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Identified as a natural talent by Viv Richards, Jermaine Blackwood showed his attacking instincts during a fighting, maiden Test hundred

George Dobell at North Sound15-Apr-2015Twenty-nine years to the day since Viv Richards thrilled Antigua with one of the greatest – and certainly the fastest – centuries in Test history, his latest protégé announced himself to the world with a maiden Test hundred.Jermaine Blackwood is, in many ways, an old-fashioned West Indies player. In an age where most young players are taught to defend and leave and take their time, he likes to give the ball a whack.Coming to the crease with his side in some trouble, he responded in bold style. From the second ball of his innings, with West Indies teetering on 99 for 4, he skipped down the pitch and carved James Tredwell for six over extra cover.A few minutes later he played a similar stroke off James Anderson. While he was only able to slice the ball over the in-field for a single, the message was clear: here was a young man who was not going to be intimidated by situation or reputation. Later he lofted Ben Stokes, bowling with pace and aggression, for another six over long-off. It was a shot of which even Sir Viv would have been proud.We probably shouldn’t have been surprised. His second scoring shot in Test cricket was a lofted drive for six over long-on off Trent Boult. Blackwood plays Test cricket like West Indies’ players used to play Test cricket.It was a point made by Richards, who first came across Blackwood when asked to cast his eye across the batting talent in the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados, and he admits to being “very impressed” at first glance.”I love his confidence,” Richards told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not often you see a young man who has the confidence to take on these well-known fast bowlers as soon as they come into the game.”He has that Caribbean style. He’s a bit like Collis King; he can tear an attack apart on his day. Any attack.”Sure, there are some rough edges. But I would rather have a guy who can play the shots and teach him the defence than a guy who doesn’t have any shots. He’s a natural. It’s all natural instinct. And that’s the way it is with most of the best players.”Blackwood hails from St Elizabeth, the same parish in Jamaica as Andre Russell and Jerome Taylor. Russell has been an especially significant figure in his development: he took in him as a teenager and ensured that, while other young men strayed and faltered, Blackwood kept his head down, worked hard and did not squander his natural talent. The pair have lived and trained together for a couple of years.”Andre is like my big brother,” Blackwood said. “I’ve known him for about 10 years and I’m staying with him in Jamaica. We live under the same roof. We train at home and we talk a lot about cricket. Even this morning he sent me advice on my phone. He said stay focused, stay positive, bat for long and make sure I score a century for him.”I met Viv at the HPC last year. He’s been a very important person. He’s taught me a lot. He talks to me always about staying positive. He tells me to play the way I play, but be patient. He was always telling me to be patent but positive at the same time.”With such a range of strokes, Blackwood could become the latest West Indian talent to be lost to the IPL. For now, though, his priorities are representing the West Indies. “I can play all formats, but I really love Test cricket,” he said. “I really want to play Test cricket for a long time, so right now my main focus is Test cricket and making as many runs as possible.”He has long been seen as a highly promising player. He scored a double-century in an otherwise low-scoring game against Guyana in U-19s regional cricket – a rare achievement in a format that tends to be played at a fast and furious pace – and was taken into the Sagicor High Performance Centre.While his scores in domestic cricket this year have been modest – a reflection, perhaps, of Caribbean pitches more than anything – he has now passed 50 four times in nine Test innings. Twice he has been unbeaten.”They have to stick with him,” Richards said. “He is still learning and there will be bad days along the way. But he can damage teams. He can make a difference.”When you hit the ball like that, and when you have a passion to hit a ball like that, you don’t try and curb it. You may channel it. But it’s a natural talent and it is to be encouraged and celebrated.”He enjoyed some fortune. Once he was caught at slip off a no-ball, once he was dropped in the gully and once he edged through the vacant second slip position. On several occasions, after being beaten outside off stump, he forced himself into exaggerated forward defensive practice shots. They do not come entirely naturally. There will be times, no doubt, on green pitches in England or bouncy tracks in Australia, where the technique looks a little loose.On other occasions, he was troubled by the short ball. Stuart Broad, at his bullying best, struck him on the arm with one delivery and Stokes also made him uncomfortable in a particularly good, hostile spell. “It’s Test cricket. I’m used to it,” Blackwood said. “I’m from Jamaica. We have a lot of fast bowlers. I’m not afraid of any short balls. The bowlers will get tired and that is when I will damage them.”Indeed, he never took a backward step and, when Stokes overpitched he leaned into a perfect on drive that might just have been the stroke of the Test”He corrected himself,” Richards said. “He stopped following the ball outside off stump and he showed some restraint. It shows it can be done. And it’s better to brush up on these things than try to look for something that isn’t there.”It’s hard, you know. The breeze was strong and taking the ball away from him. But he worked out how to combat everything that was thrown at him – the short ball – whatever. That’s how he will learn. That’s how all batsmen learn.”This innings will give him a lot of belief. It’s like a golfer winning their first tournament; they feel they can win them all after that. He’ll have days when he doesn’t win, but West Indies need players like Jermaine Blackwood.”

This contest brings together a belligerent bunch of brats and braggers from two countries that are so different, yet share rampant egotism and a high opinion of themselves

Jarrod Kimber25-Mar-2015Australia and India are part of the “axis of admin” currently running world cricket. That shouldn’t mean you confuse them for friends.Administrators from both countries happily badmouth each other. Cricket Australia tells people they will hold the BCCI to their ethics. The BCCI tells everyone that they won’t be given moral lessons by the same Cricket Australia that runs the bully Australian teams.On the field, it is often much the same.There was a time when Australians completely ignored India. On the field, off the field, as a country. Australia spent decades without winning a Test series in India, but they also spent decades hardly playing a series there in the first place. Australia toured India five times in their first 50 years. They played for the first time in India 24 years after India’s first Test, which even when the Second World War is accounted for, is quite some time.Even when Kerry Packer went around the world looking for players for World Series Cricket, the Indians weren’t tapped on the shoulder. Sunil Gavaskar and Bishan Bedi could have played, but one was a blocker and the other a spinner; it wasn’t box office. They weren’t playing the game the right way, the Australian way.Before 2001, this was kind of how Indian cricket was seen in Australia. As this effeminate version of cricket that really wasn’t for Australians. They didn’t bowl fast. They didn’t smash the ball. They didn’t travel well. And Australians had to take food to their country just to survive it.Australia hadn’t won in India since 1969, but now it was just a matter of time. Coming into India’s enforced second innings, Australia had won their last 16 and a half Test matches.Then, VVS.VVS didn’t just beat Australia; he beat their entire system•Getty ImagesAustralia first tried to take his wicket driving. He drove, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket pulling. He pulled, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket with slower balls. He waited, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket with ring fields. He pierced, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket with bowling in the rough. He smashed, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket in the slips. He middled, they took no wicket. Australia then tried to take his wicket by giving up. He batted, they took no wicket.VVS made 281. When India started to follow on, they were 274 behind. VVS beat the follow-on.If you were taking on a team of Don Bradman, George Headley, Barry Richards, Viv Richards, Victor Trumper and WG Grace, you would not be unhappy to take Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne with you. By the end, Steve Waugh used every player on his roster other than himself, probably due to health reasons, and Adam Gilchrist. Waugh had one of the greatest bowling attacks in cricket, and he was bowling Justin Langer.VVS didn’t just beat Australia; he beat their entire system. He beat their will. He beat their ego. And he did it in such a way that Australia had to give up. India could no longer be ignored. India didn’t play cricket the Australian way, they played it the Indian way.From there on in, you could buy DVDs of an Indian tour in Australian supermarkets. This was a country that only shortly before were happy enough to laugh, or at least cringe in silence, as former Australian Greg Ritchie did a long-running racist portrayal of Indians on TV. Australia went from a country that called Indians “curry munchers” to a country that was now desperate to beat them.Then there was the money. India meant money. Not DVD sales but TV rights. The money jumped up every time Australia hosted India. Hosting 70,000 people at the MCG was nice, hosting India in a Test series was the greatest show on earth.Then the Sydney Test of 2008 happened. Not many people come out of that Test well. Not either cricket boards or key players from either side. And when India threatened to travel home, Australia for the first time truly realised that they were no longer the masters of their relationship. To use the language of George Costanza, they had no hand.Thanks to the IPL, Australian cricketers are treated like rock stars in India•BCCIThis was India’s relationship, this was India’s sport, this was India’s money.Matthew Hayden had called India third world and he had called one of their players an obnoxious weed. Yet, in the corner of N Srinivasan’s India Cements office there is a bat given to him by Hayden. Now Hayden can be seen doing embarrassing video selfies for an Indian TV company.Thanks to the IPL, Australian cricketers were treated more like rock stars in India than they ever had been at home. At the Wankhede stadium there was once a 30-foot-high picture of Aiden Blizzard. In Australia he could wear an “I am Aiden Blizzard” sandwich board in Bourke St and not be recognised. Before most Australians knew who Aaron Finch was, he could be seen in hair product ads in India.Steve Waugh had taken to India out of love for the country. And Australian cricketers had always felt much love from Indians. But now they felt it in their wallets. Brett Lee ended up in Bollywood films. Even John Buchanan has given speeches on business in India.Then there is the Australian success in the IPL. They win a lot of titles, as captains, as coaches. Their players win a lot of personal awards. Many have pointed to the amount of useless Australian players in the IPL as a weakness of the tournament, but they are there because they have shown a lot of success. The IPL rated David Warner and Glenn Maxwell as much as, or in some cases long before, the Australian selectors did.These same players are often now team-mates one week, adversaries the next. It has forged strong friendships and epic feuds. The more you know someone, the more chance you will like them or despise them. And with the IPL, Champions league and Australia v India matches being seemingly played 11 months of the year, it can brew a lot of hate.You could see that when India lost the last Test series. Even during the Test that was as close to a memorial game as Test cricket has produced, the players got in each other’s faces. Some former team-mates, others constant rivals.India were easily beaten on the field, but with their mouths they fought out more than the two draws they managed. They didn’t seem to even turn up for the ODIs in the tri-series; they even lost to the second-tier ODI side England. They haven’t lost since.Team-mates, constant rivals•Getty ImagesThis is all different. This is a bragging right over your friends and enemies for life. This can help a cricketer turn from a hero to an immortal. Madan Lal played 39 Tests, but he is remembered for one ball in a World Cup. This matters to virtually all fans. Even the Test fans who still look down on ODIs. This is a World Cup semi-final. Australia are playing for a home final. India are playing for back to back. And they are playing each other.For years India wanted to prove they could be the best. Now they want to prove they are better than the best. They’ve won three ICC tournaments since their World T20 in 2007. They probably should have won more. Last World Cup they lost to South Africa and tied with England. This time they have been magnificent. So a loss now, as champions, to Australia, is unthinkable.For Australia, this is their World Cup. Even the promos have sometimes forgotten that New Zealand existed. Even their loss to New Zealand was so tiny, dramatic and chaotic that it was seen more as a great bad game of cricket than an actual loss. But a loss to India, at the SCG, will not be explained away, it will fester.Australia are attacking with bat and ball. Their only spin option is a batsman who often talks better than he bowls. They have so many players who can hit sixes, a few of whom do it better than they rotate the strike. Their fielders are loud and athletic. Their bowlers are fast and aggressive. There is no doubt, even at a glance, that this is an Australian ODI team.India are batting slower than they did last tournament. They seem to be backing themselves to get near 300 on autopilot. Their batsmen are almost all below 100 strike rate. Their fast bowlers seem excited by the two new balls and the bounce in the tracks. The rest of us are excited by their wickets. R Ashwin is in control. MS Dhoni wrote the program on modern ODI cricket. It’s sensible caution with flashes of all-out attack.This is a clash of strategy. And of methods, culture and politics. This is a new-era rivalry. Not as ancient as the Ashes, or as passionate as India-Pakistan. Two countries that are so different, yet share rampant egotism, high self-opinion and a belief that being born in their country is superior to other births. This brings together a belligerent bunch of brats, bullies and braggers.This is the “battle of the bullies”.

A new book tries to unravel the secret behind the city’s extraordinary cricket legacy, with anecdotes about the passionate following the domestic game has had there

V Ramnarayan23-May-2015At one time, to play a first-class match in Mumbai, whether at the Brabourne or Wankhede, before television brought cricket into our drawing rooms, was to be watched by some of the greatest names in Indian cricket – Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar, Madhav Apte , Hanumant Singh, to name a few. There were other cricket fanatics like Raj Singh Dungarpur, with his exuberant passion for the game, and Vasu Paranjpe, whose acute observations from the pavilion on the technique and methods of individual players and on team strategies added a touch of drama to the proceedings.To a visiting cricketer, all this could be morale-boosting and exciting, imparting a new spring in his step. Not only that, if he was a good learner, he invariably went back a wiser cricketer, enriched by his contact with these greats of the game. Imagine how much richer the experience of a cricketer brought up in Mumbai cricket, reared on good turf wickets, taking part in tournaments, rubbing shoulders with stalwarts of Indian cricket from Vijay Merchant and Mankad down to Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, living and playing through the Sachin Tendulkar era.In his , Makarand Waingankar – journalist, talent spotter, administrator and former cricketer – tries to explain what lies behind the extraordinary success of the city. While the title of the book is probably the result of a copy editor’s fantasy, Waingankar brings an altogether more clinical eye to bear on his subject, while unravelling the factors underlying the phenomenal success and durability of Bombay cricket. He confesses to finding the task beyond him, but the many stories from local cricket and first-class matches, and the many personalities and anecdotes featured, more than do the job. The book also rues the falling standards over the last decade, and tries to understand why Mumbai rarely produces world-class bowlers.HarperCollinsParticularly illuminating are the chapters on the Kanga League, played during the monsoon in soggy, unpredictable conditions (a seemingly bizarre innovation by Merchant that gave Bombay cricketers a taste of English conditions before covering of pitches became mandatory), and Ranji Trophy matches in which the gallant, never-say-die spirit of Bombay cricket comes to the fore. Time and again we have watched in awe as the city’s cricket team turned hopeless situations around to win. This reviewer was at the receiving end once, in 1976 – and the chapter is an inspiring retelling of a number of such games. In the midst of these heroic tales glitters the story of Dilip Vengsarkar’s epic failure to win a Ranji Trophy final, by just two runs, against Haryana, after a 45-run partnership with the No. 11, Abey Kuruvilla, that ended in Kuruvilla getting run out.MAK Pataudi, one of many cricketers whose thoughts on Mumbai cricket figure in the book, refers to the structure of school, college and club cricket in the city, as well as to the inter-corporate tournament that helped a cricketer’s livelihood. In these games, he found the cricket “tougher than some of the Ranji Trophy matches”. Rahul Dravid attributes Mumbai’s longevity as a cricket centre to its cricket culture, its excellent facilities, and the good turf wickets a Bombay player grows up on. Nari Contractor describes the qualities a player needs to succeed in the Kanga League: “To survive on those sorts of wickets, a batsman had to adjust all the time. You had to play with soft hands. Since there was tall grass, we had to run quick singles because you just couldn’t hit a boundary.” (Unless you were Sachin Tendulkar, as the book reveals elsewhere.)While the most poignant stories are about the kind of team men Bombay cricket has produced, like Eknath Solkar and Wasim Jaffer, who put personal tragedy behind them to serve their team, there is at least one that brings a smile to the reader – that of Sudhakar Adhikari, who rushed straight from the of his wedding to the stadium to play a Ranji Trophy match. is as much about the VS Patils, Paranjpes, Amol Muzumdars, Milind Reges and other fine players and coaches below Test level, as it is about Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. It is a fascinating celebration of the Bombay brand of cricket – (win at all costs), shrewd, indefatigable. It may fall short of expectations in terms of style, but offers substance in good measure.A Million Broken Windows

The Magic and Mystique of Bombay Cricket
By Makarand Waingankar
Harper Collins India
288 pages, Rs 399

Plays of the day from the third ODI between Zimbabwe and India

Liam Brickhill in Harare14-Jul-2015The dropElton Chigumbura usually has one of the safer pairs of hands in Zimbabwe’s XI, but he dropped the easiest of chances off Kedar Jadhav in the 41st over, with disastrous consequences. The error did nothing to help Graeme Cremer’s figures, but worse still Jadhav, who should have been out for 41 off 57 deliveries, added a further 64 runs in his innings to rush to a maiden ODI century. He lead India’s charge at the death as they plundered 106 off the last ten overs, ruining what had been a spirited start by Zimbabwe.The sixJadhav’s innings wasn’t short on boundaries, and he found the area between backward point and third man particularly profitable. A deftly angled bat allowed him to collect six of his boundaries in that area, off both spin and pace, but the stand-out shot was the one that took him to his hundred. An attempted yorker from Neville Madziva slipped out as a full toss, and Jadhav helped the ball on its way with impeccable timing, clearing the boundary for his only six. It was a fitting way to go to a hundred, and his ecstatic celebration was also in keeping with the occasion.The first-ballerM Vijay had a forgettable day with the bat, falling early via an outside edge, but he’ll have rather fonder memories of his efforts with the ball. Vijay had only bowled three overs in 16 ODIs before today, and with just eight wickets in 70 List A matches he might have seemed an odd choice to be brought on to bowl at Chigumbura, who had gotten off the mark with a rasping cut off the left-arm spinner Axar Patel two overs previously. But Vijay’s first ball spun in to rap Chigumbura on the pads, and when Umpire Simon Fry upheld the appeal Vijay had his first ODI wicket, celebrating the landmark with a leap and a click of the heels.The drop, part IIAny sense of achievement Vijay may have felt after his wicket will have been dented by his lackadaisical attempt to take a simple catch at long-on in the 35th over of Zimbabwe’s innings. Chamu Chibhabha was the batsmen to be reprieved, as he punted a length delivery almost straight at Vijay only for the ball to bobble out of his hands. A distraught Stuart Binny recovered to nip Richmond Mutumbami out lbw at the end of the same over, though that dismissal did require a second look from the umpires as Binny’s heel was only just behind the line…The no-ball… Which wasn’t the case when he might have had Malcolm Waller caught behind for a golden duck. Binny had found some wobble through the air throughout his spell, and Waller poked nervously at an outswinger to send a thin edge straight through to Robin Uthappa behind the stumps. It seemed a foregone conclusion, and Waller was walking off when the umpires again asked for a review of the no-ball. This time Binny had landed his foot well over the line, but Waller couldn’t make anything of his second chance. A free hit resulted only in a wild swing at fresh air, and in Binny’s next over Waller nicked a regulation catch to Ajinkya Rahane, Zimbabwe’s chase ending swiftly in a flurry of wickets.

As the Dukes cherry gains popularity for its hardiness, its makers are looking to spread to markets outside of England

Scott Oliver25-Nov-2015They say the best form of advertising is word of mouth. If those mouths happen to be in front of a TV camera or microphone, then so much the better.For cricket ball manufacturer Dukes, the fallout from the summer’s Ashes was pretty good. First Ricky Ponting – lifelong user of Kookaburra kit, whose balls are used in Australia’s domestic first-class cricket – proposed that the Dukes should be used in all Sheffield Shield games. Then Shane Warne weighed in: “The Kookaburra ball goes soft, it’s no good, it doesn’t do enough. We need to use the Dukes ball, it does more. It swings more and it seams more, so why aren’t we using it?”Of course, it was all music to the ears of Dukes owner, Dilip Jajodia, although he is keen to proffer an important caveat: “It’s nice of Shane to suggest that, but I would add [that the balls need to be] produced to cope with the general playing conditions in a given country. It can’t be the same surface finish for all countries. We do have the ability to adjust the surface protection according to what’s required.”These comments appear especially pertinent now, with cricket on the cusp of its brave new world of day-night Tests and with concerns over the durability of the pink Kookaburra ball on abrasive Australian pitches.Jajodia believes that for day-night cricket, the white ball is best for visibility, as opposed to the pink variant•Scott OliverTwo years ago, Jajodia attended a set of tests conducted by Cricket Australia under lights in Melbourne, the upshot of which was that an orange ball with a black seam that he provided was deemed the best by the players involved in the experiment, although it was ultimately rejected due to “a myth that the orange ball leaves a ‘comet trail’ on the monitors of cameramen”. Even so, he believes neither pink nor orange is optimal for day-night Test cricket. “You cannot dye the cricket ball any other colour than red for it to be effective for cricket,” he points out. “When you dye the ball orange, you lose the fluorescence when it goes into the pores. It becomes a ‘dirty’, burnt-orange colour.”If you want a ball that’s really visible in day-night conditions, obviously white is proven to be the best. The traditionalists say you can’t wear coloured clothing for Test cricket. I think that’s over-exaggerated.”Jajodia is trying to get his products into more umpires’ rooms, to increase his market share (currently, his Dukes County Grade A red ball is used for all Tests and first-class cricket in England and the West Indies; boxes have been sent to the boards of Sri Lanka and India for testing; he supplies balls for grass-roots cricket in Auckland, Gauteng, Queensland and elsewhere).Jadojia moved to England from Bangalore as a qualified insurer in his twenties, and started his own sports mail-order firm, Morrant, in 1973. His success selling balls to league cricket led to an invitation to do the same at Dukes, and Jajodia bought the brand outright in 1987 when “it was at a low ebb”. By then, with the skilled workforce retiring or dying off and no one willing or able to replace them, the factory was relocated from Tonbridge in Kent, where it had been established in 1760, to Walthamstow in east London. Experienced stitchers from the subcontinent were brought in on six-month contracts, until visa restrictions were tightened in the wake of 9/11: “The Home Office said they needed a university degree. I said: ‘No, these blokes are craftsmen. They haven’t been to college!'”James Anderson: a fan of the Dukes ball, but only if it swings straightaway•Getty ImagesAlthough the “skilled part of the manufacturing process”, the hand-stitching, is now all done abroad, there is still a great deal of native know-how and discernment brought to bear on the UK side, beginning with the selection of the hides in the tannery: “You use the middle four strips of leather from the back [of the animal] – the middle two for the Test balls – and when you cut the four quarters, you ensure they’re consistent for density and strength. If you didn’t have a factory that went into so much detail – if you were just cutting out strips and knocking out quarters – then you could have three quarters from the back and one from the belly, which is weak and stretchy. They look pretty similar but the composition is different. All the natural pressure will be pushing that quarter out, separating it. After a while, the ball will be out of shape.”We’re dealing with natural materials: the leather, the cork and latex used in the centres. They could all vary slightly – What did the animal eat? Was it sick? – and they could all react slightly differently to different conditions. We have to try and be as consistent as possible, but no two balls are exactly the same.”Of course, given all the interacting variables in the selection, cutting, dyeing, stitching and moulding (or “milling”) of the leather, and in the subsequent stamping, lamping, greasing and lacquering, standardisation can never be absolute. In fact, a ball’s individuality extends to “tolerances” in its dimensions: a circumference of between nine and eight-and-thirteen-sixteenth inches, with the weight between 156 and 163 grams. Jajodia’s personal feeling is “that a cricket ball isn’t a product where you can just mass-produce it at the top level. That personal magic can’t be put into it.” Not only does the hand-stitched seam keep its proudness for longer, helping maintain the rudder effect, the quarter-seam is always closed tight, giving the ball a smooth surface, both of which assist swing.While Jajodia claims he can spot who has stitched a ball from the thread on the seam – “It’s like a person’s handwriting: each guy has his own technique” – he cannot say exactly how he comes to pick out the sets of 12 balls – each of which takes four hours of craftsmanship – that are set aside for a Test match. “I’m a self-appointed feeler of cricket balls, but don’t ask me how I choose. There’s no precise formula. It just has to feel right, as Jimmy Anderson would tell you. He’s just got to feel happy about it. He can be a little moody about it if it doesn’t behave exactly how it wants it to. If he gets a wicket in the first over, he’s the best ambassador I’ve got, but if it doesn’t swing straightaway, well…”A craftsman at work in the Dukes factory in Walthamstow, east London•Scott OliverJajodia is grateful for the feedback from the likes of Anderson, much as he seeks the feedback of batsmen, to be sure the ball has the right feel on the bat. Yet the individuality of each ball, and the variability within each model, means the testing process is imprecise. And there’s the rub with handmade balls: you never know how good an instrument they are until a virtuoso such as Anderson starts to play them.”The problem with a cricket ball is, it fails in use,” Jajodia says. “You can’t test it. You can’t bounce it like a tennis ball, then put it on the market. If you bounce it a couple of times, it’s second-hand. Despite that, you’ve got to try and produce perfection – and that includes deterioration.”Ultimately it’s the widespread sense of a skewing of the balance between bat and ball – cricket administration’s eternal problem – that motivates Dukes to get their white ball introduced to international limited-overs tournaments, to be ready to provide a ball for day-night Tests, and to drop their red leather cherry into more and more Test-playing territories.That said, Jajodia remains mindful that there is no perfect balance. “The ICC and the MCC are expressing concern with the balance between bat and ball, but I couldn’t get out of them what the concern was. Was it that the ball was too effective? Or is it that the bats are too good and the ball’s being whacked out of the park? If you had a Test match that goes on for five days, they’d say, ‘Oh, this is boring. Nobody wants to watch them anymore.’ If you had a game that was over in three days, they’d say there’s something wrong with the ball: the game’s over early, and they’re losing money. You can’t tinker all the time. You’ve just got to accept that the odd game will be finished in two days, and the odd game will be a boring draw. It’s not always about the ball.”

Stats highlights from a run-fest on the third day at the WACA

S Rajesh15-Nov-2015235* Ross Taylor’s score, the highest by a New Zealand batsman in Tests against Australia – he went past Martin Crowe’s 188 at the Gabba in 1985. Kane Williamson’s 166 is the third-highest. Five of the nine highest scores for New Zealand against Australia have been in Perth. Taylor’s current score is also the joint fifth-best by an overseas batsman in Australia.1 Double-centuries scored by an overseas batsman in a Perth Test – Taylor is the first to achieve this feat. The previous-best was 196, by Hashim Amla in 2012. Australian batsmen have scored five double-hundreds in Tests here. This is also the first instance of two double-centuries being scored in a Test match in Perth, and the first instance of three 150-plus scores in a Test in Australia.265 The partnership between Williamson and Taylor, the highest for New Zealand against Australia. The previous-best was also in Perth, in 2001, when Nathan Astle and Adam Parore added 253 for the eighth wicket. It’s New Zealand’s second-highest for the third wicket in all Tests, and the fifth-best for this wicket by any pair against Australia.262 Runs scored by Taylor in ten previous Test innings in Australia, with a highest of 75 and an average of 26.20.105.12 Williamson’s Test average in 2015 – he has scored 841 runs in nine innings, including four hundreds. Among all New Zealand batsmen who have scored 750-plus runs in any calendar year, Williamson’s average is the best.6 Instances of two 250-plus stands in the same Test – David Warner and Usman Khawaja had added 302 in Australia’s first innings. All of these six instances have happened since 2005, and three of those Tests have been in Australia – the other two instances were against India in Sydney in 2012, and against England at the Gabba in 2010.4 Pairs who have put together two or more 250-plus stands for the third wicket*. Before this partnership of 265, Williamson and Taylor had also added 262 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012. The other pairs to achieve this are Hashim Amla-Jacques Kallis (three times), Mahela Jayawardene-Kumar Sangakkara, and Mohammad Yousuf-Younis Khan (twice each).5 Tests in Australia where both teams have topped 500 in their first innings. This is the first such instance at the WACA. Three of those five games have been in Adelaide, and all three in the period between 2003 and 2008.3 Instances of two New Zealand batsmen making 150-plus scores in the same Test innings of an away game (including neutral venues). The two previous instances were in 1972, in Georgetown, and last year in Sharjah. Also, the number of New Zealand batsmen who have more than one Test century in Australia: Martin Crowe, Andrew Jones, and Williamson (two each).1 New Zealand batsman who has scored hundreds in successive Tests against Australia – Williamson is the first. Glenn Turner, though, has scored a century in each innings of a Test against Australia, in Christchurch in 1974.2302 International runs for Williamson in 2015, the highest ever in a calendar year by a New Zealand batsman; the next-best also belongs to Williamson – 1933 in 2014.5030 Test runs for Taylor – he is the fifth New Zealander to top 5000 runs in Tests.38.17 The average runs per wicket in Tests in Australia since the beginning of 2012. Among all countries, it’s second-highest, after the average in Bangladesh (41.29).* Nov 16, 0400GMT: This has been edited to include partnerships for the third wicket only.

Like his idol Shane Warne, Sandeep Lamichhane appears to have the full repertoire. With a hat-trick against Ireland to seal Nepal’s place in the quarter-finals, he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career

Mohammad Isam30-Jan-2016″I have leg-break, googly, flipper, top spin and zooter.”Sandeep Lamichhane’s idol is Shane Warne so it is hardly surprising that the Nepal spinner says that he has the full repertoire. On his Twitter page, Lamichhane describes himself as “RIGHT ARM LEG BREAK GOOGLY BOWLER”. So, now you know.Lamichhane took a hat-trick in his five-wicket haul against Ireland, who were soundly beaten by eight wickets in Fatullah. The win meant Nepal have now booked a place in the last eight of the Under-19 World Cup for the first time. It is hard not to imagine the madness back home in Nepal, where cricket is now considered the No.1 sport.In his first spell, Lamichhane removed Gary McClintock with a full delivery that the batsman drove straight to long-off. When he was brought back in the 32nd over, Lamichhane turned the game on its head with his hat-trick. The first of those wickets was that of Lorcan Tucker, who was caught by Dipendra Singh Airee at midwicket.Next ball, Adam Dennison edged to the wicketkeeper and captain Raju Rijal before Fiachra Tucker became the hat-trick victim after he missed a straight ball. Lamichhane later added the wicket of William McClintock in the 34th over as Ireland slipped to 83 for 7, with Nepal’s maiden quarter-final place nearly sealed.It is likely that Lamichhane’s hat-trick was the fifth in the Under-19 World Cup, after Jermaine Lawson (West Indies vs Zimbabwe, 2000), Kamrul Islam Rabbi (Bangladesh vs Ireland, 2010), Harry Conway (Australia v Nepal, 2012) and Kuldeep Yadav (India v Scotland, 2014). Lamichhane, who is from Chitwan in Nepal, however said that the win was more important than the hat-trick, which he was confident of grabbing after picking up the first two wickets in the 32nd over.”It was awesome,” Lamichhane told ESPNcricinfo. “When I got my third wicket, my single focus was on taking the hat-trick. This is my first time that I took one actually.”What was more important than the hat-trick was that we won an important game and qualified for the quarter-finals. I hope we can continue the same way in other matches.”Lamichhane first heard of cricket before actually watching it on television. He had earlier taken 1 for 41 against New Zealand in the first group stage match, having already taken five wickets in the warm-up games.”When I was young, I heard news of cricket in radio. And watched a lot of matches in television. My coach, the management and everyone in Nepal helped me in my cricket,” he said.In the space of two days in this competition, legspinner Lamichhane, left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror and offspinner Wesley Madhevere have taken five-fors. It is as clear a sign as any that spin will slowly be more dominating in the tournament. Lamichhane, having got into the habit of taking wickets on Bangladeshi wickets, will no doubt be one to watch out for in the rest of the tournament.

Sulieman Benn rates his team-mates on dancing, dress sense, football skills and more

Interview by Jack Wilson24-May-2016How does it feel to be a T20 World Cup winner?
Incredible, amazing, tremendous. To win the World Cup at my age is just the pinnacle of my career. It feels so good to know I’ve contributed so much to a winning cause. I don’t think it will get much better than that.And what was the party like after?
Not good, actually! There were issues with the security at our hotel after the game, so we couldn’t have a real good party. The best ones happened before the final. I’ll never forget them.You are 6ft 7in tall but bowl spin. What happened?
I always enjoyed watching quick bowlers but that’s it. I never had the passion to be a quick bowler. I never thought about it. I enjoyed the art of spinning far more. I feel us spinners are the artful side of the game.Who is the most naturally talented player you have ever played with?
I have played with quite a few. A guy called Martin Nurse for Barbados was a very, very naturally talented player with both bat and ball. He didn’t push on for whatever reason but he could really play.What would you be if you were not a cricketer?
I’d love to be a footballer. Failing that, a singer.Who is the best footballer in the West Indies warm-ups?
Marlon Samuels is very good.And the worst?
Darren Sammy. He never passes the ball!Who is the best captain you have played under?
Kirk Edwards. He just got things done effectively and was a real good man manager. He did some very good things for Barbados.

“If I was stuck on a desert island with Tino Best, he would drive me up the wall and I’d probably end up killing him”

Who is the worst sledger you have ever seen?
Trent Boult. He just made me laugh! He’s too nice to sledge.Which player have you seen who is destined for a big future in the game?
Dushmantha Chameera. He really impressed me bowling for Sri Lanka in the World Cup against us. He looks like a good talent.As a big Manchester United fan what would you like to say to Louis van Gaal?
Thank you for bringing the young players through… now it’s time to move on!Whose wicket celebrations are the best in the game?
It has to be DJ Bravo.Which of your team-mates is the best dancer?
That one has to be, by far, Sulieman Benn.Which ground does the best teas?
Lord’s. It’s all so nice there and comforting – except for the weather.What would the average cricket fan not know about you?
That’s a tough one. How about the fact I sing? I’m a solo singer in my spare time.Which of your team-mates would you least like to be stuck on a desert island with?
Tino Best. He would drive me up the wall and I’d probably end up killing him.Who is the most vain?
Darren Sammy.Who has the worst dress sense?
Kirk Edwards. Most of his clothes are pretty questionable.What is the best piece of coaching advice you have ever been given?
To go and enjoy it. Enjoy the game and express yourself.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016And with his second ball in Test cricket he had a big lbw, which went to review, but was not out•Getty ImagesChris Woakes made the first breakthrough when he had Shan Masood caught behind•Getty ImagesAnd Woakes claimed his second when Mohammad Hafeez top edged pull•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow claimed both catches during the opening session•Getty ImagesBall claimed his first Test wicket when he pinned Azhar Ali with a yorker•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq stabilised the innings in the company of Younis Khan•Getty ImagesYounis was playing his first Test at Lord’s since 2001•Getty ImagesStuart Broad broke through with the wicket of Younis, caught at midwicket•Getty ImagesAfter some early luck, Misbah carried on to a serene half-century•Getty ImagesBroad vented his feelings after an edge from Asad Shafiq failed to go to hand•Getty ImagesAsad Shafiq made an elegenat fifty as he supported Misbah•Getty ImagesMisbah’s sweeping, both reverse and orthodox, dominated Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq, at the age of 42, celebrates a hundred on his first appearance at Lord’s•Getty ImagesAnd, for good measure, he marked the moment with a set of push-ups•Getty Images

Stats highlights from the second day in Mirpur

S Rajesh29-Oct-20164 Spinners who have taken five-wicket hauls in each of their first two Tests; Bangladesh’s Mehedi Hasan became the fourth bowler in this list when he took 6 for 82 in England’s first innings, after taking 6 for 80 in the first innings in Chittagong. The others in this list are India’s Narendra Hirwani, who had 24 wickets in his first two Tests, Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett, and England’s Nick Cook. Grimmett and Hirwani took three five-wicket hauls in their first two Tests.13 Wickets for Mehedi in his first two Tests so far. With one more innings to go, Mehedi already has the most wickets by a Bangladesh bowler after two Tests. Mahmudullah and Sohag Gazi had both taken 12 in their first two matches.99 The partnership between Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes, England’s highest for the ninth wicket in Asia. The previous best was 83, by Keith Fletcher and Norman Gifford, against India in Chennai way back in 1973.3.72 The economy rate for England’s spinners so far in this series – they have leaked 603 runs in 161.5 overs, compared to Bangladesh’s 599 in 236.4 (econ rate 2.53). Bangladesh’s spinners have also taken more wickets – 28, to England’s 19 – at a much better average – 21.39, to England’s 31.73. In the second Test, England’s spinners have leaked 4.11 runs per over, compared to Bangladesh’s 2.64. In comparison, England’s fast bowlers have an economy rate of 2.37 in this series.

2 Instances of Bangladesh spinners returning better figures than Mehedi’s 6 for 82 when opening the bowling in a Test innings: Gazi took 6 for 74 against West Indies in 2012, while Mehedi himself took 6 for 80 in the first Test of the ongoing series.13 Fifty-plus stands between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, the second highest by any Bangladesh pair; only Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, with 16 such partnerships, have more. The Tamim-Imrul aggregate partnership runs of 2213 is easily the highest by any Bangladesh pair.