a single home game.”In home games, on turning tracks we didn’t bat well – that was a major area. We asked for a turning track and it didn’t turn much but we could have batted well on the turning track, specially against Tamil Nadu and Mumbai,” Baroda coach Tushar Arothe told ESPNcricinfo, stressing the side was keen on a fresh start.A positive for them, however, was the performance of the younger players. Allrounder Deepak Hooda, who played the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, pacer Sagar Mangalorkar and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh were the pillars of Baroda’s campaign. They will be expected to match those performances again this season and Hooda will also have to juggle the responsibilities of vice-captaincy.Players to watchOne Baroda player who will be keenly followed this season will be allrounder Hardik Pandya. He made his first-class debut in the 2013-14 season, and played four matches in the next season, but it was his blitzkrieg innings in the West Zone leg of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the IPL that put the 21-year-old cricketer in the limelight. Pandya has scored 285 runs in six first-class matches so far and with the possibility of a first full season ahead of him, his adaptability and temperament will be watched closely.Sagar Mangalorkar began his first-class career with a match haul of nine-wickets against Jammu & Kashmir, and in the next four matches he took another 20 wickets to finish as the side’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament. His performances included a six-for in his debut game and a seven-for in a low-scoring match against Tamil Nadu which, but for a batting failure, Baroda had a good chance of winning. It was the sort of performance that fit Arothe’s description of last season being one where, “the youngsters did the hard work and the seniors chipped in”.Coaching staffTushar Arothe is the head coach and will be assisted by Sukhbir Singh, with Afzal Khan as trainer.PreparationBaroda’s pre-season participation in the Nimbalkar Trophy in Pune was marred by bad weather but Arothe said the side played friendlies within the squad and local district games to gear up for the season.Team newsThe team for the first two games does not include pacer Munaf Patel and allrounder Irfan Pathan because they are recovering from injuries. Irfan is suffering from a niggle in the back, while Munaf has back spasms and needs three to four days to recover – there is a chance of him playing the second game. While Munaf played the first part of the 2014-15 season for Baroda, Irfan was available for the second. Neither bowler has played competitive cricket since then. Also missing is Ambati Rayudu, who is part of India’s T20 squad that will take on South Africa between October 2 and 8. Their uncapped players include opening batsman Hitesh Solanki and wicketkeeper Bhargav Patel. Batsman Monil Patel, allrounder Murtuja Vahora and Babashafi Pathan have also been picked. While Monil has played only T20s for Baroda (the last one in March 2012), Vahora did not play first-class matches in 2014-15. Pacer Babashafi played his only first-class game in November 2013.SquadAditya Waghmode (capt), Deepak Hooda, Bhargav Bhatt, Kedar Devdhar, Gagandeep Singh, Sagar Mangalorkar, Hardik Pandya, Bhargav Patel (wk), Monil Patel, Babashafi Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Pinal Shah (wk), Hitesh Solanki, Swapnil Singh, Murtuja Vahora.

Sourav Ganguly picks up a single during his 239 © AFP

Keeping the customer satisfied
A spectator in the crowd to the left of the press box was presumably tired of watching Sourav Ganguly and Irfan Pathan hit four after four and began to chat “We want a sixer”. Soon several hundred joined in and chanted in unison and it’s possible that Pathan heard them for he stepped out and lofted Danish Kaneria cleanly over the midwicket boundary the very next ball. The fans celebrated feverishly before chanting “We want another” as Kaneria ran in again.Entering uncharted waters
Ganguly’s celebration when he got to his century on the first day was subdued compared to Yuvraj Singh’s, after all he’d just scored one – his first in front of his home crowd – in Kolkata and celebrated with enthusiasm. However, on the second day, the Bangalore crowd witnessed another Ganguly first – his maiden double hundred – and as he sprinted through for the second run to reach the landmark, he raised his arms in celebration. There was no fist-punching or jumping but Ganguly savoured the moment just that little bit longer. Incidentally he went on to beat Vinod Kambli’s 227 for the highest score by an Indian left-hander.Doing it in style
Pathan was approaching his maiden Test century with confidence when there was a blip at the other end. After Ganguly was bowled, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh were dismissed in quick succession leaving Pathan four runs away from the hundred with No 11 Ishant Sharma at the crease. Sharma survived four deliveries from Yasir Arafat but evidently didn’t fill Pathan with confidence. Off the next delivery he got to face, Pathan stepped out and lofted Kaneria into the stands at deep midwicket and broke into celebration.Desperate times
Giving a part-timer a bowl shortly before the end of a session is a common practice. The batsmen are looking forward to the break and a relatively easier bowler could cause a lapse in concentration. However, when Younis Khan turned to Salman Butt for the last over before lunch on the second day, it was more due to lack of options than anything else. Arafat, Mohammad Sami and Kaneria had toiled through the first session because of Shoaib Akhtar’s forced absence and the other options were Yasir Hameed and Younis himself.Kaneria goes down
Ganguly was timing most of his shots impeccably but the straight drive in the 111th over against Kaneria was especially well struck. It would have certainly sped towards the straight boundary had Kaneria not attempted to stop it. The ball hit him hard on his foot and he hobbled away to the side. The physio came out to check and several of the other Pakistan players gathered around. With the injury to Shoaib on the first day, Pakistan could not afford another bowler in the medical ward.Akmal’s greasy gloves
The value of his match-saving hundred in Kolkata may have distracted attention from Kamran Akmal’s drop off Sachin Tendulkar and his general poor form behind the stumps. His bout of butterfingers continued in Bangalore when he grassed an edge off Pathan off the bowling of Kaneria. He’s also conceded 13 byes in the first innings. It’s time for another valiant hundred, Kamran.Shoaib’s forced absence
Shoaib’s fitness has been an issue throughout the series and he’s often gone off the field to recuperate after bowling short spells. Today, he had to spend 205 minutes on it before he would be allowed a bowl. The forced absence was because Shoaib went off the field after the 32nd over on the first day because of back pain and did not return. As it turned out, Shoaib did not bowl even after tea on the second day as India amassed a massive total.

Scorecard

Michael Klinger’s second first-class century gave Victoria hope © Getty Images

A century to Michael Klinger gave Victoria every chance of pulling off a remarkable win before New South Wales bounced back with late wickets on a wearing SCG pitch. Klinger helped the Bushrangers rein in the target of 360 but fell late in the day and at the close the visitors were 5 for 241, needing a further 119 for victory with David Hussey looming as the key.Klinger, who has been in outstanding limited-overs form but was playing his first Pura Cup game for the season, reached his second first-class hundred before Stuart MacGill drew an edge to slip when he was on 102. That dismissal proved a catalyst for New South Wales, who went on to claim Jon Moss and Andrew McDonald without scoring. The chase will rely heavily on Hussey, Victoria’s stand-in captain, who was unbeaten on 62, and Adam Crosthwaite (1 not out).Hussey, who made 212 when Victoria chased down a record 455 at Newcastle in 2003-04, again frustrated the Blues in a 114-run partnership with Klinger after Nick Jewell (57) helped with the strong start. A Victoria win looked unlikely as New South Wales built a substantial lead thanks to Dominic Thornely and the lower order.Thornely made 89 and received vital support from Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson and MacGill as they pushed the score to 299. Bryce McGain did his best with 6 for 112 – his best first-class figures – but Shane Harwood (3 for 95) was the only other bowler to make a dent in the Blues’ line-up. McGain, playing just his fourth Pura Cup game in a career spanning six seasons, removed Thornely for 89 but received a hiding from MacGill, whose 15-ball 33 included three sixes.

The pitch has been the centre of attraction and worry, will it be another run-glut? © Getty Images

Yesterday, Agha Zahid was the most sought-after man in Pakistan. As head curator for the Pakistan board, it was to his door most people rushed after Gaddafi Stadium produced over 1200 runs but only eight wickets. By some estimates, he gave over 50 interviews at Iqbal Stadium yesterday afternoon. Today, he even found himself the subject of an editorial in the , a leading English-language daily, which called for him to be flogged in public in Lahore. It was, it should be hastily added, more tongue-in-cheek than serious comment but revealing nonetheless how the Faisalabad pitch now shares with Sehwag, Dravid, Inzamam and Shoaib, headline status.What pitch will we be encumbered with then? On inspection, in its beige hue, it looks like Lahore’s although on closer inspection, some suggest it might be harder. What grass there is on it is dead. Against England, two months ago, the pitch ultimately didn’t do what was expected of it – turn on the last day. This, even after Shahid Afridi and some batsmen did their best to hasten its deterioration although the strip next to it is being used here.Clearly though it is a source of much humour among those who know. When Inzamam was asked about it, with a smile he said, “We can see a little bit of grass on the pitch.” A little later he added, “It will be a better wicket, in the sense that if there is a result then it is a good wicket.” If you think about it, actually that says nothing at all.Rahul Dravid also smiled when asked for his thoughts. “It was slightly different from Lahore. A bit more grass on it and it may change as the game goes on.” Michael Holding bellowed (although that might be because he was asked whether he would pull a muscle on this pitch as he had joked of the Lahore strip) and said, “This is a pitch for the beautiful batsmen.” Yesterday, Bob Woolmer couldn’t conceal a smirk when he said it looked a little better. In the Indian camp, one bowler simply laughed when asked whether he would get more joy from this pitch. Bowlers, it looks likely, might need some sympathy tomorrow.In , Inzamam denied he had asked for the grass to be shaved off on the eve of the first Test and asked for similar pitches to the ones that were used against England. The dead grass here was his choice, because he reckons, “When you have live grass the ball seams around a lot on the first day and then the pitch eases out. But when you have dry grass it remains consistent and the ball keeps on deviating off the blades and there is also spin on all five days. Ultimately it all depends on how the weather behaves.”And there it is. No one has really taken into account quite how the weather has hampered pitch preparations. Poor Zahid was at pains to explain yesterday and since the start of this series that rain, cold and damp have severely affected his work. During the Lahore Test, he was already in Faisalabad combating the effects of rain. For what it’s worth, he told AFP yesterday, “We can only do our best but we can’t beat the weather. We need a strong sun to make a hard wicket but the rain three days back and mild sunshine since then has made our job very difficult.”The sun has been shining for two days now and the forecast has lightened up, but both are notoriously fickle at this time of the year and too prone to change. Lahore too started in sunshine. Zahid says the sun, and plenty of it, is essential now for the pitch to play sportingly. You have to feel for him, for he has become a convenient and early scapegoat for the weather, the itinerary and his employers.Dravid, at least, is willing to give him the benefit of doubt: “I would hope the curator has made the best wicket in the time he has got. Let’s give it a chance and see how it pans out.” If it doesn’t, then maybe the more pertinent questions will be those asking the PCB why they scheduled the series at this time of the year and in this region and not Zahid about why he can’t produce a pitch for Test match cricket.

Daryl Tuffey: the centre of allegations© Getty Images

Two English tourists who filmed New Zealand’s fast bowler, Daryl Tuffey, allegedly having sex with a Christchurch woman have gone to ground in Australia, refusing to contact even their own families.Paddy Curtis and Archie Brookbank, both 19, have been at the centre of an Australasian media hunt ever since The Christchurch Press newspaper revealed they had video-taped Tuffey allegedly having consensual sex with a 23-year-old Christchurch woman.Tuffey was hauled before the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board to face serious misconduct charges on Wednesday, although NZC will not elaborate on the “off-field incident” from which the charges arose. The pair who made the video left Christchurch on February 26 to continue their overseas holiday in Australia. They stayed two nights at a Sydney backpackers’ hostel but have since disappeared.Curtis’s father, Edward Curtis, based in Ludlow, England, told AAP his family had heard of the allegations through Christchurch relatives, but efforts to track their son in Sydney had been fruitless. “I can’t comment on what he’s been up to,” said Edward Curtis. “We haven’t made any contact with him. We’ve been trying his phone [in Sydney] and he’s not answering.”It is understood the family of one of the teenagers has cut his money supply and will force him to return to England. One source, who had seen two other sex videos made by Paddy Curtis and Brookbank, described them as “immature young boys” who thought it was “cool to get girls on videotape and take it to pubs and show it off”.While the men are ducking for cover and Tuffey is refusing to comment, the woman in the video has denied all knowledge of Tuffey. The woman, a 23-year-old sales representative, her boyfriend and her father all denied this week a video existed. She admitted knowing Paddy Curtis and Brookbank through a mutual friend but, despite allegations she was involved in the video, she was adamant she did not know Tuffey.The woman says she first heard news of the Tuffey videotape “when a rumour went around three weeks ago”, but added: “I’ve never met him in my life.”The NZC misconduct inquiry is expected to be completed in two weeks.

The Victorian Bushrangers have taken an early lead in the domestic standings of the state Spirit of Cricket award combining the Pura Cup and ING Cup, Cricket Australia announced today.The Bushrangers, who have played two Pura Cup and three ING Cup games, lead the table on 18 points, five points ahead of closest rival the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers, who have 13 points from four matches.The West End Redbacks sit in third place on 12 points, followed by the SpeedBlitz Blues and XXXX Queensland Bulls on nine points, while the Retravision Warriors trail the field on two points.The officiating umpires issue points on a 3,2,1,0,-1 basis at the end of each game, with teams rewarded for displaying the true spirit, traditions, and values of cricket.If a player is reported and found guilty under Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct during a match, their team is automatically given a score of minus one point.Western Australia’s Paul Wilson and Ryan Campbell have both been reported under the Code for separate incidents earlier this season, while Queensland’s Stuart Law was reported following his side’s recent Pura Cup match against Victoria.Voting in ING Cup games is weighted at a ratio of 1:1, while Pura Cup voting adopts a 3:1 weighting. The state Spirit of Cricket points table, including all Pura Cup and ING Cup fixtures up until Monday 17 November follows:

TEAM	TOTAL POINTS	MATCHES
VIC	18	5 (2 Pura; 3 ING)
TAS	13	4 (2 Pura; 2 ING)
SA	12	5 (2 Pura; 3 ING)
NSW	9	4 (2 Pura; 3 ING)
QLD	9	5 (2 Pura; 3 ING)
WA	2	5 (2 Pura; 3 ING)

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said the state Spirit of Cricket award served to acknowledge the efforts of the states in upholding the laws and traditions of the game."Cricket Australia strongly believes that cricket’s appeal to fans and participants is closely related to the values that are firmly entrenched in the game," Mr Sutherland said."Strengthening and protecting the spirit of cricket was one of four Cricket Australia strategic priorities identified in 2002, and we see this award as an important vehicle in helping promote the value of fair play through the states."Earlier this season Victoria, through its Pura Cup captain Darren Berry, publicly pledged to improve the side’s on-field behaviour so it’s encouraging to see them leading the points table at this stage of the season."The state Spirit of Cricket award is part of a broader Cricket Australia Spirit of Cricket project designed to ensure Australian cricketers at all levels understand their obligations to fair play.Announced ahead of the First 3 Test match against Zimbabwe in Perth last month, the project incorporates a national Spirit of Cricket award for grade and local club sides around Australia.It also includes an elite Australian player pledge, defining a set of standards of behaviour and values by which they intend to play the game.The state Spirit of Cricket award will be updated at the end of every second Pura Cup round, and announced on the following dates:

• Tuesday, 16 December, Pura Cup rounds 3 and 4, plus all ING Cup games since last update;
• Friday, 16 January, Pura Cup rounds 5 and 6, plus all ING Cup games since last update;
• Wednesday, 11 February, Pura Cup rounds 7 and 8, plus all ING Cup games since last update;
• Wednesday, 10 March, Pura Cup rounds 9 and 10, plus all ING Cup games since last update. Overall winner announced.

All the latest news and updates concerning the spirit of cricket is available online at www.baggygreen.com.au/spirit

Zimbabwe won the one-day series today at BNS defeating Bangladesh by a fair margin of 42 runs in a high scoring match. The visitors won the toss and sent their opponents to field first.The decision to bat first in a dry wicket like that in BNS was a very wise decision and Zimbabweans took full advantage of it. After an early loss of Grant Flower clean bowled by Manjurul Islam, Carlisle and Dion Ebrahim built a partnership of 108 runs in the second wicket. The sloppy fielding by Bangladeshis allowed them plenty of gaps to score runs frequently.Carlisle departed managing 44 runs before he was run out. The crowd at BNS was utterly jubilant to watch Andy Flower leaving the crease with just 10 runs in his bag. Khaled Mahmud grabbed his wicket assisted by Al-Sahariar who took the catch.But that did not stop the flow of runs as Craig Wishart and Ebrahim were running the run-feast with quite ease. Wishart played his natural knock, a stroke filled innings that included three massive sixes. He and Ebrahim added 124 runs in the fourth wicket to take the tally to 269. Wishart made 68 before Mashrafe clean bowled him. Javed Belim sent back Ebrahim by a superb throw that broke the stumps before the batsman was in. Ebrahim score 121 and struck 11 fours.Zimbabwe ended their innings in style taking 22 runs off Rafique from the final over. Streak whacked two huge sixes and a boundary. The Zimbabwean totals reached 309 after full 50 overs, but match adjudicator reduced 5 runs from their total as a penalty as Wishart obstructed a Bangladeshi fielder while he was picking the ball. So, Bangladesh got a target of 305 to win the match. Mashrafe captured 2 wickets for 48.Al-Sahariar and Javed Belim made a dream start hammering eight boundaries in their 46-run partnership. It was Al-Sahariar to go first tragically when Belim summoned him to take a risky improbable single. Garry Brent himself clipped the bails off before Al-Sahariar could touch the line. A remorseful Javed Belim departed soon after his mate edging a lollypop catch to Andy Flower. He made 27.Little Ashraful was dismissed before he could set at the crease when the score was 76, clean bowled by Travis Friend, who was erratic at his first spell. Bashar, the most successful among the hosts, and Sanwar Hossain started playing rather prudently. They remained inseparable for 24.2 overs to manage 115. Bashar like his other golden days notched up a sparkling 66 before he missed an Ervine delivery that displaced his stumps.Sanwar Hossain, though batted judiciously, spent too many balls to get his fifty. Marillier’s direct throw returned him bagging 52 valuable runs that contained a solitary boundary.Khaled Mahmud (50) hammered Brent for a six and a deafening applaud welcomed his endeavor. He hit several dazzling boundaries all around on his way. He reached his half-century, the third one in Bangladeshi innings, playing only 37 balls. He was caught at extra cover off Friend soon after he got that fifty.Bangladesh managed 262 runs from their stipulated overs. Brent took 2 wickets for 40 and Streak captured 2 for 45. Dion Ebrahim was unquestionably adjudged the man-of-the-match.

Despite a career overshadowed by Imran Tahir, and the possibility of soon being overtaken by a younger crop of spinners, Aaron Phangiso still has a lot to offer South African cricket, according to his provincial coach. Monty Jacobs, who was in charge of Phangiso at North West and will reconnect with him this weekend at the Africa Cup, sees the left-arm spinner as a “complete package”, who could play a major role in the upcoming tour of India, if selected, in any or all formats.”People tend to get boxed in easily and Phangi has got this label as a limited-overs bowler but that’s not exactly the case,” Jacobs told ESPNcricinfo. “The season before he got selected for South Africa, he was playing a lot of first-class cricket for me and that is what got him going. He has a lot of skill with the red ball.”Phangiso first played for South Africa in December 2012, in a Twenty20 against New Zealand and has since been a regular limited-overs squad member, although an irregular in the starting XI. In the two summers prior to his debut, Phangiso had his best returns in first-class cricket, taking 15 wickets at 25.13 in 2010-11 and 16 wickets at 28.50 in the 2011-12 season. Those figures were achieved at the provincial, semi-professional level, not franchise cricket where Tahir edged Phangiso out of the Lions side.A slew of spinners, including Eddie Leie, have since kept Phangiso on the fringes of the franchise first-class XI – he last played for them in the format in October last year – but the national selectors knew of Phangiso’s longer-form ability. He was selected in the Test squad which toured Bangladesh in July but did not play either of the two matches. He will be back in contention for the India series and Jacobs said he would not be surprised if Phangiso is picked across all formats, not just the limited-overs’ ones.”Coaches look for consistency and that’s what Phangi offers, especially in the longer format,” Jacobs said. “In one-day cricket, you tend to bowl with a flat trajectory and target the pads but Phangi is skillful enough to get the ball past the bat as well. He is a good fielder and has even done well with the bat. He is actually the complete package.”Phangiso has seven first-class fifties to his name, more than Dane Piedt (5) or Leie (1), but half that of Simon Harmer, who has 14 and a century. All three are likely ahead of Phangiso in the queue – Piedt and Harmer at Test level, and Leie as a T20 option. This could mean that even if Phangiso travels, as he did at the World Cup, he may not play. And that, according to Jacobs, will be South Africa’s loss.”I do feel a bit sorry for him because sometimes he is more of a tourist and deep down there may be that hurt of not playing but when you see him, Phangi is a happy guy,” Jacobs said. “He is a real character and a great guy to have in any team.”

Victoria 113 and 2 for 73 trail Queensland 341 (Noffke 82, Nye 57, Wise 3-63, Denton 3-65) by 155 runs
Scorecard

Ashley Noffke was celebrating following his six wickets © Getty Images

Ashley Noffke continued his incredible all-round season with 82 but during the innings was struck down with a hamstring injury that left him unable to bowl in Victoria’s reply. Noffke had top scored in Queensland’s 341 and by the close the Bushrangers had reduced their deficit to 155, reaching 2 for 73 with Nick Jewell on 40 and Brad Hodge yet to score.The extent of the problem with Noffke’s right hamstring is still unclear but his batting bonanza virtually assured him of the Man-of-the-Match award after only two days, following his first-innings 6 for 33 as Victoria crumbled to 113. Noffke is now in the remarkable position of sitting second on this year’s Pura Cup wicket tally and fourth on the batting list, where only Simon Katich, Luke Pomersbach and Michael Di Venuto are ahead of him.He built an important 98-run partnership with Aaron Nye, who made 57, and then Chris Hartley (33) and the rest of the Queensland lower order continued to frustrate Victoria. Noffke missed the chance for his second century of the season when he was removed by Allan Wise, who had the best of the bowling figures for Victoria with 3 for 63.Jewell and Rob Quiney made a much more promising start than in the Bushrangers’ first innings, adding 73 for the first wicket. But Nye showed Noffke was not the only allrounder capable of hurting the visitors, removing Quiney (32) and the nightwatchman Gerard Denton from consecutive balls in the final over. Hodge survived the hat-trick delivery but there was not much else to celebrate for Victoria on another day of Noffke domination.