On the eve of the IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad,Virat Kohli has said that “being in pressure should be a privilege for a sportsman” and asked his side, Royal Challengers Bangalore, to enjoy the occasion and not be overawed by it

Alagappan Muthu28-May-2016On the eve of the IPL 2016 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Virat Kohli has said that “being in pressure should be a privilege for a sportsman” and has asked his side, Royal Challengers Bangalore, to enjoy the occasion of their third final in eight years but not be overawed by it.There is a history of Royal Challengers coming unstuck when everything is on the line. Kohli knows this. He was captain in 2012, when all they had to do was beat Deccan Chargers in their final league match to make the playoffs. Despite keeping the opposition to 132, they crashed out with a nine-run loss. They wilted in another high-pressure situation, in 2014, when Kohli and his team had to defend 16 off the final over and then two off one ball as RP Singh had Ravindra Jadeja caught, off a no-ball and let Chennai Super Kings off the hook.But in 2016, Royal Challengers have handled pressure excellently. They were in sixth place, needing to win four out of four matches to qualify for the playoffs and they did just that as Kohli racked up scores of 109, 75*, 113 and 54* to take his team to second on the points table. In the first qualifier, reduced to 29 for 5 in a chase of 159, AB de Villiers pulled off one of the better rescue acts in T20 cricket with an unbeaten 79 off 47 balls and helped his side clinch a four-wicket win. Royal Challengers, this season, have not been fazed by pressure of a big occasion because Kohli and the head coach Daniel Vettori have tried to keep things simple.”It’s just about them not being over-excited, understanding what’s given them success and sticking to their strengths because eventually you are playing a game of cricket,” Kohli said. “There’s nothing different happening out there. It’s still bowling the same ball or playing the same sort of shot. It’s just the occasion that sometimes gets to players so the biggest challenge tomorrow for all the players in the side is to not look at that game of cricket as something very different.”The end result is something that can make someone too happy or too nervous but that’s what you have to stay away from. You have to stay in the moment, stay in the process. Eventually, things take care of themselves. At the end of the game, whether we win or lose, we understand that this is the only game we have as a team this season and we would like to enjoy that together because the journey has been wonderful so far. The way we have been able to turn things around as a squad is something that we all are very proud of and we want to take this opportunity tomorrow to enjoy each other’s company on the field.”So what is key to coming good in the glare of a big final? “I think the one word that comes to mind is composure. It’s very similar to being in a pressure situation while you are batting or bowling. What you require is composure.”On occasions like this, where it starts is the change room. How you look at the atmosphere out there on the ground, how excited or nervous you get, whether your heart rate is shooting up before you even start warm-ups, all those things are very, very important for a person to understand.”Kohli invoked a sense of the bigger picture as well to defuse the pressure and help himself and his team perform to the peak of their ability.”[We need to] understand that tomorrow is not going to be paused forever. Whatever happens, there has to be another day, there has to be a new day after that. Whether you win or whether you lose, that will not stay. Just to stay away from that. Be attached yet be detached, it’s a classic example of that saying where you want to win, but at the same time you are not so attached to it that you are cursing yourself or being too hard on yourself. At the same time, if you win, you must enjoy with your team-mates, you must enjoy the occasion but understand that that’s not the end of everything. The juggernaut doesn’t stop rolling there, you still have to keep working hard in any of the games you play afterwards. I think that sort of mindset where you can be probably very measured in terms of approaching a loss or a victory helps you stay in the right focus.”

Ben Cox has signed a new four-year contract committing him to Worcestershire until the end of the 2020 season

George Dobell03-Jul-2016Ben Cox has signed a new four-year contract committing him to Worcestershire until the end of the 2020 season.Cox, aged just 24 but already a veteran of seven seasons in the professional game, has developed into an outstanding wicketkeeper over the last few years. He was also the county’s second highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship in the 2015 season and is averaging above 40 in this year’s competition.Cox, like most of the Worcestershire side, has developed through the club’s system and joins nine of his first team colleagues in signing a long-term deal that demonstrates obvious commitment from both parties. His current contract was due to expire at the end of this season and he was beginning to attract admiring glances from other counties.”We are delighted Ben has signed the new contract,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said. “He is such a club man and team man. He is a Worcestershire man through and through. To have somebody of his loyalty towards the club, and passion for the club, to reward him with a long contract is exactly what we are all about.”He is a terrific cricketer now, as consistent a wicket-keeper in county cricket that I have seen and to do that at a young age is incredibly good. But also he has match-winning experience and ability with the bat in the different formats.

”It is very tricky going into bat towards the end of an innings in one-day cricket and he does it superbly and often is there at the finish and winning games of cricket.”The only complication for Worcestershire comes in attempting to fulfil the ambitions of Cox and Joe Clarke. Clarke, a 20-year-old batsman of rare potential, also has wicketkeeping aspirations – he kept for England Under-19 and also, at times, for Worcestershire in pre-season – and may feel his opportunities are now blocked by the confirmed presence of Cox.While Clarke, currently not in Cox’s class as a keeper, is also secured on a long-term deal until the end of 2018, if he does decide to pursue opportunities elsewhere, he would have no shortage of takers. He was with the England squad during the final ODI against Sri Lanka as a reserve fielder.”I’m just delighted to sign the length of contract I have at Worcestershire,” Cox said. “I want to play my cricket here and for the club to back that up and show they have faith in me for the next four years is tremendous.”I’m a Worcester boy through and through. I’ve been here since I was nine years old and never thought of leaving. To sign for another four years is brilliant.”I see this squad of players winning silverware at some point whether it be this year, the next couple of years or three or four years down the line. We’ve got the players to win trophies.”

Marcus Trescothick moved within one hundred of Harold Gimblett and as Peter Trego added his own century, Somerset made Middlesex fight all the way at Taunton

David Hopps at Taunton12-Jul-2016
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is within one century of Harold Gimblett•Getty Images

Middlesex will anticipate the final day of four at Taunton and reflect that on such days are Championships won and lost. With Warwickshire getting little change from the bottom club Hampshire, there is a chance to extend their lead at the top, but Somerset’s lead of 203 with four wickets remaining makes victory in the balance. A tense day lies in prospect.When Middlesex took a first-innings lead of 145 and then removed four Somerset wickets before conceding the lead, their hopes must have been high that they could be well on the way to their third win of the season which would be quite an achievement for an attack lacking Toby Roland-Jones, Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh: 76 wickets between them.Instead, they ran aground on both sides of tea against familiar foes as centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego lifted Taunton spirits. For 40 overs, as they crashed and carved 181 runs, West Country cricket had a smile on its face again. Middlesex’s stand-in seamers have much to commend them, but they deteriorated under pressure and as a green pitch became firm and true their hold over the match weakened.Here are two fine servants of Somerset cricket: the gentle roll of Trescothick, ambling around the crease with the contentment of a jolly sailor reaching dry land after a satisfying day’s fishing in the Bristol Channel, and the piratical figure of Trego, who is more likely to dock with cutlass and eye patch. They offer fine entertainment, even on a day when a chill wind is whistling around the Quantocks.Trescothick’s 48th first-class century for Somerset takes him second in the county’s all-time list, his innings coming to grief on 124 when James Harris had him caught at the wicket with a delivery of tight line. His latest landmark leaves him just one century behind the great Harold Gimblett, a batsman from five centuries of Quantocks farming stock.

Jayawardene stays on

Mahela Jayawardene will now be available to play in the remaining matches in Somerset’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.
Originally the Sri Lankan batsman had only signed for the NatWest T20 Blast campaign but this has now been extended to the 50 over competition.

Trego, the great entertainer, only averages about one hundred a year – destructive 40s and 60s are more his metier – but he played with great certainty and remained 115 not out at the close. To reach his first century of the season, he needed a let-off by John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, on 81, a chance high to his right off James Fuller.Trego said; “It was my 200th game and I never thought I would get to this point. But having been around for such a long time, I have had to make sure that my game has evolved. I needed to dig in for the team and I felt I did that today.”Tres and I have got a great rapport, but a lot of our better partnership[s have been in one day cricket. With Marcus not playing one day games anymore, we don’t often get the chance to bat together. So, yes, it was enjoyable.”Fuller, resuming on 84, had failed to achieve his maiden Championship hundred before lunch, falling nine short when he edged Tim Groenewald to first slip. James Harris fell in identical fashion, their ninth-wicket stand stretched to 162 in 46 overs, and the match in Middlesex’s grasp.Peter Trego shows delight at his century•Getty Images

There was talk of a three-day win as Middlesex, led by three wickets for Harry Podmore, worked through Somerset’s second innings. No batsman likes to lose his middle stump because of a leave alone, but Johann Myburgh could at last reflect that he was beaten by a ball that came back sharply and which he might have felt he could fairly leave on length alone.Chris Rogers – the captain who had risked a greentop, knowing that Somerset would have to have first bat on it – had reason to be doubly frustrated about his duck, guiding Podmore to his former Australian team-mate George Bailey at point. Spin has played a minor role on this pitch, but Ollie Raynor chipped in with the wicket of James Hildreth thanks to a sharp catch at slip from James Franklin.Trescothick, as he has so often, welcomed each new partner with equanimity, a figure of certainty while change happened all around hm. Jim Allenby first provided support until he pulled Podmore to mind-on. Then came Trego and Taunton put its gripes and grievances aside and soaked up the entertainment.

Georgia Adams hit 41 as the Southern Vipers produced a flawless display with bat and ball to start their Kia Super League campaign with a six-wicket bonus point win over Surrey Stars

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016
ScorecardNew Zealand’s Suzie Bates scored 25 and took 1 for 20 as Southern Vipers started with a win (file photo)•IDI/Getty Images

Georgia Adams hit 41 as the Southern Vipers produced a flawless display with bat and ball to start their Kia Super League campaign with a six-wicket bonus point win over Surrey Stars.Opening batsman Adams crunched her runs from 43 balls in a stylish knock, helping to put on a 66-run opening stand with New Zealand international Suzie Bates. Despite a mini-wobble with victory in their sights, the Vipers chased down their target with 28 balls to spare following a disciplined bowling performance in front of 2,250 at the Ageas Bowl.The only blemish for the home side came when captain Charlotte Edwards, who recently retired from England duty, suffered a sickening neck injury when she collided with Fi Morris attempting to catch Nat Sciver’s aerial strike, forcing her to sit out the rest of the match.Surrey had elected to bat first but opening bowlers Morna Nielson and Natasha Farrant piled on the pressure from the off, with batsmen Bryony Smith and Tammy Beaumont struggling to pierce the infield. The frustration was typified when England star Beaumont chipped Farrant straight to Edwards at mid-on from the 12th ball of the innings.The squeeze continued into left-armer Farrant’s second over when she had Cordelia Griffith leg before and Bates joined the fun by bowling a slogging Smith.The Stars were then left on 26 for 4 when a stunning catch from Edwards, again at mid-on, gave Nielsen her first wicket with the final ball of her spell – and top figures of 1 for 12 from four overs. It got even worse for the visitors when captain Nat Sciver sent back overseas player Marizanne Kapp, who was well short of making her ground.Naomi Dattani was lbw to Morris but Sciver and Rene Farrell milked as many runs as possible in an unbroken partnership of 37 to help the Stars reach 85 for 6 in their 20 overs.The Vipers boasted a glowing bowling card, with home-grown pacer Katie George a surprise standout, only going for 13 in her four overs, including 17 dot balls, and Farrant taking 2 for 17.In reply, Bates and Adams, promoted to the top of the order with Edwards sidelined although able to bat if required, looked more at ease at the crease than their Surrey counterparts. Adams stroked a glorious cover drive before Bates, the ICC’s No. 2-ranked T20 batsman, copied her at the other end as the pair went through the gears to reach 32 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay.Surrey’s day got worse when Kapp dropped a low chance off Adams, and the Sussex batsman made her pay with a beautiful lofted drive down the ground soon after. The fifty stand came up in 65 deliveries, but Adams drilled a caught and bowled at Alex Hartley to end the partnership.Sara McGlashan fell to Hartley’s next ball and Bates was castled by Lea Tahuhu as three wickets fell for two runs, before Alice Macleod was run out with three still required but the home side managed to ease home three balls later.

Avishka Fernando hit his second century in consecutive matches as Sri Lanka’s Under-19s completed a 3-0 whitewash in the Royal London one-day series with a 24-run win in Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2016
ScorecardAvishka Fernando hit 138 off 134 balls•Getty Images

Avishka Fernando hit his second century in consecutive matches as Sri Lanka’s Under-19s completed a 3-0 whitewash in the Royal London one-day series with a 24-run win in Canterbury.But England went down fighting, as Surrey wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Pope hit a defiant 88 from 78 balls with good support from Gloucestershire’s George Hankins and Somerset’s Dom Bess.Fernando followed the 117 he scored at Chelmsford on Saturday with 138 from 134 balls, sharing an opening partnership of 149 with Dilan Jayalath.England fought back well later in the Sri Lanka innings, with three wickets for Ben Green and two each for George Panayi and Ben Twohig as the tourists slipped from 256 for one to 300 all out – the last five wickets falling for nine in the space of 17 balls.England struggled to 66 for 3 in reply but Hankins followed the 98 he made in Chelmsford with a composed 79.His departure after a stand of 69 with Pope seemed likely to end the chase at 178 for five. But Pope and Bess had other ideas, putting on 80 in eight overs for the seventh wicket to give the Sri Lankans a few jitters.It took a sharp piece of fielding which was typical of the high standards Sri Lanka have set throughout the series to run out Pope as he tried to complete an ambitious two, and the innings lost momentum after that with Bess left unbeaten on 33 from 22 balls.

Steve O’Keefe’s nightmarish start to the season has escalated further, with a broken finger ruling the New South Wales and Australia left-arm spinner out of the Matador Cup

Daniel Brettig06-Oct-2016Steve O’Keefe’s nightmarish start to the season has escalated further, with a broken finger ruling the New South Wales and Australia left-arm spinner out of the Matador Cup.The injury took place in a Sydney grade match before the domestic limited-overs tournament began, when O’Keefe went for a catch while playing for Manly-Warringah. O’Keefe had only recently returned to playing after a hamstring injury had ruled him out of the Test tour of Sri Lanka midway through the first match of the series at Pallekele.On his return home, O’Keefe was fined $10,000 by NSW after being handed an infringement notice by NSW police for offensive behaviour and refusing to leave the premises of a Manly pub. The NSW coach Trent Johnston summed up a tough period for O’Keefe, who remains in the forefront of the national selectors’ minds for next year’s Test tour of India.”It’s hugely disappointing for him,” Johnston said. “He had overcome the injury that ruled him out of the Sri Lanka tour and was back to full fitness and enjoying his cricket. Sokkie will come back, he’ll keep working on his fitness and be in and around our group as an experienced player.”Ben Rohrer, the left-handed batsman who initially missed selection for the Blues’ squad, has replaced O’Keefe for the tournament after some impressive displays in recent weeks.”Rohrs had a slow start to preseason with a couple of injuries,” Johnston said. “He never got a chance to bat in the middle and missed out on our Maroochydore pre-season camp. It was a difficult decision to leave him out, especially with his experience.”He came back though, as the true professional that he is, and got a double-century in a 50-over Premier Cricket game and a 90 in an intra-squad trial so he just proved to us that he hasn’t gone anywhere.”Another man who may benefit from O’Keefe’s absence is Chris Green, the young offspinner who may now find himself bowling in tandem with Nathan Lyon.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Nawaz are likely to debut for Pakistan in their historic 400th Test match, against West Indies in Dubai

The Preview by Umar Farooq12-Oct-2016

Match facts

October 13-17 2016
Start time 1530 local (11:30 GMT)1:22

Dujon: Hope younger WI players can learn from experience

Big picture

Pakistan are no longer the No. 1 Test team, having lost the top ranking to India, but they still retain the sense of being champions. They are set to play their 400th Test match, a landmark game in more than one way since it will be played with a pink ball, under lights, at the Dubai International Stadium. It will be only the second ever day-night Test, following the Australia-New Zealand match in Adelaide last year.First-class matches have been played under lights in both Pakistan and West Indies, but the experience is still a new one for most of the players from both sides. The visibility of the ball post-dusk has been a talking point, particularly with the pink ball sporting a black seam, but there is more excitement than anxiety among the players in the lead-up to the Test.The UAE has previous experience of staging pink-ball cricket, having hosted the English first-class season-opener between MCC and the champion county under lights multiple times since 2010. Those matches, however, were all played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dubai is hosting its first pink-ball match, and it will be interesting to see if the stadium, which has a capacity of 25,000, can draw sizeable crowds for the Test match.Pakistan sit comfortably ahead of West Indies in the rankings table and are playing in familiar conditions, but they will guard against complacency. They will be without their best batsman, Younis Khan, who is resting after recovering from dengue fever, and are likely to feature two debutants as well as a new-look combination with five specialist batsmen and an allrounder slotting into a five-man bowling attack.West Indies lost their most recent Test series 2-0, at home against India, and the margin could have been worse if not for rain. They haven’t begun this tour well either, having been whitewashed in both the ODI and T20 series, and it will not be a surprise if they suffer another 3-0 reverse in the Tests. But they have gained a bit of confidence from their two warm-up games, in which as many as six of their batsmen – Leon Johnson, Shai Hope (twice), Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo – made half-centuries, while their bowlers also got among the wickets. It remains to be seen, though, if the No. 8-ranked Test team can make any sort of dent in Pakistan’s proud record in the UAE.

Form guide

Pakistan: WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: DLDLD

In the spotlight

Babar Azam announced himself with three back-to-back hundreds in the ODI series, and Younis Khan’s absence will allow him to showcase his talents at Test level. Pakistan have a strong batting group, and Babar will need to extend his ODI form into his Test debut to make it hard for the team management to leave him out when Younis returns.Darren Bravo struggled in the home Tests against India, but he will be encouraged by the fact that his overseas average (51.18) far exceeds his average at home (29.35). He comes into the series with a bit of form behind him, with an innings of 61 in the second ODI and a 91 for the West Indians in their tour game against the PCB Patron’s XI in Sharjah. Legspinner Devendra Bishoo also impressed in that match, picking up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, and will be relied on to do a lot of bowling if he plays.Darren Bravo scored 91 in the warm-up game against the PCB Patron’s XI in Sharjah•AFP

Team news

Pakistan’s Test line-up has been fairly stable over the last few years, but they have often craved an allrounder to give them flexibility in different conditions. Mohammad Nawaz, who is likely to make his Test debut in Dubai, could be that sought-after player with his batting and left-arm spin. Babar Azam will come in for Younis Khan as he recuperates from his recent bout of dengue fever.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah ul Haq (capt), 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Sohail Khan.With half-centuries in both warm-up matches, Shai Hope has made a case for inclusion in West Indies’ middle order. Marlon Samuels, who has been in poor form in Test matches of late, didn’t play either game, and it will be interesting to see if he retains his place at No. 4. With Roston Chase established as their first-choice spin-bowling allrounder, West Indies will choose between Devendra Bishoo and Jomel Warrican as the specialist spinner to partner him.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Leon Johnson, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Shai Hope/Marlon Samuels, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Miguel Cummins, 11 Shannon Gabriel.

Pitch and conditions

Temperatures in the UAE have come down and the weather is likely to be cooler than it was during the limited-overs matches. Dew could be a factor, though neither side has complained about it so far. It is understood that the ground staff have used anti-dew spray on the outfield to minimise its impact and reduce the likelihood of spinners experiencing difficulty gripping the ball in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan are playing their 400th Test match. They played their first match in Delhi against India in 1952. In their 63 years and 11 months as a Test team, Pakistan have won 128 games, lost 113, and drawn 158.
• Yasir Shah is five wickets short of 100 in Test matches. He has played 16 Test matches so far, and will become the joint-second-quickest to the mark if he gets there in Dubai.
• West Indies have won four Tests and lost 25 while playing away from home in the last ten years. Three of their four wins have been against Bangladesh. The last time they won an away Test against an opposition other than Bangladesh was in December 2007, in Port Elizabeth against South Africa.

Quotes

“I think there could be no better time than this to make his Test debut. He has played mature innings and has developed well. He has played well not only here but also in New Zealand and looks a good prospect.”
“We obviously went down in our last series, but it is a fresh series here and we had a pretty good lead up to this Test series. We have been here quite a while and most of the guys had a good camp in the Caribbean.”

James Anderson only arrived in India on Tuesday night but he retains hopes of being fit to play in the second Test against India

George Dobell in Rajkot09-Nov-20161:11

Ganguly: No Anderson even if he is fit

James Anderson only arrived in India on Tuesday night but he retains hopes of being fit to play in the second Test against India.Anderson has not played a game since August having suffered a stress fracture in his right shoulder. But, having been cleared to join the tour last week, he is now keen to prove himself in the nets over the coming days and stake a claim for selection for the Test starting in Visakhapatnam on November 17.”I had a good week at Loughborough last week, bowling to get some overs under my belt,” Anderson told Sky Sports. “Hopefully I can keep that going this week and get some miles into my legs to make sure I’m as fit as I can be and maybe be fit for the second Test.”It is still over a week away so it is hard to say for sure right now. It all depends how the week goes, but I’m sure in the next two or three days we’ll have an idea of whether that is a possibility or not.”At the tender age of 34 I’ve got enough experience to get into match mode quite quickly. Obviously it is not always easy without having any games under my belt, but I think I am able to do that.”While it remains more likely that Anderson will return to the side for the third or fourth Tests, he has been encouraged by the speed of his recent recovery.”We initially thought maybe the fourth Test was a possibility, but the way I’ve progressed over the last three or four weeks has been positive,” Anderson said. “I had a stress fracture of the shoulder blades at the back of my shoulder. It was a bit weird. I think it was just workload thing. I injured the muscle against Sri Lanka in May. The stress fracture has healed now and hopefully that will last.”I bowled 30 overs last week and now it is just about carrying that on and maybe upping the intensity a little bit. The rest is just standing around and getting those miles in the legs and being used to being on your feet for seven or eight hours a day.”Despite being unable to take part in the first Test – Anderson was given Wednesday off and will bowl in the nets in Rajkot on Thursday – he was delighted to be at the ground to see Stuart Broad awarded a silver cap by Andrew Strauss to mark his 100th Test.”I thought I was going to miss it but it is great that I got out here in time and saw him get his cap from Straussy,” Anderson said. “It’s an amazing achievement. He’s been a fantastic bowler for years and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in the majority of his Tests as well. We talk a lot about the game, we know each other’s game inside out and we talk a lot on the field.”We’ve developed a great friendship on and off the field and I’m just delighted that I’m here.”

Somerset are preparing to stage their first England fixture next season buoyed by further proof that they are one of the most financially-stable counties in the country

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2016Somerset are preparing to stage their first England fixture next season buoyed by further proof that they are one of the most financially-stable counties in the country.The 2016 accounts show a pre-tax surplus of £596,700 for the last fiscal year. Earnings before taxes, interest and depreciation were £670,111, compared with £411,681 twelve months ago.Continued evidence that Somerset remains a hotbed for professional cricket comes ahead of their staging of a T20I between England and South Africa on June 23 as well as hosting matches in the women’s World Cup in England, a tournament which runs parallel to the Champions Trophy and staged in England for the first time since 1993.Somerset reported that the club benefited from the opening of the new Somerset Pavilion and exceptional NatWest T20 Blast sales with every fixture sold out. Although Somerset’s T20 form was disappointing, a late challenge for the Championship, conceded only on the final day, helped to ensure satisfactory catering and commercial revenues.Somerset’s Chairman Andy Nash said: “These excellent results crown a decade of significant financial progress. The strong growth in turnover and profit last year allow us to continue investing heavily in our cricket squad and press ahead with further significant improvements to facilities at the Cooper Associates County Ground, while paying down our borrowings on schedule.”

Hyderabad’s nervy draw courtesy captain Badrinath, Sachin Baby’s mammoth double ton and Himachal’s draw the highlights from the final round of Group C matches

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2016Hyderabad held on after being aided by a fog delay to draw their match against Andhra in Lucknow and seal the second knockout qualification spot from Group C.Hyderabad had gone to stumps on the third day on 13 for 1 after a bold declaration by Andhra – who would have qualified with an outright win – had set them a target of 219. However, the entire first session was lost due to fog on the fourth day and only 40 overs were possible after that. It wasn’t enough for Andhra to force a result even though they made a match of it. by picking five wickets. Hyderabad then shut shop and walked away with the one point they needed to qualify. They were reduced to 36 for 5, but captain S Badrinath and wicketkeeper K Sumanth batted together for nearly 20 overs, and added as many runs, to avoid further damage and take them through.Himachal Pradesh‘s spinners, led by offspinner Gurvinder Singh, took eight wickets between them to dismiss Goa for 286 and set up a seven-wicket win on the last day of the group stage in Mumbai.Gurvinder took four wickets, including that of Darshan Misal (119) who scored his second century of the match. Sumiran Amonkar (55) was the only other batsman to make a significant contribution, but he had fallen in the second over of the day that Goa had begun on 99 for 2. They lost regular wickets as Bipul Sharma (2-36) and Mayank Dagar (2-77) joined Gurvinder in bowling 60.4 of the 84.4 overs Goa batted before being bowled out for 286, setting HP 139 to win.HP went about the chase in similar batting fashion to their first innings – striking at over five runs per over – and chased it down in the 28th over. Paras Dogra led their chase with an unbeaten 55 off 69 balls.Amandeep Khare scored his second century of the match as Chhattisgarh ended their debut season with first-innings points against Jammu & Kashmir in Gwalior. Khare, who was also making his Ranji debut this season, finished as Chhattisgarh’s top-scorer.Chhattisgarh had ended the third day on 101 for 1 having taken a first-innings lead of 128. Their overnight pair of Khare and Manoj Singh (85) extended their partnership to 161, before Manoj was dismissed by Parvez Rasool. Chhattisgarh struck at nearly five runs per over in their bid to set J&K a decent target. Khare completed his century off 79 balls and was unbeaten on 117 off 91 when Chhattisgarh declared on 264 for 3.
Set 393, J&K held on for 78 overs, thanks mainly to half-centuries from Shubham Khajuria (72), Pranav Gupta (65) and Rasool (66), three of only four batsmen to score in double digits. Left-arm spinners Sumit Ruikar and Ajay Mandal took three wickets each for Chhattisgarh.Kerala batted through all 64 overs of the day without losing a wicket to secure first-innings points against Services in Delhi.Kerala began the day on 271 for 5, needing 52 more to get past Services’ first-innings total of 322. Overnight batsmen Sachin Baby and Akshay Chandran put on an unbroken 257-run sixth-wicket partnership as both notched up career-best scores. Baby, who had begun the day on 112, was unbeaten on 250 at, while Chandran (102*) raised his maiden century just before Kerala declared on 518 for 5 and stumps were drawn.