1st Test Day 3 Pakistan v South Africa (Abu Dhabi)

South Africa 249 and 72 for 4 (Smith 32) trail Pakistan 442 (Manzoor 146, Misbah 100, Shafiq 54) by 121 runs

It's been nearly two years since South Africa lost a Test match, and as several of their opponents have found out, one or two exceptional individual performances aren't sufficient to topple them. Pakistan know that, and nearly everybody in the team has contributed in the first three days to put them in a position to upset the world's No. 1 ranked team.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Saeed Ajmal, the lynchpins of the batting and bowling respectively, both delivered but unlike other occasions, they had a large supporting cast. Khurram Manzoor went on to make the highest Test score by a Pakistan batsman against South Africa, Asad Shafiq shrugged off his indifferent recent form to make a vital half-century, Mohammad Irfan's unsettling bounce made the openers' life difficult, Junaid Khan ruined Jacques Kallis' birthday by dismissing him for a duck, and the debutant Zulfiqar Babar struck the biggest blow of the day with his first delivery, getting rid of the super-consistent Hashim Amla late in the day.

 

All of which combined to leave South Africa tottering at 72 for 4, still needing 121 to make Pakistan bat again on a track that had seemed docile but was causing serious headaches when Pakistan were bowling.

 

There was a clear ploy to bowl short to Alviro Petersen, who loves playing the pull. Irfan kept banging it in, with two men in the deep on the leg side, and in the 11th over, he had Petersen gloving a catch to the keeper. The other opener, Graeme Smith, was edgy early on against pace and spin, but just as it seemed he was settling in, he was drawn out by a flighted Saeed Ajmal delivery and though Adnan Akmal fumbled the ball, there was time to have Smith stumped for the first time in his 111-Test career.

 

In the next over itself, Junaid angled one in towards middle stump, Kallis missed it and the umpire had one of the easiest lbw decisions to make. It got worse for South Africa as in the final over of the day, Babar spun the ball away to get the outside edge and Akmal pouched the chance. Pakistan's ascendancy was highlighted by the five fielders around the bat as the day came to a close.

 

Though the ball seemed to be performing tricks when Pakistan bowled, the pitch seemed docile when South Africa were bowling. One of cricket's hoary clichés is about how the first hour of the day's play is crucial, and it seemed particularly true this morning when the new ball gave South Africa their best chance of making breakthroughs. The quicks bowled better lengths than on Tuesday, but they only had the wicket of Manzoor to show in the first session as Pakistan continued to dominate.

 

Misbah began the day with some deft glides towards the third-man boundary, and continued to use the sweeps efficiently against the spinners. The previous 25 times when Misbah reached 50 in international cricket, he didn't go on to reach triple figures. In Abu Dhabi, though, he didn't miss out, and the usually impassive Misbah was beaming as he celebrated his first international hundred since May 2011.

 

The fast bowlers tied down Pakistan in the opening hour, but Misbah remained steadfast as ever, and Shafiq provided solid support. Both players were more expansive towards the end of the morning session, when the shine had worn off the ball and South Africa turned to Robin Peterson and Kallis. 

 

Misbah had some close calls after lunch, a couple of inside-edges which could have easily rolled on to the stumps and a loud caught-behind appeal that was turned down but he persevered to reach triple figures. He fell two deliveries after completing his century, becoming Dale Steyn's first victim of the innings.

 

Shafiq, a late addition to Pakistan's Test squad, underlined why he should be in the side with a vital innings, especially given how long the Pakistan tail is. He showed off how strong he is hitting in the arc between cover and point; a stylishly driven four off Kallis prompted a short ball which was pulled away for four more, earning Shafiq a pat on the back from Misbah. He gave it away with a soft dismissal on 54, chipping a half-volley on the pads to short midwicket.

 

Still, there was no quick end to the innings as Akmal made 32 to inflate the lead to nearly 200. The batting, so often the cause of Pakistan's poor showings in recent times, had done their job, and the bowlers backed that up to leave Pakistan dreaming of another famous win in the UAE. And this after losing their last Test against Zimbabwe.

1st Test Day 2 Pakistan v South Africa (Abu Dhabi)

Pakistan 263 for 3 (Manzoor 131*, Masood 75) lead South Africa 249 (Amla 118, Duminy 57, Irfan 3-44, Babar 3-89) by 14 runs

Usually, a couple of hours into a Pakistan Test innings, Younis Khan is in the middle trying to rescue the team after the top order has floundered. In Abu Dhabi, he was relaxing in the pavilion, fiddling around with a camera while chatting with Junaid Khan. He could afford to joke around as Pakistan's new opening pair, Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood, put on 135 runs, Pakistan's first century stand for the first wicket since January 2012, back when they were making a mockery of England's No. 1 ranking.
 

It is much too soon to talk of them making a mockery of the current No.1 side in the world, but Pakistan's sixth opening combination in seven Tests put them on course for a healthy first-innings score. Manzoor went on to his maiden Test century, the first by a Pakistan opener against South Africa in a decade, to heap the pressure on Graeme Smith's side.

 

Manzoor is only playing his 10th Test, spread over more than four years, but was already deemed the senior opener in the squad, after Mohammad Hafeez was axed. He is fresh off twin half-centuries in his previous Test, and though he had a few nervy moments early on, he didn't throw away his wicket. He was generally watchful against the quicks, wearing a blow on his ribs from Jacques Kallis, and only opened out just before lunch when the spinners came on, taking three boundaries in two overs.

 

What stood out as much as his crisp strokeplay and concentration was his desire to get a big score. He regularly chided himself when he played a loose shot, even knocking his helmet with his bat several times after chasing a wide one from Vernon Philander and nearly nicking it when on 90.

 

It was a bit of struggle for him around that time, scoring only one run in 24 deliveries. Just as the pressure was mounting on him, he broke free with consecutive boundaries off Robin Peterson. The century arrived soon after with a push towards cover for two, celebrating in a chest-thumpingly exuberant manner.

 

His combativeness was also on display late in the day, when a wicketless Dale Steyn charged in with the second new ball. When Steyn flung the ball at him after fielding it, Manzoor didn't back down, snapping back at the world's No. 1 bowler. Later in the over when Steyn glared after a quick delivery, Manzoor blew him a kiss.

 

His opening partner Masood, making his debut, outside-edged his first ball in international cricket past the slips, survived a half chance to Jacques Kallis at second slip and had several plays-and-misses but he didn't look out of his depth in Test cricket.

 

 He pounced on the many leg-stump deliveries offered in the morning session and kept up a brisk scoring rate, and also eased the pressure with several quick singles. He looked particularly strong on the leg side, confidently pulling Philander and using his wrists when Steyn overpitched.

 

Steyn had a rare off day with the new ball, leaking 31 in five overs and didn't pose a threat consistently enough. Philander, playing his first Test in Asia, maintained the tight line he is renowned for but pitched a touch too short on a surface which is slower than the ones he is accustomed to.

 

Morne Morkel was the best of the bowlers, probing away around off and getting the ball to rear at the batsmen.

 

The slow pitch wasn't giving the quicks anything though, and South Africa's most glaring weakness - their spin department - was asked to deliver. Robin Peterson didn't show the accuracy necessary for a lead spinner, and it was JP Duminy who finally provided the breakthrough, getting Masood lbw with tea approaching.

 

South Africa got a couple more wickets early in the final session - Azhar Ali's wretched form extended and Younis was undone by a snorter from Morkel - but Pakistan didn't unravel as their batting rock, Misbah-ul-Haq, resisted with Manzoor for nearly two hours. Misbah used the reverse-sweep and paddle-sweep to exploit the gaps in the field and ended the day unbeaten on 44.

 

South Africa's day didn't get off to the best of starts either as their final two wickets went down within 19 deliveries and their innings wrapped up for the addition of just four runs to the overnight score.

1st Test Day 1 Pakistan v SA (Abu Dhabi)

South Africa 245 for 8 (Amla 118*, Duminy 57, Babar 3-89) v Pakistan

The ebbs and flows of Test cricket were in full evidence on the first day in Abu Dhabi, ending with Pakistan the slightly happier side despite Hashim Amla adding to his rapidly increasing century count. Pakistan's new-ball bowlers produced the breakthroughs in the morning session, then Amla and the middle order made the pitch seem utterly docile in the second session, before the spinners sparked a collapse in the final session.

Few sights are as reassuring for South Africa fans as seeing Amla in the middle. He produced a typically graceful innings, full of whiplash drives through the off and was comfortable camping on the backfoot and playing late against the spinners. As usual, he walked across the stumps to flick balls well outside off to the leg side and serenely progressed to his 20th Test century.

 

There were two main partnerships he was involved in, as he set about stabilising the South Africa innings after three early wickets, first 61 with a fluent AB de Villiers and then 95 with the returning JP Duminy. During those two stands, Pakistan's bowling seemed to lack sting and South Africa seemed to be on autopilot as they collected the runs.

 

Both those alliances ended with soft dismissals. De Villiers' was the sort that sends you scurrying to Youtube. He was looking to defend off the front foot and after an lbw appeal, he held the pose for the umpire. The ball rolled over towards slip, and the keeper Adnan Akmal signalled to Younis Khan to return the ball to the stumps. Adnan took the bails off and after many replays it was determined that de Villiers' backfoot was just outside the crease.

 

Duminy was playing his first Test innings in over a year but looked in fine touch. He has had his problems against spin, but this time he began with some confident shots down the ground. He was picking Saeed Ajmal's doosras well and was untroubled by the quicks as well, and progressed to a brisk half-century. Soon after he was dropped by Adnan off a thick edge, and even before the talk about how expensive that could prove ended, Duminy swept a harmless delivery straight to a deepish backward square leg.

 

It was the first wicket for left-arm-spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who at nearly 35 became Pakistan's third oldest debutant. Babar whirls his arms like a contortionist as he reaches the bowling mark, but in his first day in the top flight, he was steady and showed few signs of nerves. With Ajmal also getting the ball to grip at the other end, Babar kept the pressure on South Africa and was rewarded with two more wickets, of Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson. The Peterson wicket is one he'll remember as he got the ball to turn viciously to zip between bat and pad and onto the stumps.

 

When Ajmal finally had reward with the wicket of Vernon Philander, South Africa had slid to 222 for 8, losing four wickets to spin for 23 runs. Amla was at the other end providing another lesson on playing the turning ball, but the lower-middle order didn't stick around to support him.

 

That helped a Pakistan side which is slightly imbalanced in the absence of their regular allrounder Mohammad Hafeez. Without him, they have only four recognised bowlers and will have to otherwise depend on part-timers like Younis and Azhar Ali. It was a risky strategy especially given the concerns over whether Mohammad Irfan has the stamina needed for Test cricket.

 

Irfan gave a scare when he walked off in the final session, but was back after about half an hour having recovered from the cramps he suffered in the stifling heat. He was terrific in the morning session, bowling at pace and constantly attacking on the offstump line. He got his typical extra bounce which led to a wicket in the third over itself as Alviro Petersen fell to a juggling catch at short leg.

 

Graeme Smith has had a long absence from top-flight cricket and it showed in his first international innings back. He was left searching for the ball outside off several times, there were a couple of streaky edged boundaries behind the wicket, after the second of which he nicked one through to the keeper.

 

Another man returning from time away from cricket, Jacques Kallis, didn't look as rusty as Smith, but he too didn't make too many runs, inside-edging an incutter from Junaid Khan to the keeper for 5. It wasn't the biggest of crowds that showed up in Abu Dhabi, but they certainly found their voice when South Africa were dithering at 43 for 3.

 

Though they were quietened by the stands Amla was involved in, the spinners provided them plenty to cheer towards the end of the day.

1st ODI India v Australia

Australia 304 for 8 (Bailey 85, Finch 72) beat India 232 (Kohli 61, Faulkner 3-47) by 72 runs

Australia showed just why they have been so successful in ODIs in India, and just why India's usual template of chasing anything their profligate bowlers concede often comes short against the visitors. Their batsmen powered their side over 300 on a slow and, at times, uneven pitch. Their fast bowlers then extracted appreciable bite from the same pitch and used the short ball intelligently to finish the contest by the end of the batting Powerplay. Tellingly, India have never successfully chased 300-plus against Australia, and this was their 11th failed attempt, this time against a side lacking several first-choice players.

The only time India looked relatively comfortable was during the 71-run third-wicket partnership between Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, who was promoted to No 4 ahead of Yuvraj Singh. Shikhar Dhawan had gone early and Rohit Sharma had given away yet another start. The asking-rate was above seven an over, but the duo was keeping up with it. Raina has never hidden his ambition of batting up the order, but that will have to be backed by a curbing of his urge to go for the glory swipe over midwicket, a stroke that serves him well while finishing an innings. He'd seemed to have weathered the inevitable early short-ball test to motor to 39 before he tried the shot against James Faulkner and mishit to third man. India were 137 for 2 when Raina fell; they would crumble to 232.

Mitchell Johnson hadn't played the Rajkot T20 in which India chased 200-plus. He took the first new ball tonight and delivered a searing spell of extreme pace, hitting speeds over 150kph regularly. He also took the key wicket of Yuvraj, the architect of the Rajkot win who came in at Raina's fall, setting him up with a couple of full deliveries before squaring him up with a shortish one and inducing a poke to the wicketkeeper.

Kohli looked the most solid of the India batsmen and made the most runs for his side, playing with his usual limited-overs solidity. As he went past fifty, Kohli seemed to be hitting the cruise mode that he gets in during big chases. His defence was as sure as his driving, but even he was set up smartly, this time by Shane Watson. Three successive short balls - the last of which Kohli went to pull and missed - were followed by a good length delivery. Kohli played across the line and was trapped in front.

Ravindra Jadeja had raced through his overs to deliver a miserly analysis of 10-0-35-1, but faced with varied fast bowling under pressure, he again came across as a limited batsman. A mistimed slog to mid-on ended his misery.

MS Dhoni, who had hung on grimly for a while, got the ball of the match from Clint McKay that pitched on good length and straightened past his defensive jab to uproot off stump. India were 196 for 7, and the Pune crowd had started exiting the stadium.

They had come to see their batsmen dominate, but it was the opposition's that had set the tone in the afternoon. Australia captain George Bailey built on a century opening stand even as wickets fell around him, and his lower order finished strongly.

Overwhelmingly favouring the on side, Bailey was always on the lookout for singles and twos and also quick to pull, sweep and cut, especially against the spinners. He held the innings together, but became the seventh man to fall with the score on 264 in the 47th over. Just when it seemed Australia had lost all their steam, the lower order looted 38 off India's seamers in the last three overs to push their side over the 300-mark.

Before their captain, Aaron Finch and Hughes took their time to get in and then accelerated to leave India looking flat. Finch, after his 89 in Rajkot, was looking in control with another powerful half-century before he mishit Yuvraj to long-off.

Finch played the cut intelligently given the lack of pace, preferring placement over power and often punishing Ishant Sharma either side of point. Hughes crunched several fours through the covers. Australia were galloping now but the breakthrough came for India immediately after the first drinks break, when Hughes nudged Jadeja to leg slip to fall for 47. Watson strode in and mishit his fourth delivery straight to long-on, but Bailey took over, providing his fast bowlers enough margin to do their job.

50 overs Australia 304 for 8 (Bailey 85, Finch 72) v India

Australia captain George Bailey built on a century opening stand even as wickets fell around him, and his lower order finished strongly to set India a target of 305. Given the slow and slightly uneven pitch, it appears to be a difficult chase, unless the ball comes on much better in the evening.

The visitors had an excellent start in the T20 as well, but lost too many wickets and failed to take advantage at the death. They seemed to follow the same pattern today, threatening to waste a 110-run first-wicket partnership between Aaron Finch and Phillip Hughes by losing regular wickets. Bailey, however, held the innings together with a smart, busy knock, but became the seventh man to fall with the score on 264 in the 47th over. Just when it seemed Australia had lost all their steam, the lower order looted 39 off India's seamers in the last three overs to push their side over the 300-mark. Ishant Sharma suffered the most, going for 56 in seven overs, while Vinay Kumar went for 68 in nine.

Overwhelmingly favouring the on side, Bailey was always on the lookout for singles and twos and also quick to pull, sweep and cut, especially against the spinners. He arrived when Australia had slipped from 110 for 0 to 113 for 2, but didn't waste any time to get going. Australia could have easily got tied up by the spinners had they hesitated, but Bailey looked purposeful as soon as he arrived.

Glenn Maxwell played another quick cameo after a hard-hitting 27 in the T20, but having already hit Vinay for a couple of sixes in the 38th over, mishit one to cover. Fortunately for Australia, Bailey shepherded them past 250 before exiting.

Before their captain, Finch and Hughes took their time to get in and then accelerated to leave India looking flat. Finch, after his 89 in Rajkot, was looking in control with another powerful half-century before he mishit Yuvraj Singh to long-off.

India's seamers bowled a tight line initially, and Australia weren't able to attack, resulting in a start of 13 for 0 in six overs. They started to make up from the seventh over. Finch, playing on his IPL home ground, had got some measure of the pitch by now and lofted, drove and pulled Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries. Australia began getting more and more width, and prospered. Finch played the cut intelligently given the lack of pace, preferring placement over power and often punishing Ishant Sharma either side of point. Hughes crunched several fours through the covers. He was also put down on 32 at point by Virat Kohli as he drove at Ishant.

Like in the T20, Dhoni turned to part-timer Kohli. Finch took him for a four and a six to reach his fifty. Australia were galloping now but the breakthrough came for India immediately after the first drinks break. Having nudged Ravindra Jadeja through vacant leg slip for a couple the previous ball, Hughes repeated the shot next delivery, only to find conventional slip had moved down the on side to hold onto a sharp chance.

Shane Watson strode in and tried to impose himself early, but mishit his fourth delivery straight to long-on. It was Yuvraj's first ball, and also his first ODI wicket since the 2011 World Cup. He would likely be called upon with the bat as well if India are to get anywhere near 305.

1st Test Day 5 Bangladesh v New Zealand

New Zealand 469 (Williamson 114, Watling 103) and 287 for 7 dec (Williamson 74, Fulton 59, Gazi 6-77) drew with Bangladesh (Mominul 181, Gazi 101*) and 173 for 3 (Shakib 50*)

Even as the first Test petered out into a draw, the home side had plenty of reasons to celebrate, not least among them Sohag Gazi's performance on the final day. A Test hat-trick, the second only by a Bangladesh bowler, gave him a singular place in cricket history as he became the first cricketer to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in the same game. That wasn't the only record he claimed.

When Mushfiqur Rahim managed to latch on to a rebound off his chest, to get rid of BJ Watling off the third ball of the 85th over, Gazi became only the third player in this decade to score a hundred and take five wickets in a Test, after R Ashwin and team-mate Shakib Al Hasan.

Having taken two wickets off successive balls in that over, Gazi then went on to complete a hat-trick, courtesy a one-handed catch at first slip by Shakib who dived forward to catch the ball close to the ground.

The early finish to the game on the fourth evening meant that the possibility of rain loomed over the final day, but the weather stayed clear. New Zealand, however, began the fifth day slowly. They were seeking consolidation and, with Peter Fulton at the crease, they got just that. Fulton kept the Bangladesh spinners at bay in his own way, with the bat coming down from his 1.98 metre frame and defending the ball low to the ground. He scored 59 runs in more than three hours, adding 101 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson.

Fulton fell leg-before to Gazi in the second hour of play, and was followed by Williamson who was out after adding 51 runs with Ross Taylor for the second wicket. Williamson made 74 off 150 balls, with two fours and a six, but was out to a freak dismissal: his full-bodied pull got lodged between Anamul Haque's thighs and the short-leg fielder held on to complete the catch.

Taylor upped the ante a bit after lunch, hitting Abdur Razzak for three consecutive fours in the first over after the break, as he and Brendon McCullum added 32 runs from 3.4 overs. The New Zealand captain, however, was undone by Gazi's length. The hat-trick followed, and the visitors had little to do but declare with the score on 287 for 7, setting Bangladesh a 256-run target with a maximum of 48 overs.

Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque started cautiously, with a few lbw appeals in between. Anamul was the first to go, caught at cover off a poor Bruce Martin delivery. The shot was a poor one,too, as the batsman went back, came forward and took his time to hit the ball straight to the cover fielder.

Tamim struggled to get the ball off the square, and also enjoyed some luck. He was dropped at deep square leg by Anderson off Martin on 29, and by Ross Taylor at slip when he was on 40. He spent 29 balls in the forties before an awkward-looking drive caught the top-edge, giving a catch to Martin in the covers.

Marshall Ayub once again gave a glimpse of his potential as a No. 3 with a good technique, but he fell leg-before to Sodhi. Shakib and Mominul Haque then got Bangladesh to safety in the last hour.

1st Test Day 4 Bangladesh v New Zealand

New Zealand 469 and 117 for 1 lead Bangladesh 501 (Mominul 181, Gazi 101*) by 85 runs

Sohag Gazi's maiden century had left the first Test in Chittagong nicely poised, but a passing shower drastically diminished chances of a result and New Zealand's caution in their second innings, on a pitch that hardly turned, increased that probability.
 

Chittagong is within 600 km of the predicted path of Cyclone Phailin, which is expected to make landfall on the east coast of India on Saturday evening, and the 20-minute shower in the third session forced an early halt to play. There was more rain forecast in Chittagong on Sunday.

 

Before the weather took a turn for the worse, however, it was Bangladesh's No. 8 Sohag Gazi who had the most impact on the play. Resuming on 28, Gazi brought out his favourite shots. The hard-hit cover drive, the upper cut and the late cut were eye catching but the slogs through midwicket and bludgeons down the ground were what demoralized the New Zealand attack.

 

Doug Bracewell was cut over the wicketkeeper's head and then slammed over midwicket for Gazi's first six, as he reached his fifty off 94 balls. Gazi was also severe on the spinners, he charged slow left-armer Bruce Martin and hit him over his head for his second six. The third came off part-time offspinner Kane Williamson and gave Bangladesh's lead in the 140th over. Bangladesh went to lunch on 491 for 8, having scored 111 runs in the session, for the loss of only Abdur Razzak.

 

Robiul Islam fell in the first over after the interval, leaving Gazi on 98 with only No. 11 Rubel Hossain for company. There was no need for nerves though as Gazi cut a short ball over gully to record his maiden Test century. He celebrated gleefully by pumping his fists, as the home side continued to dominate in the early part of the second session.

 

Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 501 in the 149th over with a 32-run lead - the first time in five attempts that Bangladesh have overtaken New Zealand after batting second.

 

Gazi's innings wasn't shot-a-minute as one might expect from a batsman who has the country's fastest first-class hundred. He left many balls outside off stump, though he had two reprieves - both caught-and-bowled chances of varying difficulty. Martin spilled a sitter, but Trent Boult's one-handed attempt was harder.

 

Gazi finished with ten fours and three sixes, adding 105 runs with No. 10 Robiul, who also made his highest score of 33. Bracewell took three wickets while Boult, Corey Anderson and Ish Sodhi took two each.

 

New Zealand's reply wasn't too cautious to begin with, as Hamish Rutherford made a rapid 32 off 45 balls. But when he fell lbw to Nasir Hossain in the 16th over, Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson became more circumspect, as they slowly added 69 in an unbroken second-wicket stand. The visitors led by 85 runs, but they have to take a more positive approach for a result, weather permitting.

1st Test Bangladesh v New Zealand Day 3

Bangladesh 380 for 7 (Mominul 181, Anderson 2-23) trail New Zealand 469 (Williamson 114, Watling 103) by 89 runs

Mominul Haque wiped away any doubts about his place in the Test line-up with an authoritative 181 that helped Bangladesh make significant progress towards New Zealand's first innings score of 469. His innings is the third highest score by a Bangladeshi batsman, and it was an innings that was his first serious expression of a calculative approach.

At stumps, the home side was 380 for 7, with Sohag Gazi and Abdur Razzak at the crease. Nasir Hossain was the last of the recognised batsman to be dismissed, which means that the tail would have to bat around Gazi, who is on 28.

 

Despite some natural wear and tear on the wicket, there haven't been many balls that caused alarm. At best there was a sense of bemusement when some of the deliveries bounced twice or thrice on their way to wicketkeeper BJ Watling. This was predicted, and so was assistance to spin. But it hasn't materialised yet, much to the dissatisfaction of Bruce Martin and Ish Sodhi.

 

Mominul dictated terms for the six hours he spent at the crease, picking up where he left off overnight. Five fours came off the first 27 deliveries he faced, which got him to the century. He had to survive a couple of close calls when he edged a few and skied one towards deep point, but reached the mark off 98 balls.

 

Though his pace slowed - taking another 100 balls to get to 150 - Mominul made key contributions to a 126-run third wicket stand with Marshall Ayub, 46 runs for the fourth wicket with Shakib Al Hasan and another 121 with captain Mushfiqur Rahim for the fifth wicket.

 

Mushfiqur struck 67 off 119 balls with ten fours and two sixes, having dominated the proceedings and making the New Zealand bowlers go through their toughest phase in the afternoon sessions.

 

Mominul was clever as he kept one end up, consolidating his position and creeping towards the only two higher scores by Bangladesh batsmen - Mushfiqur's 200 and Ashraful's 190, made earlier this year. Though Mominul was at his slowest in the last part of his innings, when he added 31 runs off 75 balls.

 

Earlier, Marshall couldn't capitalise on his start from the previous evening after he chased a wide one to give allrounder Corey Anderson his first Test wicket. The left-armer added a second with the wicket of Mominul, who was trapped leg-before after batting for 377 minutes. He had only just survived a dropped catch when Brendan McCullum's one-handed attempt didn't work out when he dived in front of first slip Ross Taylor off Trent Boult.

 

Taylor made up for it, taking a good one to get rid of Mushfiqur, which could have hurt Bangladesh but Nasir and Gazi added 70 runs for the seventh wicket. before the Nasir holed out after he top-edged a half-tracker from Sodhi.

 

Doug Bracewell and Anderson took two wickets while Boult, Sodhi and Kane Williamson took one each. It was a lot of hard work for the three seamers, and a few misfields and the dropped catch didn't help. Nasir batted at a fair clip, scoring 46 off 65 balls with seven fours and a six. But he was far too impetuous considering a little more caution would have seen Bangladesh end the day in a slightly stronger position.

1st Test Bangladesh V New Zealand Days 1+2

New Zealand 469 (Watling 103, Boult 52*) v Bangladesh 103 for 2 (Mominul 77*, Boult 1-5)

New Zealand were braced to defend a below-par first innings score in the first session of the second day. BJ Watling and Trent Boult slowly developed a mischievous plan that has been repeated seven times already this year. They fended off the Bangladesh bowlers first, then got comfortable, soon they were dominating the attack and New Zealand were in charge of the Chittagong Test.
 

Watling and Boult, the tenth wicket pair, added 127 runs. It shot their total up from 342 for 9 to 469 all out by the end of the second session. Watling completed a second Test century off 171 balls. He was finally dismissed for 103 while Boult was unbeaten on 52 - the fifteenth time a No. 11 has made a half-century in Tests.

 

The visitors added 189 runs on the last day, after which Bangladesh went to stumps at 103 for 2 with Mominul Haque, on 77 off 71 balls, and debutant Marshall Ayub at the crease.

 

But the home side were shaken by New Zealand's late charge, and it was evident in how they lost two wickets in the first 3.3 overs. Opener Tamim Iqbal chased a slightly full ball while Anamul Haque was done by Doug Bracewell's predictable inward movement. Mominul and Ayub, however, stopped the rot till the end of day's play, as they added 95 runs for the third wicket.

 

It was Tamim's first-ever golden duck, and the shot he played wasn't much of a surprise. It is one that has fetched him boundaries throughout his career, but here Boult got the ball to move slightly towards the slips. Kane Williamson, fresh from two sessions of rest, took a fine catch at gully that greatly delighted captain Brendan McCullum.

 

Anamul had survived an edge to slip off a no-ball in the second ball of the innings from Doug Bracewell. But it wasn't for too long, as he was done by the same bowler's in-ducker that was as predictable as Anamul's gap between bat and pad.

 

But as Ayub's confidence grew after a few overs when he looked genuinely nervous. He left and ducked any delivery that shouldn't be bothered with, playing only those within his reach as he mostly defended and letting Mominul do the scoring.

 

Quite different than his usual dour method of batting, Mominul went after New Zealand who committed the mistake of bowling too wide to him at first and then too full. He latched onto Bruce Martin's left-arm spin, taking him for three boundaries in a row in his first over. In the next over, he struck Bracewell for three more on either side of the ground. There were six more boundaries, and each one in front of the wicket.

 

He completed his third half-century off 36 balls, the second fastest for Bangladesh. Ayub supported him quite well for a debutant but they are still some ways short of doing what Boult and Watling did for the first half the day.

 

The duo put on the fourth-highest final wicket stand for New Zealand, and also the second-highest against Bangladesh, after the 133 added by Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan in 2004.

 

Watling was the more technical of the two, but didn't have to sweat too much when he left Boult on strike. Boult was severe on the Bangladesh spinners, particularly Shakib Al Hasan who was struck twice for sixes over deep midwicket.

 

Watling also survived an early let-off when he was on four. Rubel Hossain, who had bounced out nightwatchman Bruce Martin for the first wicket of the day, was celebrating when Nasir Hossain safely held an edge from Watling at gully but a replay asked by the on-field umpires confirmed a no-ball by Rubel, who has been quite regular in stepping over the line.

 

Razzak bowled the most, 55 overs, taking three for 147. Sohag Gazi took two wickets while there was one each for Rubel, Nasir and Mominul.

New Zealand 280 for 5 (Williamson 114, Fulton 73) v Bangladesh

Kane Williamson and Peter Fulton were looking quite comfortable, until the Bangladesh spinners found their mojo in the final hour. New Zealand went to stumps on 280 for 5, having lost their last three wickets in 10.1 overs in the first Test in Chittagong.

After controlled batting had kept all three spinners out of the game on a newly-laid pitch, the fourth and the fifth wickets came in the last two overs, when Williamson, having made 114, and captain Brendon McCullum were adjudged leg-before to Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak respectively.

 

The visitors' progress throughout the day was a fair reflection of the conditions. There was no pace in the wicket even at its freshest, and it didn't change much throughout the day. But the two batsmen, as well as Hamish Rutherford and later Ross Taylor, made friends with the straw-coloured surface quicker than the bowlers would have hoped.

 

Bangladesh included Abdur Razzak for his first Test match in more than two years in hopes of fielding a more rounded attack and just after the first hour, all three spinners had been brought in. But the wickets did not materialise.

 

The swiftness with which the New Zealand top four acclimatised must have been encouraging for the next batsmen. Williamson was the most impressive, adjusting quickly as if he suddenly remembered how he had scored his first ODI hundred in Dhaka. Even then, his timing was noticeable.

 

Today he was as tight in defence as he was forceful when the ball was off line. Coming at the back of a first wicket which was needlessly given away by Rutherford, Williamson avoided rash strokeplay. A backfoot dab through mid-on off the first ball he faced, from Shakib Al Hasan, was perhaps the most elegant shot of the day, but the best one of his 12 boundaries came four balls later - another light punch off the back foot to turn the ball past mid-wicket. The two shots set him up for the rest of the innings, as the Bangladesh spinners struggled to push the ball through, or use the slow nature of the wicket to their benefit.

 

Williamson's next seven boundaries were all examples of how a batsman's patience is more often than not rewarded. A majority of them were off short balls, as the bowlers lost their discipline, and soon he reached his half-century off 94 balls.

 

Fulton struggled early on when he repeatedly tried to work the ball in front of the leg side. But after surviving some close calls, he too reached his first fifty since his twin centuries against England in Auckland. His 73 came off 198 balls, with seven fours and a six as he became increasingly comfortable knocking the spinners around, finding the gaps and bringing out the sweep shot once in a while. It was a slow innings, but one that laid the foundation for New Zealand's dominance on the day.

 

Their 126-run stand - New Zealand's highest for the second wicket in Bangladesh - wasn't exactly unexpected because the hosts are used to being on the backfoot when bowling first. But given their attack, it was expected that the pair would be forced into a mistake, which eventually came off Nasir Hossain's part-time off spin. Fulton had a century in his sights when he smashed a half-tracker straight to cover and walked off the field looking very distraught.

 

Williamson reached his century off 175 balls, a confident knock that was pleasing to the eyes, particularly when he punched the ball off either foot. But it was his strong-willed defence that contributed to his innings the most.

 

Along with Ross Taylor, he added 61 runs for the third wicket, which ended when Taylor's flick found a leading edge and fell safely into cover's hands while Rutherford, the day's first wicket, was another batsman being defeated by his own impetuousness.  

 

Williamson was dismissed for 114, having batted more than four hours. His forward prod at Shakib missed the bat, and he was given out leg-before in the penultimate over of the day. McCullum fell in the final over, having played back while trying to flick a ball off Razzak, who was bowling quicker than he had done all day.

 

Despite the five wickets, the day's play promises much for New Zealand looking ahead in the series. They started off quite well on a new surface, which might not impress their pace bowlers much. The plan from the home side would be to diminish the pace and movement of Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, and hope the wicket gets better as the match progresses.

CLT20 Final Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals

Mumbai Indians 202 for 6 ( Smith 44, Maxwell 37, Tambe 2-19) beat Rajasthan Royals 169 (Rahane 65, Samson 60, Harbhajan 4-32) by 33 runs


A furious finish from Mumbai Indians' middle order propelled them to a monumental total before a chase-breaking over from Harbhajan Singh snuffed out the last of Rajasthan Royals' spirit, driving Mumbai to their second major title of the year, as they won the Champions League final by 33 runs. 
 

The Royals bowlers had been disciplined in their first 12 overs, which only cost them less than seven an over, but a Rohit Sharma onslaught unseamed their resolve and the remaining batsmen took maximum toll on a waning attack. Glenn Maxwell provided the most frenzied death-over innings, mauling 37 from 14, but Sharma, Dinesh Karthik and even Harbhajan struck at over 200 to help plunder 120 runs from the last eight overs of the innings.

 

Eighteen-year old Sanju Samson was imperious in Royals' response, and he led Ajinkya Rahane in a 109-run second-wicket stand that provided a fine base for the chase. But even as Rahane completed his fourth fifty on the trot, the Royals' scoring slowed, and Harbhajan eventually sunk the opposition in a 17th over that claimed three wickets and cost only four. 

 

Before that over Royals had needed 48 runs from four overs, and with seven wickets still remaining, a successful chase was conceivable, particularly as Rahane remained in the middle.

 

But it was Rahane who made the first mistake, advancing to swat a full toss straight to deep midwicket, when it seemed he could quite easily have muscled it over the Feroz Shah Kotla's short boundary. Two balls later Stuart Binny was undone by some extra bounce and had his leg stump removed, before Kevon Cooper missed the last ball and overbalanced, and a sharp Karthik did not miss his chance.

 

The most disheartening sight of the match followed in the next over when, having demoted himself to No. 8, Rahul Dravid's final act on a professional cricket field was having his leg stump flattened by a prosaic yorker from Nathan Coulter-Nile. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar had fared little better, when he missed a Shane Watson inducker by a distance to have his own off stump uprooted.

 

Two days shy of his 42nd birthday, Pravin Tambe delivered another remarkable spell, and he might wonder how his team-mates could have indulged the opposition so meekly when he had conceded only 19 from his four overs, while taking the two wickets that placed him atop the tournament wicket-takers' list.

 

Halfway through Mumbai's innings, Royals might have thought they would have to bowl poorly to concede 170. Smith had been effective at the top of the innings again, but by his standards, his 44 had come at a relatively humdrum pace - off 39 balls.

 

It was Rohit though, who got low to wallop a Stuart Binny slower ball high into the night in the 13th over, that began the sequence that beat the wind out of Royals' attack. Two more fours off Binny took the over-tally to 16, before Sharma shuffled around the crease and manipulated the field to score heavily in the next two overs as well.

 

He had some help from Kieron Pollard as they punished Cooper's errant lengths in the 16th over, which cost 20 and featured a monster pull and a towering slog over wide long-on, and the breathless pace was only heightened when Maxwell arrived next over. He clipped his first ball to square leg for four, before sending the next ball - an almost identical delivery - into the stands on the leg side with a more powerful pick-up stroke.

 

A straight six, a glanced four and an improvised reverse-scoop over short third man followed, and with Karthik and later Harbhajan also going big at the other end, Mumbai laid down a daunting challenge in the space of twenty minutes. Courageous though their reply was, Royals could not match them.

CLT20 2nd semi Mumbai Indians v T&T

Mumbai Indians 157 for 4 (Smith 59, Narine 3-17) beat Trinidad & Tobago 153 for 5 (Lewis 62, Ottley 41*) by six wickets

 

Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar provided the searing start that set Mumbai Indians on course for a second Champions League T20 final in three years, a final which will now be an all-IPL affair. Smith bludgeoned 59 from 38 as the pair made 90 together in 11 overs, in pursuit of T&T's middling 153 for 5. Though the openers' demise in the space of an over comprised a stutter, they had done enough to ensure the middle order could see out the dangerous Sunil Narine, and complete a straightforward victory, made easier by the injury to Rayad Emrit, who hurt his shoulder in the first over.

 

Nathan Coulter-Nile had earlier been instrumental in subduing T&T, who had their own blazing start courtesy Evin Lewis' 46-ball 62. Coulter-Nile conceded only 20 in his four overs, in which he also took one wicket, while both Kieron Pollard and Pragyan Ojha also took one apiece and gave away less than a run a ball in their three-over spells.

 

Smith bludgeoned one back past the bowler and struck one sweetly in front of point to begin his onslaught, in the second over, and then, having ambled to three off seven balls, Tendulkar found form for the first time in the tournament. A crisp straight drive on the up off Rampaul was a throwback to his heyday, but the slog over long-on and a back-away inside-out drive that yielded consecutive sixes soon after were more a product of the present age than a bygone one.

 

The pair took 49 runs from the Powerplay, but even the onset of spin only brought a slight dip in the run rate, as they were only made to deal with one over from Sunil Narine, even as they took the game away from T&T. Tendulkar crossed the 50,000-run aggregate for recognised cricket across all formats in the eighth over, to the crowd's delight, while Smith doled out boundaries fashioned from power and touch in equal measure.

 

Tendulkar was caught behind for 35 from 31, before Narine struck twice in the following over, to give rise to T&T hopes, but Mumbai needed only 58 runs from the last eight overs, and Dinesh Karthik's unbeaten 33 ensured not even Narine would derail the chase. A six over extra cover off Lendl Simmons off the first ball of the 20th over sealed the victory.

 

Lewis' first boundary in T&T's innings was off a Mitchell Johnson edge through second slip, but he slapped the next one over the third-man boundary and rarely erred again until his demise. Lewis took a liking to Johnson's next over as well, carving two off side boundaries off it, but though Darren Bravo's early strokeplay suggested he too had the Mumbai attack's measure, he walked past Pragyan Ojha's legside wide to have himself stumped for 14.

 

Having hit 61 off the first eight overs, T&T slowed significantly against Ojha, Coulter-Nile and Pollard, who bowled tight lines and mixed up their pace to good effect on a dry Delhi surface. Yannick Ottley's unbeaten 41 off 30 pushed T&T beyond 150, which seemed a competitive total despite the mediocre returns from the middle overs, but with one bowler down and the remaining quicks far from their best on the night, T&T could not deny the IPL champions.

CLT20 1st Semi Rajasthan v CSK

Rajasthan Royals 159 for 8 (Rahane 70, Bravo 3-26) beat Chennai Super Kings 145 for 8 (Ashwin 46, Tambe 3-10) by 14 runs


Pravin Tambe scripted the most remarkable chapter in his brief Twenty20 career, as he scuttled the Chennai Super Kings chase with a canny spell of legspin bowling that reaped 3 wickets for 10 in four overs. Super Kings began poorly in pursuit of 160, failing to eclipse the required rate in the Powerplay, as both openers were run out, but Tambe ensured the dangerous men below would not prosper, as he and the seamers gleaned a wicket per over between the 9th and 13th overs of the innings.
 

At the innings break, Royals may perhaps have felt their 159 for 8 was at least ten runs light at a traditionally high-scoring venue, but despite a desperate R Ashwin salvo towards the finish, the hosts extended their winning streak at home to 13 victories. A fluid Ajinkya Rahane scored 70 from 56 balls, which helped set up the 14-run win, with the Royals finishing the year unbeaten in Jaipur. 

 

Tambe extracted no alarming turn from the hard surface, but succeeded instead by pushing his legbreaks through quickly at the batsmen's legs.

 

The Super Kings batsmen were tentative in his first over, and when Badrinath ran past one that kept low in Tambe's next over, the visitors were even more reluctant to take him on . He trapped Dwayne Bravo in front with a slider in the following over, after Rahul Shukla had done MS Dhoni in with a beauty at the other end, then effectively delivered the coup de grace by removing Suresh Raina, who had been the only top order batsman to produce a start. When Tambe began his spell, Super Kings were 41 for 2 after 6 overs, and when he finished, they were 73 for 7 after 13.

 

Ashwin swung bravely at the seam bowlers, whose standards dipped after the middle overs, but his team had already surrendered too much ground. He and Chris Morris got Super Kings to within 23 runs off victory before the 20th over, and although Ashwin struck the first ball for six, he fell on the fourth delivery, having struck three fours and three sixes in his 28-ball 46.

 

Rahane arrived with consecutive fifties behind him, and his abiding fine touch was plain to see in the first over, when he strode down the pitch to send Ravindra Jadeja into the sightscreen. He lay low for several overs after that, as he collected runs into the outfield, but unfurled his attacking strokes again in the company of Shane Watson, with whom he put on 59 for the fourth wicket.

 

He found gaps in the covers often, and when the ball suited him, Rahane hit inside-out above the infield as well. An advancing drive over extra cover in the ninth over was followed three overs later by a graceful blow that carried the ball well over the cover rope and a fluent drive in the same direction. In between, the wayward yorkers were glanced to the fine leg fence and the short balls dispatched square on the leg side

 

The Super Kings attack was disciplined at the finish however. Royals were placed at 141 for 4 at the end of the 17th over, looking set for a score in excess of 170, but could only muster 18 more runs, surrendering three wickets in Dwayne Bravo's final over.

CLT20 Matches 19 & 20

Mumbai Indians 152 for 4 (Rohit 51*, Smith 48) beat Perth Scorchers 149 for 6 (Whiteman 51*, Coulter-Nile 3-19) by six wickets


Mumbai Indians boast of some of the biggest hitters in T20 cricket in their line-up and they fired in unison to storm into the semi-final of the Champions League, achieving their target in just 13.2 overs. The target was 150, but in order to topple Otago on net run rate, they needed to achieve it within 14.2 overs. The strategy was clear and Dwayne Smith and Rohit Sharma made it look ridiculously simple against a Perth Scorchers attack that failed to contain a determined top order. It meant that the semi-final line-up had three IPL teams in it.
 

The scenarios were clearly spelt out for Mumbai ahead of the game as to what they required to keep Otago out of the semi-final race. It's common for captains to prefer to chase in such situations and Rohit decided to do just that. The required rate for qualification was over ten an over and Mumbai approached it as a 14-over game.

 

Sachin Tendulkar wasn't in the best of form but he was sent to open anyway. There was the possibility that this would be his last T20 match in the event of them failing to qualify. He fell for a second-ball duck, flicking to deep square leg and there was a hush around the Kotla as he walked back. Smith provided the big hits starting from the second ball of the innings, which he slogged over mid-on before dispatching another over the rope at long-on.

 

Scorchers had three left-arm spinners in their line-up, including the experienced Brad Hogg, but their one-dimensional spin attack was demolished by a rampaging Smith. Flighted deliveries were slogged and smashed over the covers and anything dropped short was pulled over the leg side at breakneck speed. The flatter and quicker deliveries kept him quiet on occasion but Scorchers were guilty of bowling the wrong lengths.

 

The left-arm seamers, Joel Paris and Jason Behrendorff, came in for similar punishment. Paris' first over leaked 19, with an effortless six by Rohit over fine leg followed by an outside edge past the wicketkeeper. Hogg bowled two long hops, the first of which was smashed by Smith over deep midwicket. The second was pulled flatter, but Behrendorff timed his jump to perfection at deep square leg to pull off a sharp catch to send back Smith for 48.

 

Another hush enveloped the ground as Smith walked back but Rohit was in sublime form at the other end. He ensured the run rate stayed around ten an over, slogging the spinners and launching Paris several rows over long-off to speed towards his fifty. At the end of ten overs, Mumbai raced to 117 for 3 and held the edge. Kieron Pollard had moved to a relatively pedestrian 12 off 12 balls but two solid blows in an over off Behrendorff eased any pressure that may have crept up. Tension started to build in the dugout when Pollard was bowled in the 13th over with Mumbai still needing 13 off 11.

 

Ambati Rayudu sealed the win with consecutive sixes and Mumbai qualified with an over to spare.

Scorchers were already knocked out of the competition but their batsmen did their bit to make it difficult for Mumbai. Two half-century stands pushed Scorchers to what looked like a competitive 149 on a typically slow Kotla track.

 

The openers Ashton Agar and Simon Katich added 55, helped by some ordinary fielding and catching by Mumbai. Sam Whiteman, making his T20 debut, and Hilton Cartwright added a half-century stand in just 30 balls after Mumbai pulled things back with quick wickets. Given the slowness of the pitch, 149 looked respectable but Scorchers didn't have the bowling to keep Mumbai down.

 

 

Trinidad &Tobago 119 for 2 (Simmons 63, Lewis 38) beat Chennai Super Kings 118 (Raina 38, Emrit 3-21) by eight wickets

 

 

Trinidad & Tobago are the only team from outside the three countries that own a stake in the Champions League to be given direct entry to the tournament, a special status they justified by topping the league table after hammering one of the CLT20 favourites, Chennai Super Kings.

 

The already-qualified Super Kings' famed batting had a rare off day, and the team were bowled out for only the seventh time in 117 matches. Having been rolled over for 118, Super Kings couldn't prevent T&T from completing the chase within 17.4 overs, which meant they surrendered the top spot in the group. It left them facing the challenge of breaking Rajasthan Royals' 12-game winning streak at home in the semi-finals.

 

It was a day when almost everything went right for T&T, epitomised by the game Man-of-the-Match Lendl Simmons had. Simmons came into this match on the back of two ducks but contributed with bat, ball and in the field in T&T's dominant performance.

 

Simmons' first contribution to the game came in the 9th over, by when Super Kings had got off to a familiar solid start. M Vijay and Suresh Raina were stroking the ball around and another tall total looked on the cards, but Simmons struck first ball with a loosener well outside off that Vijay inside-edged onto the stumps. In his next over he had Raina squandering his wicket by helping a gentle leg-stump delivery to short fine leg.

 

Then came the biggest wicket of them all, MS Dhoni's, just when the Super Kings captain was looking to cut loose. In the 17th over, Dhoni top-edged an attempted big hit and the ball swirled towards Simmons at long-off. Simmons settled under it but the ball bounced off his palm and onto his neck; he kept his eyes on the ball and grabbed it on the second attempt. After that, instead of the usual final flourish, Super Kings made only 16 runs in the concluding three overs.

 

Simmons had fortune with bat as well, cluelessly edging the first ball of the chase from R Ashwin between the keeper and slip, and surviving a stumping shout after being beaten off the second. His innings only switched to top gear in the 10th over when Ravindra Jadeja conceded 19 to extend a horrendous tournament. Simmons was also dropped just before reaching his half-century but a series of brutal hits had already eased T&T towards victory.

 

There were plenty of support for Simmons: opener Evin Newis had another good game with the bat to ensure Super Kings didn't pull off a heist, Ravi Rampaul began the Super Kings collapse with a screamer to dismiss the uber-consistent Michael Hussey, Sunil Narine was at his miserly best and three Super Kings batsmen were run out as the team collapsed from 78 for 2 to 118 all out.

 

In the four times they have played the CLT20, T&T have had only one bad campaign - last year when they were knocked out after one loss and a washout in the qualifiers - and this table-topping performance underlined why they are among the best T20 sides in the world.

CLT20 Match 18 Rajasthan Royals v Otago

Rajasthan Royals 142 for 6 (Hodge 52*, Rahane 52) beat Otago 139 for 7 (Neesham 32, Shukla 3-23) by four wickets


Fancy beating Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur? Forget it. Royals extended their winning streak at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to 12, beating the confident Otago by four wickets to keep the semi-final options open in Group A. Royals progressed briskly initially in their chase of a middling 140, stuttered after their middle order fell to rash strokes, before Brad Hodge played the rescue act with an electric 52 to stall Otago's spirited recovery. Though Royals had already booked their place in the knockouts, there was still some context in this match, for this victory means they will stay back in Jaipur for their semi-final.

A further 15-20 runs could have made the difference for Otago. Having scored a mammoth 242 earlier in the tournament, their impressive top order was blown away by the relatively unknown Rahul Shukla. The Jharkhand seamer came in as a replacement for Vikramjeet Malik and in the space of six balls, he proved it to be an inspired selection. Bowling the fourth over, he struck with his first ball, removing Hamish Rutherford's middle stump as the batsman looked to play across the line.

 

 Two balls later, he got rid of the captain Brendon McCullum trapped in front of the stumps with one that came in. There was room for one more wicket in the over and it came via a bizarre shot by Derek de Boorder. It was a short ball outside off and the batsman wasn't sure whether to hook or leave it. The ball took the top edge and tamely looped to Shukla, who caused the visitors to slip from 16 for 0 to 20 for 3 after his first over.

 

It got worse for Otago when the in-form Neil Broom perished to a top edge off Shane Watson, leaving them reeling at 21 for 4. Otago's progress in the tournament was orchestrated by meaty contributions by the top order. Now they found themselves in a situation they weren't accustomed to, and it was up to the lower order to cover the slack.

 

James Neesham gave the innings some impetus with a quick 32, but he was lucky to have been let off on 0, when the umpire Paul Reiffel failed to notice a thick inside edge on the way to the keeper. The left-hander was uninhibited despite the early loss of wickets, looking for boundary opportunities. He fell skying a slower ball off Kevon Cooper and at that stage Otago had lost half their side with more than seven overs to play. Nathan McCullum and Ian Butler ensured Otago played out 20 overs, their cameo knocks pushing the score to 139. While it was below par, from 21 for 4, it was an improvement.

 

Ajinkya Rahane got Royals off to a rapid start with some exquisite shots through the off side off the seamers. Rahane got his timing and placement perfect, taking Royals to 43 at the end of the Powerplay. Nathan McCullum's sharp reflexes at point, running backwards to pluck a catch to send back Rahul Dravid, was temporary relief, but Rahane's was the wicket they needed.

 

The middle order needed to bat around Rahane but Royals put pressure on themselves with some questionable shots. Sanju Samson played on to his stumps and both Shane Watson and Stuart Binny departed quickly edging behind. Rahane passed his fifty but fell chipping a full toss to mid-off. The boundaries dried up and the drought lasted five overs before Hodge released the pressure with a boundary over cover.

 

A lucky top edge cleared the keeper and Royals closed in on victory courtesy three sixes by Hodge. Dravid later described it as a nerve-wracking period in the game, but it was Hodge's experience that made the difference.

 

As for Otago's semi-final hopes, they will wait on the result of the Mumbai Indians-Perth Scorchers match on Wednesday. If Mumbai win, it will come down to a net run rate scenario between Mumbai and Otago.

CLT20 Matches 16 & 17

Trinidad & Tobago 188 for 6 (Lewis 70, Bravo 63) beat Titans 153 for 6 (Davids 42) by six runs (D/L method)

Trinidad & Tobago remained in the hunt for the second semi-finals berth in Group B, after rain halted a Titans surge as the match approached its crescendo. Titans needed 36 to win from three overs, with an imperious AB de Villiers at the crease and Sunil Narine already bowled out, but Titans had lost six wickets en route to 153, and that meant they were six runs adrift of the Duckworth-Lewis par score after 17 overs.

T&T's victory was founded on a scintillating 109-run stand for the second wicket between Evin Lewis and Darren Bravo, which came in 64 balls. They hit 188 for 6 despite an indifferent finish to the innings, and thanks largely to Narine and Lendl Simmons, who took 4 wickets for 41 in seven wickets between them, that total proved sufficient. Their victory means that three teams, including Titans, remain capable of progressing to the semi-finals alongside Chennai Super Kings.

 

Lewis struck 70 off 35 deliveries, prospering most conspicuously on the off side, where he hit each of his five sixes and five of his seven fours. Bravo was his more conservative foil and contributed only 38 from the other end, but he ditched the innings-anchor role as the death overs approached and finished with 63 off 44, having hit four sixes and five fours.

 

Morne Morkel's first-up maiden proved to be a red herring, as Lewis' ferocious progress during the Powerplay belied both captains' reluctance to bat first. Lewis got his big offside strokes humming in Morkel's second over, lofting the third ball over cover, before depositing two consecutive deliveries well into the stands.

 

Bravo found the middle of his own bat in the next over, flaying an errant Marchant de Lange for three fours through the offside, and in three overs the pair had lifted T&T's run rate from two per over to almost 10. The team would maintain that breathless pace until both men were out.

 

As T&T's strokemaking grew bolder, the Titans' attack became equally meek. Left-armer Rowan Richards sprayed it around the crease to travel at 13 runs per over, and Henry Davids' erratic offbreaks fared little better, as he went at more than 10. Roelof van der Merwe brought Titans' some respite from the onslaught, conceding only four runs from his first two overs - in which he ironically dismissed Lewis with his only poor ball - but Bravo adopted Lewis' hyper-aggression after his partner's demise and sent van der Merwe thrice into the stands in his next over.

 

T&T should perhaps have made more of the foundation Bravo and Lewis had provided them. Two-hundred seemed likely to be eclipsed at 145 for 2, but Bravo's dismissal brought two more in quick time, and the Titans quicks found the consistency that had eluded them for much of the innings.

 

Henry Davids set Titans off apace in response, as he hit two sixes and six fours in a 24-ball 42, but a stutter in the middle overs, in which Titans lost four wickets for 23, surrendered much of that momentum. De Villiers hit 23 from 13 to resurrect the chase alongside Farhaan Behardien, but the Ahmedabad crowd were denied a thrilling finish by a shower that quickly worsened to a torrent.

 

 

Brisbane Heat v Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match abandoned without a ball bowled

 

The match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Brisbane Heat was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Ahmedabad. This puts Sunrisers out of the Champions League after they finished with six points from four matches, winning once and losing twice. This was the third washout in Motera, after the double-header on September 23 took the same route due to rain.

 

Heat were already knocked out having lost their first three matches. This leaves the Titans and Trinidad & Tobago battling for the second position in Group B behind Chennai Super Kings who have already qualified. All T&T need to do is not lose by a great margin against Super Kings in their final group match.

 

The match scheduled for an 8:30pm start couldn't go through after heavy rain began during the first match between T&T and Titans. That match ended with three overs to spare, the Caribbean side winning by six runs by the Duckworth/Lewis method.

 

The two matches were retained in Ahmedabad, after an earlier game was moved out of the city due to week-long rains. Though there was 60% chance of rain today, the first game was uninterrupted until rain struck 17 overs into Titans' chase.