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For the second day running, cricket’s world order was upset as Bangladesh carved a maiden Test win against Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale30-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:03

Isam: Shakib, Mushfiqur helped Bangladesh spinners rally

So, Test cricket is in danger, is it? Ha! Test cricket laughs in the face of danger. Twice in the space of 14 hours, the game’s world order has been thoroughly rattled, with two of the most memorable results in recent years. The first jolt came at Headingley, where West Indies upset England for their first victory in the country since 2000; the next day in Mirpur, Shakib Al Hasan bowled Bangladesh to a thrilling, historic maiden win over Australia.Set 265 for victory, the Australians began the fourth morning in a strong position at 109 for 2. They continued to tighten their grip as David Warner reached his 19th Test hundred and his second in Asia, and compiled a 130-run partnership with Steven Smith, Australia’s highest stand in the fourth innings in Asia. But on a pitch offering turn and variable bounce, Bangladesh were back in the game once that stand was broken. Despite the best lower-order efforts of Pat Cummins, left unbeaten on 33, Bangladesh sealed the win by 20 runs.Bangladesh have now won Tests against England, Sri Lanka and Australia within the past year. In the previous 16 years of their Test existence, they had defeated only Zimbabwe and a second-string West Indies outfit ravaged by a player strike. The significance of their successes over the past 12 months cannot be overstated. Not surprisingly, the major contributors to this triumph were two of their most experienced players, Shakib and Tamim Iqbal.Both men were playing their 50th Test; neither will ever forget the milestone. Tamim scored 71 in the first innings and 78 in the second; Shakib posted 84 on the first day and picked up five wickets in each innings, for the second 10-wicket Test of his career. There is no other player in history who has aggregated at least 80 runs and 10 wickets on two separate occasions in a Test: Shakib did so against Zimbabwe in Khulna in 2014, and has now done it again.However, it was his fellow left-armer Taijul Islam who claimed the final wicket. Just as Cummins was threatening to spoil Bangladesh’s day – he plundered 15 off a Mehidy Hasan over, including two sixes, to slash the target from 36 to 21 – Taijul turned one back in to Josh Hazlewood and trapped him dead in front, umpire Nigel Llong having no hesitation in giving the lbw. Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, watched from the stands as the players rejoiced.For Australia, the result might appear disastrous. In fact it was a natural continuation of their struggles against quality spin on turning pitches in Asia. They lost to Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, in Sri Lanka last year, and to India this year – albeit in India they were very competitive. And if they lose the second Test in Chittagong, they will tumble to sixth on the ICC Test rankings for the first time since the system was introduced. They have much still to play for.At the start of the day’s play, Australia were arguably ahead, with an established partnership between their captain and vice-captain, the team’s two best batsmen. And in defeat, the quality of Warner’s innings should not be forgotten. It was only the fourth time an Australian had scored a fourth-innings hundred in a Test match in Asia: Bob Simpson did so in Karachi in 1964, Mark Taylor in Bangalore in 1998, and Ricky Ponting in Fatullah in 2006.Warner’s 112 featured 16 fours and one six, but when he was lbw trying to pull Shakib, Bangladesh regained their hope. And after Smith was caught-behind trying to cut Shakib four overs later for 37, Australia still needed 94, and Bangladesh six wickets. It was once again game-on.Bangladesh’s catching had not always been perfectly sharp during this match, but a brilliant take from Soumya Sarkar at first slip ended Peter Handscomb’s innings on 15. Handscomb cut at Taijul and Soumya did well to get his hands to the flying ball, parrying it up so that he could then dive and complete the catch.Matthew Wade never looked comfortable, and was lbw playing back to Shakib for 4, before Ashton Agar prodded a return catch to Taijul for 2. The lunch break seemed to come at a good time for Australia, who were rapidly fading and had a chance to regroup, but that wasn’t the case. Glenn Maxwell was out first ball after lunch when he was bowled attempting to cut Shakib off a ball that stayed low.It was left to Cummins and Nathan Lyon to bail Australia out. They came together with 66 runs needed and chipped away at the target until only 37 were required. But when Lyon was caught on 12 gloving a sweep off Mehidy, Cummins decided he had to start attacking. His final partner, Hazlewood, was to be flying home with a side injury, and the best he could do was hang around for four overs until trapped by Taijul.History had been made by Bangladesh. And after the events of Headingley on Tuesday, the result in Mirpur on Wednesday only further confirmed that Test cricket is alive and thriving.

Match Facts

June 03, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)2:44

Fleming: SA have all bowling bases covered

Big Picture

Well, it’s too early in the tournament for South Africa to stutter. Let’s get that out of the way, for starters.This, instead, is the portion of a global tournament in which they ordinarily stomp around crushing weaker teams without mercy. It is almost indisputable that Sri Lanka are the weaker side, too. One glance at the ODI player rankings will bear that out. Where South Africa have four batsmen in the top ten, Sri Lanka’s highest ranked batsman is way down at No. 26, and that is Angelo Mathews, who is unlikely to be available for this clash. On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir take up the top two spots, while Sri Lanka’s best, Suranga Lakmal, comes in at No. 24. Add the recent history between these teams – the 5-0 walloping South Africa had dealt out earlier in the year – and Sri Lanka’s prospects begin to appear exceedingly grim.It is hope that holds Sri Lanka together, at present. Hope that Lasith Malinga’s return to the ODI attack will inspire the other quicks to avoid being repeatedly launched out of The Oval. Hope that Lakshan Sandakan’s wristspin can prove effective enough in the middle overs to muzzle powerful opposition batsmen. Hope that the youthful exuberance of men like Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella can compensate for the lack of form and results. Hope that Thisara Perera will play like the all-round superstar he once promised to be, rather than the sporadic performer of the last three years.South Africa are fresh from a series loss, so they perhaps are not as buoyant as they could be. But in demolishing England at Lord’s in the final match of that series – a dead rubber – they have Rabada and Wayne Parnell going into the tournament with some confidence. South Africa will back themselves to bowl the opposition out. Most of their likely top five have made recent runs as well.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WLLWL

In the spotlight

Imran Tahir missed two of the three matches against England with a hamstring concern, but has now recovered and is available. That is not good news for Sri Lanka. In nine matches against them, Tahir has claimed 20 wickets at 17.60 – his best average against any team playing in the Champions Trophy. In the bilateral series earlier in the year, he repeatedly dominated the middle overs, and sunk Sri Lanka’s innings even when they achieved good starts.Having been out of Sri Lanka’s sides a year ago, Upul Tharanga finds himself constantly laden with responsibility in 2017. He is gearing up to be acting captain again, with Mathews having sustained a calf injury. As the only player with more than five ODI centuries to his name in the team, Tharanga will likely have to hold Sri Lanka together with the bat, while the younger men attack around him, if his team is to make something out of this tournament.

Team news

South Africa captain AB de Villiers hinted that the team would try to make room for Morne Morkel in the XI, but the transformation policy complicates that selection slightly. Elsewhere David Miller has sufficiently recovered from a niggle and is likely to be in the XI.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell/Morne Morkel, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirMathew’s unavailability has not been confirmed yet. He is set to undergo a fitness to make a definitive ruling on whether he can play. It seems almost certain, however, that he will not be bowling even if he does make the XI. If Mathews can’t play, Kusal Perera may come in lower down the order, with Sri Lanka committed to sticking with Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella at the top of the innings. There is not much to choose between Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Kulasekara for the position of second specialist quick, but there is also the chance they will both play, meaning Sri Lanka go into the match with one fewer batsman.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Chamara Kapugedara, 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Lasith Malinga

Pitch and conditions

The Oval surface is not expected to be quite as batting-friendly as it was for the tournament opener between England and Bangladesh, but it’s unlikely to suddenly become a bowlers’ fantasy either. The weather is forecast to be cloudy but dry in London – the temperature hovering around the 20-degree mark.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won eight of the last nine ODIs between these teams.
• Nuwan Kulasekara is one scalp short of completing 200 ODI wickets and becoming the fifth Sri Lanka bowler to the milestone
• AB de Villiers, who has now played exactly 100 ODIs as captain, averages a monumental 66.33 when leading the team, with a strike rate of 110
• When these teams last met in the Champions Trophy, in 2009 at Centurion, Sri Lanka won by 55 runs

Quotes

“I would love to get my hands on it. It feels good in my hands. I would love to take that home one day.”
“From the outside it will look like South Africa have an advantage going into this match, because they beat us recently. But there’s also something to be said about going in as underdogs. We know what we have to do to beat them.”

Arsenal still need to agree the yearly payment structure over the fee for Declan Rice, but once this is finalised, the deal will be completed, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Rice to Arsenal?

Arsenal have fought off interest from Manchester City and now appear very close to securing a record-breaking transfer for the West Ham captain.

The Gunners initially had two bids rejected, but a mega-offer of £100m, with £5m in add-ons, has been deemed acceptable as an overall package.

However, Romano has revealed that the structure of the payments of the initial £100m is still yet to be agreed, with West Ham wanting the payment made in less time.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano indicated that this would be the final hurdle before officially completing the deal.

"There is an agreement on the fee, £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons, a club record fee for Arsenal, a historical fee for English football as Declan Rice is going to be the most expensive player ever.

"It's just a matter of hours probably, but it's just about the payment terms. As I told you, Arsenal want to pay in four years, and West Ham want the £100 million guaranteed fee to be paid in 18 months. So he's about this detail, then the deal will be done."

What will Rice bring to Arsenal?

The England midfielder will come at a high price, but Arsenal are investing in a signing who could help them challenge at the top level for years to come.

Rice will arrive as an experienced Premier League captain, with European experience under his belt, and fits the age profile that Mikel Arteta has targeted in the last few seasons.

At 24, he can form a midfield trio with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz for the next few years, and he can help replace the leadership void which will be left if Granit Xhaka leaves the club.

Rice could play as both a number six, in front of the back four, and further forward, and this tactical flexibility will be something Arteta can use when setting up his team for bigger games.

The Englishman ranks highly for interceptions as per FBref, and his presence in the middle when facing tough opponents could give Arsenal an extra aggressive edge, something which they often lacked over the years.

He is a signing that can help Arsenal bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City, as they attempt to challenge for the title again, and beating their rivals to the signing is a huge statement of intent from the club.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has suggested that Lionel Messi could feature for the national team in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

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• Messi struggling with injury at Inter Miami
• Was called up to Argentina squad
• Could feature against Paruaguay or Peru

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi has been struggling with a muscle injury, having missed four Inter Miami matches in a row. However, he returned to MLS action on October 8, coming off the bench 10 minutes into the second half in the match against Cincinnati before joining up with his Argentina team-mates.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi has had a fine start since joining Inter Miami in a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in July. He has scored 11 goals in 13 appearances for the Florida club, but has only found the net once in his five MLS appearances.

  He remains in staggering form for Argentina, too, having failed to score in just one of his last 15 matches for his country, firing in 23 goals in that time.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Scaloni hopes to have the World Cup winning captain available for 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Paraguay and Peru.

  "We still have training, it is important for Leo," Scaloni told reporters. "We saw him [looking] well, we will talk before practice to see if he plays from the beginning or not."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi could be in action when Argentina host Paraguay on October 13. The world champions have won both of their matches in the campaign so far and sit second to Brazil on goal difference.

Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear admits that Tyler Adams’ behaviour during the summer transfer window means he is “not on our Christmas card list”.

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• Midfielder missed end of season through injury
• Watched on as Whites were relegated
• Jumped ship in summer window

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international midfielder was among those at Elland Road to push for a move elsewhere after suffering relegation out of the Premier League. Adams missed the end of the 2022-23 campaign through injury, but he was not prepared to hang around and help to put things right.

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  Adams eventually completed a £23 million ($29m) transfer to Bournemouth, and has since been joined at the Vitality Stadium by Whites colleague Luis Sinisterra after his loan switch to the south coast. Leeds were reluctant to part with either player, but saw their hand forced.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Kinnear has told when asked if he would have preferred to keep Adams and Sinisterra and why they were moved on: “No, based on their desire to leave. I think you can voice your desire to leave, but you need to be professional in the interim. You need to remember who you’re contracted to and the value of that contract. I think you need to approach that through discussion and mutual agreement, rather than the avenues that they pursued. Ultimately I have to respect their decisions, but I don’t think it’s the way to behave to a club that has really looked after you and continues to look after you and was offering you fantastic alternatives to remain at the club. There were players who were perhaps led by their agents to employ tactics which will mean they’re not on our Christmas card list.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Adams, who captained the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, took in 26 appearances for Leeds on the back of his £20m ($25m) transfer from RB Leipzig – with no goals recorded prior to picking up an untimely hamstring injury in March.

Liverpool are homing in on their priority target this summer and are now believed to have agreed on a fee with Brighton & Hove Albion for Alexis Mac Allister…

What's the latest on Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool?

That's according to Football Insider, who state that the Reds have now agreed to meet the 24-year-old's release clause and will pay roughly £60m to clinch his services.

Signing a deal worth £150k-per-week, Mac Allister will enter Anfield with license to cement a central role in manager Jurgen Klopp's plans, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing this summer.

Manchester United are among the clubs expressing an interest in the World Cup winner, but it is Liverpool who are now poised to tie up a deal in the forthcoming weeks.

How would Alexis Mac Allister perform at Liverpool?

Anfield's imperious centre has been a rock steadily abraded over the past few years, with the once unrelenting, all-conquering Liverpool midfield now an inharmonious cluster of debris.

Cohesion was somewhat restored over the latter phase of the 22/23 campaign, Klopp's men constructing a seven-match winning streak in the Premier League before a twofold of draws in the final weeks.

Even this brilliant purple patch was not enough to salvage top four, and Liverpool now await football in the Europa League for the first time in seven years; with a fortified nucleus, the Reds could yet return to the top, and the importance of Mac Allister's signing cannot be understated.

The Argentine has been on Brighton's books since departing homeland outfit Argentinos Juniors in 2019, but this season he has truly burst into prominence and has posted a return of 12 goals and three assists from 40 outings for the Seagulls, also starring for Argentina in Qatar and scoring a goal and assist apiece, with the "sumptuous" assist – as described by Gary Lineker – served on a platter for Angel Di Maria in the final against France.

A tenacious and "intelligent" midfielder, as praised by compatriot Sergio Aguero, the £50k-per-week gem's energy and exuberance suits Liverpool's system to a tee.

His high-octane approach fuses with a crisp, deceptively effective ball-playing aptitude – he has completed 87% of his passes in the Premier League this term and averaged 1.3 key passes per game – and, as such, could bring the very best out of Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, who has been somewhat out-of-sorts of late.

The Scottish left-back was branded "horrific" by writer Dave Hendrick for a dismal spell against Tottenham Hotspur in the closing weeks of the term, while the Tactical Times also tweeted to remark that Klopp's new "back 3 doesn't suit him" as he is "the definition of a full-back."

In their late-season resurgence, the Reds have implemented a new structure in possession, Trent Alexander-Arnold's inversion into the centre contributing to the central creativity; Robertson, who thrives as a bouncing marauder on the left-flank, has been left at sea and is struggling to acclimatise.

However, with Mac Allister entering the fray, he will have a midfield partner on the left side to match his pace and ease the burden of mixing increased defensive responsibility with creative flair.

It's the start of a new chapter on Merseyside after a forgettable campaign, and Roberton, who has been exemplary for his club since signing from Hull City for a scanty £10m in 2017, a centrepiece in the illustrious success, could flourish at full throttle once more with the rekindling of the Merseyside giant's dissipated verve.

The first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan is expected to go ahead as scheduled on November 17, despite Christchurch having suffered a 7.5 magnitude earthquake

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Nov-2016

The first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan at Hagley Oval is expected to go ahead as scheduled on November 17, despite Christchurch having suffered a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, just after midnight on Monday.The Pakistan men’s team, who were in Nelson when the quake occurred, reported being a little shaken by the experience, but will prepare for Thursday’s Test as usual.”Preparations for the Test are going ahead, but we are continuing to monitor the situation,” a New Zealand Cricket spokesperson said. “It’s just a case of staying in touch with authorities.”Both teams arrived in Christchurch on Monday and have training sessions scheduled for Tuesday. The area continued to be hit by aftershocks, however. A 6.3 magnitude quake was felt at around 1.30pm on Monday, and these are expected to continue through the next week.Pakistan team manager Wasim Bari said NZC had assured his side of their safety, in the team hotel and at the ground. The cricketers had spent a largely sleepless night in Nelson. They had evacuated their hotel when the quake hit, and most had not returned to their rooms for the remainder of the night, electing instead to remain in the reception area.”For us it was something new because we don’t have many earthquakes in Pakistan,” Bari said. “This was a pretty strong one. We’d just finished watching the India-England match and the doors and windows were going from one side to another as if they were made of paper. There was some trauma as well for the boys. Back home, the families had felt disturbed.”The Pakistan women’s team, meanwhile, had ridden out the quake in the upper floors of a Christchurch hotel. Their manager Basit Ali told Geo News that the team was safe, though “still scared”.The New Zealand men’s squad had only assembled in Christchurch on Monday morning, but fast bowler Matt Henry – a Christchurch native – had been in the city overnight. He described the experience as “a bit scary”, but was pleased the Test would go ahead.”It always brings the community together – provides a brief moment of normality,” Henry said. “It’s probably good timing to have the Test match this week. Hopefully the weather plays it’s part.”The epicentre of the earthquake was at a depth of about 5km, about 40km from the town of Amberley, which is only about 90km north-east of Hagley Oval. Hagley Oval had become a Test venue after the previous Christchurch ground was devastated by an earthquake in 2011.

New Zealand have never won a Test series against South Africa, but given the balance in their current side and with recent form in their favour, this could be their best chance yet

The Preview by Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2016Match facts

August 19-23, Durban
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)1:31

New Zealand’s chance at first Test-series win against South Africa

Big Picture

The world has already accepted cricket as a year-round – and not summer – sport, and now it’s South Africa’s turn. This is the first time Test cricket will be played in what is essentially winter, although Durban’s balmy conditions beat summer in most places. The weather is certain, but at this time of the year, no one knows what to expect from the conditions, not even South Africa.The home side will begin their fresh start at an unfamiliar time of the year, and with their permanent captain and one of their premier pacemen out with injury. Stand-in leader Faf du Plessis admitted he does not know what to expect from the Durban strip, which did not appear unusually green the day before the match. Some say it will take turn, others feel it will be slow, and the prevailing view is that the quicks will have to work hard for their wickets.Among those are South Africa’s returning seamers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, who will play together for the first time since November last year. The pair sat out most of the previous summer with injuries, but has recovered ahead of a busy season. They will face a stern test against New Zealand’s strong batting line-up, who played themselves into form in the preceding two-Test series in Zimbabwe, but will know this will be a much sterner challenge.New Zealand were shot out for 45 in the first innings of the first Test they played in South Africa three years ago, and lost both matches in the series by an innings. But they used that humiliation as a catalyst to rebuild and have since racked up a string of good results at home, and, importantly for their growth as a team, away. They want to be able to build on that, although history does not favour them in this series.New Zealand have never won a Test series against South Africa, but could see this as their best chance. They are ranked two places ahead of the hosts, and with a similarly balanced side and recent form behind them, could be seen as favourites. But South Africa are not keen to concede the advantage early on and have promised to start more aggressively than before in a bid to begin their rebirth.

Form guide

South Africa WLDLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWLLW

In the spotlight

At the end of January, Faf du Plessis would have had reason to doubt he would play in this series. Du Plessis had scored one half-century in 13 innings dating back to South Africa’s tour of Bangladesh in July 2015 and was dropped for the Centurion Test against England. Fast-forward seven months and not only is du Plessis back in the team, but he is the captain in de Villiers’ injury-enforced absence. He will have to find form and a leadership style quickly as South Africa begin to rebuild.The last time New Zealand were in South Africa, BJ Watling was one of the few bright spots for the visitors. He finished behind Dean Brownlie in New Zealand’s batting charts with twin half-centuries in the Port Elizabeth Test. Since then, Watling has scored five Test centuries and has earned the praise of coach Mike Hesson for being able to change approach mid-game. Watling could bat as high as No. 5 in this series and will have additional run-scoring responsibility, which he has been tipped to take on with aplomb.

Team news

The much-anticipated return of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander will give South Africa’s attack its reputation back. While Morkel will not be around, the pair have Kagiso Rabada as a third prong. Dane Piedt will operate as the only specialist spinner, while JP Duminy is certain to be called on to bowl a bit too. De Villiers’ absence will see the return of du Plessis, in a familiar, if lacking-for-form, middle order. Stephen Cook has been promised an extended run at the top, which will mean Stiaan van Zyl is sidelined.South Africa: (probable) 1 Stephen Cook, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dane Piedt, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Kagiso RabadaMost of the XI that did duty in Zimbabwe will retain their place. Henry Nicholls had an average series in Zimbabwe, where he failed to get past 20, but is likely to retain his place. Mitchell Santner, who has been asked to do more of an all-round job, may have a bigger role in both disciplines, and could also operate as the only specialist spinner. Conditions could keep Ish Sodhi out for Doug Bracewell to provide a fourth seam-bowling option.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Doug Bracewell/Ish Sodhi 9 Neil Wagner, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee

Pitch and conditions

A foreign surface awaits both teams, neither of which knows what to expect from early-season conditions. Without baking hot sunshine to harden the surface, there is talk of a strip that could be slower than the usual South African surface, and one which may also take turn early on. The outfield is the main concern as it appeared patchy in places.Durban’s rain-free winter was interrupted by showers in the week leading up to the Test and may interfere with the cricket. Rain is forecast for parts of Saturday and Monday, days two and four. Temperatures will remain in the early 20s with high humidity.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and New Zealand have played each other in 14 Test series dating back to 1932. New Zealand have never won, but have managed three draws, most recently in 2003-04 in New Zealand
• There has never been a Test match played in Kingsmead in August
• Dale Steyn is 16 wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Tests

Quotes

“I accept the fact that we haven’t played the best cricket. Losing 3-0 in India took a lot of our points away. It was tough conditions – we should have done better, but it was really tough. Where we are lying at the moment, at No. 6 or No. 7, is not where we are going to be. We have New Zealand at home and then Sri Lanka at home. If we win both these series, we will start to climb up the rankings.”
“I don’t think we regard ourselves as favourites. We know that South Africa are always a strong opposition, regardless of the rankings. For us the focus is on playing our cricket, going out there and adapting quickly.”

Derbyshire dug in obdurately in the final session at Chelmsford to hold up Essex’s charge for a third Specsavers County Championship win of the season

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara improved on his career best after 10 years•Getty Images

Derbyshire dug in obdurately in the final session at Chelmsford to hold up Essex’s charge for a third Specsavers County Championship win of the season.The visitors were forced to follow-on, finishing 258 runs adrift of Essex’s massive first-innings total with Ravi Bopara taking career-best bowling figures of 5 for 49 eclipse his 5 for 75 Surrey at Chelmsford a decade ago.With rain forecast for much of the fourth day, the Division Two leaders may yet rue putting down three relatively comfortable chances during the day.Essex had wrapped up the Derbyshire first innings with five wickets in 16 overs after lunch. But they struggled to trouble the Derbyshire batsmen in the evening session as their advantage was gently whittled down.Essex had not had much good fortune in the morning session, either, though it would have been better had Jesse Ryder and Tom Westley clung on to relatively simple catches in the slips in three balls off the luckless Aaron Beard.Hamish Rutherford was the recipient of Essex’s fumbling. But he had added just seven more runs before Beard showed his elders how to catch by holding on at square leg to dismiss him for 49.That gave Bopara his third wicket of the innings, the second coming when Wayne Madsen got an inside edge and was caught behind. James Foster snapped up a second catch at the wicket when Shiv Thakor edged Ryan ten Doeschate.The carnage began straight after lunch as Derbyshire collapsed inside 65 minutes.Neil Broom went second ball after the break when he misjudged a ball from Tom Westley and was bowled. Seven balls later Tom Poynter chased a wide one from Bopara and became Foster’s third victim.Matt Critchley gave Bopara his fifth wicket when he departed lbw before Jamie Porter uprooted Tom Taylor’s middle stump with his sixth delivery with the new-ball.Ben Cotton, at No. 11, took 18 off one Porter over before being the last man to go when caught by ten Doeschate in attempting to hit Beard over the top.Jaik Mickleburgh at gully dropped Chesney Hughes in the first over of Derbyshire’s second innings. However, Hughes was back in the pavilion 27 overs into the innings when he pulled back as Bopara came in to bowl. After a lengthy consultation with the physio the Anguillan went off feeling unwell.His opening partner Billy Godleman was steadiness incarnate as he reached fifty with the first of three successive fours through the off side against Westley. It had taken him 106 balls. He then punished Beard with two boundaries in two balls, but the youngster had the last word when he bowled the Derbyshire captain off inside edge and boot for 75.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:22

Farrell: No fairy tale ending for McCullum

At once a benediction and a coronation, Brendon McCullum’s final moments as a Test cricketer marked Australia’s ascendancy to the world No. 1 Test ranking after a resilient and relentless performance by Steven Smith’s men.It was Smith at the other end as Adam Voges stroked the winning runs through cover after key contributions from Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja. A target of 201 was never enough for New Zealand to defend against an Australian batting line-up that has carried much before them since the harsh lessons of England last year.Since the nadir of Trent Bridge, Australia have won seven of nine Tests without once tasting defeat, enough to hand them the ICC Mace as the world’s top team and a $1 million prize. This was the first time Australia reached No. 1 since 2014, but the difference now was a far younger team aware there was still much more to do: namely to succeed in Asia, against Sri Lanka and India over the coming 15 months.Befitting their enduring loyalty to McCullum, New Zealand’s effort was never less than wholehearted. This was epitomised by Neil Wagner’s continued bouncer assault on the tourists, despite carrying what had been revealed to be a broken left hand from a Burns shot that burst through his fingers on the fourth evening.Even so, it was occasionally puzzling to see New Zealand not really trying to generate pressure through disciplined lines and reverse swing, which Matt Henry in particular was able to find. Smith relished the challenge of matching McCullum’s outlandish field settings with creativity of his own.Khawaja had a fortunate escape in the second over of the morning, edging Trent Boult precisely between the wicketkeeper and a wide sole slip. Thereon he accumulated his runs in calm style.Batting was more of a struggle for Burns, who was struck one glancing blow on the helmet by Wagner and others on the body. He took 35 minutes of play to add to his overnight score, but refused to be flustered and eventually went to a deserved fifty.Tim Southee’s entry to the attack brought another Khawaja edge, this time held smartly by McCullum above his head. Smith arrived to one last display of lateral captaincy from New Zealand’s retiring leader, a packed leg side field and another short-ball attack.Having been hit hard by a bouncer in the first innings, Smith resolved to attack, and boldly hooked his first short ball from Wagner over the head of the man at fine leg. He used the full width of the crease to open up other scoring zones, and was soon bringing the target well within reach.After speaking with the umpires, Smith took the opportunity for an extra 15 minutes to try to seal the game without breaking for lunch. Burns rose to the challenge with a pair of boundaries before being bowled by Boult when going for a third, leaving Smith to concede the job could not be done before the interval.The remaining 16 runs were duly polished off in early afternoon, Voges finishing off the match with a princely cover drive. Australian celebrations were of the reserved variety: partly out of deference for McCullum, but also in acknowledgement of the fact that getting to the top is one thing, staying there quite another.