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Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play from the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele.

Shiva Jayaraman29-Jul-20160 Individual scores higher than Kusal Mendis’ 176 in Tests in Pallekele. Before Mendis, Younis Khan’s unbeaten 171 in the famous chase last year was the previous highest.1 Maiden hundreds for Sri Lanka in Tests higher than Mendis’ 176. Brendon Kuruppu scored 201*- also the highest Test score on debut by a Sri Lanka batsman – against New Zealand in 1987, which is the highest. Mahela Jayawardene is third on this list – he made 167 in Galle against New Zealand.4 Number of higher individual scores for Sri Lanka while trailing in their second innings in Tests than Mendis’ 176. The highest is Sanath Jayasuriya’s 253 in the second innings of the Faisalabad Test in 2004. Sri Lanka were trailing Pakistan by 21 runs on that occasion. Kumar Sangakkara had made 211, also against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2011-12. Jayasuriya’s 199 against India at the SSC, Colombo in 1997, and Sangakkara’s 192 in Hobart are the other scores better than Mendis’ effort.2 Instances when Sri Lanka have managed to make a total higher than 353 in their second innings after failing to make 150 in their first. Both came recently. In May this year, Sri Lanka made 475 in their second innings after being bundled out for 101 runs in their first innings in Chester-le-Street. The other instance came in Christchurch in 2014, when Sri Lanka were dismissed for 138 in their first innings before making 407 in their second.53 Runs scored by openers in this Test – the second lowest from eight dismissed openers in a Test and the lowest since the Bridgetown Test in 1935, when openers from both sides together scored only 44 runs.6 The highest opening stand of the match, by Sri Lanka in their first and second innings. In terms of the highest opening stand of the four innings in a Test in Asia, this is the poorest. The previous lowest also came in Sri Lanka, at the P Sara Oval last year, when the hosts’ opening pair managed a stand of 8 runs – the highest of the match – in their second innings against India. Overall, there have been only four instances when the top opening stand of the Test has been lower. The lowest came in this Test at Sabina Park, when the highest opening stand was of 1 run.0 Number of second-innings totals by Sri Lanka in Pallekele higher than their 353 in this Test. Sri Lanka have played only five Tests at this venue. Their lowest first-innings total at this venue also came in this Test.1994 The last time an Australia opener was dismissed twice in a Test having scored fewer runs than David Warner’s tally of 1 in this match. Mark Taylor had got a pair in the Karachi Test in 1994. Overall this is only the 13th instance of an Australia opener being dismissed twice in a Test having made 1 or no run.377 The highest target successfully chased in Tests in Sri Lanka, by Pakistan at this venue last year. There have been two other instances in Tests in Sri Lanka when teams have successfully chased targets higher than the 268 set by the hosts in this match. Sri Lanka were the winning team on both these occasions – they chased down a target of 352 against South Africa at the P Sara Oval in 2006 and beat Zimbabwe by 5 wickets chasing 326 at the SSC in 1997-99.2006 The only time Australia successfully chased down a target of 200 or more in a Test in Asia, which was against Bangladesh in Fatullah in 2006. Australia had lost seven wickets by the time they overhauled the target of 307 on that occasion. Out of the 16 previous instances when they have been set targets of 200 or more in Asia, Australia have lost eight and drawn eight Tests.

Brett Elliot, managing director of Kookaburra, opens up about the challenges facing the brand in facilitating an even playing field with the pink ball

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi22-Aug-2016What was the feedback you received after the Kolkata match?
The feedback was very positive. The players were happy with the balls and their performance. They felt the ball swung earlier on and didn’t do much later on. That is reflective of what we also experienced with the pink ball. But the wear of the ball was very good. The players also felt the visibility of the ball was very good. This always will be a process of continual improvement. The process when you take the feedback of players and experts. You look at it and review it, and you continually try and refine the product at each stage.Going into the match at Eden Gardens, what were the things you were certain about?
The biggest challenge is the variation of pitch and playing conditions around the world. And not just from one country to the next, but even so much as one ground to the next. Increasingly we are seeing that the preparation of pitches is becoming much more scientific and therefore we are in situations where the ball might perform perfectly in one set of conditions, and then we go to a ground where a pitch has been prepared where any grass and moisture has been removed. In such conditions, a coloured ball will always suffer more than a red ball.Mohammed Shami offered a positive review of the pink ball during the first pink-ball match in India, in Kolkata•AFPTherefore our biggest challenge is to overcome the variations in conditions. We can improve the wear-resistance characteristics of the coloured ball. But when you play on a less abrasive wicket, the ball does not wear enough. So our goal is trying to get that right balance when the ball deteriorates at the stages, the levels and the pace at which it should, and then trying to find the balance across all the varying pitch conditions.It is not just about the ball. The wicket can be completely dry but the square around the pitch could be really abrasive, and the players could think of throwing into the square to scuff the ball – that would be another factor that comes into play. So we have to understand what are the playing conditions that need to be created as a whole to ensure we get a fair and balanced match.Why did you insist that grass be left on the Eden pitch?
There were three pitches – one was left out from the World T20, one from the IPL. They were both without any grass cover, very dry, and were in a repaired state. We could not use them. The third pitch had about 3mm across it, not on all areas, but in some. Now I understand that is probably a lot of grass in India, and that is probably considered to be no grass in some other countries. Because we did not know how the ball would perform on a pitch without any grass, we did not want to subject the ball to the worst possible scenario [abrasive surface] and then risk it not working, or the ball deteriorating too quickly and then creating negativity towards the situation, which would have been unfair.We subsequently have conducted trials in different environments and tested the ball on different surfaces to refine the product accordingly. I believe the National Cricket Academy has done trials to see how the pink ball performs. The groundsmen are learning about how to prepare conditions that would induce a good, competitive game and encourage all facets of the game from pace to spin.It is well known now that the pink ball swings easily at the start of the match, compared to the SG Test ball that is used predominantly in Indian domestic cricket. But one factor that goes against the Kookaburra is that movement off the pitch or in the air reduces quickly after the first hour or so. How do you factor that into the making of the pink ball?
We are looking at making changes to the ball that would make it a little bit more suitable for spin bowling, a little bit more suitable for seam bowling, and the seam holds up a little bit longer. That is not hard for us to do, but what we don’t want to do is make a radical change, and then all of a sudden change the characteristics and expectations in a game. We have to do these changes gradually and subtly and through a consultation process with the game’s statekeholders.Spinners have never enjoyed even the red Kookaburra, since the seam sinks in quite quickly. What has Kookaburra done to make the ball more conducive to spin bowling?
You can change the construction of the core so that it is more conducive to spin bowling, by weighting the core more heavily in the middle. It has an effect like an ice skater on the rink: when she spins with her arms wide, she spins slowly, and as she brings her arms in, she accelerates. All she has done is bring her weight in, which has enabled her to spin faster. It’s the same principle that applies with the Kookaburra centre versus Dukes, where we can vary it.The ball can be given a little bit more purchase by having a slightly heavier thread, a modification we are trialling . This would do two things: it would help protect the thread and limit the deterioration of the leather, and potentially give spin bowlers more purchase.”We are looking at making changes to the ball that would make it a little bit more suitable for spin bowling, a little bit more suitable for seam bowling.”•KookaburraDid you actually use a thicker thread to stitch the ball for the Kolkata match?
Yes, we did. We can increase the bulk of the seam very easily, and it is a very simple process.Will the same be used for Duleep Trophy?
The BCCI has been happy with the same thread that was used on the ball in the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide. These balls have been used in practice and will be used in the Duleep Trophy.It’s a constant evolution, though. We’ve worked on some future modification options to the ball in the last few weeks that we will be showing the BCCI during the series. It may be that in future pink-ball matches those tweaks, along with player feedback from the Duleep Trophy, combine to create a slightly modified and improved ball.What about the four coats of lacquer that you have applied on the ball for the Kolkata match?
Following some research and development trials we did in India, we did strengthen the finishes on the ball. So that has reduced the rate of deterioration of the ball. Those finishes effectively grab hold of the leather, and slow down the rate at which the ball wears and the leather is exposed. When that happens, it picks up the dirt, dust and muck from the surrounding conditions. As a consequence you get the discoloration, and that is when the visibility is affected. But that deterioration is also part of the game. So we have been adjusting how strong those finishes are to ensure we get a very even and controlled rate of deterioration.But does that also mean the ball might never lose its lacquer? Is there a way around it?
If at 80 overs the ball still looks new then that is not good. What we don’t want, though, is after ten overs we don’t want the ball looking like it has been used for 80 overs. It is about that balance. So it might be two coats where it is a little bit stronger, and then two coats where it is softer again. And therefore what we create are layers of coating that are able to deteriorate at varying speeds. That is what we are exploring in our trials.

Table-toppers at one stage, Rangpur fell away and failed to deliver when it mattered most

Mohammad Isam05-Dec-2016Tournament overview
Rangpur Riders will feel hard done by, after Khulna Titans qualified for the playoffs on the last evening of the league stage. Dhaka Dynamites fielded an under-strength side, and Khulna dominated them for most of the contest.But Rangpur got themselves into a situation where their qualification depended on other results, which is never ideal. They should have defeated Comilla Victorians in their last game, which would have all but ensured their progress.It ended up being a season of missed opportunities as Rangpur, who were sitting on top of the table at one stage.However, they still have a few reasons to be happy, given the performances of Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Mithun, Shahid Afridi, Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain and Arafat Sunny. Liam Dawson looked in good touch at times, while Ziaur Rahman, too, had a good finish to the season despite not being an automatic choice in the XI.High point
Rangpur were on top of the table at the end of the Chittagong leg, with 10 points in six games. They chased down 126 easily against Khulna Titans, with Shahzad, Mithun and Afridi making important contributions.Low point
Rangpur’s defeat in their last match would probably go down as their worst moment. Needing a win against Comilla to qualify, Rangpur were insipid with bat and ball, and lost by eight runs. That summed up their campaign of missed opportunities.Top of the class
Wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad’s ability was already well known, but, in this tournament, he showed greater consistency. Shahzad topped Rangpur’s batting charts with 350 runs, which included two fifties. On the down side, Shahzad earned a suspension for poking his bat at Sabbir Rahman; he needs to work on controlling his temper better next time.Under-par performer
Opener Soumya Sarkar’s poor form did not do Rangpur or himself any favours ahead of Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand later this month. Sarkar ended his season with 135 runs at 12.27 and a highest of 26.Tip for 2017
Rangpur’s owners have had a feel of what will be required next season, and will be more prepared to build a squad that takes them into the qualification stage. A more experienced coaching unit can also give them an advantage.

Richard Hadlee talks about the lessons he learnt from Walter, and the competition he enjoyed with brother Dayle

Interview by Mohammad Isam20-Jan-2017What was it like growing up in Christchurch?
Look at the ground out here. There were six pitches. There were two senior grade games – president’s grade and second grade. All our club cricket was played on this ground. It was a nursery preparing for first-class and then international cricket. Hagley Oval was a great part of our family involvement. It is a pretty special place.Your father, Walter Hadlee, was an important figure in your life. You’ve been working on a project related to his 1949 tour of England.
My father has probably made the greatest contribution to New Zealand cricket. He first represented New Zealand in 1937, and in 1949, he was the captain of the team that toured England. When he retired in 1951, he became a selector. In 1965 he managed the New Zealand team on the tour of England, India and Pakistan. So his role grew considerably. He was on the board of New Zealand Cricket and chairman of the board. He became president of New Zealand Cricket, the overall figurehead of the organisation. He became a life member. He watched the development and growth of not only myself but [his other sons] Barry, who played in the 1975 World Cup, and Dayle, who played 26 Tests. We are very much a cricketing family. My father’s contribution to the game has been quite extraordinary.On that tour to England in 1949, he wrote a day-to-day diary of the eight-month tour. It is a very detailed and historic document, one that needs to be preserved. Now that Dad has passed on, I have taken the responsibility, with the support of my brothers, to release a book called the . We want to honour Dad and what he did for New Zealand cricket as a figurehead, and let the cricket lovers relive his story. The whole tour is seen through the eyes of one man, the skipper. We also want to respect and acknowledge the ’49ers – players that went on that tour.No other team in the history of New Zealand cricket are known by the year in which they played. When you talk of the ’49ers, people know of [Bert] Sutcliffe, [John] Reid, [Martin] Donnelly, Hadlee, [Jack] Cowie and [Tom] Burtt, and all these blokes who represented New Zealand on that tour.Walter Hadlee signs a bat during a visit to the Stuart Surridge factory on the 1949 tour of England•PA PhotosMy brothers have written the foreword and I have written the introduction to set the scene. The diary is the glue of the whole book. There are stats, scorecards and a hundred photographs. We have the tour contract they all signed. There is the manager’s tour report about the good, the bad and the indifferent. We have got what the players did after the tour.It took them 37 days from Wellington to Southampton by a boat called the . So they travelled from Wellington to Sydney to Melbourne to Perth to Durban Cape Town, Canary Islands and then to Southampton. They played 32 first-class games, winning 13 and losing one.They drew all four Tests, bearing in mind that previous New Zealand teams had lost. The two previous tours had lost a lot of money. This tour produced a profit for the first time in the history of New Zealand cricket, like £16,700.It was a lot of money in those days. It gave New Zealand money to invest in future tours and hosting tours to our country. The war had finished in 1949, Europe was rebuilding. There was rationing, so you needed coupons to get your food. They lived in a time warp of 1949, so to bring this story about, what Dad saw as a captain and player, the functions they attended, the speeches that were made… We even have a message from His Royal Highness Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, with a Buckingham Palace letterhead. He was the MCC president in 1949, and met the team on four occasions. They played a two-day game in Germany against the Combined Forces. The factories they visited, the PR functions, dinners, lunches, cricket bat companies they visited – it is a very detailed document.One of the funnier sides was that Dad wrote so much that he couldn’t get it all on one page for that specific day. So he would have a little notation saying, “Refer to November 16”. So you flicked through the diary and there was the rest of that page.It has been a three-year project, but what makes it more different than anything else is that we are producing a two-hour documentary DVD on the tour. We have actual film footage of the tour. We have seven player interviews in the latter part of their lives.”Another thing my father said, ‘If you can’t be a cricketer, at least look like a cricketer.’ Put on your whites and practise in the nets. If you look like it and feel it, you have a chance of performing on the field of play”•PA PhotosYou must have recalled many things about your father while doing this project. Is there anything he told you in particular that you still remember?
The biggest thing he said to me, and I presume my four brothers, is that, “Whatever you do, Richard, take pride in your performance, do your best, be happy with your performance even if somebody does it better. Doing your best and giving your 100%, no one can criticise you.”This pride became important as a motivating factor. Prepare well, train well, so you have a better chance of performing.Another thing he said, and it is a common saying really, is that “If you can’t be a cricketer, at least look like a cricketer.” In other words, dress well. Even at practice, which you do in whites. He was a traditionalist. In those days you put on your whites and practised in the nets. You feel the game by doing that. You feel part of it. So look like it. And if you look like it and feel it, you have a chance of performing on the field of play.Did you follow his ways?
He always believed in proper preparation. As a family we practised in the backyard. We had a cricket net, pitch facilities. We used to bowl and bat against each other. He always took interest in what we were doing, whether it was primary or secondary school, playing club cricket, Canterbury or New Zealand. We all knew he wanted us to do well.When Dayle got his New Zealand cap and sweater in 1969, I wanted to get on the next tour to England in 1973 and get my cap and sweater. So there was a bit of motivation there. Whenever Dayle got four wickets, I wanted five. If he was batting at No. 7 and I was at No. 8, I wanted to score more runs so that I batted at No. 7 in the next game. It generated a lot of competition for us but not at the expense of the team. The rivalry lifted our performance and we scored more runs and got more wickets, which helped the team.What was it like bowling in partnership with Dayle for Canterbury?
He was hugely influential in my career. He has turned out to be one of the best fast-bowling coaches in world cricket today with his knowledge and experience.Walter Hadlee bats against MCC at Lord’s, 1949•PA PhotosHe would be fielding at mid-off or mid-on and say to me, “You haven’t got your rhythm, have you?” I would say, “No. Struggling a little bit.” He would say, “Get that front foot down a lot quicker than what you are doing, so that you have a base to land on and support the body as you come up and over.”A little tip like that makes a huge difference. All of a sudden you are standing taller, the ball is bouncing more, you get a wicket and you’re away again. So he was very supportive and encouraging. I could probably notice things as well when he was struggling, so we can revert back in a conversation and help each other.Much like the wicketkeeper was important for me. He was in the best position to see the fields and angles. See the ball come out of the hand and through into the gloves, swinging, seaming and bouncing. Whether the batsman is in or out of his crease. He can help you adjust your line and length. I used those resources a lot.You were from an era of great allrounders. Did you, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Ian Botham talk about each other’s game as well?
It was a special era. We all knew what the others were doing around the world. We’d follow each other. We knew who was getting wickets and who was scoring runs. Whenever we played against each other, you lifted the ante a little bit. You wanted to outbowl, outbat and outperform the opposing allrounder. Whoever had the better of the contest in the match often affected the result of the game or series. There was huge respect between us. We admired and acknowledged each other’s skillset. In many ways we were similar sorts of players, except I was more of a bowling allrounder. Beefy and Immy were probably complete allrounders. My weakness was batting.The allrounder was such an influential member of the team. He can turn a match with an inspired batting or bowling performance. He can score a hundred or a bag of five wickets, come back late in the day and break a partnership or take the game away. So that was the responsibility that I felt certainly as an allrounder.I started batting for New Zealand at No 10. or 11. I got 46 and 2 for 88 [84] in my first game, against Pakistan. Then I got dropped after that Test, so Don Bradman and myself have something in common. We got dropped after our first Test.”I was most proud of the 102 occasions in first-class cricket I got five-wicket bags. It proved I was consistent and I did my job”•PA PhotosI was in and out of the side and it took me four to five years to settle down and start getting the successes and the consistency in my game. The greatest opportunity that helped turn my game was playing county cricket from 1978 at Notts, with great players like Clive Rice. It helped me be the player I turned out to be. I achieved some wonderful things. Perhaps one of my greatest achievements was the double [of 100 wickets and 1000 runs] in county cricket. I did it once in 1984 and I was close in 1987, when I was three wickets short of 100 wickets and also scored 1100 runs.I was quite statistically driven, and I was criticised for it. But whatever it took to get a performance out of me was my motivation. Of all the statistics that I was able to achieve in my career, the one that I was most proud of was that on 102 occasions in first-class cricket, which includes Test cricket, I got five-wicket bags. It was like scoring a hundred hundreds. The only reason I was proud of that was that it proved I was consistent and I did my job. That, to me, was important. There were times when a batsman scored hundreds and double-hundreds, but my job was to intimidate, get batsmen out, even destroy careers. That’s the way I looked at my job as a new-ball bowler. It was a good career.Five wickets in your last match, and a wicket off your last ball.
It was Devon Malcolm. It counts, doesn’t it?Did you still have a couple of years left in you?
No, I was 39. Most fast bowlers are out of their game in the mid-30s or not as effective. I operated off a shortish run-up, 15 paces. There was no time to gradually build up. It was start, go and do it. But it gave me longevity. It was less strain on the body, a more efficient technique and three times more effective result-wise.People say Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall are two of the most complete fast bowlers in history.
We were a little different, I think. He had quite a whippy, fast action. He swung the ball. He would have been quicker than me. He was feared. I was a slightly different sort of a bowler. I was more of a probing bowler, a bit like [Glenn] McGrath. I could still bowl the bouncer and stick guys on their backside as an element of surprise. I didn’t overuse the bouncers, and I don’t believe there’s a lot of skill in doing that.My skill was swinging and seaming the ball and beating a guy off a length, which would vary from pitch to pitch, with the height of a batsman, getting them playing and missing or nicking out. So I probably got more wickets caught behind to the keeper, slips and gully than any other form of dismissal.Richard Hadlee (second from left) celebrates Nottinghamshire’s County Championship victory with his team-mates at Trent Bridge, 1987*•PA PhotosAny batsman you found challenging?
All batsmen were challenging. Even the No. 11 can be challenging. Seriously. Because they play and miss.Who was the toughest opponent for you?
[Geoff] Boycott was the hardest to get out. He got 151 first-class hundreds during his career. He was a craftsman, technically efficient, play at balls he had to, let them go if it is a bit wide, collect his runs and wear the bowler down. He was quite difficult to get out. There were many tough guys. [Sunil] Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Greg Chappell. David Gower got lots of runs against New Zealand, a graceful player. Allan Border. [Javed] Miandad – gutsy, annoying – but that’s what he did to the opposition.You said you intimidated batsmen, but it wasn’t with words, was it?
I didn’t talk to players. I had a brief period when I did, and then when I went to England, it got knocked out of me very quickly. It was by umpires, who were former players, who said that it is not in the spirit of the game. You don’t need to do that. You’re a better player and person than that. Take notice.But I still had a presence. Greg Matthews would sum that up, saying: “Hadlee was the most intimidating bowler that I have faced because he didn’t say anything.”If you beat a batsman outside the off stump, stood there, there was a wink, a nod, a glare. Turn your back, get back to your bowling mark and come in again. So he always knows he was in a contest. There were times when you run in, beat a guy and go back to your mark. Sometimes you’d stand there and just let the batsman know you’re around. That’s what it means to have a presence and intimidation without saying anything. That was the way I played it.January 21, 9.30GMT: The photograph has been changed because Hadlee was incorrectly identified in the previous one

Sunrisers Hyderabad had a chance when they needed 13 off the final over. But Jaydev Unadkat gave nothing away

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-201719.1 Unadkat to Bipul Sharma, no run, full offcutter outside off, 119ks, the line is wide, Bipul slogs early to the leg side…. and misses19.2 Unadkat to Bipul Sharma, OUT, Unadkat and Stokes combine for another wicket. Slower ball, good length on off, Bipul Sharma picks it and swings to leg again. He only skews it off the bottom of the bat. Gets more height as opposed to distance. Holes out to Stokes(who else?) at deep midwicketBipul Sharma c Stokes b Unadkat 8 (7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 114.2819.3 Unadkat to Rashid Khan, OUT, Two in two for Unadkat. Another slower ball outside off. Rashid does not pick it. Clears his front leg and toe-ends it in the air. Unadkat himself settles under the skierRashid Khan c & b Unadkat 3 (4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 75.0019.4 Unadkat to Kumar, OUT, four straight dots and a hat-trick in the last over! What a way to reach 100 IPL wickets. Yet another slower ball outside off, this is slightly short. Bhuvneshwar is through with his pull and splices a catch to the right of coverB Kumar c Tiwary b Unadkat 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.0019.5 Unadkat to Kaul, no run, wide of the crease, another slower ball, which bounces over the stumps, as the batsman plays down the wrong line19.6 Unadkat to Kaul, no run, what a finish from Unadkat. A hat-trick maiden in the last over. Offcutter outside off, flat-batted to extra cover. There is a mix-up between the wickets, it’s eventually a dot. Take a bow, Unadkat. He becomes only the third player after Malinga and Badree to take triple-wicket maidens in the IPL

Our correspondent tucks into the joys Sri Lanka offers, and is on hand for an epic win for his team

Mohammad Isam22-Mar-2017March 5
The first person I meet at the airport in Colombo is a taxi driver called Sham, who I lose track of immediately. I am supposed to follow him, but having lost sight of him, I walk nearly out of the airport. Luckily he is also looking for me, and we find each other again. We end up chatting about Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and what great friendships can be like. I wake colleague Andrew Fidel Fernando up in the middle of the night and crash at his place.In the morning we head to Galle, where the ocean meets the fort and then you see the stadium. I find Shakib Al Hasan first thing, because I happen to have some of his property, including his Test cap, which I hand over.March 6
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha is catching up with old friends back home. It is a proud occasion for him, to have the opportunity to coach a team against the country he played for. The same applies for batting consultant Thilan Samaraweera, who has a more recent history with Sri Lanka.I speak to Samaraweera about the Galle pitch, which he believes will be very good for batting. He says it reminds him of the time he played here against New Zealand. He also tells me how he knows what the Sri Lanka bowling attack for the first Test will be: traditionally they don’t let the bowlers in the XI do any training on the eve of the match.We take a walk around Galle fort, marvelling at the architecture of the churches, mosques and temples. The sunset is amazing, and then the evening is taken over by writing for the next day.The Bangla pack: touring journalists sit together in the Galle press box away from their local counterparts•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 7
The two packs of journalists are seated separately at the Galle International Stadium, and the Bangladeshis seem to outnumber the Sri Lankans. It was the same in New Zealand when Bangladesh played there, and nearly so in India.The home side are slightly lucky when Kusal Mendis survives a first-ball dismissal after Subashis Roy oversteps the crease. Mendis ends the day on an unbeaten 166, and the hosts play like they usually do against Bangladesh.I meet Chanul, Sayoni and Minari, the children of Rasika and Roshan, who are the owners of Secret Palace, the guest house Fidel and I are staying in. Minari is a baby, while I met Chanul in 2013, when she was around two.March 8
We watch the first session from the top of the Galle fort, a first-time experience for me. At one point, Mendis hoicks Roy over fine leg, where Mustafizur Rahman takes the catch and throws the ball back in, having stepped over the boundary rope. Subashis has no idea it’s not a wicket and celebrates by lifting his hands and screaming loudly. Niroshan Dickwella tries to show him that it is a six, while the umpire signals six. The three end up with raised hands at the same time, making a great picture.We go to a restaurant called The Elita, joking that it’s in honour of the Bangladeshi singer Elita Karim. We take a photo under the neon sign and enjoy some grilled fish.Ace correspondent and ace cook: a meal by Andrew Fidel Fernando•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 9
During the lunch break, we head off to an ocean-side restaurant to do a video shoot. Galle is probably one of the best places in the world to watch Test cricket because of how you can just pop out and enjoy the fort, the beach, and then head back in again – all within the space of a lunch break.Bangladesh contrive to be bowled out for 312 in the first innings, after having starting the day on 133 for 2. Only Mushfiqur Rahim seems to have the stomach for a fight. Soumya Sarkar tells the press that only Mushfiqur played Test cricket. I end up having a rant in our video analysis. It makes Fidel laugh, reminding him of how ranty he felt in South Africa a few months ago.At night we run into the Bangladesh coaching staff, who are being given a tour of the fort by local boy and Sri Lanka bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.March 10
On the day the Galle Test attracts its largest crowd, Sri Lanka bat long in their second innings. The declaration comes only after Dinesh Chandimal reaches his fifty. Bangladesh get through the 15 overs left without losing a wicket.Taijul Islam and his wife are walking around the streets of the fort when we ask them to join us for dinner. They politely decline and continue walking towards the ramparts. Later, Courtney Walsh walks past the ice-cream stand near which some of us are eating pizza. He points to my plate and says that it is never empty. Everyone laughs; I don’t.March 11
Bangladesh’s day starts in comical fashion, when Sarkar can’t fathom Asela Gunaratne’s pace – or lack of it. He is bowled off the second ball of the day, and even thinks about reviewing it, thinking he has been given out caught behind, since he didn’t really see it brush the bails. Later Mominul Haque does review one, and then walks back to the pavilion before the ruling comes in, stopping a number of times on the way before finally seeing the review isn’t in his favour. Bangladesh fold quickly, adding just 130 runs to their overnight total.We wander the streets of Galle fort one last time, ending up at Pedlar’s Café for dinner, where our table is a door.A view of the ground from Galle fort•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 12
We check out of quaint Secret Palace and get the bus to Colombo. Most of us sleep on the way. I head to the ground first thing after arrival. I have been to the P Sara Oval before, having, in fact, fielded there in a 20-overs game a few years ago. It is still nestled away in one corner of Colombo, and has a lot of history attached to it. Don Bradman played here, of course, but the ground was also the venue of Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test match, in 1982. The bar has photos of many past cricketers from Sri Lanka – including the likes of Mahadevan Sathasivam, who was rated highly by Garry Sobers back in the day.It is optional training for Bangladesh. Kamrul Islam Rabbi, the young pace bowler, says he had a mild shock the previous evening when he heard that he was heading back home. A BCB press release had erroneously said so in an email about Imrul Kayes’ inclusion for the second Test. Something similar happens the next day, with graver consequences.March 13
A few minutes after the Bangladesh team head out of the P Sara dressing room, Mahmudullah walks back, looking distraught. When I say hello, he replies, but something seems amiss – especially when the rest of the team gathers in the middle and he is still in the dressing room. Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud confirms Mahmudullah is being sent back home. He has to say it again, on camera, in a bit, and within the hour, news arrives that BCB president Nazmul Hassan will hold a press conference in his office in Dhaka, at around 4pm. Hassan says pretty much the same thing Mahmud said in the morning. We wonder what all the fuss is about. You have to feel for Mahmudullah. A batsman in a bad patch goes through enough to have to be subject to such drama.Fidel cooks us a fabulous concoction of Sri Lankan and Malaysian food at his house. The is better than most I’ve had since 2011. Great food, the company of friends, and the cool Colombo breeze give us a respite from all the drama and confusion.March 14
No more dramas during Bangladesh’s training session, although we follow it closely to find out the batting line-up for the second Test. Mominul Haque bowling in the nets means he will be replaced by the man he is bowling to – Kayes. Mosaddek Hossain gets an early bat, which means he will replace Mahmudullah. Why is Sabbir Rahman also getting a long net? The answer comes an hour or so after training, when it becomes clear that Liton Das is injured. Bangladesh will go back to using Mushfiqur behind the stumps.I write the preview pieces from atop a balcony that we spied the other day. The view is amazing, until the rain arrives, heavily, after sunset. We make it into a beachside restaurant, which is reached after crossing a rail track, which makes us wonder how those who get drunk go home. Two security guards ensure their passage across, apparently.Local fish curry at the Elita in Galle•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 15
Bangladesh players, each wearing a specially made blazer, are presented with a medal and a guard of honour at the P Sara Oval, to celebrate their 100th Test. Mustafizur begins the game well for the tourists before the rest of the bowlers also contribute. Chandimal plays a subdued knock and gets to his eighth Test century.When around mid-day the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar resigns and then the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri is spotted at the Colombo Test, the press box is abuzz with speculation, though some groan at the thought of another wave of administration-related news. Johri and the SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala hold a press conference where they announce a tri-series in Sri Lanka next year. Within the next hour, BCB president Hassan also holds one of his own, and after speaking of some ICC-related matters, he drops a bombshell – it was he who had Mahmudullah dropped for the second Test.I meet Jeeshan Mirza, a fellow Bangladeshi, and his wife Shabina, who take me to dinner and then for ice cream to Carnival, a Colombo favourite. Jeeshan and I find we have an almost shared childhood growing up in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi residential area, including a few cricket coaches in common.March 16
Normal Test cricket: Sri Lanka are bowled out and Bangladesh begin well in their reply. Until the final half hour, when it turns into a comedy act. Bangladesh lose wickets in a cluster, while Sri Lanka misfield and drop catches. Bangladesh keep offering chances right till the end, Shakib contributing two in the space of eight balls but somehow managing to stay unbeaten at stumps.Samaraweera looks and speaks like a man whose patience has been tested to the limit, which makes for a refreshing change from many other press conferences.After work, we go to Hotel de Pilawoos to experience an all-night Colombo joint. We get the cheese , which is stir-fried vegetables with cheese and roti. There’s also a bit of roti, which is similar to the Mughlai in Bangladesh. Both are consumed quickly, but the spicy mutton curry takes a bit of time to go down.The right sort of breakfast before a day of Test cricket•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 17
In a passing remark in our video analysis on the previous evening, I had said that Bangladesh would do well to follow Chandimal’s example because of how he curbed his natural instinct to play shots and still remained successful in the game. The Bangladesh batsmen, especially Shakib, do a Chandimal, and later acknowledge the same.March 18
Mustafizur takes three wickets to open up the game in the afternoon session, and then Dilruwan Perera tries to close it down with his forward press for the rest of the day. Time and again Bangladesh are frustrated, resulting in some heated exchanges between Sabbir Rahman, a reputed sledger, and Suranga Lakmal, who is moved away by Mushfiqur.While heading home, our Uber is slammed from the left by another car. It is a sobering experience, but it is not the first time Fidel and I have been in an accident in Sri Lanka. Both cars suffer damage, though none of the five occupants are injured.My plans for dinner at the Old Dutch Hospital don’t change, although I see the irony of the name. The place is not a hospital these days but a shopping precinct. We run into Bangladesh trainer Mario Villavarayan and Walsh as they head out of the Ministry of Crab, the restaurant owned by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Walsh has a look at the empty plate in front of me and smiles. No raised eyebrows this time.The ride back to the Fernando residence is unspectacular, almost disappointing me.March 19
Lakmal continues to bat more attractively than Perera, with a carefully orchestrated front-foot, all-in defence. Bangladesh look alarmed as leg-before appeals are denied and edges sneak between the wicketkeeper and slips; heads start to drop and dirt gets kicked. Sri Lanka are eventually stopped with a 190-run lead, and the tension rises at the P Sara Oval. A few hours of jostling between Rangana Herath, Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir finish with Mushfiqur raising his arms in triumph even before Mehedi Hasan’s sweep goes past the short fine leg.Shakib heads back to the dressing room, where the cheers from within and their rendition of “” (We Shall Overcome), their official victory song, are the loudest thing in the ground. A beaming Tamim, his voice hoarse from all the shouting and singing, says that he is off somewhere that night. Mumbai, it turns out, to see a renowned dentist. Well, when it is a matter of a tooth, celebrating a career-defining innings can wait.Fidel and I head back home, and on the way stop to get some boxes of tea, chocolate, and , a Sri Lankan specialty sweet that is creamy, black and beautiful. The shopkeeper gives us a sample, which I reluctantly break into two to share with my colleague. When we get home, I stare at the 965g block of with longing for a second; then it goes into my suitcase for the flight back home.

How a batsman didn’t get out of a sticky situation

Steven Lynch05-Sep-2017Apparently someone once survived after being bowled because the bails had been stuck on with chewing gum. Is this true? asked Ken Hancock from England
I did find a book that claimed this odd incident happened in a Sheffield Shield match in Australia – but actually I think it happened in a first-grade club game between Claremont and Mount Lawley in Perth in November 1952, when Western Australia’s captain Wally Langdon was bowled, but the bail didn’t fall off as it was stuck to some chewing gum, which had apparently been used to mend a broken stump. The umpires conferred and eventually decided that Langdon – a left-hander who scored five hundreds for WA and was unlucky never to win a Test cap – was not out. Perth’s Sunday Times reported that “Although the bail jumped out of the slot at the top of the stump, it didn’t drop free.” The paper added: “Langdon resumed his innings, faced several more balls, and was then clean bowled – it looked as if he deliberately gave away his wicket.”Is it true that Shai Hope was the first to score two centuries in the same match at Headingley? asked Brian McKenzie from Barbados
Remarkably, it is correct: in scoring 147 and 118 not out in his first match at Headingley, Shai Hope achieved what no one else had managed in 533 previous first-class matches on the ground. Yorkshire greats like Herbert Sutcliffe and Geoffrey Boycott played 61 and 59 times at Headingley respectively, but never managed two hundreds in the same game. Hope, of course, was nearly pipped to the honour by Kraigg Brathwaite, who followed his first-innings 134 with 95 in the second. According to the BBC scorer Andrew Samson, the ground that has now staged most matches without anyone making twin centuries there is Weston-super-Mare, with 191.Has any team scored more than England’s 490 in the third innings at Headingley and lost the Test? asked Michael Carpenter from England
England’s 490 for 8 declared at Headingley has been exceeded only once in the third innings by a team that went on to lose the Test – and that also happened in Leeds. Back in 1967, India followed on nearly 400 behind, but saved face with 510 – their captain, the Nawab of Pataudi, made a superb 148. Australia occupy the next three places on this list, with 485 in Sydney in 1903-04, 477 at Edgbaston in 1997 and 476 in Adelaide in 1911-12, all against England. The highest total in the fourth innings of a Test defeat is New Zealand’s 451 against England in Christchurch in 2001-02, when Nathan Astle blasted a last-ditch double-century.At Headingley in 1967, India managed to make 510 – on the back of MAK Pataudi’s 148 – after following on but still lost the Test•PA Photos/Getty ImagesI noticed that Christopher Mpofu of Zimbabwe was stumped twice off the same bowler on the same day during a Test in 2005. Has anyone else suffered this strange fate? asked Kuldeep Singh from India
The Zimbabwean seamer Chris Mpofu was doubly (or perhaps quadruply) unfortunate in that match against New Zealand in Harare in August 2005, as he completed a pair in being stumped by Brendon McCullum off the bowling of Daniel Vettori in both innings. It came on a second day on which Zimbabwe lost all 20 wickets, to lose the match by an innings and 294 runs. Surprisingly, perhaps, Mpofu’s feat isn’t unique: England’s Bobby Peel was stumped twice in a day for a pair by Australia’s Affie Jarvis off Charlie Turner in Sydney in 1894-95. And in Brisbane in 1930-31, West Indies’ wicketkeeper Ivan Barrow was stumped twice on the same day by his opposite number Bert Oldfield, off the bowling of Clarrie Grimmett – but at least Barrow didn’t bag a pair – he was dismissed for 19 and 17.In a recent CPL match, Kesrick Williams went for 46 in his two overs. Was this the most expensive two-over spell in T20 history? asked Vikas Vadgama from India
Fast bowler Kesrick Williams, who has played 50- and 20-over internationals for West Indies, disappeared for 46 runs in Jamaica Tallawahs’ recent CPL match against Guyana Amazon Warriors in Kingston, the damage being done by Chadwick Walton and Luke Ronchi; Williams didn’t help his cause by delivering four no-balls. It was the second case of a bowler conceding 46 runs from two overs in all T20 cricket. The England offspinner Richard Dawson had a similar experience while playing for Northamptonshire against Worcestershire in Kidderminster in 2007. But there have been a couple of even more expensive two-over stints: the Zimbabwean Chamu Chibhabha’s two overs for Mashonaland Eagles against Mid West Rhinos at Bulawayo Athletic Club in February 2016 cost 47 runs, as did Karl Carver’s two for Yorkshire against Worcestershire at Headingley earlier this year – this included Ross Whiteley smashing six sixes in his second over.Leave your questions in the comments

Champions Trophy holders and 5-0 winners over Sri Lanka, Pakistan suffered one of their worst defeats against New Zealand. Where does it rank among other similar reversals in ODI history?

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2018

And how many times have bowlers taken five-fors – all of them for ducks?

Steven Lynch03-Jul-2018Jason Holder had the highest score and the best bowling figures in the recent Test against Sri Lanka, but finished on the losing side. How often has this happened? asked Harold Shockness from the West Indies
The unfortunate Jason Holder made 74, and later took 5 for 41, for West Indies in the pink-ball Test in Bridgetown last week – but couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka winning by four wickets.Holder is the fifth person to suffer this fate. The first was England’s Allan Steel, with 135 not out and 3 for 34 in vain against Australia in Sydney in 1882-83. It was a long time before Freddie Brown followed suit, with 62 and 4 for 26 for England in the Ashes Test in Melbourne in 1950-51 (Australia’s Bill Johnston also took 4 for 26 in this match). Vinoo Mankad scored 184 and took 5 for 196 (from 73 overs) as India lost to England at Lord’s in 1952, while more recently, Shakib Al Hasan’s 144 and 6 for 82 couldn’t prevent a Bangladesh defeat by Pakistan in Mirpur in 2011-12. Brown, like Holder, was captain in the match in question.Was India’s demolition of Ireland last week the biggest margin of victory in an official T20 international? asked Mayukh Patel from India
India crushed Ireland by 143 runs last week in Malahide, bowling the hosts out for 70 after running up 213 for 4 themselves. But there has been one heavier defeat, as this list shows: in the first World T20, in Johannesburg in 2007, Sri Lanka (260 for 6) hammered Kenya (88) by 172 runs. There has been one other 143-run defeat too, in Karachi earlier this year, when Pakistan (203 for 5) overwhelmed a jet-lagged West Indies (60). There have also been 14 ten-wicket victories in T20 internationals.Sri Lanka managed to win the third Test against West Indies even though none of their batsmen scored a half-century. How unusual is this? asked Savindu Sirimanne from Sri Lanka
That victory in Bridgetown last week – in which Sri Lanka’s highest individual score was 42 from Niroshan Dickwella – turns out to be the 29th time a team has won a Test despite none of their batsmen reaching 50. This was the first instance since November 2015, when India defeated South Africa in Nagpur, where M Vijay top-scored with 40. When Australia triumphed on a rain-affected pitch at Lord’s in 1888, their highest score was just 22, by the captain, Percy McDonnell, and wicketkeeper Jack Blackham (WG Grace made 24 in vain for England).The last time Australia used eight-ball overs in home Tests was in the 1978-79 season•Getty ImagesEd Barnard took five Lancashire wickets the other day, and they were all out for nought. How rare is this? asked Phil Smith from England
Worcestershire’s Ed Barnard took 5 for 34 in the recent Championship match against Lancashire in Worcester, and his victims – numbers 3 to 6 in the batting order, and No. 8 Jordan Clark – all bagged ducks.It turns out that dismissing five batsmen for ducks in the same innings isn’t that unusual: this was the 155th time in all first-class cricket that it had happened, although that includes several instances where the bowler concerned took more than five wickets in all. The record for a single innings is seven ducks, inflicted by Kent’s Colin Blythe on the way to taking all ten wickets for 30 against Northamptonshire at Northampton in 1907. Blythe took 7 for 18 in the second innings to complete amazing match figures, but that included a solitary duck.Playing in a tour match against Ireland in Dublin in 1937, the New Zealand seamer Jack Cowie took six wickets, all for ducks, and finished with figures of 8-5-3-6.I recently read that some Test matches had four-ball overs, and I know many Tests in Australia had eight-ball ones. Have there been any other variations? asked Vikram Pai from Singapore
Apart from the now standard six balls, the only other variation found in Tests is overs of five balls, which were used in all Tests in England between 1890 and 1899. Before that, from the first one in 1880, English Tests had four-ball overs; since 1902, all Tests in England have had six-ball overs, apart from a short-lived experiment with eight-ball overs in 1939, in the series against West Indies.Australia used four-ball overs from the inaugural Test, in Melbourne in 1876-77, to 1887-88. They then had six-ball overs from until 1932-33 (apart from the 1924-25 Ashes series, which had eight-ball overs). Australia returned to eight-ball overs in 1936-37, and stuck with them until 1978-79; they have used six ever since then.South Africa’s first home series, in 1888-89, featured four-ball overs, and they had five-ball ones in the 1890s. From 1902-03 to 1935-36, and from 1961-62 to date, they have had six-ball overs; but South Africa used eight-ball overs from 1938-39 (including the famous timeless Test in Durban) to 1957-58.New Zealand used eight-ball overs between 1968-79 and 1978-79, and Pakistan between 1974-75 and 1977-78; the rest of their home Tests had six. All Test matches in West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, the UAE and Ireland have had six-ball overs. Note that all ESPNcricinfo’s Test scorecards show the number of balls per over (it’s at the bottom, just after the names of the umpires).Leave your questions in the comments or use our feedback form

In nine Tests this year, he has scored 439 runs at 24.38 – his second-leanest year in the format since 2006

Firdose Moonda24-Jul-2018It isn’t easy writing things like this, especially when the player in question is of the stature of Hashim Amla.The most experienced batsman of South Africa’s current national crop. The only one with a Test triple hundred to his name. Only the third South African to rack up 9000 Test runs. The man who doesn’t sweat.But Amla has a reason to have damp palms these days, because his form has dipped to the point where questions need to be asked, even if the only question is how much longer he wants to continue.The current year is his second-leanest since he established himself in the national side in 2006, and he will only have the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan to change that. In nine Tests this year, Amla has scored just 439 runs, at 24.38 but the slump goes further back than that.In the last two years, since July 2016, Amla has managed to score hundreds at home only against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. No disrespect to those teams but Bangladesh on the placid pitches of Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein, and Sri Lanka at the Wanderers with the hosts already having secured the series, were hardly the best measure of international quality.Take away those teams, and Zimbabwe who played in a four-day day-night match in South Africa last December, and Amla was averaging 31.17 in the two years before South Africa’s trip to Sri Lanka. Include the two Tests in Sri Lanka and that drops to 29.00.Questioning Amla’s technique is beyond the expertise of this writer but there are a few points worth noting about the batsman’s recent run.In 2016, in Australia, he fell to Josh Hazlewood five times in succession, all on or outside the off stump. In England in mid-2017, Toby Roland-Jones was the problem in the latter half of the series, dismissing Amla three times in four innings. The first dismissal was a snorter from Roland-Jones, which took the glove; the second was caused Amla’s uncertainty of whether to play or not and the third was not making enough contact on a long-hop and sending a catch to the wicketkeeper. Against India at home, the visiting seamers had the better of Amla, who again played recklessly outside off. And then, when Australia made the return trip, Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had Amla playing all kinds of uncharacteristic shots – a waft in Port Elizabeth, a chip straight to cover in Cape Town and chasing the outswinger in Johannesburg.Josh Hazlewood got Hashim Amla again•AFPThe common thread is that Amla has been rushed into making mistakes he was previously unlikely to make, and his own bubble of patience has been pierced by opposition bowlers. His average against spin has dipped from 60.04 before July 2016 to 44.72 since then, a difference of more than 15 runs. Against pace, it is an even bigger difference: 18 runs. In the four innings in Sri Lanka recently, Amla was caught at short leg twice, caught at leg gully once and bowled once. His trusted flick shot has let him down, his usually nimble feet are not moving quickly enough to get to the pitch of the ball and his shot selection is hurried. Amla is known for being able to play to his own pace but recently it has looked as though the bowlers have set a timer and Amla keeps running out of time.Some would explain the impatience as a consequence of the growth of 20-over cricket; others on the broader South Africa situation, which has demanded more of Amla over the last two years than usual. They’ve needed him more, because they’ve had less: less stability and fewer big names.Since Graeme Smith’s (and then Alviro Petersen’s) retirement, South Africa have struggled to settle on an opening combination, even they knew Dean Elgar was one-half of it. Since 2016, they rotated through Stephen Cook, who was dumped after an unsuccessful away tour to New Zealand in March 2017, Heino Kuhn, whose 113 runs in four Tests in England meant his first tour was also his last, and Aiden Markram, who should be in the role for a significant period of time. Through that time, the top-order was often Amla’s to anchor.It was also the same time, the two years between July 2016 and July 2018, when AB de Villiers, the batsmen with whom Amla has put on more than 2600 partnership runs in Test cricket, took a sabbatical from the longest format. The absence of de Villiers not only took away a player Amla complemented at the other end but shifted responsibility further onto Amla’s shoulders. Without de Villiers, Amla was the only real “big name” in the line-up and big expectations have come with it.That’s not to say that Amla isn’t used to constantly proving himself. His career started that way, but it should not end like that. His overall numbers do more than enough to etch him among the greats, but it is his recent numbers that will concern South Africa going forward.As a team, they don’t have to think about Amla’s (or anyone’s) Test form till December when they host Pakistan. But actually, as a team, they probably won’t put as much emphasis on Test cricket as usual until after the World Cup, which is less than a year away. Amla will be an integral part of the squad that travels to England. Maybe as Faf du Plessis hinted previously, it will also be his last outing. And to that end, South Africa need to think of a succession plan.In Colombo, South Africa promoted Theunis de Bruyn to No. 3 and Amla came in at No. 4. Perhaps that is a sign of things to come. De Bruyn made a strong case to stay in the spot with the best batting effort by any South Africa batsman in the series, and the first hundred of his international career. De Bruyn is a domestic No. 3 and could use a long run in the position to properly assess what he can do. The home summer – where South Africa will play five Tests and are likely to have a combination of seven batsmen and four bowlers – could be the ideal opportunity for that. That’s not to say Amla won’t play a role, but he might play it with less pressure and for someone who has achieved so much, that’s the least he deserves.