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Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has said support from family, the board, and fans kept him upbeat through his five-month suspension due to doping charges that have now been withdrawn by the ICC

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-May-2016Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has said support from family, the board, and fans kept him upbeat through his five-month suspension due to doping charges that have now been withdrawn by the ICC.

Sangakkara wants Perera for England tour

“Before this tour he’d have been at the T20 World Cup, opening with [Tillakaratne] Dilshan which would have been a huge advantage for us because he’s a fantastic player,” Kumar Sangakkara said during an event in London.
“I’m extremely confused as to what has happened, the labs in Qatar came back with an adverse finding in one of his urine samples and named the steroid that was found, then over the last few days they have withdrawn that, saying there’s been a mistake. The poor boy has been out for quite a long time. [He’s] 24-25, one of the most exciting talents we have, a wicketkeeper, a strong batsman.
“I hope they do [fly him out for the England tour] because when you’ve got through something like that the best support is to be allowed to play cricket again. He’s good enough to be here. But the sad fact is that when you are provisionally banned, you can’t even train, using the facilities that international teams use.
“A sad situation but thankfully that’s all over, he can carry on what he loves doing, but unfortunately Sri Lanka has lost a remarkable player for quite some time now.”

He had been preparing for the Test leg of the New Zealand tour when he was informed of having failed a doping Test. In addition to that tour, he also missed a bilateral T20 series in India, the Asia Cup and the World T20 due to the suspension.”I think people believed me through the whole ordeal,” Perera said. “I said I hadn’t taken illegal then, and I still say it now. The board believed me, and the media believed me and left me alone. The fans also believed me, so I don’t think there has been much damage done to my reputation.”His plight appeared bleak when his initial sample had tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug, 19-Norandrostenedione, but it grew bleaker when the B sample returned identical results, in January. Perera said that despite the findings, he was intent on maintaining his innocence.”People told me after the B sample also was shown to have the substance, that it would be better to accept my fault and hope for a shorter ban. But I didn’t want to accept a wrong that I hadn’t actually committed. If there had been any wrongdoing, I would have accepted it. For four years I had played with no problem.”Perera had also spent a substantial amount of his own money in fighting the WADA-approved lab’s findings. His campaign to be cleared had included a trip to England for a polygraph test, a hair analysis and a separate urine test, as well as substantial coordination with his main legal team, which was based in the UK. He received news of his being cleared on Wednesday evening, but he had already begun to focus on making a return to the game, he said.”I can’t think much about the personal cost to me, because all I want to do is play cricket again. I’ve been out of the game for five months. I need to get back to practice soon. I’m really not thinking much about the financial losses. The first priority is to play for Sri Lanka and get back to form.”Perera is theoretically available for Sri Lanka’s Tests in England, which begin on May 19, but appears unlikely to join the squad immediately, as he has been forced to miss official team practices or training sessions since December 7. It is conceivable that he will play in the limited-overs leg of the tour to UK and Ireland, which starts on June 16 after the three Tests. There is also a full home tour against Australia in July and August.”The first month of the suspension I couldn’t train much because I was getting a lot of legal advice,” Perera said. “I did try to find time to train with a coach. I also worked on my fitness through the period.”I need to do a bit more practice before I think about tours. That’s how I’ll get my form back. Through this period I couldn’t work with the Sri Lanka trainer, so there will be work to do on my fitness as well.”Perera thanked a range of people for assisting him in both clearing his name, and in staying positive through a difficult period.”I’m very happy about being able to come back to cricket. I got the news from Thilanga Sumathipala last night. I’m really happy that the board and fans trusted me. A lot of people had made supportive comments.”I need to thank by family. My brothers were there for me especially. [My manager] Ravi helped me. And a lot of coaches helped me and gave me words of encouragement as well, which helped me along.”Former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene came out in support of Perera’s charges being cleared.

South Africa U-19s and India U-19s were victorious on the opening day of the Quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2013Bradley Dial’s all-round display was instrumental in South Africa Under-19s securing a 17-run victory over Australia Under-19s in the first match of the Quadrangular one-day series in Visakhapatnam.Dial’s innings was the sole source of impetus for South Africa, who were 43 for 5 in the 13th over after winning the toss. Matthew Fotia, who has taken 17 wickets in his last seven matches, continued his fine form, claiming all his three wickets in the space of two overs.Dial, however, was resolute, and his 48 off 53 balls included five fours and one six. But South Africa had slipped to 119 for 9 before a last-wicket stand of 60 between No. 11 Andile Phehlukwayo, who made 39 off 38 balls, and Justin Dill took them to a fighting total. South Africa folded for 179 in 44 overs, as legspinner Tom Andrews picked up two wickets.Damien Mortimer and Jaron Morgan set up Australia’s chase with a steady opening partnership, but the introduction of spin caused multiple mini-collapses. From 40 for 0, Australia slipped to 67 for 4 as Yaseen Valli’s offbreaks fetched two wickets in successive overs. Jake Doran kept Australia’s hopes alive with a sedate 35, but once Dial removed Cameron Valante to end the 46-run partnership and then claimed Tom Andrews in the 43rd over, Australia were bowled out for 162.Deepak Hooda powered India Under-19s to 291 in their 50 overs before Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets to set up a massive 148-run win over Zimbabwe Under-19s.Hooda cut lose after a 77-run stand with Sarfaraz Khan was broken in the 45th over. India leaped from 219 for 6 to 291 as Hooda dominated a seventh-wicket stand of 72 runs with Aamir Gani, who contributed only 14. Wicketkeeper Ankush Bains and captain Vijay Zol gave India a solid start, but they wobbled primarily because of Kieran Geyle’s three for 32. Hooda’s 83 off 55 balls, however, with five fours and five sixes, transformed the innings.Zimbabwe’s chase was hampered early when Yadav dismissed the openers with only 36 on the board and their recovery efforts were foiled by the Hooda-Gani combination again. Offspinner Gani’s double-strike in the 31st over accounted for the innings top-scorer Ryan Hurl, for 46, and Luke Jongwe. With the score at 116 for 5, Hooda dismissed Charles Kwinje and later captain Malcolm Lake for 13 and Yadav returned to finish off the tail, claiming two more wickets.

Chris Tremlett has committed his short-term future to Surrey after a signing a one-year deal following the loss of the ECB central contract

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2012Chris Tremlett has committed his short-term future to Surrey after a signing a one-year deal following the loss of his ECB central contract.Tremlett had an injury-hit 2012 season, with back and knee problems, which restricted him to a single Championship appearance. He has since undergone knee surgery and is now targeting a full return for Surrey’s pre-season training.”I’ve signed the new contract at the end of the season and I’m absolutely delighted to stay at Surrey for another year,” he told Surrey TV. “We’ve got a big year ahead of us next year so I’m looking forward to that challenge. In the meantime it’s all about working hard and getting my body in the best shape ready so I can hit the ground running for the new season.”Tremlett last played for England in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, in January before being forced out of that trip with his back injury. When the latest round of central contracts were announced earlier this month his name was absent meaning he now goes back on Surrey’s payroll. However, Tremlett does not see this as an end to his international career.”I’m very keen to get back out there and almost start a new chapter in my career,” he said. “I still feel as though I have a lot to offer at Surrey and hopefully again at England at some point.”

Those insisting the USA Cricket Association is once again close to being dysfunctional under the control of its president, Gladstone Dainty, were left frustrated after a board meeting called for September 24 by the board secretary was cancelled at short n

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2011Those insisting the USA Cricket Association is once again close to being dysfunctional under the control of its president, Gladstone Dainty, were left frustrated after a meeting called for September 24 by the board secretary was cancelled at short notice.Dainty, who is under fire from a number of directions over what is claimed is his complete lack of accountability, scrapped the meeting even though John Aaron, the secretary, had confirmed attendances from more than enough members to constitute a quorum.No face-to-face meeting of the executive has been held since November 2010, even though the position of chief executive has been vacant since Dainty removed Don Lockerbie from office ten months ago and elections scheduled for March have been delayed.”The problem is those attending were not from Dainty’s camp, so he changed the date to October 1″ one board member told ESPNcricinfo. “He appears to be particularly manipulative of some members of the board considered his long-time allies.”Another board member said Dainty was avoiding a meeting unless he knew he could guarantee enough of his supporters were present as he feared the executive could overturn some of his recent decisions.

Mohammad Amir will be removed from the list of nominees for the International Cricket Council’s emerging player of the year award

Cricinfo staff03-Sep-2010Mohammad Amir, the 18-year-old fast bowler who is one of three Pakistan players currently under investigation for spot-fixing, will be removed from the list of nominees for the ICC’s emerging player of the year award, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. Mohammad Asif has also been cut from the Test cricketer of the year category.The ICC statement issued late Thursday evening, which provisionally suspended the three players, also stated that “in accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded”. An ICC official said Amir’s removal from the list could be confirmed by “reading between the lines”. Amir was one of 16 players nominated, and a favourite to win the emerging player category.The decision, however, was criticised by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdon, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, who asked what had happened to the general principle of law – innocent until proven guilty? “After the shocking, arbitrary and high-handed suspension of the three Pakistani cricketers through the ICC’s uncalled for action, nothing is coming to me as a surprise,” Hasan said. “Rather, my apprehensions that there is a rat in the whole affair are being strengthened. It is emerging as a fishy situation where pieces have now started falling in place to convince me that there is more than meet the eye.”The nominations for the 2010 awards recognise cricketing achievement for the period between August 24, 2009 and August 10, 2010. During that span, Amir took 33 wickets at an average of 31.45 in nine Tests and 16 wickets in 10 ODIs. He became the youngest player to reach 50 Test wickets during the Lord’s Test, which is at the heart of the Scotland Yard and ICC’s ongoing investigations. The Test took place just after the nomination period ended.

Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2024Former captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been omitted from the PCB’s new batch of central contracts announced on Saturday. Sixteen players were announced in the new contracts, with Fatima Sana, who took over from Dar as captain, moving up to Category A.Dar was in Category A in last year’s contracts, while Riaz had been demoted to Category B, though their omissions are not entirely unexpected. As well as dwindling form, there are believed to have been concerns about their attitude within the team set-up that were discussed with PCB hierarchy.Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season, while Bismah Maroof’s retirement earlier this year means she no longer features. The board said, “these players will remain available for selection, as the PCB shifts its focus towards developing the next generation of cricketers in alignment with the ICC’s Women’s FTP (Future Tours Programme) for 2025-29.”Getty Images

Twenty players were awarded two-year contracts last year, with a significant pay bump, but with the proviso that performances would be reassessed after a year.Sana’s promotion is a reward for a series of outstanding all-round performances in the run-up to, and at the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka at the tournament but lost their three other group games to India, Australia and eventual champions New Zealand.Muneeba Ali, the wicketkeeper-batter, has also been promoted to Category A, joining Sidra Amin who retains her position. Gull Feroza and Rameen Shamim return to the central-contracts list for the first time since 2018 and 2022-23 respectively, while Tasmia Rubab is included for the first time.The contracts have been pending approval for some time now, having run out at the end of July. Players, however, will be paid backdated amounts from then. The delay in the contracts is part of a general trend of upheaval and uncertainty in Pakistan women’s cricket where the PCB has struggled to get projects off the ground. Most notable among them is the long-promised women’s PSL, which Ramiz Raja first promised as chairman nearly three years ago but is yet to materialise. Tania Mallick, Head of Women’s Cricket since October 2021, told ESPNcricinfo earlier this year she expected a women’s PSL to happen within the next 12 months. Last month, however, she quit the role, with no signs of that tournament being introduced in the near future.”The 2024-25 central contracts reflect our forward-looking strategy as we prepare for the new ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme,” the PCB’s new Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed said. “By further investing in established players through significantly enhanced retainers and offering clear pathways to the emerging cricketer, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and sustaining competitiveness at the highest level.”Pakistan contracts list:
Category A: Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin
Category B: Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal
Category C: Diana Baig, Omaima Sohail
Category D: Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani

Meanwhile, Former Australia Test paceman Peter Siddle leaves Strikers to join Renegades while Queensland quick Mark Steketee moves from Heat to Stars

Alex Malcolm01-Sep-2023West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran and Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have both withdrawn from the BBL draft while South African Dane van Niekerk is out of the WBBL due to the fractured right thumb she suffered during the recent women’s Hundred.Pooran and Rizwan were set to be platinum picks in the BBL draft and Pooran was potentially going to be a sort-after option given he was likely to be available up until finals before heading to the ILT20. But his West Indies white-ball commitments in December against England may have affected his early availability and he has withdrawn from the tournament.Rizwan was always going to have availability issues given his commitments with Pakistan as they are playing three Tests against Australia in Australia across the first month of the six-week-long BBL.Related

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Van Niekerk did not play in the WBBL last year but has previously played for Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers. But her fractured thumb means she is unavailable for the tournament.Meanwhile, former Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle has returned to Melbourne Renegades after six seasons at Adelaide Strikers where he captained Strikers 27 times. Siddle, who will be 39 by the time the BBL starts, previously played seven games at Renegades from 2013-15 while he was a mainstay in Australia’s Test attack.Renegades have become one of the oldest lists in BBL history with Siddle joining Nathan Lyon (35) as a new signing. Renegades already have three players over 35 – Shaun Marsh (40), Aaron Finch (36) and Jon Wells (35).”We’ve made a concerted effort to add more experience to our playing list this off-season, so to welcome ‘Sidds’ back to the Renegades, alongside the additions of Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon is a fantastic result,” Melbourne Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten said.”Sidds is well respected not just for his contributions with the ball over a long period of time, but for his leadership, tactical awareness and broader knowledge of players and the T20 landscape.”He has plenty of existing relationships within our playing group and we know he will be an important contributor for us not only on the field but with all the other attributes he brings that help build successful teams.”Peter Siddle returns to Renegades where he started his BBL career•Getty Images

Siddle was thrilled to be back in Melbourne having also moved back to Victoria in domestic cricket after three seasons with Tasmania.”I’m excited to be returning to where my Big Bash journey started and to be back in red this year,” Siddle said.”I’ve loved my time in Adelaide over the last six seasons. But it’s time for a new challenge, and I’m looking forward to reuniting with some good mates of mine at the Renegades.”Looking at the playing list that’s being assembled, there’s no reason we can’t challenge for the title this year.Elsewhere, Queensland and Australia A fast bowler Mark Steketee has signed with Melbourne Stars in the BBL after 10 seasons with Brisbane Heat. Steketee had been a mainstay in all formats for Queensland and Heat earlier in his career but only played eight games in each of the last two BBL seasons. The emergence of Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett forced him out of the Heat side last season and he did not play in their finals campaign.He instead joins the Stars to bolster their bowling stocks alongside the off-season signings of Scott Boland and Joel Paris.”We identified Mark as a target to further strengthen our fast-bowling stocks and we can’t wait to see what he can do at the MCG,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.”He has been a consistent wicket-taker in the BBL over a number of years now and he’ll bring a lot of valuable experience and cricket IQ to the group.”

He has his sights on another pre-Ashes spell with Glamorgan if the schedule allows him

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2022Marnus Labuschagne will be aiming to copy Joe Root’s playbook in Sri Lanka as he prepares for what he expects will be his toughest challenge yet against spin.Labuschagne completed his latest county stint with Glamorgan on Sunday in an abandoned T20 clash against Surrey, but not before he had taken 2 for 27 from his four overs ahead of a tour were his legspin could be used more regularly by Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins.However, it will be with the bat where he will have his best chance to define games, especially the two Tests in Galle which conclude the tour.Related

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Root had a phenomenal Test series in Sri Lanka in early 2021 where he made first-innings scores of 228 and 186 in Galle which followed a century in Pallekele on the previous tour.Labuschagne’s Test career started against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018 but his only other experience in Asia was the recent series in Pakistan. The home side’s spinners underwhelmed in those three matches where Labuschagne started with 90 in Rawalpindi before collecting first-innings ducks in the next two games.”For me, it’s my first real subcontinent challenge against spin, it’s about conquering that challenge,” Labuschagne told . “Joe Root played phenomenally over there, I’ve learned a lot from how he went about his game there.”As a team we want to be the best in the world, it doesn’t matter where you take us, we want to be winning games and I certainly think we can do that in Sri Lanka. I’ll have to get used to conditions, the heat and sweating it out, which is something we haven’t had the last few games [in the UK].”Although Labuschagne is now returning to Australia duty at the start of what will be a hectic period of national action he is keen for another pre-Ashes stint with Glamorgan next year.Labuschagne’s schedule is not as crammed as some of Australia’s three-format players as he is not yet a regular in the T20I side, but there are 11 Tests scheduled up to next March plus a lot of ODI cricket so he is aware he may need to manage his workload while his wife Rebekah is also expecting their first child later in the year.He has often credited his 2019 spell with Glamorgan as a key part of why he was able to have immediate success when parachuted into the side as Steven Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s.”There’s a lot of things in the mix, but I can’t see anything wrong with trying to copy the last time I played in the Ashes here, and play some county cricket with Glamorgan [going] into the Ashes next summer,” he said.”That’s our blueprint but we’ve got so much cricket this year, around 16 Tests and 18 one-day games, so we’re going to have to make sure I’m fit and healthy, and also get to spend time at home with my wife and child at some stage.”

Mike Hesson has backed his IPL team’s million-dollar recruit after the quick proved expensive in the T20Is against Australia

Sreshth Shah05-Mar-2021Mike Hesson, the director of cricket operations at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has backed the team’s INR 15 crore recruit Kyle Jamieson despite the fast-bowling allrounder having a forgettable T20I series against Australia.In the first four T20Is of the series, Jamieson has conceded 175 runs in 15 overs – economy rate of 11.66 – for just one wicket. But Hesson, talking to after the third match – said that Jamieson shouldn’t be judged on his recent outings.”He’s struggled, probably for the first time in international cricket really, which I don’t think is a bad thing,” Hesson said in a conversation with Ian Smith. “He’s battled to find his lengths, which when you’re put under pressure, that can happen. And pressure not only from the opposition but also the weight of expectations. For Kyle, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.Related

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“He’s a smart enough cricketer, surrounded by good people, and he’ll come out of the other side. When you look at a player, you don’t look at a player just over a very short period of time. You look at the characteristics that he’s got. He’s got some good fighting qualities. He struggled, he didn’t find his lengths, he looked like he lost his run-up. We know he’s a very good player and although we would like him to be performing better, we’re not too worried just yet.”The tall right-arm quick had received the second-highest bid at last month’s IPL auction, going at over US$ 2.5 million following a three-way bidding war between the Royal Challengers, the Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals.Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, placed the first bid on Jamieson for INR 75 lakh, but alternating bids between the Royal Challengers and the Capitals pushed his price to INR 9 crore. After that, the Kings – who had the biggest purse at the latest auctions – showed interest in Jamieson, which lifted his price to INR 15 crore. He was snapped up by the Royal Challengers in the end. Later, in a video shared by the Royal Challengers on their social media feed, where the think tank was seen discussing their choices before auction day, Hesson was clear in his interest in Jamieson.Hesson has spent large portions of 2021 in India. Having arrived in the country before the IPL auction in Chennai, he has stayed back, shifting base to Bengaluru thereafter, where the franchise is beginning a camp soon. He has also been following the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, India’s premier domestic 50-over competition, some matches of which have been staged in the city.”I’ve been watching domestic cricket for the last week, one-day cricket in Bangalore,” Hesson said. “A lot of our players have been playing there, and we start a camp in two days’ time with six or seven guys who aren’t involved with India or international cricket. We’d like to get the squad together in the early twenties of March when the final IPL dates get settled. There’ll likely be a five-seven-day quarantine period that people will have to go through, and then the tournament is set to start early to mid-April.”

Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner hold their nerve as New Zealand take a series lead

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Sep-2019A bruising 79-run fourth-wicket stand off 37 balls between Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme energised a flailing New Zealand innings, and set them on track for what would eventually become a comfortable victory.The visitors ran down Sri Lanka’s 174 with three balls and five wickets remaining. The pair had come together with the score at 39 for 3, with the required rate climbing toward 11, but blasted four sixes and seven fours between them, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled to contend with a wet, slippery ball. The game was still not quite safe when the two were dismissed, but Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell saw the visitors home with a 31-run stand that came off 16 balls.

Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate

Sri Lanka were found to be two overs short of their target during the Pallekele T20I against New Zealand and, in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, all 11 of their players were fined 40% of their match fees [each over comes with a 20% fine].

New Zealand’s victory was despite Sri Lanka having produced the best individual innings of the evening. Kusal Mendis had earlier struck 79 off 53 balls opening the innings, putting on a 63-run partnership with Niroshan Dickwella for the third wicket in the process. But some dawdling in the middle period, and some excellent bowling from Tim Southee at various stages of the innings, prevented Sri Lanka from posting a really big total.Southee took 2 for 20, and was almost matched by Lasith Malinga, who struck the base of Colin Munro and de Grandhomme’s middle stumps with searing Yorkers on his way to 2 for 23. Had he not flung five wides down the legside at the start of the 19th over, Sri Lanka might have had a chance in the final over. As it happened, New Zealand required only three to win off the 20th.It hadn’t taken long for either de Grandhomme or Taylor to begin finding the boundary. De Grandhomme clubbed his second ball for four past cover, and Taylor found his first four via the sweep – various iterations of the shot going on to prove fruitful for him through the evening – but it wasn’t until the halfway mark in the innings that big blows began to come in quick succession. New Zealand made 17 runs off each of the 11th, 12th and 13th overs, the pair hitting four sixes and two fours through this period, in addition to running well between the wickets.It could have gone wrong, though. Sri Lanka would rue the dropped catch off Taylor on 31 – attempting a third six off Akila Dananjaya, Taylor miscued one to deep midwicket, but Dasun Shanaka could not hold on to a straightforward chance.De Grandhomme was out for 44 off 28 in the 14th over, but Taylor carried on until the 17th, before being trapped lbw by Wanindu Hasaranga after 48 off 29 balls. A six apiece from Santner and Mitchell, plus those five Malinga wides, ensured New Zealand’s dominance at the finish.In Sri Lanka’s innings, Mendis’ opening stand with Kusal Perera had been rapid – 41 runs coming off 4.3 overs – but Avishka Fernando’s inability to find the gaps or the boundary helped sap momentum from the innings, as Mendis himself entered a quieter phase of batting with the spinners in operation. Fernando was eventually dismissed for 10 off 17 – the pair going at just under a run-a-ball through the course of their 28-ball association.Sri Lanka’s run rate recovered during Mendis’ next partnership – Dickwella making 33 off 25, before Southee had Mendis caught superbly at long-on by Martin Guptill. Between them, Shanaka and Isuru Udana hit three sixes in the final over, and seemed to have raised themselves to a competitive score. But their bowlers were rattled by that Taylor-de Grandhomme stand, and the spinners in particular could not find the turn that would have envenomed them, as they struggled to grip a wet ball.New Zealand go 1-0 up in the series. The second match of three is on Tuesday.