All posts by h716a5.icu

Stuart Binny’s 6 for 4 outweighed debutant Taskin Ahmed’s 5 for 28 as India snatched victory in an incredible low-scoring encounter

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran17-Jun-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
2:38

Swinging Binny stuns Bangladesh

Who would be interested in a hastily-organised, meaningless bilateral ODI series taking place in the shadow of the football World Cup, that too with several of the game’s biggest stars being rested. Judging from the vast swathes of empty stands in the usually packed Mirpur stadium, and the struggles to get a television broadcaster in India, not many. Those who did tune in today though caught one of those gobsmacking, prediction-defying results that make sport captivating to watch.Two days ago, Bangladesh posted 272 in Mirpur and their captain had felt that had not been sufficient. Today, at the same ground, India were knocked over for 105, but that not only proved sufficient, it was 47 too many for Bangladesh. Pacy teenage debutant Taskin Ahmed was the star of the first half of the game, with a five-for that kept India to their lowest total against Bangladesh, but that faded into insignificance as Stuart Binny conjured figures of 6 for 4 to extend the home side’s losing streak to nine.On a track with plenty of juice, spiced up further by a rain burst that interrupted play for two-and-a-half hours, the quicks thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This is not a stadium which is usually favourable to them, but today the pitch was as helpful as an early-summer Headingley surface, with spiteful deliveries being served up with alarming regularity.Stuart Binny’s 6 for 4 was the best ODI figures for India•AFPThe batsmen found how testing the conditions would be on the first two balls of the game itself as Mashrafe Mortaza nearly had both India openers lbw, though the appeal against Robin Uthappa was turned down. It didn’t get any easier over the course of the game, and no batsman looked comfortable in the middle, though hardly any of them showed the necessary resolve to grind through their way through tough patches.After Taskin’s burst, Bangladesh seemed set for victory as they survived some nervy moments to get to 39 for 2. Enter Binny, whose gentle medium-pace – which was granted only one over by MS Dhoni on Binny’s debut – turned into vicious, unplayable swing. He had Mithun Ali beaten twice in his first over, before the torrent of wickets began that transformed the day into the highlight of his career.Mushfiqur Rahim edged to the keeper down the leg side in his second over, and the other settled batsman, Ali, flicked a catch to square leg in his third. One ball later, Mahmudullah tried an expansive drive away from his body to be caught at gully. At 50 for 5 in the 14th over, Bangladesh nerves began to jangle.At the other end, Mohit Sharma struck twice in the 15th, first with a ripsnorter that reared and swerved away to send back Bangladesh’s best batsman Shakib Al Hasan, and later when Ziaur Rahman’s attempted slog only reached as far as the fielder at square leg. The four wickets in eight balls had virtually killed off the chase. It took Binny a couple more overs to finish off the game, and upgrade his figures to the best by an Indian in ODIs.Briefly, Taskin had a chance of getting the best bowling by a Bangladeshi in ODIs. He had to settle for third on that list, but the performance justified the hype that heralded his arrival to the one-day stage. He showed off his confidence by banging in a bouncer on his first ball in ODI cricket. Another short ball got rid of the in-form Uthappa, who top-edged a pull to mid-off for 14, and he had Ambati Rayudu lbw in his next over. A delighted Taskin chest-bumped Mashrafe in celebration as India wobbled at 28 for 3.Both bowlers were getting the ball to swerve around dramatically, but neither were tempted to experiment too much by the juice in the surface as they served up plenty of spiteful deliveries. If India could have chosen two men to counter the situation, they would have backed the technically correct Cheteshwar Pujara and the vastly experienced Suresh Raina. Pujara was watchful, surviving some nervy moments early, while Raina was more aggressive as Bangladesh’s quicks dropped it too short against him.Just when Pujara seemed to be settling down, Taskin got one to jag past Pujara’s defence to get him lbw. Wriddhiman Saha then joined the list of batsmen today to be lbw attempting to play the ball in the region of midwicket. Raina had been the most impressive of India’s batsmen, but he was run out after a uncharacteristically lacklustre attempt at a second. That dismissal came on Stuart Binny’s first ball and left India at 66 for 6 in the 17th over.There were still 24 overs to go, but India’s lower-order didn’t show the cricketing nous to stick around, especially with the rain clouds hovering. India lost their two allrounders cheaply: Akshar Patel was bowled after hitting two of his five deliveries for boundaries and Binny nicked a wide one to the keeper. The tailenders swung their bat around and managed to get India to triple digits, before Binny produced the performance that this low-profile series is likely to be remembered by.

A dramatic day of three declarations and two stunning centuries ended with Australia A in the ascendancy. Ireland, 51 for 3, need a further 250 for victory.

16-Jun-2013
ScorecardPaul Stirling transferred his one-day hitting to red ball cricket•BCBA dramatic day of three declarations and two stunning centuries ended with Australia A in the ascendancy. Ireland, 51 for 3, need a further 250 for victory.Crucially, one of the Ireland wickets to fall on the third evening was first innings centurion Paul Stirling, who was unable to repeat his magnificent display earlier in the day.Following the Australians’ overnight declaration 22 year-old Stirling took a distinct liking to pace bowler James Pattinson, dispatching him for three boundaries in the first over which set the tone for another remarkable hundred – his 8th for Ireland.Stirling dominated the proceedings to such an extent that when he reached his half century off just 44 balls, with 10 fours and a six, the scoreboard read 58 for 3, which included six extras.Stirling found a willing partner in Andrew White, who excels in the longer format of the game. White was content to play second fiddle to the belligerent Stirling who hit 17 fours and a six. While the maximum was somewhat inadvertent, there was nothing fortunate about the other boundaries – many of which were magnificent cover drives and square cuts.His innings ended on 115 from 142 balls, when he was smartly stumped by Brad Haddin from the impressive Nathan Lyon who conceded just 34 runs in 16 overs.Debutant Fawed Ahmed went wicketless but following a nervous start he bowled with enough variety and control to suggest that he may indeed represent the senior Australian side before the summer ends.Ireland captain Kevin O’Brien declared their at tea, 126 in arrears, in an move designed to take the game forward after most of Saturday was washed out.What followed was a brutal assault by New South Wales opener Nic Maddinson. He made Stirling’s innings look positively pedestrian by smashing 113 from just 63 balls, which included 13 fours and 6 sixes.His partnership with Alex Doolan was worth 174 in just 122 balls before skipper Brad Haddin called off the carnage with the lead exactly 300.And his bowlers responded before the close as Moises Henriques dismissed John Anderson and Alex Cusack after Pattinson had made the initial breakthrough as Stirling edged through to Haddin.

West Indies won their first Twenty20 international since winning the World T20, with Marlon Samuels playing an innings reminiscent of his assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers in the final of that tournament in Colombo

The Report by Siddhartha Talya10-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Marlon Samuels hit nine sixes in his innings•Associated PressWest Indies won their first Twenty20 international since winning the World T20, with Marlon Samuels playing an innings reminiscent of his assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers in the final of that tournament in Colombo. He smashed nine sixes in an innings full of confidence and clinical brutality, striking the ball clean and flat to dominate a Bangladesh attack that was on a high after picking up two early wickets. His gearshift at the death proved pivotal in the end, as Bangladesh, despite losing only a wicket in the chase, fell 18 short of their target. It is the first instance of a team losing just one wicket in a completed second innings in a Twenty20 international, and also being beaten.Darren Bravo and Samuels didn’t restrain themselves after Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith fell early, with Bravo signalling his intentions right from his first ball that was driven imperiously through extra cover. He then slashed Shafiul Islam through point, before taking on Bangladesh’s spinners. He stepped out to Abdur Razzak, smacking him for two fours and a six, and dispatched Mahmudullah’s first delivery over long-on.Samuels was let off twice by Mushfiqur Rahim, as he tried to open the face against the seamers, one a thick outside edge that was more a half-chance. He played the supporting role to Bravo in a stand of 66 in seven overs and dominated the innings once the pair was separated by a stumping. Sohag Gazi, the offspinner, dismissed Bravo but didn’t have a debut matching his maiden performances in Tests and ODIs. Kieron Pollard attacked him, launching him for two sixes in an expensive spell, before Samuels made the rest of the innings his own.Samuels was a picture of absolute assuredness, he picked the gaps at will and was ruthless, silencing a crowd of nearly 19,000 at the Shere Bangla Stadium. He was batting on 27 off 24 at one stage and stepped up to hammer another 58 off just 19. As he did against Lasith Malinga in that unforgettable innings in the World T20 final, he aimed straight with immense power, and succeeded almost each time. Razzak was struck for two sixes and Rubel was given a taste of what Malinga would have felt.Rubel tried to vary his pace but his lengths were off, with attempted yorkers being served up in the slot for Samuels to free his arms. When he pitched outside off, he was cracked over extra cover for two flat sixes; when he landed on middle, the ball ended in the stands behind midwicket and long-on. The final delivery, too, met the same fate; the last over bled 29 runs and Rubel’s early joy of seeing off the openers was cast aside by the disappointment of having suffered the second-worst figures in terms of runs conceded in T20 internationals – 63 in four overs.Bangladesh were given an excellent foundation in their response, with Anamul Haque setting the tone in a brisk opening stand. Anamul was the only batsman to fall in the chase, and Bangladesh looked on track till the end of the Powerplay. The dew wasn’t helping West Indies grip the ball well, and they doled out a generous share of full tosses, but Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah failed to cash in. Gayle played a critical role in containing Bangladesh, conceding just 18 in four overs, only seeing full tosses go as far as the fielders placed in the deep. Overs 11-15 yielded just 33 runs and the required-rate crept to 15.60 at the end of that phase.Even as Tamim began to middle the ball, and Mahmudullah thrashed Kemar Roach in the final over for 18, their century stand featured an extended period of relative quiet and an inopportune decline in the scoring-rate – including two boundary-less overs in the last five – that cost them the match. Samuels and Mahmudullah did something similar in the final overs of their respective innings, but the outcome had almost become a foregone conclusion.

England need to do whatever they can to go into the first Test on Monday as well prepared as possible and could take encouragement from their performance against a weak St Kitts

George Dobell in Basseterre07-Apr-2015
Scorecard1:27

‘England could take 30 wickets in a day’

It is most unlikely that, in years to come, a commemorative DVD of this match will be produced. It is unlikely those present will gather together for reunions, print “I was there” t-shirts and have “St Kitts 2015” tattooed upon their bodies. It was, in entertainment terms, an absolute shocker.And the next two-day ‘match’, starting on Wednesday, will offer no better. With England having little time to acclimatise to the conditions or the return to red-ball cricket, the game will see England bowl 90 overs on day one – even if, on the basis of the first day, St Kitts are 180 for 30 by stumps – and will then bat for 90 overs on day two. There is no pretence that this is a game; it is practice.While that may be a disappointment to those hardy cricket lovers who have ventured all the way from England – and those from these parts who hoped to see their team of local lads take on international opposition – it is also understandable.England have not played Test cricket since August. Some of these players have had no first-class cricket since the end of the English season and, after a winter dedicated to the 50-over format – an investment that proved as beneficial as asking Allen Stanford to look after your money – have been given only four days of low-standard cricket to prepare for a Test series. They need to do whatever they can to go into the first Test on Monday as well prepared as possible. The result of this game, in which England almost pulled-off an unlikely win, makes no difference at all.So, on the second day, Ian Bell and Joe Root were both given the time to score unhurried half-centuries, Ben Stokes hit an increasingly impressive 41 and Alastair Cook scored the five more he required from his overnight score to register his first century in any form of the game since April. He and, later, Bell both retired to allow other batsmen an opportunity.Against such opposition – and the St Kitts bowling is substantially better than their batting, which might be the weakest an England side has ever encountered – and in such matches, personal landmarks mean nothing. But if Cook and Bell and Jonathan Trott now feel confident and comfortable, England’s time here will not have been wasted.Mark Wood came into the XI and took a wicket in his fifth over•Getty ImagesStill, the WICB might want to reflect on the standard of opposition offered to England here. It really does not paint Caribbean cricket in a good light and if the destinations are going to continue to benefit from the travelling support England bring – the Barmy Army alone have 70 supporters in St Kitts – they might want to offer a little more in return.Root was not hugely convincing. Brilliant off the back foot – which basically accounts for every shot he plays – he is now so reluctant to come forward, that he is rendered almost entirely scoreless on the front foot between mid-off and point. On slow wickets with little swing, that method will work fine. But against the likes of Ryan Harris when the ball swings? It is a concern. Here he was badly missed at slip on 19 when the deserving Quinton Boatswain – an admirable seamer and whole-hearted fielder – found his outside edge after a footless prod.Gary Ballance also failed to cash in. Somewhat tentative outside off stump against the seamers, he fell when turning the offspinner Elvin Berridge straight into the hands of short leg. It was an unfortunate dismissal, perhaps, but also the innings of a man who requires a little longer at the crease.With England declaring after Stokes drove one down the throat of long-off, England drafted Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett into their side to open the bowling. While Plunkett was the quicker, Wood was marginally the more accurate and dismissed Shane Jeffers with a yorker. Plunkett was later somewhat fortunate to gain a lbw decision against Sherwin Peters – the ball was one of the few Peters hit in a torturous 47-delivery innings.Perhaps the more relevant contest was between the two potential England spinners. James Tredwell, gaining a surprising amount of turn, probably edged in front in the race for the Test place, claiming three wickets in quick succession including Jeremiah Louis, bowled by one that turned through a gate as large as the Brandenburg.Adil Rashid also claimed a wicket. But that came when Leon Clarke attempted to slog a legbreak for six over midwicket and edged to cover – an odd shot with eight overs to go and a game to save. Rashid continued to deliver the four ball an over that threatens his future as an international bowler.The nadir of the St Kitts performance – and it was hotly contested – probably came when Darren Hobson, who had been struck by the only ball he faced, attempted a bizarre quick single only to be run out. St Kitts trailed by 300 at the time and there were about 20 overs left of the match. The next man in, Jaison Peters, took so long to emerge from the pavilion that he must have been in danger of being timed out and was obliged to fasten his pads on the pitch.

Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh have been granted bail by a Mumbai court

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2013Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh have been granted bail by a Mumbai court. Both had been remanded to judicial custody until June 14. One of the defence lawyers told he now expected both to be released by Tuesday afternoon.Gurunath and Vindoo were granted bail on a surety amount of Rs 25000, and on the condition that they don’t leave India and visit the crime branch office in Mumbai at least twice a week, according to a defence lawyer. The laws under which Gurunath was booked include Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act, and Sections 465, 466, 468, 471, 490, 420, 212, 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Offences under the Information Technology Act and the Gambling Act are bailable, the lawyer said.Gurunath, a top Chennai Super Kings official and son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, was arrested by Mumbai Police on charges of cheating, forgery and fraud after being summoned to Mumbai for questioning over alleged betting and links to bookies. Police investigations suggested that Vindoo, an actor, and Gurunath were in frequent telephonic contact. Vindoo was also seen in the Super Kings box at IPL matches.Gurunath’s arrest heaped plenty of pressure on his father-in-law Srinivasan to step down as BCCI president, and at a working committee meeting on Sunday, Srinivasan said he would step aside until a commission appointed to look into the betting and spot-fixing charges in IPL 2013 completed its task.Super Kings also tried to distance itself from Gurunath, who was pretty much the face of the franchise till his arrest. Gurunath was suspended by the BCCI “from any involvement in the sport of cricket and in particular from any involvement with the Chennai Super Kings team” pending further investigations.

Essex’s limited-overs style pursuit of 400 cost them any chance of establishing a daunting first-innings lead over Kent

David Lloyd at Canterbury09-Jun-2014
ScorecardEssex nearly missed out on maximum batting points despite a bright and breezy 46 from James Foster•Getty ImagesPerhaps Essex were right to embark on a harum-scarum chase for maximum batting points in a game most likely to end as a draw but their limited-overs style pursuit of 400 cost them any chance of establishing a daunting first-innings lead.At 361 for 3 this afternoon, the visitors were just 26 runs behind Kent and apparently in prime position to press on towards the 500-plus total that century-maker Ravi Bopara identified the previous evening as being the main requirement.For better or worse, though, captain James Foster had his eyes set on reaching 400 before the end of the 110th over, thereby earning a full set of batting points. And reach it Essex did – but by the skin of their teeth and at a cost of five more wickets as a touch of T20 drama came to Championship cricket.It was great fun to watch, especially when Essex almost ‘died in the hole’ by losing three batsmen in the space of six deliveries with the total stuck on 399. But Kent were probably even happier than their opponents when the dust settled.In fairness to Foster and the Essex think tank, the loss of 19 overs during a rain-hit morning session made a mess of any calculations they might have cooked up the previous evening. But there was still just about enough time for them to score in excess of 500 and still have an hour or so at Kent this evening (or there would have been but for another heavy shower around tea time that removed a further 20 overs from the allocation).Indeed, that appeared to be the plan as the two hundred-makers, Bopara and Tom Westley, attempted to bed in again during the morning. And nothing much changed when first Westley – after sharing in a second wicket stand of 243 – and then Jesse Ryder fell to the deserving Mitch Claydon.But then in came Foster at No. 5, ahead of both Ben Foakes and Ryan ten Doeschate, to step on the accelerator with a bright and breezy, near run-a-ball innings of 46 that included five fours and a swept six off Darren Stevens.At 361 for 3 in the 104th over, Essex were in a position to have their cake (full batting points) and eat it (making 500-plus). But then Foster was well caught by keeper Sam Billings, standing up to the stumps against Stevens’ medium-pace, and the fun and games began.Bopara’s long innings ended on 162 as he attempted to force Ben Harmison off the back foot, then ten Doeschate – having guided Essex to 399 – put the cat among the pigeons by edging the same bowler.The visitors only needed one run at the start of the 110th over. But spinner Adam Riley made sure it was touch and go with a clever piece of bowling to defeat an ambitious drive by Foakes before enticing Monty Panesar – somehow batting at No. 9 – to drive a catch to mid-on while trying to clear the infield.Now Essex needed a single off the final ball of the over, Riley’s delivery was too short and Tymal Mills did the necessary with a confident pull. Phew! Missing out on both bonus point and big total would have been careless in the extreme.In hindsight, perhaps they should have sent in Mills ahead of Panesar and David Masters. The fast bowler bludgeoned his way to 30 in no time, helped by a six driven so sweetly off Riley that the ball ended in the top tier of the Colin Cowdrey Stand at long-on.Essex were dismissed soon after play resumed following the final rain break of the day, giving them 15 overs at Kent. A lead of 53 was not enough to create unbearable scoreboard pressure, however, and the hosts survived unscathed.

Sri Lanka head coach Graham Ford has said the upcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE will be a tough challenge for his team

Sa'adi Thawfeeq01-Dec-2013Sri Lanka head coach Graham Ford has said the upcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE will be a tough challenge for his team. Ford added that Pakistan have been on the move of late despite the fact that their home venue is the UAE whereas Sri Lanka have been relatively dormant recently.”The advantage Pakistan’s got is that they have played a lot of international cricket in the last six-eight months whereas unfortunately we haven’t played nearly as much because of weather and various other things,” Ford said. “We’ve done as much as we can to make sure we are sharp and ready but nothing’s quite the same as being match-tight and match-sharp. They have got an advantage from that point of view and they have got some fantastically talented cricketers.”In the past eight months, Pakistan have played four Tests, 23 ODIs and eight T20s compared to Sri Lanka who have played no Tests, 17 ODIs and five T20s. The first Test against Pakistan, which starts on December 31 in Dubai, will be Sri Lanka’s first in nearly ten months and Ford said the players were keenly looking forward to the tour.”They have been out of cricket for a while and their energy and their effort in the training sessions has been exceptional. It is a great group to work with and motivation is never really anything of a problem,” Ford said. “I am not sure whether people realize just how proud these guys are to represent their country and they have often shown their characters when the chips are down. The time out of real top-class international cricket and tours being cancelled has made them hungry.”On their last tour to the UAE in 2011, Sri Lanka lost the three-Test series 1-0, the five-match ODI series 4-1 and also went down in the only T20. This time around they will again be involved in three Tests in addition to five ODIs and two T20s. The team is scheduled to leave for the UAE on December 6.”When Sri Lanka went their last it didn’t go all too well,” Ford said. “Hopefully we can show that we have made some progress. They are a very tough team to beat in the UAE and they are playing good cricket no matter where they play. They have done well against South Africa just recently. It really will be a tough challenge for us.”Some of the players have been talking about some of the things they need to expect are going to happen there. Everybody is that much wiser on the conditions and what to expect.”We had the advantage of a pretty good home series against Pakistan and we know quite a bit about their team and some of our boys have performed well against them so psychologically that’s also a boost for us. But at the end of the day it’s about getting down there and playing really well session for session.”

“Not having him around is a bit of a challenge but we’ve gone through periods without him before when he’s had injury problems and we managed pretty well. It’s something that the team is learning to adjust to and that’s something that they will have to in the future be able to do – go and play and win without him.”Graham Ford on Mahela Jayawardene

Ever since Pakistan made the UAE their home base in 2010 they have not lost a single Test series there but Ford felt they were not invincible. “They cleaned up England 3-0 and from a psychological point of view they are aware that’s their fortress, that’s where they play well. But for us it’s an exciting challenge. That’s the way to make history, that’s the way the boys can make heroes of themselves. It’s tough but it’s not something that’s impossible.”One of the key points for Sri Lanka if they are to emerge victorious against Pakistan is how well their batsmen tackle the world-class spin of Saeed Ajmal. Ajmal was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in the 2011 series against Sri Lanka in the UAE with 18 Test wickets and 11 ODI wickets.”I’ve been involved only in one series with him and we played him quite well in that,” Ford said. “Certainly one or two of our players play him pretty well. Most batsmen in the world do have problems with him. It’s not like you are going to dominate him or he is an easy option. He is a factor in any series that he plays but we did cope with him last time around.”Obviously more players are comfortable than others against him. He is more successful in the UAE and the challenge is there. Any bowler that turns the ball in both directions and is difficult to read is a very effective man to have in your side. Added to the fact that he’s got the disguise and the ability to turn the ball both ways (is that) he’s got fantastic control. Those ingredients make him a tough bowler. Pakistan will be looking to him as a match-winner and we’ll be looking to try and neutralize him as possible.”Apart from Ajmal, Pakistan have got a few newcomers such as the seven-foot tall left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, whom most of the Sri Lanka batsmen have not faced.”We got video footage and the analyst prepares information for all the players and they’ll get their copy of the footage of players in the next day or two to study them,” Ford said. “There’s always a sharing of information. News gets around and some of these guys will have played against some of these chaps and seen them. You get some info about them from one or two people who played against them and get some sort of an idea of what type of cricketers they are.”Fortunately these days there is so much TV coverage that players can’t hide away. You are going to find out a lot about them. It’s one thing knowing about them and it’s another thing going out and playing against them.”Ford said Sri Lanka will miss Mahela Jayawardene’s experience during the limited-overs leg of the tour. The former captain has opted out for personal reasons. “You can’t say enough about Mahela’s contribution,” Ford said. “He is such an important person in the group. He is brilliant as a player, he sets the tone and he is a great example for the youngsters. His knowledge of the game is just unbelievable. I’ve learnt a huge amount from him.”Not having him around is a bit of a challenge but we’ve gone through periods without him before when he’s had injury problems and we managed pretty well. It’s something that the team is learning to adjust to and that’s something that they will have to in the future be able to do – go and play and win without him.”Ford dismissed the notion that Jayawardene’s absence would bring added pressure on the other two senior batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan. “Those two guys have thrived on pressure throughout their careers. They are both strong mentally and pressure might even be a good thing for them. I don’t think that is something to be concerned about. They know their game so well.”

Freddie Coleman, the Warwickshire and Scotland batsman, has pleaded guilty to ball tampering but has escaped an immediate suspension

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2013Freddie Coleman, the Warwickshire and Scotland batsman, has pleaded guilty to ball tampering during a 2nd XI Championship match against Glamorgan earlier this month but has escaped an immediate suspension.Warwickshire have been fined £5000 and the disciplinary panel said “the club did not provide sufficient discouragement regarding ball tampering.” They were also critical of the captain for the game in question, Paul Best, who they said allowed the tampering to continue with his knowledge.Coleman’s guilty plea and his age, 21, were noted by the panel although they stressed that this was not setting a precedent for any future ball-tampering cases. He was handed a two-match suspension but that was suspended for two years and will come into force if he breaks any further ECB regulations in that period.The panel’s statement said: “Frederick Coleman pleaded guilty to a charge that during a Second XI Championship match between Warwickshire CCC and Glamorgan CCC at Cardiff CC on 7th – 9th August, he knowingly and deliberately changed the condition of the ball in contravention of Law 42.3(b).”Warwickshire pleaded guilty to a charge that a player registered to and playing for them knowingly and deliberately changed the condition of the ball in contravention of Law 42.3(b).”The panel took into account that Mr Coleman pleaded guilty, that he is a young player and that he was allowed to act in this way with the knowledge of his captain. In light of these circumstances, the panel imposed a two match suspension on him. However, this penalty is suspended for a period of 24 months.”The panel wished to make it clear that the personal circumstances of Mr Coleman were taken into account and that the sanction is not to be seen as setting a precedent in any future cases of this kind.”The panel has imposed a fine of £5000 on Warwickshire CCC and the deduction of the points gained in this match. In the panel’s view, the club did not provide sufficient discouragement regarding ball tampering, all types of which are clearly inappropriate and in contravention of the Laws of the game.”Coleman has yet to make a first-class appearance for Warwickshire but has played in their Twenty20 side. He has played two ODIs and a Twenty20 for Scotland alongside two matches in the Intercontinental Cup and has been part of the YB40 campaign. His highest first-class score of 110 came for Oxford MCCU against Worcestershire in 2012.

Virgil van Dijk thought he had broken the deadlock for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, only for a hugely controversial VAR call to rule it out.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dutch defender powered home headerWild celebrations among Reds at WembleyEffort eventually chalked off after reviewWHAT HAPPENED?

The Netherlands international defender had the ball in the back of the net at Wembley, with wild celebrations sparked among those of a Reds persuasion. Van Dijk outmuscled Chelsea skipper Ben Chilwell before guiding a powerful effort beyond Djordje Petrovic.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

Van Dijk’s joy was short-lived as it quickly emerged that a VAR review was taking place. Those at Stockley Park noticed that Wataru Endo was stood in an offside position when the free-kick from Andy Robertson was floated in. As he ended up blocking Levi Colwill, the Japanese midfielder was interfering with play.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea also had an effort chalked off in the first half of a keenly-contested cup final, with Nicolas Jackson straying narrowly offside when racing away from the Liverpool backline and squaring for Raheem Sterling to fire home.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Questions have been asked of whether the right call was made with Van Dijk, as forward players act as blockers at just about every set-piece. Colwill was unlikely to get near the Liverpool centre-half as he nodded in, but there is no doubting that his path was blocked by Endo and that he was prevented from making any kind of play for the ball.

Five USA national team players have joined the Barbados Tridents training camp this week as part of their own preparation ahead of the 2016 World Twenty20 Qualifier in Ireland next month

Peter Della Penna16-Jun-2015Five USA national team players have joined the Barbados Tridents training camp this week as part of their own preparation ahead of the 2016 World Twenty20 Qualifier in Ireland next month.Wicketkeeper Steven Taylor had previously been offered a trial with Tridents to compete for a development contract as part of an opportunity facilitated for him, four Canada players and a Bermuda player through the ICC Americas office.Apart from Taylor though, four other USA players including Japen Patel, Adil Bhatti, Jasdeep Singh and T20 captain Muhammad Ghous travelled to Barbados at their own expense to train with the Tridents after receiving an invitation from their coach Robin Singh, who has worked with USA national teams on a contract basis since 2011. In addition to the national team players, local Washington Cricket League player Mohammad Kamran has also travelled to Barbados. According to sources, Washington Cricket League president and former USA team manager Shoaib Ahmed helped facilitate the opportunity for all of the players through Robin.The USACA had announced a pre-World T20 training camp in Jamaica from June 19 to 21, but five USA players will be in Barbados from June 15 to 22 after receiving indications that yet another USACA organised camp for Jamaica had fallen through. Patel said on Monday from Barbados that the players were contacted only a week ago for the offer of going to Barbados, but quickly rearranged plans and secured sponsors to pay for their individual flights and hotel costs in order to make the trip possible. He hopes it will provide them with the intense preparation they need to do well in Ireland.”The main thing I want to get out of this is fitness,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “I want to make sure that I’m match-fit since we haven’t been playing any cricket on turf. So I’m just looking to get more turf practice and getting in the groove of playing a lot of cricket since we’re expected to perform in back-to-back games in Ireland. This camp will help get us back in the mindset of thinking about cricket everyday instead of being weekend cricketers.”Patel said his initial expectations were that the USA players were only going to observe the Tridents training sessions and then at the conclusion would have their own separate sessions with Robin. However, he says he was thrilled that the Tridents team management has fully integrated all of the USA players into their daily routine.”I like the fact that we are actually involved with their day-to-day camp activities and their programs in addition to the training,” Patel said. “It has been good so far because all of the senior players are treating us like we are part of the camp. Every time they see something they come up to us and tell us how to fix it and how to go about things. The first day was a really good experience. Guys like [Kieron] Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Ravi Rampaul and everyone else there has been very helpful. They are treating us like they are our mentors. We are willing to learn and they are willing to offer.”In the USA, yes we practice but we don’t practice the right way. Over here, they are on point. Whatever they are going to focus on in the match, that’s what they practice. So for bowlers, they focus more on bowling yorkers or whatever their role is in the match whereas back in the USA, you just come in and bowl normally. Here it is a higher level and you are facing batsmen with higher skills. When I bowl to someone like Pollard, I have to think about where he is trying to hit and my job is to think about what ball I want to try to bowl without him hitting me. So that level of thinking can only happen when you bowl to somebody with that skillset.”USA open their World T20 Qualifier campaign on July 10 against Nepal in Belfast. Nepal have been having extended preparation in India after their home facilities were damaged following a major earthquake on April 25. In the past, USA have been undone by lack of preparation rather than lack of talent but Patel believes this experience in Barbados may give the handful of USA players a much-needed lift to lay the platform for success in the qualifiers.”For me this is a very good confidence-booster because this was a camp where when I first came in I expected to see how far away I am from playing at that level,” he said. “After coming here and hearing the feedback, I think it just requires a little bit of hard work so I’m willing to put that in and hopefully I’m able to turn that into performances in Ireland. There’s a few adjustments in T20 which I am expecting to get out of this. How to approach and build my innings, bowling wise how to read a batsman. Those are the things I’m looking to learn rather than any technical work. So far it’s been more than what I expected.”