All posts by csb10.top

Australia will draw motivation from their thwarted efforts on the tour of India earlier this year, as they seek a series win in the subcontinent when they take on Bangladesh in the Test series starting Sunday. Australia have not won a series in the subcontinent since 2011 and were clean-swept in two of the three Test series’ since then.Australia coach Darren Lehmann has homed in on the importance of the new ball to the visitors as they look to remove Bangladesh’s top order early.”They have got some quality batsmen all the way down the list,” Lehmann said. “They have actually got a really good record at home. They did well against England. Their top order is a key to how they bat. So we have to make early in-roads with the new ball. It will spin and probably reverse the way the wicket goes.”They have good depth and are a good side at home. We made some in-roads into India but we still lost that series. The challenge for us is to win a series away from home.”The conditions in Mirpur could result in Australia fielding two spinners, with Ashton Agar a potential pick. Agar last played a Test four years ago but Lehmann pointed that he had improved his lengths and offered an all-rounder advantage in the side with his batting and fielding abilities.”His lengths are a lot better. He has had a good Sheffield Shield season last year,” he said. “Young (Mitchell) Swepson is a good prospect as a legspinner. It is really tight between all the spinners. But Ashton batted really well and he is a gun fielder. We are really pleased for him.”We are hoping for Ashton to reproduce that sort of form. Steve O’Keefe was excellent in India but we have decided to go with Ashton. He has got an all-round game that he hopefully can take to the next level. For example when we play three quicks, he can play up the order. He gives us a lot of flexibility in that way.”Lehman was not too concerned by the fact that the last Test in Mirpur – between Bangladesh and England in October 2016 – ended in three days.”In India we had three day games. Sometimes the shorter the match, the more exciting Test match it is in a way,” Lehmann said. “We are prepared for that, but traditionally it is a good wicket here.”I haven’t seen the wicket in Mirpur. It will be a good wicket here traditionally. The outfield will be fine and hopefully the rain stays away. They are really working hard to get it up. That’s all we can ask. We hope that it is dry and we get a great Test match.”With the practice match called off, Australia now will train at the Academy ground next to the Shere Bangla National Stadium, although their training session on Monday was cut short by rain.

ScorecardSean Dickson hit a career-best unbeaten double century and Joe Denly notched his third hundred of the summer as Kent enjoyed a first-day run fest in their Specsavers County Championship match with Northamptonshire in Beckenham.Kent cashed in on a Worsley Bridge Road shirt-front after winning the toss to post 434 for 1 after 96 overs with Dickson and Denly unbeaten on 210 and 143 respectively as Sam Northeast’s promotion-chasers racked up maximum batting bonus points at a canter.The total already represents Kent’s best at this venue, while Dickson’s 210 is his career-best as well as the highest individual score at the ground, beating Ben Duckett’s 207* here last season. Dickson also became the first Kent player in history to post double tons as his first two first-class centuries for the county.In adding an unbroken 305 the pair also moved past the previous second-wicket record of 260 against Northamptonshire set by Arthur Fagg and Frank Woolley at Canterbury in 1934. And, when Denly pulled a short one from Nathan Buck for four in the day’s penultimate over, he raised their 300 stand to beat Kent’s record for any wicket against Northants of 296 set by Ken Hutchings and Frank Woolley at Gravesend in 1908. For good measure, the stand is also a record for any wicket at the ground.As for Northamptonshire, they will look to their ill fortune earlier in the day when they might have dismissed Dickson twice before he had even reached three figures.Dickson, the 25-year-old South African right-hander, joined forces with fellow opener Daniel Bell-Drummond to post 129 either side of lunch – their second-best partnership of the season behind their 172 against Sussex at Tunbridge Wells last month.Bell-Drummond went one short of his 50 soon after lunch when edging a back-foot defensive push to the keeper off Ben Sanderson and it transpired to be the visitors’ sole success of the day.Dickson was on 35 when he survived a concerted shout for lbw against Buck then, with his score on 97, Dickson drove hard at an away swinger from Buck only to be given the benefit of the doubt to another loud appeal for a catch behind the stumps.Sean Dickson converted into his second double century•Getty Images

With the luck on his side, Dickson marched on to a 165-ball 100 with 10 fours and a six then Denly reached the milestone from 132 balls with six fours and three sixes.Northamptonshire tried permutating seven bowlers and delayed taking the second new ball in a desperate bid to curtail the run-rate but, when they finally did take it, their worst fears were realised as Denly cracked it to all parts in a sublime display of driving.Just before the close, Dickson clipped sweetly off his pads against Steven Crook to hit the ropes for a 20th time and raise his double hundred from 280 balls.Northamptonshire skipper Alex Wakely described Kent’s run-fest as his’toughest day in any form of cricket’, adding: “We’ve walked offwith smiles on our faces because we’re not quite sure what we might have done differently or what to say about it. A couple ofopportunities and appeals didn’t go our way early on but apart from that both Denly and Dickson played really well.”I haven’t had a tougher day in cricket than this and can’t remember a day when we’ve only ever picked up one wicket in the three sessions.We’ve been playing some really good cricket of late so I’m going to give Kent the credit they deserve.Dickson needs a further 66 runs on day two to better Matt Walker’s all-time individual record total for the county,He said: “I’m a little bit overwhelmed by it all at the moment if I’m quite honest and feel shattered. The last nine overs were a massive challenge for me out there and I just tried to remember what one old, wise man said to me the once , that ‘double hundreds don’t come your way every day’. I said to Joe that I needed a little energy spurt, a mind switch to get myself across the line to 200 and thankfully I found it from somewhere.”There’s a massive amount of emotion after this for me. I have made four ducks this season at at times it’s been a massive mentalstruggle, but I’ve been hitting balls superbly well of late with no result.”

A multi-day intensive “summit” between negotiators for Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has been discussed as a possible way of moving forward from the current pay dispute, less than four weeks away from the June 30 expiry of the current MoU.Tentative talks between the board and the players have been going on for a little more than a week, in spite of continued public sparring taking the shape of fresh videos and graphics released by CA’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts and subsequent ripostes by the ACA.While Roberts has met with the ACA’s legal counsel Joe Connellan and a mediation lawyer, John Whelan, who has been consulting for the players’ association, ESPNcricinfo understands that the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson and his CA counterpart James Sutherland have also spoken in recent days about ways to find progress.It was Sutherland’s letter to Nicholson on May 12, threatening to leave players unemployed if an agreement to CA’s terms was not reached by the end of June, that escalated tension between the two parties after six months of largely fruitless meetings, claims and ambit proposals.Apart from the major difference between the parties – CA’s desire to breakup the fixed revenue percentage model and the ACA’s equally strong intent to retain it – there have also been disconnects around how talks should be structured. CA has expressed a preference for starting the process by discussing many of the areas in which the two parties share common ground, allowing these details to be ticked off while building a better relationship dynamic with which to tackle the more difficult issues.However, the ACA is understood to prefer dealing directly with the fundamental differences between the parties to begin with, allowing for a shared position on revenue sharing to underpin and underline all subsequent talks. The players’ association is believed to have suggested getting the two parties together earlier in the process without either side bringing their respective pay proposals with them – a request that was not granted by CA.The prospect of a long-haul summit over two days or more, in order to thrash out many of the issues currently dividing the board and the players, has been raised between the two parties as one option to find a workable passage towards an agreement.A similar approach was taken earlier this week in concurrent pay talks between Australia’s rugby league governing body, the National Rugby League (NRL), and the Rugby League Players Association. The opposing sides devoted two days to intensive talks in Sydney, concluding the summit by releasing a joint statement to say talks had been “constructive” though plenty of work remains to be done.The announcement of a pay deal in the Australian Football League is also imminent, with the league and the AFL Players Association set to unveil a deal that will bring in elements of revenue sharing to their next collective bargaining agreement – something NRL players are also seeking. All Australian sports have looked towards cricket’s 20-year model as a way of balancing prosperity with a prolonged period of industrial relations peace.

ScorecardSouth Africa’s Wayne Parnell was Man of the Match•AFP

Part-time legspinner Joe Denly was the unlikely bowling hero as Kent opened their Royal London Cup win account with a 46-run victory over South Group rivals Middlesex in Canterbury.Having failed to defend 330-plus scores in their previous two games, Kent managed to protect a modest all out total of 200 with Denly bagging 3 for 20 to secure his side’s first win in four starts and inflict a third defeat on Middlesex. Needing to score at a shade over four an over to record their second win of the campaign, Middlesex committed cardinal one-day errors in losing cheap wickets at regular intervals to fall woefully short.The visitors lost Dawid Malan in the third over when the left-hander sparred outside off against Wayne Parnell to nick to second slip. Four balls later, Parnell, in his last home game of his current spell as Kent’s overseas allrounder, ran one back up the Canterbury slope to trap Nick Gubbins lbw for a single.Adam Voges and Nick Compton added 47 before Kent struck through Darren Stevens, who belied his 41 years by taking a stunning return catch from a Voges’ drive to make it 49 for 3. Eleven runs later and Kent were celebrating again when a direct hit from 12th man Will Gidman, substituting for the injured Matt Coles, ran out John Simpson after Nick Compton had called for a sharp single to the cover fielder.Coles returned after treatment for a sore shin to pocket a comfortable catch off the bowling of James Tredwell that ended Compton’s 85-ball stay for a painstaking 37 and left Tredwell with 1 for 29 from his 10 overs.Keeping pace off the ball, Denly struck to have Ryan Higgins caught behind and then, in his next over, he trapped Toby Roland-Jones lbw when working across the line. Middlesex, with only three wickets remaining, still required 78 going into their final 10 overs when Denly, leaping full-length to his left caught a rasping James Franklin drive one-handed to send the visiting skipper packing for 33.Mitch Claydon replaced Denly to have James Fuller caught off a skier leaving Parnell to finish it with another reflex return caught-and-bowled catch that accounted for Ravi Patel and gave Parnell, the Man of the Match, deserved figures of 3 for 33.Kent’s day started badly when they again lost the toss in overcast conditions and were duly invited to bat with the floodlights already on. Their gloom deepened after only two deliveries when Daniel Bell-Drummond, fresh from scoring back-to-back hundreds in losing causes, feathered a defensive push against Roland-Jones into the gloves of Simpson to depart without scoring.Home skipper Sam Northeast and second-wicket partner Denly, batting against his former county, steadied Kent with a stand of 52 that ended in the 13th over when Denly pulled a short one to midwicket where Voges held a stinging overhead chance.Northeast, who enjoyed a life when on 24 after Voges downed a regulation slip chance, posted his 13th List A half-century from 73 balls and with six fours. He and Sean Dickson added 44 before the latter miscued his attempted pull against Franklin to mid-on to go for 29.Northeast followed, sweeping against Patel to give a catch to the keeper for 55, having spent almost two hours at the crease. Alex Blake lasted only five minutes, tamely hanging his bat out to dry against Franklin, the left-hander went for 2 after edging a third catch to Simpson behind the timbers.The procession of Kent batsmen to the pavilion continued when Stevens miscued to extra cover to gift Patel a second scalp, bringing together Adam Rouse and Parnell for a face-saving seventh-wicket stand worth 34. .With little to lose Parnell went for his strokes only to smear Malan’s first ball of the day, a low full-toss, straight into the hands of Tom Helm at deep midwicket.Coles edged an attempted drive against Helm to slip where Voges took off to hold a stunning overhead catch diving to his left, then, to the first ball of the third and final Powerplay, Rouse nicked an attempted cut to his Middlesex counterpart Simpson to give Helm a second wicket.With four of their 50 overs still to be bowled, Kent’s last man Claydon, who had just hooked the only six of his side’s innings, was yorked by Roland-Jones, the pick of the Middlesex attack with 3 for 35 from his 10 overs.

A fire accident at Jharkhand’s team hotel in New Delhi’s Dwarka area on Friday morning has resulted in postponement of the second semi-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The match between Jharkhand and Bengal will now be played on Saturday at Feroz Shah Kotla.”We were to assemble in the lobby at 7.30am as we usually do before a game, but at 7, I was asked to stay back in the room by Pratyush Singh as there was lot of fire and smoke at the ground floor lobby,” Ishank Jaggi, the Jharkhand batsman, told ESPNcricinfo. “It spread quite quickly and when we finally got out of our seventh floor rooms, all we could see around us was smoke. It was so thick that we couldn’t even see the far end of the lobby.”What added to our concern was the fire alarm didn’t go off, so we assumed it to be a small fire accident. But when there was a strong burning smell, we were asked to vacate immediately. The seriousness of it struck us only when we got out. The smoke spread to our rooms as well. That is when we were asked to run down the stairs.”After getting out of the hotel, MS Dhoni, the captain, along with the rest of the players and support staff were driven to the Palam grounds, where they are currently housed.The final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Feroz Shah Kotla was subsequently postponed to Monday.

The ICC’s new constitution will “convert” the nature of the world governing body and “adversely affect” the autonomy of its members, according to the BCCI, one of the strongest opponents of the proposed document.In a comprehensive communication of its preliminary observations on the proposed ICC constitution, the BCCI said the changes were “vague” and “unclear”. The BCCI expanded on its specific reservations and also provided suggestions on various aspects, including the powers of the ICC chairman, membership criteria, the make-up of the board of directors and, in greatest detail, the proposed new financial model.”The proposed ICC constitution seeks to convert the ICC from a members’ organisation to a supra-national regulator,” Rahul Johri, the BCCI CEO wrote in the email, sent on Sunday evening to Iain Higgins, the ICC chief operating officer. “This is a fundamental change in the nature of the ICC that adversely affects the autonomy of its members.”Further, several of the proposed changes are vague and unclear in their purport and intended operation. Given that one of the stated objectives behind the proposed changes is to bring in clarity and transparency, it is imperative that there is complete clarity on all the proposed changes so that members can properly understand the same before formulating their position thereon.”In his email, a copy of which has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, Johri laid out the BCCI’s key observations, which include taking away the vote of the ICC chairman at the board of directors’ table (previously used as a tie-breaker), making the membership committee independent and external to the ICC, and reducing the Associate presence on the board from three to one, and including a non-voting former player.Though these are significant, it is the BCCI’s objections to the new financial model that are of most pressing interest. The BCCI called the new model, to replace one put in place by the Big 3 in 2014, “arbitrary” and not “agreeable”.The objections were essentially an expansion on the arguments first presented by Vikram Limaye at the ICC board meeting in February, when the new constitution was adopted in principle. Limaye, a member of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) overseeing BCCI operations currently, was the board’s representative at the February meeting and said the BCCI could not accept the financial model because it was not backed by a scientific formula.In the new financial model, the BCCI takes the biggest revenue cut among all the boards from the Big Three model. The ICC said it was built on the basis of good faith and equity, but the BCCI said in its communication that any new model would need to be backed by “accepted and articulated principles” of finance, and importantly take into account the Indian board’s contribution to the ICC revenues.”The ICC is seeking to change the existing financial model without having any scientific formula or technical analysis behind the proposed changes. It is a fundamental attribute of any resource allocation system to first collect information and then allocate resources based on the information, priorities and a defined methodology following appropriate principles. The move to propose changes to the existing financial model without carrying out the aforesaid exercise is an arbitrary one.”Under the Big Three model, Full Members received a contribution cost for participating in the ICC events. The percentages were calculated based on the “contribution” of each Full Member to ICC revenues, though the real formula behind the numbers was never revealed. In the new model, as revealed by ESPNcricinfo, the contribution costs was removed and instead a set figure was allocated to each of the 10 Full Members along with two Associates – Ireland and Afghanistan. The ICC publicly said there was no real calculation behind each figure.But Limaye in February, and Johri now, pointed out that the ICC could not repeat the same mistake twice. “Since no methodology has been articulated in support of the proposed new financial model, we are unable to evaluate the same on any recognised and/or accepted parameters,” Johri wrote. “Any discussion on the proposed new financial model has to be based on clearly articulated and acceptable principles which recognise the relative contribution of BCCI to the revenues of the ICC. For the above reasons, we are not agreeable to the proposed new financial model.”The BCCI went on to question the accounting procedure on which financial models had been based, concerns reported by ESPNcricinfo in February. One of the main issues was the ICC’s costs for it events, which had in the 2014 model been fixed but had, in reality, increased and eaten into the revenues handed to members.”The version of the 2014 model that supposedly reflects the reality (“Revised 2014 Model”) is actually a different model altogether and does not present an accurate and comparable picture to members relative to the existing financial model,” Johri said in the email.”As per the Revised 2014 Model, the Event Cost/Expenses has been increased to USD 610 million despite the gross revenue remaining at USD 2.5 billion as envisaged under the existing financial model. There is no explanation for this increase in Event Cost/Expenses. We need to understand why this increase in Event Cost/ Expenses has taken place.”The new financial model, along with an amended draft constitution and governance structure, was accepted in principle by the ICC Board during the meeting in February. Seven Full Members voted in favour of the changes which were drafted by a five-member steering committee led by former ICC chairman Shashank Manohar. The BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket were the only boards to vote against those resolutions while Zimbabwe Cricket abstained. Members were invited to send their observations on the proposals and the matter will be taken up at the next meetings in April.But the absence of Manohar, a driving force behind the new constitution, will have an impact on how those meetings go. Manohar resigned abruptly from his post last week, citing “personal reasons”. He had met the CoA the evening before his resignation and discussed the financial models with them.

Saeed Ajmal, who has not played international cricket since April 2015, hopes that the second season of the Pakistan Super League will be a stepping stone towards a comeback. Ajmal, who injured himself during training last season and played only six matches in Islamabad United’s run to the title, has been recruited as a full-time player by the same team this season. That Pakistan haven’t found a quality offspinner in the last two years has motivated Ajmal to impress in the PSL and return to the international scene.”It’s unfortunate that we haven’t had an offspinner since I was out, which is why I believe I still have a chance to make it,” Ajmal told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai. “I am working hard to ensure this PSL is a turning point for me. T20 cricket is difficult with lots of ups and downs, but I am ready, and hopefully this event will be a step to the national team. Pakistan desperately need an offspinner and nobody seems to have appeared to fill my gap for years. I have not given up and all I can do is hard work.”Ajmal last played for Pakistan in Bangladesh in April 2015 after he remodelled his action, which was deemed illegal in September 2014. In December 2014, he pulled out of the 2015 World Cup, indicating that his remodelled action needed further work. His action was cleared by the ICC in February, and he was picked in all three formats for the Bangladesh tour in April. In his first match on a return to the side, Ajmal conceded 74 runs in 10 overs for no wickets, the most he has leaked in an ODI. Ajmal took 1 for 49 in the second ODI before missing the third match. He then went wicketless in the one-off T20, which Bangladesh won by seven wickets, before being overlooked for the two-Test series.Following Ajmal’s suspension, the PCB decided to crack down on suspect bowling actions in domestic cricket. They revived their biomechanics lab in Lahore and extensively tested the actions of offspinners in the country, and found that a number of them had suspect bowling actions. When asked about this, Ajmal said: “It’s not because of me. I understand players have tricky actions but it’s not my responsibility to get them right. The board has to take up this problem and get it resolved. They have the NCA [National Cricket Academy] and a lot of coaches there. This is the problem as after I was out no offspinner has played for Pakistan, which is a worry as the team needs variation in their combination.”Ajmal’s new round-arm action lacked fizz, but he felt that the side did not give him a sizeable run to work his way back. “Actually I never really got a proper chance to develop my new action and that only comes by playing consistently,” he said. “Apart from the two[three] Bangladesh matches I did not get a chance, and you can’t judge a player by one or two matches.”Ajmal, 39, stressed that form, not age, should be the top priority for selection. “Age probably is a problem in Pakistan,” he said. “What exactly you want from a player is performance and if a player is helping the team to win then who cares about the age… I want to perform regardless of the age; I don’t really think about it. What I need to do is to stay fit and keep taking wickets.”Ajmal has T20 form on his side. He was the leading wicket-taker in the National T20 Cup held before the PSL, with 20 scalps in nine matches, including a four-wicket haul. Ajmal, however, has not played first-class cricket since his stint with Worcestershire in 2015.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has brushed aside the portrayal of their maiden Test in India next week as a “historic” one, saying that he feels it is more important to treat the game as an opportunity to show Bangladesh’s measure in world cricket. He also hopes that a good performance in the one-off game will prompt the BCCI to invite them frequently.The team leaves Dhaka on February 2, to play a two-day practice match against India A and the Test in Hyderabad, which will be Bangladesh’s first in India since gaining ICC Full Member status in 2000. Interestingly, it was the BCCI’s push that was vital in their ascent from Associate Member, and India played against them in their inaugural Test on November 10, 2000. India toured Bangladesh four more times to play Tests thereafter.”I’m a little surprised, I don’t believe that this is a historic Test,” Mushfiqur said. “Take for example when we play against Zimbabwe. The pressure is more because if we lose against them then there is nothing more shameful than that. I will say that it is better that we are going there now and not five years ago.”We want to tell world cricket what we can do in India. I don’t think about how many years later we are going to play in India. We want to play in such a way that India invites again and again. This to me is just another Test match.”Mushfiqur, who has returned to the Test squad after missing Bangladesh’s last game in New Zealand due to a finger injury, said that he hopes the team puts together a collective performance. Bangladesh lost both Tests in New Zealand but gave the home side some tough sessions.”I hope that the recent performers will hold on to their form and put together a team performance. And to those who haven’t done well in the recent past, you have a chance to give a good account of yourself.”A team effort will give us a good result. They have a strong squad, and are always really good in their home conditions. We want to do well against them over five days, and not just two or three days,” he said.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s squad is balanced, with four pace bowlers and three specialist spinners and depth in the batting department.The return of Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur himself means that Bangladesh have their full batting strength back. Soumya Sarkar and Imrul are likely to be in competition for the role of Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner, while Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman will be expected to make runs in the middle order.”No matter what conditions they offer, we have a balanced side. We have enough pacers and spinners and depth in batting.”I think our batsmen will have a challenge in their hands against their world-class attack. As a bowling unit we are inexperienced, but one or two bowlers did do well in New Zealand. If we can perform as a team we can do well against any other good team.”

Gujarat were in line for full points after enforcing the follow-on against Punjab in Belgavi. After declaring on 624 for 6, courtesy Priyank Panchal’s triple century, Rush Kalaria picked four wickets to skittle Punjab for 247 in 85.2 overs. Manan Vohra top scored with 68, while cameos from Mayank Sidhana (39), Gitansh Khera (35 not out) and Manpreet Gony (26) ensured Punjab added 113 for the last four wickets. Hardik Patel and RP Singh complemented Kalaria by picking two wickets each.Having to wipe out a deficit of 377 to prevent Gujarat from winning a bonus point, Punjab closed on 36 for 1, with Vohra and Jiwanjot Singh at the crease. A loss here could mean Punjab’s qualification for the knockouts hinges on other results.Centuries from Manoj Tiwary (169) and Sudip Chatterjee (130) helped Bengal give themselves an outside chance of an outright win over Mumbai in Nagpur. The pair put on 271 for the fourth wicket as Bengal, who resumed on 198 for 3, finished on 433 for 8 when bad light ended play early.They will have at least 303 to defend on the final day, depending on whether or not they declare overnight. Once they broke the fourth-wicket partnership, Mumbai picked up the next five wickets for just 63, with Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni taking two wickets apiece. Three points courtesy a lead in this game could be enough for Mumbai to secure a quarter-final berth.Madhya Pradesh were within one wicket of completing and outright victory against Baroda in Dharamsala. MP’s day began with the loss of overnight batsman Shubham Sharma in the fourth over. They were 131 for 6 at that point, with a lead of 184, before a partnership of 50 for the seventh wicket between Harpreet Singh (73) and Ankit Kushwah and one worth 69 for the ninth wicket between Puneet Datey (41) and Ishwar Pandey (36) helped them add 162 for the last four wickets and set Baroda 347 to win. Baroda’s Atith Sheth finished with 4 for 51, following his 11-wicket haul in the previous game.Barring an opening stand of 32, and a third-wicket stand of 24, Baroda didn’t display any resistance as they collapsed yet again. Medium-pacer Chandrakant Sakure (4 for 17) was the most successful MP bowler. In partnership with Ishwar (2 for 19) and Datey (2 for 49), he pegged Baroda back as they were reduced to 95 for 9 within the 30th over before an unbroken last-wicket stand took them to stumps on 114 for 9.Railways captain Karn Sharma took his second five-for this season, but found himself batting sooner than he may have expected after his team was reduced to 35 for 5 in a chase of 347 against Uttar Pradesh in Rajkot.UP’s overnight pair of Shivam Chaudhary and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav hung around for 17 overs in the morning, adding 37 to the overnight score of 64 for 2, before Kuldeep was dismissed with the score on 101. UP scored at 4.77 an over from that point, as they looked to set Railways a target. This effort was led by captain Suresh Raina, who was dismissed for 91 for the second time in this match. His partnership of 140 with Shivam, who scored a maiden first-class century before being stumped for 124, helped swell the lead before UP were bowled out for 330.Medium-pacer Praveen Kumar, playing his first match of the season, took wickets in consecutive overs to reduce Railways to 4 for 2 in the third over. Railways couldn’t quite recover from this, and by stumps had crawled to 35 for 5 in 27 overs. Wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat (3 off 43) was batting with Karn (7 off 33).

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:47