A plethora of “experts” who have spent the last few weeks repeating the myth that Moeen is a “part-time” spin bowler may now afford him a little more respect

George Dobell at Headingley22-Jun-2014Two wickets to the good and with his confidence soaring, Moeen delivered the first “doosra” of his international career. Not just the first doosra of his career, but the first bowled by an England bowler in Tests. It was a significant moment in English cricket history.It was not hard to pick from the hand – it is slower and more floaty than his normal offbreak – but it drew a respectful “well bowled” from Mahela Jayawardene and it may well have given him the confidence to bowl it more often. Most of those who believe the delivery cannot be bowled without throwing did not even notice it happen.”I was feeling pretty confident so I thought ‘why not bowl one’?” Moeen said afterwards. “It’s the first one I’ve bowled. I just wanted to do a job for the team first. I’m not as confident to bowl it with the red ball as I am with the white ball. He played it quite well, but he did sort of say it was alright.”He is improving, too. He has a close relationship with Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has returned to Worcestershire for a stint as an overseas player, and has spent many hours working with him in the nets. Ajmal has shared the secrets of his doosra with Moeen and, he says, nobody else. In recent weeks, Ajmal has watched Moeen bowl 30 or 40 doosras in succession in practice. While there is a long way to go before Moeen’s doosra is anything like Ajmal’s, it is worth remembering that Ajmal only learned the delivery in his mid-to-late 20s. Moeen, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, has time on his side.The knives were out for Moeen Ali long before he bowled on Sunday afternoon. “He’s useless,” the pundit in the press box roared when Alastair Cook finally threw Moeen the ball. “He can’t bat and he certainly can’t bowl.”The pundit’s opinion is, up to a point, understandable. Having heard the England coach, Peter Moores, describe the spin position as “a weakness” after the Lord’s Test and having heard the captain, Cook, describe the spin position as “a cause for concern,” it would seem natural to conclude that neither of them had much faith in Moeen’s spin bowling.It was a view that could only have been reinforced when Cook, despite the dry pitch and an off-colour display from his seamers, seemed reluctant to trust his spinner until the 56th over. It was beginning to be hard to understand why they had selected him.And it was a view that could have only been reinforced by the plethora of “experts” who have spent the last few weeks repeating the myth that Moeen is a “part-time” spin bowler. Experts who have clearly not spent much time at New Road watching Moeen fulfil the main spinner’s role for Worcestershire for much of the last few years.Perhaps he will now be afforded a little more respect. While he is a long way from proving his long-term viability as a Test spinner, Moeen did at least show on the third day here that he is far from the bits and pieces player that he has been dismissed as by some.Swann to coach England spinners

Graeme Swann, who retired from international cricket in December after claiming 255 wickets in 60 Tests, is to take on a part-time role working with England’s young spinners.
“Peter Such is the head of the spin department at the ECB,” Swann told the ECB. “He has asked me to talk to bowlers. So at Lord’s I’ll sit down with the spinners who might be asked along, like Simon Kerrigan, Adam Riley, Scotty Borthwick, just to try and impart some advice or knowledge about Test cricket, because it is different to county cricket. I was lucky to go on a couple of tours and not play so I learned a lot then.”
Swann also defended his decision to retire mid-way through the Ashes tour in the winter, insisting that his elbow injury had given him little option.
“If I could bowl at half of what I thought was acceptable in Test cricket I would have done,” Swann said. “You’re walking out on a million-pound-a-year job – nobody is going to do that on a whim. I don’t think people realise how bad my elbow is. I can’t rotate it so can’t get any spin on the ball. If I bowled now, I’d bowl garbage.”

His first wicket was that of Kumar Sangakkara. That is the Sangakkara who had just become one of only four men in history to score seven successive half-centuries in Test cricket and the Sangakkara with more than 11,000 Test runs to his name.But, having turned a couple sharply enough to demand the batsman’s respect, Moeen drifted one into the left-hander. This one did not turn, or turned very little, and though Sangakkara pushed forward, the dip and drift defeated him and he was struck on the pad and trapped lbw. It could have been Graeme Swann bowling. It was exactly the way Swann tortured so many left-handers.Moeen Ali claimed two important wickets•Getty ImagesBetter was to come. Two balls later, Lahiru Thirimanne pushed forward at another bowled from round the wicket and, having been drawn into playing the ball on middle and leg by the drift, was beaten past the outside edge by one that turned sharply and hit the top of off stump. It was, by any standards, a lovely piece of bowling. “It’s the best ball I’ve bowled on TV,” Moeen said.Moeen has now taken 93 first-class wickets since the start of 2012 at an average of 32.18. They are not extraordinary figures, certainly, but they compare well with most other spinners who have been utilised by England in Test cricket in recent years. James Tredwell, by contrast, has taken 49 (at an average of 45.12), Monty Panesar has claimed 153 (at 30.77 apiece), Gareth Batty has taken 74 (at 30.60), Scott Borthwick has taken 71 (at 36.11), Simon Kerrigan 140 (at 29.31) and Samit Patel has taken 63 at 47.09. Adil Rashid, who has not played Test cricket, has taken 60 (at 41.58). Whether Moeen is a Test class spinner remains to be seen, but on those figures, he has a good argument to be considered among the best available to England at present. Calling Moeen a part-timer spinner is simply factually inaccurate.If England are demanding instant success, he may not be the answer. If they are building for the future, he may well be worth some perseverance.Besides, England’s failings here have not been caused by the absence of a world-class spinner. Instead they have dropped catches – Chris Jordan was the latest to put down a straightforward chance, reprieving Dimuth Karunaratne in the slips on 12 – let a strong position slip when batting – they lost their last seven wickets for only 54 runs having surpassed the Sri Lankan total with eight wickets in hand – and then bowled with unusual lack of control or even sense. The manner that James Anderson and Stuart Broad – bowling far too short and often too wide as well – wasted the new ball at the start of the Sri Lankan second innings may yet cost England this match.Complacency surely cannot have been an issue. A team that has now won any of its last seven Tests and was defeated in the World T20 by Netherlands has no reason for anything of the sort.They should not be complacent about their over-rate, either. After being fined for a slow-rate in the Lord’s Test, England have again failed to bowl the minimum number of overs demanded in a day here.One day the ICC will look at the pitifully small crowds which have now become the norm in Test cricket and act to prevent such self-defeating practices. They will suspend a high-profile captain and focus the minds of the players on the demands of the spectators. But until they do, the punters will continue to be asked to pay ever more for less and continue to drift away from the game.

Plays of the day from the first ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Aug-2014Saved by the elbow
Kumar Sangakkara had just arrived at the crease when he drove hard at a wide one from Junaid Khan. He connected well, but hit it uppishly, to the right of Fawad Alam at cover. Alam flew horizontally and grabbed the ball with his right hand, but his – and Pakistan’s – joy only lasted the few fractions of a second that elapsed till he landed, the impact of his elbow against the outfield causing the ball to pop out of his grasp.The short-ball barrage
Dinesh Chandimal came into this match with some form behind him, including two centuries during Sri Lanka A’s tour of England. But none of that must have prepared him to deal with the lift and awkward angle of a 7’1″ left-arm seamer on a bouncy, slightly two-paced pitch. Mohammad Irfan kept banging it in short, and kept getting it to rear at Chandimal’s throat. He tried to fend the ball away initially, squirting it down with an uncomfortable roll of his wrists and only occasionally succeeding, before deciding to take Irfan on. Deep backward square leg took a simple catch, and he must have known the top-edged pull was around the corner.Priyanjan’s fancy footwork
When Ashan Priyanjan walked in, with just over three overs remaining, Sri Lanka might have been looking to accelerate to 250. They ended up with considerably more, and a lot of it had to do with Priyanjan unsettling the Pakistan bowlers with his movement in the crease.In the penultimate over of the innings, Priyanjan gave himself room and smacked Wahab Riaz down the ground. Then he moved the other way and lap-swept him to the fine leg boundary. In the last over, he treated Junaid to the same one-two treatment. First he backed away towards the leg side to cream him over cover, and next ball he walked across his stumps and clipped him off his hips for a one-bounce four over the leg side.The boundary-line balancing act
Among the more fascinating aspects of Misbah-ul-Haq’s batting are his sudden forays into expansiveness. It’s almost as if he decides in the middle of a long stretch of blocks and leg-side nurdles to surprise everyone and launch the ball into the crowd. In this way, he’s picked up 71 ODI sixes at a rate better than one every second innings. In the 19th over of Pakistan’s innings, Misbah decided he would hit six number 72, and lofted Rangana Herath down the ground. But Chandimal foiled his plans, running back to the boundary, catching the ball just short of the rope, and throwing it behind him just as he was about to totter over the edge.Sanga’s lightning reactions
In the 23rd over of Pakistan’s chase, Misbah sank down onto his knees to try and sweep Herath. The bowler read his intentions and bowled it a tad shorter than the batsman might have expected. The ball bounced more than Misbah expected, and popped off his glove to the left of Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps. It was travelling quickly, but Sangakkara moved quicker to ghost sideways and trap the ball between his gloves and his midriff.

Pakistan’s marks out of ten after their 2-0 defeat in the Tests against Sri Lanka

Umar Farooq19-Aug-2014

9

Sarfraz Ahmed (265 runs at 88.33, strike rate 74.22)
A near perfect series for the wicketkeeper-batsman with three fifties and a hundred, especially as each of those innings was played under immense pressure. A collection of 265 at 88.33 highlighted Sarfraz’s importance to Pakistan, even though his efforts went in vain in both Tests. One of the few positives Pakistan can take away from the 2-0 series defeat.

8

Wahab Riaz (6 wickets at 27.33, strike rate 45.0)
Wavered a bit, but ultimately justified his inclusion in Pakistan’s pace attack for the second Test. Wahab defied all odds on a slow pitch by producing some stunning spells, particularly against Kumar Sangakkara, in the first innings at the SSC. Failed to find a place in the XI at Galle, but with six wickets at 27.33 in the second Test, he is likely to be an automatic starter for Pakistan’s future fixtures.Junaid Khan (9 wickets at 27.33, strike rate 45.3)
A key member of Pakistan’s seam arsenal, Junaid won many sessions for his team but a blow to his head from a bouncer cut him from bowling in the second innings at the SSC. Had he been fit, it is very likely Pakistan could have knocked at least 70-80 runs off Sri Lanka’s total. With nine scalps at 27.33, Junaid ended as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker.

6

Younis Khan (211 runs at 52.75)
Showed his class with a crafty 177 at Galle in the first innings, but withdrew into his shell after that, scoring just 34 in three innings. Became the first Pakistan player to complete 100 catches in Tests, but Younis’ overall contribution with the bat left a lot to be desired.Saeed Ajmal (9 wickets at 40.11)
The backbone of the Pakistan team in recent years, Ajmal finished with a modest nine wickets at 40.11. Claimed a five-wicket haul in the first Test, but hardly caused any discomfort to the batsmen as he conceded 166 runs, allowing Sri Lanka to take a first-innings lead even though Pakistan had made 451. Was decent at the SSC, though he was mainly in the headlines for having been reported by the umpires for a suspect bowling action.This was probably Misbah-ul-Haq’s worst series both as captain and player•AFP

5

Asad Shafiq (157 runs at 39.25)
A promising young batsman, but Shafiq’s batting completely lacked responsibility. Shared two important stands with Sarfaraz at the SSC, but exploded during his hasty attempts to convert his starts to gold.

4

Azhar Ali (113 runs at 28.25)
Cameos of 30, 41, 32 and 10 were not what Pakistan expected of their No.3. Azhar often started well, but lost his way by choosing bad shots. Was less than focused with the bat, but outstanding with his reflexes in the field at silly point and short leg.

3

Misbah-ul-Haq (67 runs at 16.75)
Probably the worst series Misbah has had as both a captain and a player. Pakistan have not won even a single series under his captaincy since 2012. A poor return of 67 at 16.75, coupled with a series whitewash, is likely to smudge his CV.

2

Abdur Rehman (4 wickets at 68.25)
Though arguably Pakistan’s unluckiest bowler, Rehman, playing his first Test series in almost eight months, looked rusty and was completely out of rhythm.Ahmed Shehzad (86 runs at 21.50)
Young and aggressive, but overconfident and naughty with the bat. Only managed to score 86 at 21.50 as an opener and will no doubt need more time to adapt to the demands of Test cricket.

1

Khurram Manzoor (39 runs at 9.75)
Was on a streak of nine consecutive matches as opener heading into the SSC Test, but his impact was almost non-existent. A tally of just 39 from four innings suggests it could be a while yet before Manzoor plays his next series.Mohammad Talha (2 wickets at 58.00)
Has the necessary ingredients to become a top fast bowler, but his inexperience and lack of control showed that he is not yet ready for top-flight cricket. Talha’s line and length was all over the place in Galle, and he was subsequently dropped for the second Test.

Stats highlights from the third day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Christchurch

Bishen Jeswant28-Dec-2014Most runs in a calendar year |Create infographics152 Dimuth Karunaratne’s score, the highest by a Sri Lankan batsman when following on. It’s the fifth best by a Sri Lankan opener in Tests outside Asia and Zimbabwe, and the highest in the second innings in these matches.7 The number of Sri Lankan batsmen who have scored hundreds when the team has followed on. Two of the previous six helped draw the game: Sanjeeva Ranatunga’s 100 not out saved the Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 1994, while Mahela Jayawardene’s 119 saved the Test against England at Lord’s in 2006. The only other opener among these seven is Russel Arnold, against England at Old Trafford in 2002.3 The number of Sri Lankan openers with hundreds in New Zealand. The two others are Marvan Atapattu in Napier in 2005, and Asanka Gurusinha in Dunedin in 1995. Both were dismissed for 127.85 Karunaratne’s previous highest Test score, against Australia in Sydney last year.125 Overs that Sri Lanka have played in their second innings, which is already their second best in the 19 matches when they have followed on. Their highest is 199 overs, against England at Lord’s in 2006.2813* Runs scored by Kumar Sangakkara across formats in 2014 (only matches that started in 2014), the second most in a year after the 2833 that Ricky Ponting scored in 2005. Sangakkara needed 28 runs in this Test to go past Ponting’s record, but managed only 1 and 6 in his two innings. Sangakkara has been dismissed in both innings of a Test for 28 runs or fewer only 10 times in his 129 Test career.28 Runs scored by Sangakkara in his last five Test innings against New Zealand. His scores read 5, 0, 16, 6 and 1. In his last five innings against other teams, Sangakkara has scored 395 runs, with scores of 72, 221, 21, 22 and 59.4 Number of Sri Lankan batsman who have followed up a first-innings duck with a second-innings hundred. Apart from Karunaratne, who achieved this in the current Test, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva and Sangakkara are the other Sri Lankans to do this. In all, ten Sri Lankans have scored a century and a duck in the same Test.4 The number of New Zealand bowlers who have taken 30-plus Test wickets in successive calendar years. Trent Boult has done this in 2013 and 2014. The other New Zealand bowlers to achieve this are Iain O’Brien, Richard Hadlee and Chris Martin.

In the absence of Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan, Pakistan could put out an attack that has a combined experience of 11 Tests

Umar Farooq in Dubai21-Oct-2014Pakistan’s record against Australia makes for grim reading: only one Test win since 1995, 13 defeats in a row between 1999 and 2010, plenty of those by big margins, and no series win in 20 years.To make matters worse, for the two-Test series starting Wednesday, Pakistan are without several of their best bowlers. Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan have been go-to bowlers for Misbah-ul-Haq in the past few years but in their absence, Pakistan could put out an inexperienced attack of Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar, who have played a combined 11 Tests.”This is part and parcel of the game,” said Misbah about the new-look bowling attack. “Whosoever comes on the international scene he starts inexperienced, but this is how the life is, you have to make your name and I think these players are good enough to make their names at international scene.”Misbah, though, drew confidence from Pakistan A’s victory in the warm-up game. “It does affect when you don’t have experienced players, those who lead your batting and bowling line-up they have effect on your team, but the way the A team played (at Sharjah), they showed it’s all about determination, if you go and apply yourself you can compete against any team. These boys had done good in domestic level.”Misbah said that even though Australia’s recent Test numbers in Asia aren’t great – out of the last 13 Tests in subcontinent, they have won one, lost eight, and drawn four – he doesn’t expect an easy series. “Everybody knows their (record in subcontinent) but they have already proven themselves in the one-day series that they can really be a tough side. So you can’t just say that their record is poor so we just get through this, you have to really play well, you have to fight hard against them.”Australians are always tough and if you are not putting your 100% and you are not playing good cricket it can be really difficult for you, so what you can assure is put your 100% and your performance should be right at the top to beat them. We have to convert the half chances into full to keep them on toes and it’s very simple, especially in Test cricket you need to stick to your basics and to your strengths and that should be your strategy.”Responding to the statement of Australia’s paceman Peter Siddle – who said he will be targeting the experienced duo of Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan – he said he is ready for the challenge. “Obviously we know that the team is going to target the senior players and as important players of the team and this is how cricket or any other sport goes on. If you pass through that, then your team is on a roll, so we will try to get through that and try to tackle that.”In the series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, Pakistan struggled against the left-arm spin of Rangana Herath, who took 23 wickets in two Tests. Australia have a left-arm spinner of their own in Steve O’Keefe, and could play a double-spin attack for the first time in more than two years.Misbah said his side was ready for the spin test. “We have worked a lot on playing spinners keeping in mind Nathan Lyon and their other spinners and all the batsmen have given importance to the spin and everyone knows spin will play important role in this series, especially in Dubai,” he said. “Pitch looks good, a bit different from what you normally get in Dubai. But I think it’s more suitable to our team so again it’s a case of putting your efforts and playing better cricket.”

Stats highlights from the first ODI between New Zealand and Pakistan in Wellington

Shiva Jayaraman31-Jan-2015231.03 Shahid Afridi’s strike-rate in his innings of 67 – the second-highest by a No. 8 batsman in ODIs in innings of 50 or more. Afridi figures in three of the top-five instances in this list.39 Number of times New Zealand have beaten Pakistan in ODIs; they have won more matches only against India and Sri Lanka, whom they have beaten on 41 occasions each.10 Number of times a New Zealand allrounder has hit a fifty and taken three or more wickets in an ODI, including Grant Elliott in this match. The last such instance was when Jacob Oram hit 59 and took 3 for 29 against Zimbabwe in 2012.2004 The last time a Pakistan No. 8 scored higher in an ODI than Afridi in this innings. Before Afridi in this match, Moin Khan had hit 72 against India in Lahore. Afridi’s 67 is the joint fourth-highest score by a Pakistan No. 8 in ODIs and is also the highest score by a Pakistan No. 8 against New Zealand.177.97 Difference between Afridi’s strike-rate and that of other Pakistan batsmen in this innings – the fourth-highest for an innings of fifty-plus runs in ODIs. AB de Villiers’ 44-ball 149 against West Indies leads this list. On that occasion, the difference in strike-rate was 229.29 – the only instance of a batsman out-pacing the other batsmen in his team by 200 percent.38 Fifties by Misbah-ul-Haq in ODIs; he is still to make a hundred and already holds the record for scoring the most ODI fifties without hitting a century.13.33 Pakistan’s average opening stand in their last-six ODIs, all of which have been played against New Zealand. This was Pakistan’s second consecutive instance of losing their first wicket for no score in ODIs.

From a maiden stint in the Karnataka Premier League to being purchased for an astonishing amount in the IPL 2015 auction, KC Cariappa has had a few interesting months

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Feb-2015Who is KC Cariappa? That was the first question nearly everyone would have asked once Cariappa was bought by defending IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders for an astonishing sum of Rs 2.4 crore ($400,000), 24 times his base price.Konganda Charamanna Cariappa is a 20-year-old legspinner from Coorg in Karnataka. Curiously both the BCCI and the Karnataka State Cricket Association had him listed as an off-break bowler. However, Cariappa, known as Carri to his team-mates, confirmed he is primarily a legspinner with a grip that allows him to bowl off breaks and leg breaks.At 5 feet 11 inches, Cariappa is tall for a spinner and bowls with an orthodox round-arm action. The leg break is his stock ball, and he has variations like the googly and the faster one. His other strength, that could make it difficult for batsmen to read him, is his ability to bowl off-spinners without changing the grip.Like many keen and talented cricketers in India, Cariappa started performing in tennis-ball cricket. “I was a Sachin fan. But in my bowling I did not copy anyone. I would bowl with my three-finger grip. My coaches found that interesting and asked me to focus on my bowling,” Cariappa said.Knight Riders have always shown an interest in spinners with unusual actions, picking West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine, Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayake and Indian chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav.For Cariappa, the breakthrough with Knight Riders came through an association with AR Srikkanth, who is the team analyst for Knight Riders and Bijapur Bulls, the franchise Cariappa represents in the Karnataka Premier League, which is a state-level, franchise-based Twenty20 league. In his first KPL season last year, Cariappa bowled impressively and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 11 dismissals. His performances attracted attention from a few IPL team scouts.Cariappa was asked to give a trial during the Knight Riders camp in Hyderabad last September before the Champions League Twenty20.”I was very nervous because it was the first time I was asked to bowl against an IPL team,” Cariappa told ESPNcricinfo. The spinner said he did not bowl anything special: “Nothing like that, I just bowled well.”His bowling must have impressed Knight Riders who asked him to enter the auction. Gautam Gambhir, the team captain and a good player of spin, had failed to read Cariappa consistently and told the team management about this, helping the legspinner’s case.The dramatic rise in his bidding, as Knight Riders contested fiercely with Delhi Daredevils, was not lost on Cariappa who was following the auction, but he never expected the price for which he was eventually bought.”I am very excited. But how this kind of thing suddenly happened I have no idea,” he said. “I thought they were interested in me so I would go for my base price of Rs 10 lakhs. I was not sure about Delhi also bidding.”The last six months have opened up a lot of options for Cariappa. Immediately after the KPL, the Karnataka selectors decided to include him in the 30 probables for the Ranji Trophy. According to one of the selectors, when the panel saw him bowl in the local league tournaments, they failed to read his hand.”Even we thought he was an offspinner to begin with. He is very much in the Sunil Narine league in terms of his action. He has the carrom ball, too which is deceptive. It was this X-factor that prompted us to pick him in the probables,” the selector said.

Stats highlights from the World Cup semi-final between Australia and India in Sydney

Bishen Jeswant26-Mar-20155:00

Insights: Spinners in the World Cup

328 Australia’s score at the SCG today, the first 300-plus total and the most any team has made in a World Cup semi-final. No team has chased a 300-plus score in a World Cup knockout game.95 Australia’s margin of victory in this game, the highest for any team in the semi-final of a World Cup. The previous biggest margin of victory was 91 for India versus Kenya during the 2003 World Cup.3 Number of players who have scored 6000 ODI runs when captaining their respective sides; MS Dhoni (6022) is the third. The other players to achieve this feat are Ricky Ponting (8497) and Stephen Fleming (6295).10 Fifty-plus scores for Steven Smith in ODIs. Australia have won each of the ten ODIs when Smith has gone past this mark. This is Smith’s fourth hundred, but today’s 105 is his career-best score.1 Indian bowler who has taken a four-wicket haul in a World Cup knockout match – Umesh Yadav, who has achieved this twice, in the quarter- final and semi-final of the 2015 tournament.18 Wickets taken by Umesh in this World Cup, the third-highest for any bowler. He went past his team-mate Mohammed Shami, who has taken 17. Mitchell Starc picked up two wickets to retain second spot (20 wickets) while New Zealand’s Trent Boult leads the pack with 21.4 Indian batsmen who have scored 400-plus runs in a single World Cup. Shikhar Dhawan, with 412 runs is the latest and joins Sachin Tendulkar (1996, 2003 and 2011), Saurav Ganguly (2003) and Rahul Dravid (1999).2 Times R Ashwin has dismissed Glenn Maxwell in seven ODI innings. Maxwell has scored 77 runs off 55 balls, a strike rate of 140, against Ashwin. Maxwell has also scored 71 runs off 27 balls, at a strike rate of 262, against Ashwin in the Indian Premier League, where he has been dismissed by Ashwin only once.4 Wickets lost by Australia between the 34th and 44th overs. They only scored 61 runs in this period. Australia scored 197 in the 33 overs before and 70 in the six overs after that phase.

A six-wicket win with almost 14 overs to spare barely acknowledges the gulf in class between the hosts and Afghanistan, but for those New Zealand players who needed a greater workout, it was a worthwhile outing

Andrew McGlashan in Napier08-Mar-2015A gentle day in the Hawkes Bay sunshine for New Zealand. It was never likely to be much else, but it was not a match without some value despite the overwhelming margin of victory. That looked a distant prospect when Afghanistan were 59 for 6 before a fightback that will not have done the home side any harm.Brendon McCullum’s preferred approach to this match was taken out of his hands when Mohammad Nabi won the toss and batted first. McCullum had declared his hand the day before the game, but instead the first task went to his bowling attack. And we know how that script is going at the moment.It was about being as professional as they could be – and the drop by Martin Guptill to reprieve Najibullah Zadran will no doubt get a cross in Mike Hesson’s notebook – but apart from points in the bag there would have been little gain from Afghanistan being rolled for 80 as looked likely. A six-wicket win with almost 14 overs to spare barely acknowledges the gulf in class, but for those in the crowd as well as those New Zealand players who needed a greater workout, it was a worthwhile outing.Before the match, Adam Milne’s limited workload (25.2 overs in four matches) in the tournament so far – courtesy of the three bowlers operating ahead of him – was pinpointed by McCullum as one of the major reasons behind an unchanged team for the fifth game running. In the longer-term plan drawn up before the World Cup, this could well have been a match he was earmarked to miss. Instead, rather than resting it was thought he needed the mileage.As it transpired he utilised his 10 overs across three spells of five, four and one over. It was a performance that confirmed what is known: quick, but raw. There was a lot of short bowling – a little too much – and his wicket came with a slice to third man. But he touched 150kph. Speed on its own can be more a hindrance than a help, but there are clearly the basic attributes for him to develop although it is a shame he will not be under the tutelage of Shane Bond for much longer.New Zealand have not been afraid to back him in this World Cup. He is a luxury item for them, one they can afford because of the form of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori. However, a World Cup quarter-final will be pressure he has never experienced before. And barring injury he will be there. But he will not always be able to come into the attack with the opposition in no real position to attack him; England were on the back foot at 43 for 2, Australia were extraordinarily nine down before he had a bowl and Afghanistan were 46 for 3.We will only really know if the confidence in Milne is misplaced, or another astute call from the New Zealand management when, or if, he is called on by McCullum with the score 60 for 1 after ten overs. However, his place in this side is not solely down to his bowling. The catch he took to end the innings, running from long-on, was a reminder of the athleticism he brings and is significantly ahead of what Kyle Mills or Mitchell McClenaghan would offer in the field.Quality of fielding is also a discipline which helps increase the value of Martin Guptill to the one-day side, notwithstanding his drop in the outfield today, although he remains a polarising player due to his tendency to mix dreamy shots with dim ones. This innings, made on a friendly pitch against an honest attack with no run-rate pressure, was largely a no-win situation for him but he found a promising balance to his attacking and defensive game. He was also outstanding inside the ring.He was 9 off 16 balls when a groan went around McLean Park as McCullum dragged one onto his stumps for a typically blistering 42 from 19. That became 9 off 22 when he played out a maiden from Hamid Hassan, but two drives and a pull in Hassan’s next over were crisp and clean. His last boundary, over the off side, was McCullum without quite the brute force. But, just as it was appearing he would get a neat red-inker he misjudged a run into the off side.Ross Taylor’s innings was far less convincing. Although he was unbeaten, it was a battling 76 minutes at the crease which started with a flat-footed waft and did not exude confidence. It is rare that an entire XI is in form at the same time, but No. 4 is a pivotal position. New Zealand are refusing to talk in terms of ticking boxes as the group stage draws to a close but if they could have one performance from the match against Bangladesh it would be runs for Taylor. After that it is the knockouts, and no more second chances.

This Bangladesh isn’t the side that collapses in a heap at the first signs of pressure. This Bangladesh is the side that can challenge till the end, if not yet beat, the very best

Andy Zaltzman13-Mar-2015Bangladesh will almost certainly not win this World Cup. They will, of course, come considerably closer to winning it than England, who can only dream of being in a position to almost certainly not win a World Cup, rather than being in the position of having confirmed that they will definitely lose yet another one.Bangladesh face a Titanic quarter-final challenge to overcome the renowned iceberg of Indian batting, and the slightly less renowned but thus-far impressive back-up iceberg of Indian bowling. Whatever happens, however, they will leave this tournament with individual and collective reputations enhanced, and in considerably better spirits than when they exited the last World Cup.Four years ago, Bangladesh departed as humiliated co-hosts. The vibrant enthusiasm of their support for their team and the sport, and a gripping win in a low-scoring error-strewn cliffhanger against England, had been deadened by a second horror skittling – 78 all out against an under-strength South Africa, following their earlier 58 all out versus West Indies, an anti-performance that had catapulted them towards the top of the All-Time Batting Incompetence Charts, and provoked some stroppy rocks to be hurled at an innocent bus.Bangladesh were only the third team to be dismissed for under 100 twice in a World Cup, and the first to be bowled out twice for less than 80 in the same tournament.Those two hyper failures were not merely the struggles of a still-new cricketing nation against the established powers of the game. They were abject capitulations against decent but hardly unplayable opposition. Kemar Roach’s pace took three wickets for West Indies, but the remaining seven fell to Suleiman Benn and Darren Sammy for 39 runs in 13 overs. South Africa had rested Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn – Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Robin Peterson took 7 for 26 between them.Even in victory over England, a middle-order collapse of 5 for 14 left them on the brink of defeat, until a ninth-wicket stand of 58 by Mahmudullah and Shafiul, aided by an almost heroic 23 wides in the innings by England’s not-entirely-accurate-then-either bowling attack, saw them to victory. This was a team that seemed to have reached a plateau of minimal elevation, and played with such fragility that a well-timed growl or an accurately-directed frown seemed enough to take a couple of top-order wickets.In 2015, Bangladesh have had plenty of chances to collapse in a jibbering heap, 2011-style. They were 119 for 4 in the 30th over against a fired-up Afghanistan, fueled by the passion of the World Cup debut, in a game that could have set Mashrafe’s men off on a disastrous course. They conceded 319 against Scotland, raising the live prospect of a tournament-wrecking defeat. They were 8 for 2 against England, then 99 for 4, with their quarter-final hopes on the line. Against New Zealand today, they were fortunate to be 8 for 1 after 7 overs, then 27 for 2, having significantly underutilised the middle of their bats and played the swinging ball like an overworked submarine fleet – they were all at sea.But this Bangladesh has not surrendered, panicked, folded or otherwise failed. Shakib and Mushfiqur snuffed out the Afghan fire with 114 in 15 overs to establish a winning platform. They chased 320 to beat Scotland with ease and assurance. Against England, they reconstructed their innings so effectively that their final score of 275 was something of a disappointment. Against New Zealand, they counterattacked, consolidated, then flourished, to post 288, the largest total New Zealand have conceded in the last two World Cups.Even in the heavy defeat against Sri Lanka, after their bowlers had been cauterised by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, their batting did not capitulate, reaching 240, after being 100 for 5.Mahmudullah has brough the World Cup logo, as well as Bangladesh’s spirit, to life•Associated PressThis 240 is, so far, their lowest score of the tournament. They surpassed that score only once in 2011 (283 for 9, against India, in a futile pursuit of 371), once in 2007 (251 for 8 to beat South Africa, their only score over 200 in that World Cup), and not at all in 2003 or 1999. This has been, largely, a batsman’s tournament, played under batsman’s rules, and their abandonment against Australia spared them trial by pace, but the improvement is nonetheless marked, in the score book and in the flesh.Mahmudullah, a useful chipper-in from the middle order until recently, has led the way. His hundred today in an excellent, fluctuating match in Hamilton was, after an early escape when dropped by Corey Anderson at slip, a masterpiece of increasing authority and brilliance, of poise, pacing, dancing feet and snapping wrists. He currently averages over 150 as a No.4 in ODIs – admittedly, this is after only seven innings, with four not outs, but those are some numbers that would have Don Bradman rattling his abacus in admiration in his grave.The bowling, brilliant at decisive moments against England, remains relatively blunt. New Zealand’s wickets all fell to careless strokes, but the bowlers remained focused and competitive throughout, supported by fielding that was almost flawless – even the one major flaw, Nasir Hossain’s drop of Vettori near the end, came after a 25-yard sprint and dive as if trying to save a priceless vase dropped from a careless getaway helicopter after a museum robbery. In their last two matches, Bangladesh have looked like a team who can challenge, if not yet beat, the best.What makes their performance in this tournament all the more heartening and impressive is their unfamiliarity with Australio-New-Zealiac conditions. Since the last World Cup, Bangladesh have played the grand total of three ODI series outside Asia – two in Zimbabwe, one in West Indies – totaling 11 matches, only six of which have been played in the last three-and-a-half years. They last played international cricket in New Zealand in February 2010, and their only experience in Australia since 2003 was a three-game ODI series in Darwin in 2008 (further evidence of cricket’s powers welcoming their less lucrative cousins to their bosoms like a cantankerous ichthyophobe mothering a goldfish).