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Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma did their best to help Mumbai Indians set a challenging target for Chennai Super Kings, but a whirlwind opening partnership between Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum compounded Mumbai’s misery

The Report by Amol Karhadkar17-Apr-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:28

Agarkar: Super Kings won’t lose IPL if openers bat this way

Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma did their best to help Mumbai Indians set a challenging target for Chennai Super Kings, but a whirlwind opening partnership between Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum made a mockery of a 184-run chase. The six-wicket win at the Wankhede Stadium was Super Kings’ third in as many games, even as their opponents suffered their fourth consecutive loss of the season.That Mumbai posted a total as challenging as 183 was down to the knocks from Rohit and Pollard, who lifted the side after yet another top-order collapse. This time, it was Ashish Nehra’s accurate bowling that left Mumbai reeling at 62 for 4 at the halfway stage. Their partnership of 75 came off only 33 deliveries and played a large part in helping the home team add 121 runs in the last 10 overs.That partnership paled in comparison to the onslaught by McCullum and Smith. By the time the the batsmen holed out in the deep to Harbhajan Singh in the eighth over, Super Kings had raced to 115 and the target was almost down to less than a run a ball for the remaining 12 overs.The pair were at their harshest between the fourth and sixth overs. They combined to hammer ten fours and two sixes as the three overs fetched 61 runs. The bowler at the other end didn’t matter – Lasith Malinga, J Suchith and Harbhajan Singh were each hit for four boundaries in their overs. The assault helped Super Kings raise the second-highest Powerplay tally in the IPL overall.The highlight of McCullum’s 20-ball 46 was the glide over the keeper off Pawan Suyal in the seventh over. McCullum was almost facing Parthiv Patel when he helped the ball over the fine-leg fence, bringing up the hundred for Super Kings.Both batsmen fell within five balls but the stage was set for Super Kings to bring their batting depth into play and improve on their net run rate. Suresh Raina achieved the objective with a trademark cameo, helping Super Kings overhaul the target with 20 balls to spare.Just like their batsmen set up the chase in the Powerplay overs, the Super Kings bowlers set up the game in Mumbai’s Powerplay. The hosts had a new opening pair in Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons, who replaced the injured Aaron Finch, but Parthiv was trapped in front of the wickets for a golden duck by Ashish Nehra off the fourth ball of the innings.In Nehra’s next over, Faf du Plessis pulled off a stunning catch to see the back of the dangerous Corey Anderson. When Simmons gave du Plessis catching practice off Ishwar Pandey, Mumbai had been reduced to 12 for 3.If Mumbai’s decision to make Rohit bat at No. 4 was not surprising enough, Harbhajan was sent in at No 5, ahead of Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu. Harbhajan stemmed the fall of wickets with a 45-run partnership, before Rohit and Pollard set the up the innings. Between the 10th and 15th overs of the innings, Mumbai raced from 62 for 4 to 132 for 5, with Pollard and Rohit taking 26 runs off one Ravindra Jadeja over.In the end, a score of 183 proved to be far from enough for the home team.

The USMNT will need to show something entirely different in their final friendly before the World Cup.

The U.S. men's national team will need to be better against Saudi Arabia and, more importantly, at the World Cup. That's because, against Japan, they couldn't have looked much worse.

Outplayed and outhustled last Friday, the U.S. will have a point to prove against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in their final tuneup before the World Cup. As a team, the U.S. will be desperate to show that they are more than what they showed against Japan and that they are truly a threat to be taken seriously in Qatar in November.

And the players will be desperate to make individual statements too. There are those on the fringes hoping to seal their ticket to Qatar and those that are starters that are looking to prove that Friday's letdown against Japan was an aberration, not the expectation.

"Ideally, in a perfect world, I have [my World Cup lineup ]in mind, but one thing I know is that that's not international soccer," Berhalter said.

"Do I think we have the best players in each position identified? Yes. Do I think they're all going to be available for the start of the World Cup? I don't know.

And that's just what every international manager will be dealing with right now… Even in this camp, we're missing five starters, so it just is what it is and you have to roll with it and you can't you can't use it as an excuse.

"What you need to do is give the players that are here confidence instead of worrying about the players that aren't here."

With that said, here's a look at five players to watch in Tuesday's friendly:

GettyWeston McKennie

When he plays his game, Weston McKennie is almost certainly the USMNT's best midfielder. Against Japan, he was far from it.

McKennie had one of his worst games in a USMNT jersey last Friday as he suffered through a low-energy, high-error disaster of a game. His giveaway led to Japan's opener, and his frustration prevented him from tracking back and maybe impacting the play.

It was a lethargic performance from the Juventus star, who was rightly criticized by many for it. He wasn't the only one, as the rest of the midfield struggled too, but his dropoff in performance was most glaring.

"It was just making some bad decisions," Berhalter said of how his team in general dealt with Japan's press. "And having said that, it's we're not happy with that. We had an off game again. I can't say it clearly enough. We played poorly. The coaching staff takes responsibility for that and we move on. We move on to the next game. We'll try to have a better game."

If the USMNT are to make any sort of run in Qatar, the team will need its pillars all playing at a high level and McKennie might just be the most important of those pillars.

The U.S. doesn't fully go as many goes, but the Texas-born midfield is usually a good indication of how the US. will fare.

So he'll hope to use this Saudi Arabia friendly as a bounce-back game, one where he can show once again who the real McKennie is and why he's so important to the USMNT's World Cup hopes.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRicardo Pepi

It's Pepi's time to shine.

Berhalter has confirmed that Pepi will start after Jesus Ferreira and Josh Sargent featured against Japan. Neither truly impressed, but both are probably ahead of Pepi on the depth chart due to their club form.

So this, for Pepi, is vital. Berhalter said before the camp that he wanted one last look at the forward, a player that, for most of qualifying, was the USMNT's go-to No. 9. But he earned that status before the disastrous scoring drought that saw him tumble down the depth chart.

Can Pepi salvage his World Cup push, or has his mess of a move to Augsburg stunted his progress too much for him to overcome?

This match won't fully answer that, but a goal or two certainly wouldn't hurt his case.

GettyChristian Pulisic

It seems everything is okay with Pulisic, at least fitness-wise.

The Chelsea star missed the first game of the window with a knock. Reports said that, if it were a World Cup, Pulisic would have played. But, for just a friendly? No need.

So the decision to start Pulisic is a clear indication that he's just fine and that we can look past the injury and to other problems.

Pulisic's biggest problem is the one that awaits him on the other side of this window. After the Saudi Arabia friendly, Pulisic will jump into life with Graham Potter's Chelsea after a miserable ending to Thomas Tuchel's version.

What better way to get into your manager's good graces than to arrive at training filled with confidence? Is there anything that could lift Pulisic's mood quite like shining for the national team?

"Just have Christian be Christian," Berhalter said. "He does a great job of changing the game in moments and that's all he needs to do. He doesn't need to do anything more than what he's done in the past. He just needs to continue to play our game and he does it really well. He just needs to be himself and he'll be fine."

Pulisic has always done such a good job of separating national team from club, but a good performance against Saudi Arabia could give him the lift he needs to bring those two lives together in a positive way.

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GettySean Johnson

The battle to be the third goalkeeper isn't the sexiest in the squad, but it is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Based on his performances over the last two years, Matt Turner is going to the World Cup, and should probably start. If not him, it will be Zack Steffen, who has always seemingly had the leg up on the Arsenal goalkeeper.

But that third spot is up for grabs.

Sean Johnson is the most likely choice considering his club form. After leading NYCFC to an MLS Cup last season, Johnson hasn't slowed down in the slightest and remains one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. He was great against Uruguay earlier this summer and deserves a start to show what he can do once again.

The other option? Ethan Horvath, who has had nowhere near the club success that Johnson has. He does, however, have that Nations League performance on his resume, so don't write him out just yet.

Look for both to play at some point, but, all things considered, Johnson seems to be the favorite to head to Qatar.

German media labelled Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho 'the worst' after an uninspiring display in Borussia Dortmund's defeat to Hoffenheim.

Article continues below

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Article continues below

German media slammed SanchoHas two assists since re-joining Dortmund on loanDortmund went down 3-2 against HoffenheimWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho has failed to make a mark in Germany having returned to Dortmund on loan from United in the January transfer window. He started his second stint in the Bundesliga on a brighter note as he recorded a couple of assists in his first two appearances. But since then, the winger has not made any goal contribution and also failed to make a mark in the club's recent 3-2 defeat to Hoffenheim in a league clash.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

After yet another uninspiring performance for the Black and Yellow where he spent 75 minutes on the pitch, German media wrote: "BVB was so happy when Jadon Sancho was brought back during the last winter transfer period. The prodigal son is finally back. He really sent the fans into a state of euphoria. A few weeks later there is no sign of it anymore.

"Against TSG Hoffenheim, the supporters hoped that the 23-year-old would finally score his first goal. But they were disappointed once again. The BVB star showed another poor performance against Hoffenheim and was probably the worst player on the pitch."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The England international decided to start afresh in Germany after being frozen out at United for his public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag in August 2023. The Red Devils may look to offload the player in the summer, although the German club are unlikely to sign him as they cannot afford to pay his high transfer fee.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JADON SANCHO?

The 23-year-old needs to be much more consistent if he wants to stand any chance of being picked by Gareth Southgate for the England squad ahead of the upcoming Euro 2024. For now, he will be next seen in action on Saturday as Edin Terzic's side take on Union Berlin.

Dinesh Chandimal chose to bowl against Netherlands, largely because he feared dew would set in later in the evening to hamper the bowlers

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Mar-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPerhaps no team in world cricket puts weaker sides away so emphatically as Sri Lanka. Since becoming full-fledged graduates from the easy-beats category in the mid-90s, they have spared no thought to their former peers, and on Monday they added two more world records to the small pile they have accumulated against easy-beats over the past 20 years. Netherlands’ 39 all out is the lowest ever Twenty20 score. Sri Lanka chased the target in a record five overs.Their domination of Netherlands was, strangely, almost as casual as it was unyielding. Nuwan Kulasekara’s opening over was full of the kind of swing away from left-handers he generates almost every time he has early use of the white ball. Yet, this time, it would set in motion the most dramatic collapse the format has seen, as Stephan Myburgh outside-edged him to third man. Next over, Angelo Mathews delivered two unremarkable half-trackers back-to-back, and found himself on-a-hat-trick, as Michael Swart and Wesley Barresi fell attempting to attack. The floodlight malfunction that caused a nine-minute break in play seemed a greater obstacle to a Sri Lanka victory than their opponents did, with the bat. The number of runs did not exceed the number of wickets until the 20th ball of the innings.The scoreboard says it all – Netherlands’ 39 all out is the lowest ever Twenty20 score•Getty ImagesMathews would trap Peter Borren in front with an indipper in his next over – bringing about one of four ducks in Netherlands’ innings – and that was all before Dinesh Chandimal sent his heavy cavalry in. Lasith Malinga struck the base of the middle stump twice, both times with the slower yorker. Ajantha Mendis had an expensive first over, but the Netherlands lower order played exactly like batsmen who have never faced his brand of mystery spin before. The googly accounted for two of his three wickets. Netherlands were all out in the 11th over.Sri Lanka were given a harder time with the bat, as Kusal Perera was rapped painfully on the thumb by Timm van der Gugten before he fell for 14, but the chase was always going to be a formality. Tillakaratne Dilshan would have hoped to bat himself into form against a weaker attack but he only faced 11 balls. Sri Lanka will take the two points and the massive boost in net run rate, but even they may be disappointed at how quickly it all ended.

Ronsford Beaton’s spectacular final over gave the Guyana Amazon Warriors a seven-run win over the Barbados Tridents at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A CPL record 148-run second-wicket partnership between Dwayne Smith and Shoaib Malik was trumped by Ronsford Beaton’s spectacular final over, which gave Guyana Amazon Warriors a seven-run win over Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.The Tridents seemed certain to overhaul a target of 174 thanks to Smith’s second century in three matches. They entered the final over needing 11 to win with Smith on strike on 101, having already hit eight fours and six sixes. Beaton had conceded a last-ball six to Darren Bravo two nights earlier in a heartbreaking loss to the Red Steel, but Amazon Warriors captain Denesh Ramdin kept faith in the 21-year-old fast bowler to defend 11 runs and he did it with room to spare.Fortune appeared to be shining on Smith and the Tridents after the batsman tried to slog a yorker only for the ball to deflect off his pads and knock into leg stump without dislodging the bails. Beaton speared in three more yorkers to Smith that resulted in a two, a dot and a single to put Jonathan Carter on strike needing eight off the final two to win. Beaton fired in a wide yorker to combat Carter’s premeditated scoop shot resulting in another dot ball to effectively seal the match with one ball remaining. Another dot off the final ball served as the icing on the cake.Despite plenty of wickets in hand for the Tridents, the foundation for the tight finish was laid in the 17th over when the 148-run second-wicket partnership was broken after Malik was caught short trying to steal a single for Smith. Lendl Simmons circled around and connected with a direct hit from backward point to send Malik on his way for 50.Five balls later, Beaton struck with a full inswinger to bowl Kieron Pollard for a duck and then finished the 18th by running out Jeevan Mendis off his own bowling. Smith dug out a yorker and tried to scamper a single but Beaton charged down the pitch in his follow through and underhanded into the striker’s end stumps to leave 16 needed off 12 with six wickets in hand. Krishmar Santokie conceded five singles in the 19th before Beaton’s final over sealed it for the Amazon Warriors as the Tridents ended on 166 for 4.Earlier in the day, Simmons and Martin Guptill provided contrasting half-centuries at the top of the order, after Amazon Warriors were sent in to bat. The pair produced a record stand of their own by adding 103, the best first-wicket partnership in the CPL and sixth-best for any wicket. Simmons fell on the final ball of the 12th over for 64, caught on the boundary attempting to slog Mendis’ legspin for his fifth six. Guptill dropped anchor afterward and let his fresh partners slog away around him.Mohammad Hafeez was particularly effective, smacking two fours and three sixes to make 30 off 10 balls before he was dismissed by Pollard two balls into the 20th. Guptill wound up carrying his bat as Guyana finished on 173 for 5 with Guptill unbeaten on 55 off 51 balls and his patience was vindicated by the end of the day. The Amazon Warriors now sit on eight points alongside T&T Red Steel at the top of the CPL table while the Tridents fall back in a tie for third with Jamaica Tallawahs on six points.

He may not have taken over the reins of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team in ideal circumstances but Aditya Tare is thrilled to have been appointed captain of the most successful domestic side

Amol Karhadkar27-Jan-2015He may not have taken over the reins of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team in ideal circumstances but Aditya Tare is thrilled to have been appointed captain of the most successful domestic side.”It’s a great responsibility and a great feeling to have been asked to lead the Mumbai team,” Tare told ESPNcricinfo after Mumbai reached Vadodara for their penultimate game of the league stage against in-form Baroda. “With the glorious past we have had, Mumbai team has a rich legacy. I along with all my teammates would try and take it forward.”Despite putting up a brave front, Tare admitted that his immediate task is “extremely challenging”. After a season that has seen them losing to Jammu & Kashmir in the first contest between the two teams and then conceding their first innings defeat in 64 years in Chennai last week, Mumbai are placed sixth in Group A standings with 11 points.”It’s an extremely challenging situation. We have two games left and we have to win them outright to qualify. The good thing is that we still have an opportunity and we will give it our best shot.”If Mumbai win both their games, they will be in with a good chance to finish in the top three and qualify for the knockouts. However, with the bottom-placed Uttar Pradesh just three points behind them, Mumbai are still in danger of being relegated to the lowest rung of the tournament if they continue their lacklustre form.Tare wasn’t even thinking about the r-word. “We know we haven’t played great cricket. And the points table speaks for itself. We just want to try and give our best. If we can do that, we know we can still make it to the knockouts.”Suryakumar Yadav, the maverick batsman who was given the charge of the team at the start of the season, has been involved in various spats with his teammates on and off the field. Since Yadav’s behaviour didn’t improve despite being issued a stern warning by the Mumbai Cricket Association in the middle of the season, the MCA management had told selectors to replace him. It resulted in Yadav relinquishing captaincy on Sunday.Tare, known as a good man-manager, said he has had a word with Yadav. “We are very good friends. We have been teammates for years now. We are matured individuals,” Tare said, adding that the team has been trying its best to keep the negative vibes out of the dressing room.”We are professional cricketers. I wouldn’t want to control what happens off the field. But I expect them to control things on the field. Obviously at the moment, we want the focus to be only on delivering in the next two games. I am sure all the players would succeed in it.”

Karnataka start favourites but heavy fog and the winter cold will add to the challenge against Punjab

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran17-Jan-2014Match factsJanuary 18-22, Mohali
Start time 9.30am (4.00am GMT)Manish Pandey slammed 166 when these two teams met last month•ESPNcricinfo Ltd0:00

‘Medium-pace attack is our strength’ – J Arunkumar

Big PictureWith an astonishing 38 points in the league phase, Karnataka are clearly the stand-out team of the season and favourites to win the title, especially after the early exit of defending champions Mumbai. With a clutch of youngsters such as KL Rahul, HS Sharath and Shreyas Gopal impressing in the early days of their career, and a core of experienced and proven performers in Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa, Karnataka are a well-balanced outfit which has put together six straight victories. While the batting and fast bowling is formidable, the only real question mark is over their spinners.Punjab have a man with over 400 Test wickets filling the spinner’s spot. Harbhajan Singh will complement a strong pace attack, which includes Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Manpreet Gony. Their concern will be about getting some consistency in the batting. It might be because they have played on several spicy tracks this season, but in six of the nine matches they have been bowled out for less than 200 in the first innings. They have batsmen capable of playing the big innings though: Mandeep Singh hit a game-changing century in the second innings of the quarterfinals, Jiwanjot Singh can boast of one of the innings of the season with a 147 against Delhi, Yuvraj Singh is out of form but has repeatedly shown his penchant for the big stage.Both teams will keep an eye as much on the weather as the opposition. Heavy fog has lead to most Chandigarh-bound flights being cancelled in the past few days, as is common during the coldest days of the north Indian winter. Besides fog, some play could also be lost due to rain, with mild showers predicted through the week. To make things more uncomfortable, especially for the Karnataka players, temperatures are expected to plunge as low as six degrees, about 10 degrees lesser than the minimum in Bangalore this week.Form guide Punjab WWWLD
Karnataka WWWWWWatch out forKarnataka had a settled batting unit for several seasons, till they began experimenting last year. Rahul was one of those who got an opportunity, and this season he has cemented his place at the top of the order. Scores of 158, 67, 29, 98, 29, 92, 25*, 133, 32, 0, 92* in Karnataka’s six successive wins have pitchforked him to third in the run-getters chart. A big performance in the semi-finals will only add to the buzz around him.Another youngster who has grabbed this headlines this season is Punjab’s fast bowler Sandeep Sharma. With 35 wickets at 22.60, he’s been the team’s most successful bowler, and among the top ten bowlers of the season. He’s already earned a place in a second-string India A side in 2013, but this season’s success following on the 41 wickets he captured in 2012-13 will push him closer to bigger honours.Team newsPunjab are likely to miss one of their key bowlers this season, VRV Singh, due to a fever. That should open up a spot for quick bowler Siddarth Kaul, who missed the quarterfinal clash against J&K.Punjab (squad) Harbhajan Singh (capt), Manan Vohra, Jiwanjot Singh, Mandeep Singh, Taruwar Kohli, Gurkeerat Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Rajwinder Singh, Gitansh Khera (wk), Siddarth Kaul, Manpreet Gony, Sandeep Sharma, VRV Singh, Sunny Sohal, Jaskaran Singh, Uday Kaul (wk)Karnataka are missing two players who injured themselves in the quarter-final: fast bowler Sharath hurt his shoulder while fielding and batsman R Samarth fractured his finger while attempting a catch. Their places have been taken by left-arm medium-pacer S Aravind and batsman Mayank Agarwal. Given the seamer-friendly nature of the Mohali track, Karnataka might be tempted to go in with allrounder Shreyas Gopal as their lone spinner, ahead of the ineffective specialists Abrar Kazi and KP Appanna.Karnataka (squad) Vinay Kumar (capt) , Robin Uthappa, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, CM Gautam, Shreyas Gopal, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ronit More, Abrar Kazi, KP Appanna , Ganesh Satish, Amit Verma, S AravindStatsKarnataka are one short of the Delhi’s Ranji record of seven straight wins, set in 1974-75. Mumbai managed six consecutive Ranji wins on two occasions, in 1972-73 and in 1999-00. Karnataka’s wicketkeepr CM Gautam has 33 dismissals this season, two less than the leaders Andhra’s KS Bharth and Maharashtra’s Rohit Motwani. There were five triple centuries last season; there have been none so far this season.0:00

‘Bengal, Karnataka are on a roll’ – Kartik

West Ham United are experiencing Deja Vu this month two years after they sold Dimitri Payet to Marseille in a £25 million deal, but it appears that a solution to the Marko Arnautovic saga has been struck which will see him remain at the London Stadium. 

According to a recent report from The London Evening Standard, West Ham have given the green light for the Austria international to leave the club in the summer window, however, crucially, the club remain fearful that he will depart before the end of February.

The window for Premier League clubs is due to close at the end of January but the Chinese window will remain open for business until the end of February, which could ensure an unhealthy and extended power struggle involving Arnautovic and the club’s hierarchy in a saga akin to that involving Payet which dominated the 2017 January window.

Despite the fact the Hammers are willing to be pragmatic with Arnautovic and allow him to leave in the summer, the rise of player power and the lure of a £300k per week contract in China may well leave them powerless to preventing his departure.

A summer move is one which makes sense for all parties involved: it allows the recruitment team time to scout the market and identify a worth replacement, grants Arnautovic his desired move and ensures that West Ham’s results do not suffer as a consequence of a mid-season exit.

Payet’s decision to leave the club in 2017 left a gaping creative void in the attacking midfield unit which the club struggled without in the remainder of the campaign and, while it must be considered that West Ham have greater strength in depth than they did two years ago, the loss of Arnautovic would undoubtedly represent a similar hammer blow to their ambitions for the season.

West Ham’s stance on Arnautovic’s future is wise under the circumstances, but it seems that their willingness to allow him to leave in the summer may not be enough to avoid a similar outcome to the saga which saw Payet leave for Marseille in 2017.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

It was probably fitting, in a season where the age profile of their squad has caused such consternation, that Gary Keedy should come to Surrey’s rescue

George Dobell at The Oval03-Sep-2013
ScorecardGary Keedy claimed three wickets to give Surrey the edge on a closely contested day•PA PhotosIt was probably fitting, in a season where the age profile of their squad has caused such consternation, that Gary Keedy should come to Surrey’s rescue.There have been times this year when the Surrey squad has resembled the cast of . So keen were they to add experience to the team that lost its way last season, that several wise heads were recruited to their dressing room. The squad has, over the course of the season, contained six men aged 35 or over – the team for this game contains four – and there were rumours that only fear of breaching the salary cap prevented the addition of Harold Macmillan. In the end it was decided that Macmillan’s death in 1986 might render him something of a liability in the field.Until about 10.30am, Keedy had been sent to Coventry. With the club having decided to invest in the youthful promise of Zafar Ansari, 38-year-old Keedy was due to play in a 2nd XI friendly match in Coventry; a combined Surrey and Hampshire XI against Warwickshire. There was increasing speculation that Surrey might be prepared to release him from the final year of his contract in order to allow him the chance to gain 1st XI cricket elsewhere – quite possibly at Sussex – and reduce their salary bill. That remains a possibility.But then Ansari, batting in the nets before play, was struck on the thumb and ruled out of the game. Keedy was summoned back for his sixth Championship game of the season, his first since July, and produced a performance full of skill, control and experience.Keedy may lack the pace of most modern, international bowlers. But his control remains excellent, he gains pleasing flight and, on surfaces like this, enough turn to trouble the best.It may prove a highly valuable contribution. With Surrey fighting to avoid relegation, Keedy’s three wickets prompted Middlesex to stumble just as it seemed they may build an imposing position and helped Surrey enjoy just about the best of a well-contested first day.Whether helping Surrey avoid relegation justifies their selection policy is debatable. The argument against fielding so many experienced cricketers is that it blocks the progress of young players. Surrey have several young men – the likes of George Edwards, Matt Dunn (who is currently injured), Dominic Sibley, Jason Roy and Tom Curran – who might flourish if given more opportunity and, in the long-term, you could argue that their development is more important than Division One survival.If Keedy’s first wicket – that of John Simpson turning a delivery outside leg stump to square leg three deliveries after tea – owed something to fortune, the other two were classic left-arm spinners’ dismissals. Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner were both drawn forward and defeated by fine deliveries that turned and took their outside edges.Some context is required. This is an unusually dry pitch and is already offering assistance to spin bowlers. As the match progresses, it may become something approaching a spin bowler’s dream. Batting fourth is likely to prove demanding.Middlesex may feel frustrated at their return from a day full of toil. Winning the toss at The Oval on such a surface offers a fine opportunity but, despite dominating for periods, too many Middlesex batsmen surrendered their wickets tamely to take advantage of their earlier hard work. Still, for a side that has collapsed so hideously in recent outings – against Derbyshire and twice against Somerset – this represented a step in the right direction.Perhaps the key wicket came three balls after lunch. Chris Rogers, having taken 58 deliveries over his first 18 runs, then stroked eight fours in his next 22 balls to reach a highly accomplished half-century. He appeared poised for a match-defining innings and, with the equally fluent Dawid Malan, had put together a partnership of 97. It speaks volumes for their fragility of Middlesex’s batting, that such a modest stand represents their highest third-wicket stand of the Championship season.But then Rogers was beaten by a combination of his age and some excellent cricket from Jade Dernbach. Called for a quick, but by no means unreasonable single by Malan, 36-year-old Rogers may have thought that he was running to the safe end. But Dernbach, at mid-off, quickly spotted Rogers’ stiff legs and threw to the keeper who completed a sharp run out.That Middlesex did not completely squander their position was largely due to the dedication of Neil Dexter. Playing as if his bat and pad were welded together, with hands as soft as puppies’ ears and with the concentration of a bomb disposal expert, Dexter nullified spin and seam with admirable patience and self control. In the T20 age, there was little eye-catching about his innings, but it was exactly the sort of attritional, determined effort that first-class and Test cricket used to be about. More importantly, it was exactly what his side required. He remained into day two and, if he can take the total above 320, will know that his side have a foothold in the game.Malan also batted nicely for his first Championship half-century of the season – even if he was guilty of attempting to force the delivery that dismissed him, he could console himself in the knowledge that it was a fine ball. The bowler was Tim Linley, playing ahead of the rested Chris Tremlett, and he vindicated his selection with an excellent display of seam bowling. Linley remains the highest wicket-taker of a Surrey side that contains numerous more glamorous and better remunerated players.Earlier Sam Robson, whose form has imploded since the speculation started about his future, was dismissed for a duck. Robson, who has not reached 30 in his last seven Championship innings, was caught on the crease by a fine ball from Dernbach that swung in and then left him. Coincidentally, Robson’s 21-year-old brother Angus, making his first-class debut for Leicestershire, was also dismissed without scoring.

Mashrafe Mortaza has been named Bangladesh’s captain for the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam08-Feb-2014Mashrafe Mortaza has been named Bangladesh’s captain for the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka. He will lead in place of Mushfiqur Rahim, who sustained a finger injury during the second Test.BCB president Nazmul Hassan spoke to a few directors of the board from Singapore to come to the decision. Tamim Iqbal will continue as vice-captain, and although he was expected to be promoted, Mashrafe’s seniority and experience as captain counted in his favour.Mashrafe led the team in a single Test match, in 2009, during which he got injured while bowling. After recovering, he captained in seven ODIs in 2010 after which he got injured again, and Shakib Al Hasan took over from 2011.Both Twenty20s will be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, on February 12 and 14. Mushfiqur is expected to return for the three-match ODI series, which begins on February 17, and his injury on his left little finger will be monitored on a daily basis.