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Colin Ingram has signed a three-year contract to play county cricket with Glamorgan from next season

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2014Colin Ingram has signed a three-year contract to play county cricket with Glamorgan from next season. He will join as a Kolpak player, meaning he does not count as overseas, which will rule him out of playing for South Africa.Ingram, 29, who was recently made captain of the Warriors franchise, last played for his country a year ago. He scored a century on ODI debut in 2010 and averages 32.42 from 31 appearances but is only an outside chance for South Africa’s World Cup squad, despite JP Duminy’s injury and the poor form of Farhaan Behardien.His form has been good in the domestic one-day competition, however, putting him fifth on the run-scorers’ list after five games.He will join another former South Africa international at Glamorgan, with Jacques Rudolph returning as overseas player. Ingram’s signing, which will require clearance from Cricket South Africa and the ECB, should strengthen Glamorgan’s batting after the departures of Jim Allenby, Murray Goodwin, Stewart Walters and Gareth Rees.”I’m delighted to be joining Glamorgan,” Ingram said. “I had my first taste of playing county cricket with Somerset last July and I enjoyed it. I’ve spoken to Jacques Rudolph about the club and I’m looking forward to the challenge and to playing with my new team mates.”In 2014, Ingram signed with Somerset as an overseas replacement for Alviro Petersen, appearing in all three formats and scoring three fifties. His final appearance came against Glamorgan, a match in which Rudolph scored a matchwinning century, and Ingram has previously played in Cardiff, during South Africa’s 2013 Champions Trophy campaign.Hugh Morris, Glamorgan’s chief executive, said: “Signing a player of Colin Ingram’s undoubted calibre and experience is a great boost as we continue our preparations ahead of the new season. Our strategy is to develop a team with a strong Welsh identity, but we have always said that we need pillars of experienced players in key positions to supplement our home-grown talent by recruiting from outside our borders.”Colin is an outstanding talent and aged 29 is in the prime of his career. Anyone in Cardiff, who saw his innings against the West Indies last year in the Champions Trophy couldn’t help be impressed. I look forward to welcoming Colin to Glamorgan.”

A round-up of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals matches played on July 26, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOraine Williams and Oshane Walters added an unbroken 116 for the first wicket•Getty ImagesJamaica Inter-Collegiate Sports Association secured a berth in the final of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals after thumping University of New South Wales by 10 wickets at The Oval.University of NSW had not made more than 120 in any of their matches in the tournament, and once again, their batsmen came up short. Having chosen to bat, the openers Charles Wakim and Joe Byrnes added 31 inside three overs. However, Wakim’s dismissal in the third over – trapped lbw by seamer Herman Henry – was the beginning of a slide that cost University of NSW five wickets for 30 runs.Brandon McLean (25) and Marcus Atallah (24) guided the team towards the 100-run mark, but incisive bowling from JICSA, led by the offspinner Pete Salmon, meant that University of NSW could only make 115 for 8 from their 20 overs. Salmon and Henry both snared two wickets apiece, but Salmon was the more economical of the two, going for just 16 runs from his four overs.JICSA were hardly troubled chasing a paltry total, as their openers Oraine Williams and Oshane Walters both raised half-centuries to take the team home in 12.2 overs. Williams struck six fours and two sixes during his 44-ball 54, while Walters made 53 off 30 balls, with four fours and a similar amount of sixes.JICSA will now play the winner of the second semi-final between Assupol TUKS and Rizvi Mumbai in the final, at the same venue.

Eoin Morgan believes Alex Hales is a unique talent within the English game and has the potential to flourish in all three formats

Andrew McGlashan17-Aug-2014Eoin Morgan believes Alex Hales is a unique talent within the English game and has the potential to flourish in all three formats having witnessed at first hand one of his most destructive innings.Hales, who has England’s lone T20 international hundred, was named* in England’s one-day squad to face India on Monday, and is in line to make his ODI debut at Bristol on August 25, as they search for a top-order combination that can provide the firepower to challenge at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He had previously been set to come into the one-day side in West Indies earlier this year but picked up an injury and was then called in as cover against Sri Lanka but remained behind Michael Carberry in the pecking order.He has been in prolific form of late, in the last month hitting two Royal London Cup hundreds, including a ferocious 141 off 96 balls against Middlesex at Lord’s, and a century for England Lions against Sri Lanka A, a marked contrast to his fortunes earlier in the season when he was forced to briefly go on loan to Worcestershire having lost his place in Nottinghamshire’s Championship sideIt was the innings at Lord’s that Morgan, Middlesex’s limited-overs captain, was able to witness from close range having previously watched as Hales made 96 and 94 in the Championship clash between the two teams, and it reinforced his belief that he can have a successful international career in more than Twenty20.”He’s unbelievably destructive and stakes a huge claim to be selected in all three formats,” Morgan told ESPNcricinfo. “His form at county level has been phenomenal and he’s like nobody else we have around, with the combination of how hard he strikes the ball and the ability to take the game away from opposition.”I’ve witnessed Championship form against him and he was very impressive. It was the first time I’d seen him in Championship cricket and to see where he has come from since the start of the season when he had to go to Worcestershire on loan is a huge credit to him. He has ridden the wave in recent weeks.”The make-up of England’s top order is an often debated subject and the selectors have been reluctant to move away from the Alastair Cook-Ian Bell pairing which has become established over the last few years, believing they have the ability to move through the gears as needed even though the middle order, of which Morgan is part, are often left needing to up the ante whether chasing or setting a target.Morgan aware of players’ responsibilities

Eoin Morgan acknowledged that professional cricketers have a duty to play the game in a way that portrays the correct image to children who idolise their heroes and who will often copy what they see on the county or international arena.

Player behaviour has gained plenty of attention in recent weeks due to the spat between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja and while the nature of international sport will bring confrontation, Morgan understands that the right image is important.

“There have been a couple of incidents this year against Sri Lanka and India which reminds us that it’s important to recognise that there are always kids somewhere watching what you are doing,” Morgan said after a coaching session as part of an ECB Club open day. “You are an ambassador of the game and won’t be around for very long and you should set the standard and example by which it should be played.”

If Morgan’s comments are any judge, England are not about to rip up their play book – Hales splitting the Cook-Bell alliance could be as radical as it gets – although he did add that valuable lessons were learned during the one-day series in Australia at the start of this year which England lost 4-1.”We are building for a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand were a par score will be 300-320 on the majority of grounds but before that we have the series against India, in English conditions, where going hell for leather up front just would not be helpful at all. You take a lot of risks with the conditions [in England] and two new balls.”We’ve had a formula that has worked in England and now we need to find a balance between having success here and also winning in Australia.”Morgan also believes that the way England’s calendar has been structured to allow them to focus solely on one-day cricket from now right through to the World Cup gives them an excellent chance of correcting a dire record in the tournament going back to 1992 – the last time it was held in Australia and New Zealand.”It’s fantastic, really. An ideal lead into the World Cup. It puts great emphasis onto one-day cricket and it gives a great opportunity to build a squad that is good enough to win a World Cup”It’s an opportunity we haven’t had in quite a long time. With that, though, comes a lot of expectation and rightly so. We’ve a fantastic squad of players and the one-day series in Australia during the winter was a great learning curve and gave us a chance what we need squad-wise and attributes-wise for a side to be successful in those conditions.”I think conditions will suit us. The batting wickets are some of the best in the world and I don’t think the bounce is alien to us at all. During that one-day series we had chances to win but there were just areas of the game, and moments within them, that we lost at crucial moments. The fact we made the mistakes then gives us the chance to correct them.”*6.30pm, August 18: This story was updated when England squad was namedEoin Morgan was speaking at an ECB Club Open day supported by Waitrose – an initiative aiming to get more people playing and supporting cricket in their local communities – for more info www.ecb.co.uk/clubopendays

The Overton twins, Jamie and Craig, produced the brightest cricket of the day to provide a hint of what should be a golden future for club and perhaps country. The 20-year-olds thrashed 69 for Somerset’s tenth-wicket in just 9.3 overs to take their side o

George Dobell at Edgbaston26-May-2014
ScorecardJamie Overton brought up a maiden half-century from only 37 balls with nine fours and a six•Getty ImagesWith respect to the Gidmans, the Alis, the Shantrys and the Swanns, probably not since the Hollioakes has a pair of brothers emerged in the county game with the potential to achieve as much as the Overton twins.On a sluggish pitch, in an anodyne match and with rain blighting progress once more, the pair – Jamie and Craig – produced the brightest cricket of the day to provide a hint of what should be a golden future for club and perhaps country.The 20-year-olds thrashed 69 for Somerset’s tenth-wicket in just 9.3 overs to take their side over 400 and inflict some psychological damage on a Warwickshire attack that had, until that point, gained the upper hand in claiming six wickets for 74 runs on the day.Their stand was ended only two short of the record 10th-wicket stand by Somerset against Warwickshire. That the record was set back in 1971 in Glastonbury by cult heroes of the club – Kerry O’Keeffe and Hallam Moseley – should assuage any disappointment. It would have been a shame to see either of those fine players, or Glastonbury, eclipsed in the record books. Besides, one suspects that the Overtons will, before too long, find their own places in the record books.Reputation has it that Jamie is the quicker, if more wayward, bowler and Craig the better batsman. But on the evidence of this performance, Jamie is also a highly promising batsman as he brought up a maiden half-century from only 37 balls with nine fours and a six. At one stage he plundered 18 in five balls from Jeetan Patel, who might well be the best offspinner in the county game at present.Giles makes playing return – for charity

There is news of a comeback, of sorts, for former England limited-overs coach Ashley Giles. He has agreed to play for Nuneaton in the Premier Division of the Warwickshire League – the level below the Birmingham League – and will make his debut for the club in Kenilworth on Saturday. His last competitive game was in the Adelaide Test on the 2006-07 Ashes.
While he is not taking a fee for his involvement, it is understood that an anonymous benefactor has made a generous donation to the Brain Tumour Charity in return for his participation. Giles’ wife, Stine, has suffered with the illness.
“I received a letter making this offer a couple of weeks ago,” Giles told the . “It came right out of the blue but the more I thought about it the more I thought this was a chance to pay something back to this fantastic charity.
“When I see the Nuneaton lads I’ll make it clear that, though the donation to the charity is the catalyst for all this, I will be taking the cricket very seriously. That’s just the way I am on a cricket field. I want to help Nuneaton win some games.
“I am in pretty good shape. I was never the fleetest of foot in the field but I have done a lot of training over the winter and been running a lot lately. My hip will always be troublesome but if there is a bit of discomfort that’s something I’ll just have to put up with.”
Giles, who will play as a specialist batsman but has not ruled out bowling, will not be available for the entire season as he will also be part of the ESPNcricinfo team covering the Test series between England and India.

While Jamie hit the ball hard, it would be wrong to dismiss his contribution as that of a slogger. This was an innings that contained hooks, drives, sweep and cuts and suggested that, in time, both twins may well develop into allrounders. Their partnership was the second highest of the Somerset innings.But it is as bowlers that the pair will make their name. And, in his first over in the attack, Craig took the important wicket of Varun Chopra with a full delivery that swung just a little, took the inside edge and ballooned off the thigh pad to the slips. Gaining swing and seam movement at a lively pace, Craig was the pick of the bowlers.Somerset were grateful for the pair’s intervention. With both James Hildreth – pushing at one angled across him – and Nick Compton – bottom-edging an attempted pull – falling just short of well-deserved centuries after a fourth-wicket stand of 163, Somerset were in danger of losing their way.With Boyd Rankin impressing on his first first-class appearance since the Sydney Test more than five months ago, Somerset’s middle and lower order were unable to capitalise on the platform provided for them. Craig Kieswetter took more than 80 minutes over his 12, while Pete McKay, deputising for the injured Tim Ambrose, claimed four catches in a highly proficient display of keeping. The best of them was a leg-side diving effort to dismiss Peter Trego off an attempted hook.Ambrose has sustained a minor calf strain and hopes to return in time for Warwickshire’s next Championship game, against Lancashire, on June 8.While this slow, low surface did little for Rankin, he occasionally generated sharp pace and generally maintained a pretty decent line and length for a man coming back from such a lay-off. In the grand scheme of things, it was satisfying to simply see him playing with a smile on his face after a period when he came so close to walking away from the game.

Angelo Mathews hit fifty and Dinesh Chandimal an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls to set up a hefty thumping of Kent in Sri Lanka’s second tour match in England

Alan Gardner at Canterbury16-May-2014
ScorecardAngelo Mathews was the one Sri Lankan batsman to pass fifty but plenty had useful innings•Getty ImagesAngelo Mathews hit fifty and Dinesh Chandimal an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls to set up a hefty thumping of Kent in Sri Lanka’s second tour match in England. Having put out a strong side – only Lasith Malinga was rested – Sri Lanka gave a truer measure of themselves than in defeat to Essex on Tuesday, sweeping up a mixture of Kent first-teamers and irregulars for 173 on a cool, clear evening.Suranga Lakmal immediately applied a tourniquet at the top of the innings, his opening spell of 4-1-10-2 providing both control and penetration. Alex Blake played neatly for his 60, which included reverse-sweeping Ajantha Mendis for four, but Thisara Perera plucked out key wickets during the middle overs and a long tail succumbed quickly. Without the likes of Rob Key, Darren Stevens and Brendan Nash, a Kent target in excess of 300 proved steeper than the Dover cliffs.A partnership of 84 between Lahiru Thirimanne and Mathews provided the ballast for Sri Lanka, after a sprightly but evanescent performance from the top order. Thirimanne’s high front elbow was a feature of his strokeplay, his first and only boundary coming off his 63rd delivery, while Mathews showed greater muscularity in an innings replete with bottom-handed clubs to the rope.Mathews struck the first sixes of the contest before spooning a full toss to mid-off but Chandimal and Perera skipped along in his footprints during a rapid 71-run stand from 48 balls. Chandimal might have been caught at deep midwicket attempting to go to his half-century from the penultimate delivery of the innings but Fabian Cowdrey had to throw the ball back in as he fell towards the boundary rope.Robbie Joseph, the one-time England Lions bowler who returned to Kent at the start of the summer, claimed 4 for 58, while James Tredwell also put in the sort of dependable shift he is known for, ahead of his involvement in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. He dismissed Thirimanne with one that lured the batsman out to be stumped for 49, though his figures were slightly smudged when Chandimal lofted the fourth and fifth balls of his final over for four and six.Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond and Cowdrey, grandson of Colin, with the score on 17, as they struggled to get going during the Powerplay. Blake’s half-century, his third in the format and first since 2010, came at a run-a-ball and a stand of 68 with Sam Billings kept them afloat but, from 148 for 5, Kent lost their last five wickets for 25. Only the combined figures of spinners Mendis and Tillakaratne Dilshan – 3 for 92 from 15 overs – would have given the tourists a moment’s pause.Sri Lanka were beaten in their first warm-up fixture, a soggy, 21-over affair in Chelmsford, but with the sun shining over hop country they found the St Lawrence ground to be a more welcoming venue. Kent’s is probably the closest English ground to Colombo (though still 8,000km as the crow flies) and there were several Sri Lanka shirts on display in the crowd, as well as a flag being waved in the breeze on the Old Dover Road grass bank.The vexed issue of Sri Lanka’s junior-senior question will not be solved by one tour match but, after Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene fell for scores between 30 and 35, the contributions from Nos. 5, 6 and 7 will have encouraged Marvan Attapatu, the team’s interim coach.Sangakkara joined up with the Sri Lanka squad on Thursday, having missed the early part of the tour to play in two Championship matches for Durham, and reclaimed the wicketkeeping gloves off Chandimal (before swapping halfway through the innings). Following his 159 at Hove, he looked in good order until playing down the wrong line against Kent left-armer Adam Ball to have his stumps rattled.After Sangakkara’s dismissal, Sri Lanka appeared content to settle in, only for the longueurs to get the better of Jaywardene. Between the end of the 14th over and the beginning of the 36th only three boundaries were struck, before Mathews and Thirimanne, then Chandimal and Perera redoubled their efforts. The rate had dipped below five an over but 129 runs flowed from the last 15 as a team that should be a contender at the 2015 World Cup flashed their credentials.After Sri Lanka’s well-oiled start on a decent pitch, 300 always looked in range. Dilshan could not be much more buccaneering if he batted with a parrot on one shoulder while wearing a tricorne hat. He cut, pulled and drove his way to 35 off 28 balls before Joseph, bowling with decent pace and hitting an awkward length in his first List A game since August 2012, had him caught skying a piratical hack high to third man.That was Joseph’s second wicket, having removed Sri Lanka’s other opener, Kusal Perera, with his first delivery, the batsman caught on the crease and fencing to slip. David Griffiths was not able to match Joseph’s economy, however, as the tourists reached the end of the ten-over Powerplay on 64 for 2.Charlie Hartley, Kent’s 20-year-old debutant, came on for his first bowl against a pair with more than 25,000 ODI runs between them. Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene dismissed him for boundaries as the over leaked 10 runs but Hartley found better control after switching ends. Jayawardene became the third member of Sri Lanka’s illustrious triumvirate to depart in the 30s when he miscued a lofted drive to mid-on to provide Hartley with his first senior wicket.

England named Moeen Ali and Stephen Parry as surprise inclusions in their squad to tour the West Indies and for the World Twenty20

Alan Gardner06-Feb-2014England have sprung a surprise in the selection for their squad to tour the Caribbean and then travel to the World Twenty20, including an eye-catching batsman who also bowls capable offspin. Moeen Ali is not quite as box-office a name as Kevin Pietersen but, along with the uncapped Lancashire spinner Stephen Parry, his call-up was indicative of England’s desire to begin a new era.Harry Gurney, the Nottinghamshire left-arm seamer, has also been included an an extra bowler for the West Indies, where England will play three ODIs and three T20s. Otherwise, the group that were crushed 3-0 in Australia has remained largely intact, with Danny Briggs and Boyd Rankin dropped from James Whitaker’s first squad as national selector.Whitaker, who met on Wednesday with Ashley Giles, the limited-overs coach, and former team director Andy Flower to discuss selection, would not be drawn further on Pietersen’s exclusion, referring to a “precarious situation in terms of what we can say” and citing legal reasons for the ECB’s continued silence.While Moeen, a former England Under-19s captain, has been tipped to play at international level for some time, Parry’s selection will appear straight out of left field to some. However, the 28-year-old has built a solid reputation in limited-overs cricket at Lancashire and has 63 T20 wickets to go with an impressive economy of 6.86.England appear to set to enter something of a spin cycle, after the retirement of Graeme Swann, and Parry could become the fifth slow bowler tried in a matter of weeks. Monty Panesar and Scott Borthwick were turned to in the final two Ashes Tests, before James Tredwell and Briggs suffered varying degrees of ignominy during the limited-overs leg of England’s dismal tour.The need to find a reliable spin option is all the more pressing, given the slow pitches expected in Bangladesh for the World T20. Parry has only played six first-class games, with Gary Keedy and then Simon Kerrigan blocking his way at Lancashire, and missed much of last season after breaking his arm in the nets. He spent the winter playing grade cricket in Perth.”It goes without saying that I was absolutely delighted to have received the call from James Whitaker. I am still in a bit of shock,” Parry told the . “It’s always an ambition to play for your country and being in the squad brings that dream a step closer to reality.”Moeen, an elegant, wristy batsman who is currently on tour with the England Lions in Sri Lanka, has experience of T20 in Bangladesh conditions, having previously played in the BPL. In 2013, he scored more than 2000 runs and took 55 wickets in all formats. The fact that he can also bowl the , after instruction from Saeed Ajmal at Worcestershire, will be mentioned in dispatches, though he has so far been reluctant to use it and may stick to more orthodox skills if given a chance.”Both Moeen and Stephen have been very consistent performers for Worcestershire and Lancashire and both counties and their coaching staffs, must take credit for their continued progress,” Whitaker said. “This group has an exciting mix of youth and Twenty20 experience and I am sure with good preparation, desire and determination they will be able to produce an exciting brand of cricket.”Moeen’s first senior call-up provides Giles with another top-order option as he prepares for an extended chance to work with his first-choice squad – minus the disbarred Pietersen – and attempts to press his case for the vacant England team director role.Giles, who with Alastair Cook and Paul Downton formed the triumvirate that decided Pietersen’s future, may have been left questioning the wisdom of that decision when discussions turned to the Caribbean tour and the subsequent World Twenty20.The preference of Stuart Broad, the T20 captain, is unknown, though he will have been consulted during Downton’s review of the Ashes debacle. Broad, who has an official deputy in Eoin Morgan, will also captain in the West Indies ODIs, with Cook rested.Whitaker, Giles and Flower, who remains a selector for the time being, will have considered that their top three in Australia scored just 88 runs between them in eight innings. Michael Lumb, Alex Hales and Luke Wright have performed well for England in the past – Lumb and Wright were part of England’s 2010 World Twenty20 win, while Hales was previously the No. 1-ranked batsman in the format – but none has the reputation and intimidatory qualities of Pietersen.When England lifted their first global limited-overs trophy four years ago, Pietersen was at his exhilarating best, finishing as Man of the Tournament. Now, as in Sri Lanka in 2012, his absence will weigh heavily on those England have chosen in his stead.World Twenty20 squad: Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire, captain), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, vice-captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Tredwell (Kent), Luke Wright (Sussex).England squad to tour the Caribbean: Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire, captain), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, vice-captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Harry Gurney Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Tredwell (Kent), Luke Wright (Sussex).

Darren Sammy is confident the big-hitters can give West Indies an advantage in their opening match against India

Abhishek Purohit in Dhaka22-Mar-20143:45

We have plenty of T20 experience – Sammy

It is no secret that West Indies sometimes love hitting fours and sixes to the point where they can ignore the need to rotate the strike. It is a habit that has hurt them often in limited overs cricket and Suresh Raina said India would be looking to target that on Sunday.”They are a completely different team, they have players who can hits sixes,” Raina said. “They do not know much of rotating the strike against spinners, with ones and twos. It is important we put early pressure.”Darren Sammy’s response to Raina’s opinion was one of casual indifference: “We don’t care much about what Raina thinks. If he thinks we are only six-hitters, then stop us from hitting sixes.”West Indies, the defending champions, the entertainers and a team with some of the leading lights of the T20 format are here. And while Sammy admitted there is pressure going into the tournament with their title on the line, he also said he was pleased that he had at his disposal a balanced, “very good” team.”We have top T20 players who have played around the world. We have [Chris] Gayle, [Sunil] Narine, [Dwayne] Bravo, all of them have a lot of experience playing T20. With the two openers, we have guys who can give us great impetus in the first six overs. Then we have Marlon [Samuels], Bravo and myself to finish the innings.Darren Sammy was confident his top order, led by Chris Gayle, would give impetus to their innings•Getty Images”The good thing about our team is that we don’t rely on any one player. We have at least four, five, six potential match-winners in our side. Spin will play an important part in this tournament and the team which can handle spin better will come out victorious but I am quite happy about the team we have here. In the short format, the bulk of the runs will come from the top four or five batsmen and I think we are very strong at the top of the order with Marlon, Simmons, me and Bravo.”If you look at our bowling unit, we have Narine who is, to me, the No 1 bowler in this format, (Samuel) Badree, Bravo, and we have a young guy called Krishmar Santokie who could have a great impact in this tournament. He is the leading T20 bowler in the Caribbean and he has played in the Caribbean T20 league and taken a lot of wickets. Most of his wickets are clean-bowled and lbws. He has a lot of variation, not quick, but you will see. You have to see him to know exactly what I mean when he gets his opportunity. So we are happy with the balance of our side. And yes, we are a very good team especially in this format.”For Sammy, the one major change from 2012 is that his players are more experienced. He admitted, however, that the team will still need the big players to step up and help West Indies make it two in two.”There is always pressure. We are the defending champions,” Sammy said. “This time our players are a lot more experienced, the last time our key players had a brilliant tournament. And the key was even though someone did not perform in a match we stuck together as a team. I think this time it is even more important that we have our key guys perform consistently. As a team, we now have more belief that we could come out there and defend the trophy.”Several West Indies players are important cogs for their IPL franchises, and Raina mentioned that India knew the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. Sammy, though, did not think that familiarity was necessarily an advantage.”Cricket is a game of shifting confidence. You can know your opponent from the last time you have played but he went back and worked on his game,” Sammy said. “To me it is about going out there and using the conditions right, rather than looking at the other’s game. In this time and age they have footage everywhere. You can see the last match played by any cricketer and come up with a formula you think might work. But we have a general idea of what their side is and what they are capable of.”

A round-up of the Victory Day T20 Cup matches that took place on December 23, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2013Abahani picked up their first win in the Victory Day T20 competition, beating Mohammedan Sporting Club by 77 runs. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim starred with the bat to lead them to the comfortable victory.Batting first, Abahani posted 172 for 8 in 20 overs, with Mushfiqur making 59 off 38 balls. He hit eight fours and a six, adding 70 runs for the third wicket with Soumya Sarkar, who made a 33-ball 37. Later, Ziaur Rahman smashed three sixes in his 24 off 11 balls to take Abahani to 172.The Abahani bowlers combined well to bowl out Mohammedan for just 95 runs in 14.2 overs. Subashis Roy, Farhad Reza, Nabil Samad and Suhrawadi Shuvo took two wickets each.Prime Bank Cricket Club also picked up their first win of the competition, trouncing UCB-BCB XI by seven wickets. Pace bowler Shahadat Hossain starred with the ball while Sabbir Rahman scored a half-century.Batting first, UCB-BCB XI were kept down to 123 for 8 in 20 overs, with Marshall Ayub top-scoring with 40 off 30 balls. Shahadat took three wickets, including the prized scalp of captain Tamim Iqbal for five. He later removed Muktar Ali and Delwar Hossain.Sabbir was unbeaten on 50 off 41 balls with six fours and a six. Shakib made second highest with 33 off 25 balls with two fours.

Bangladesh A held their nerve to beat Bangladesh by 12 runs in the first of three T20 matches

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2013
ScorecardImrul Kayes top-scored for Bangladesh A with a 36-ball 45•Getty ImagesBangladesh A staged a late comeback to defeat Bangladesh by 12 runs in the first of three matches in the Bangladesh T20 Challenge Series in Mirpur.Chasing 172, Bangladesh were well placed at the drinks break, needing 63 from 42 balls with nine wickets in hand. But Nasir Hossain had Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind for 33 in the first over after resumption, to break a 55-run partnership with Shamsur Rahman. Shamsur had also put on 55 with Anamul Haque for the first wicket. Bangladesh lost momentum after losing Mushfiqur, with Shamsur departing for 48 off the first ball of the next over and Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar falling not long after, as only 50 came from the last seven overs. Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny gave away just 16 in his four overs, and took the wicket of Mahmudullah.Bangladesh A had produced a strong batting performance after winning the toss, with opener Imrul Kayes making a 36-ball 45. He put on 38 off 23 balls with Mominul Haque, who scored a 17-ball 31, before left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak brought Bangladesh back with the wickets of Mominul, Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman. Bangladesh A kept scoring quickly, though, and Razzak’s final figures of 4 for 36 in four overs told the story of the innings.

Andre Russell blitzed four sixes in a 19-ball 47 to take Jamaica Tallawahs home with 15 deliveries to spare against St Lucia Zouks after the asking-rate had touched 11

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndre Russell on the charge•Getty ImagesAndre Russell blitzed four sixes in a 19-ball 47 to take Jamaica Tallawahs home with 15 deliveries to spare against St Lucia Zouks after the asking-rate had touched 11. The win lifted Jamaica to second position on the points table behind Barbados Tridents, while St Lucia stayed at the bottom after their fourth loss in five matches.Chasing 143, Jamaica were 66 for 3 in the 13th over when Russell walked in. St Lucia had begun with spin from both ends, and although Shane Shillingford proved expensive, Garey Mathurin gave only 11 in four overs. In his second over, he had Ahmed Shehzad caught behind on the cut and thereafter, kept both Chris Gayle and Nkrumah Bonner quiet. While Gayle kept picking Shillingford for boundaries, Bonner was completely tied down. His struggle ended at 5 off 19 when he saw the fast bowler Nelon Pascal being introduced and top-edged a pull off his first delivery. Now it was the turn of the seamers, led by Darren Sammy, to squeeze Jamaica. Danza Hyatt was the next man to stall the chase further, taking 22 balls for his 13 before Sammy had him caught behind.Russell came in and in the next over, slashed and pulled Albie Morkel for successive fours. Sammy disappeared for sixes over deep midwicket and long-off in the 15th. The St Lucia captain turned to spin again, but Gayle had already hit Shillingford for a couple of sixes before, and now he launched him over deep midwicket. However, the Jamaica captain holed out to the same position off the next delivery to depart for 40 off 31. Jamaica still needed 38 off 28.Vernon Philander, who isn’t preferred for the limited-overs formats by South Africa, took charge in the 17th over. He hit Pascal for three successive boundaries – a top-edged four to third man and sixes over long-on and deep midwicket – to surge to 18 off just 5. Jamaica had taken 61 off the last four overs, and needed only 12 from the final three overs. Russell needed three deliveries to finish it, pulling and cutting Morkel for sixes to boost Jamaica’s net run-rate.Philander had taken two crucial wickets as well after St Lucia chose to bat. He had Misbah-ul-Haq caught at slip early and later had Sammy holing out in the deep for 26 off 18. Herschelle Gibbs made a slow 22 and it was only due to Tamim Iqbal’s steadying 75 that St Lucia were able to post 142. Tamim could have got St Lucia a few more runs, but he was stumped off Muttiah Muralitharan in the 18th over. He hit nine boundaries in his 62-ball knock, but had little support.