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DPL Week 4: Shinepukur have reached the Super League for the first time

Mohammad Isam19-Apr-2024There’s no stopping Abahani Limited – they have now crushed their closest rivals, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, to win all 11 matches of the first phase of the Dhaka Premier League. It has left them just three wins away from claiming their 22nd DPL title as the top six teams head into the Super League phase.In the match billed as this season’s biggest fixture – between the two supposedly richest teams – Abahani bowled out Sheikh Jamal for just 88 runs, their lowest-ever score in the DPL. Then they chased down the meagre target in 10.2 overs without losing a wicket.Shinepukur Cricket Club, meanwhile, have finished second on the table with eight wins, ahead of Mohammedan Sporting Club and Sheikh Jamal on net run-rate. They beat fellow Super League qualifiers Gazi Group Cricketers and Mohammedan, before polishing off Legends of Rupganj this week. Significantly for them, Shinepukur have reached the Super League phase for the first time.Best battersIrfan Sukkur and Habibur Rahman Sohan scored crucial runs after the Eid break to take their respective sides, Shinepukur and Gazi Group, into the Super League. Left-hand batter Irfan struck an unbeaten 106 against Rupganj after his 84 against Gazi Group, both match-winning knocks. Young Sohan struck a 55-ball 81 against Brothers Union before the unbeaten 102 against City Club that sealed Gazi Group’s Super League spot.Parvez Hossain Emon finished the first phase with the most runs, 585 at 53.18 with three centuries. He is the only one to breach the 500-run mark, while Mohammad Naim, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Saif Hassan and Tamim Iqbal are among the top-five scorers.Best bowlersQuick bowler Nahid Rana, who recently made his Test debut against Sri Lanka, took 12 wickets this week, including a five-wicket haul against Mohammedan and a four-for against Gazi Group. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took the other five-for this week.Left-arm quicks have ruled the DPL’s first phase. Gazi Group’s Ruyel Miah finished as the top wicket-taker with 25 wickets at 14.76. Abu Hider and Maruf Mridha, both left-arm fast bowlers, are among the top four, while Ifran Hossain, a right-arm quick, is in sixth place. Rishad Hossain, the legspinner, and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam are the others in the top five.Nahid Rana is one of the big reasons for Shinepukur’s success this season•BCBBest matchAbahani came into the week with nine wins in a row but it would all come to nothing if they couldn’t dominate fellow big-spenders Prime Bank Cricket Club and Sheikh Jamal. They racked up 341 for 4 against Prime Bank, with Anamul Haque and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hitting centuries. Towhid Hridoy struck a breezy unbeaten 65 too. Prime Bank were all out for 283 in reply after Taskin Ahmed and Tanjim Hasan Sakib took three wickets each to kill off any threat.Shoriful Islam’s four wickets, with help from Taskin and Tanjim, bowled Sheikh Jamal out for 88.Points to ponderAn official of the cricket committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the body that runs the Dhaka leagues, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy, City Club and Rupganj Tigers will play in the relegation playoffs. They are all tied on four points along with Partex Sporting Club, who avoided relegation because of a higher net run-rate than Rupganj.Players to watchMridha stood out among the teenaged cricketers who debuted in the DPL this season. The left-arm fast bowler took 19 wickets for Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy. Among the others, 16-year old Nuhayel Sandeed became the first left-arm wristspinner to play List-A cricket in Bangladesh. Sandeed took two wickets on debut against Prime Bank, the DPL side coached by his father Mohammad Salahuddin.

SK Sham pays tribute to Eknath Solkar

SK Sham26-Jun-2005

Eknath Solkar: the man who turned the high-risk job of close-catching into a fine art © Getty Images
As in the very hub of life, so in cricket, they also serve who only stand and wait. The game is not all about just the star performers at the batting or the bowling crease. The men who stand in positions in the field where few would dare, rarely catch the headlines, even as they make the difference between victory and defeat.Eknath Solkar, who passed away on Sunday in Mumbai, will ever be remembered as one who had turned the high-risk job of close-catching into a fine art. He was one player who could indeed command a place in the team only on his fielding. That he was a fair bat, tenacious at times, and more than an useful bowler, made him an allrounder in the truest sense of the term.Sydney Barnes, a member of the fabulous Australian team of the forties, led by Don Bradman, had his team-mates worried, as he posted himself fearlessly at forward short-leg and, when he was taken to hospital a couple of times, hit in the groin, the critics described the perilous field placing as a “suicide” position.Many years later, “Ekki,” as Solkar was fondly called by his chums, had revisited the suicide position and made a great success of it. It was his sharp-reflexes and daredevilry at forward short-leg that actually contributed to the success of Indian spinning quartet of Bishen Singh Bedi, Bhagawat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivasan Venkatraghavan.Much of the credit for India’s first-ever Test-series triumph over the West Indies in 1971 was laid at the feet of the tremendous batting feats of debutant Sunil Gavaskar and the experienced Dilip Sardesai. Solkar, who barely made the playing XI then, was not exactly heralded a hero. Useful stands with Sardesai, in the face a impending defeat, helped the team turn the tide on more than one occasion. On that Caribbean tour, Solkar showed glimpses of what stern stuff he was made of when he stood barely a couple of yards from the bat, at forward short-leg. Although not much came to Solkar’s hand, the leading West Indies batsmen had been psyched into curbing their natural strokeplay.A couple of months later, Solkar was to come full bloom as world’s greatest a close-in fielder. He did not take, but made, catches at forward short-leg. He had opener Brian Luckhurst on no less than three occasions in the first two Tests. Caught by Solkar, Luckhurst said while walking, “Wait you blighter, the series isn’t over yet.” The same remark came from Luckhurst, the third time that he was picked by Solkar. It was the turn of the Indian to speak, “Mr. Luckhurst, is the series over now?.” Though he went on to play the next game, Luckhurst suffered further embarrassment, off Solkar’s bowling, when he was dismissed for 1 (c Gavaskar) in the first innings.Solkar’s close-catching in England was, on occasions, “out of this world.” I am not saying this, the English critics did that. “He created catches out of thin air, like some Indian magician,” said John Arlott, the doyen among the commentators.In India, Eknath Solkar was called “the poor man’s Garry Sobers,” which was just a manner of speaking. But indeed, he was a poor man’s son who made it big by sheer hard work and dedication. The Hindu Gymkhana at the posh Marine Drive area had a small hut attached to it. That was the abode of the humble groundsman who tended the pitch where the then leading players of the country came for practice. Amongst those who bowled at them was a little boy in shorts and a torn vest. Bombay and India stumper, Madhav Mantri, impressed by his enthusiasm, arranged to send him to school. An average student, Solkar was however an outstanding cricketer and it was not too long before he captained the Indian schools against the visiting English schools.A two-in-one bowler, left-arm seam and orthodox left-arm spin, and a reliable batsman in any position, Solkar saw his dream turn into reality when he was picked for a Test debut against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1969.He may not have had any outstanding performances, but he was undoubtedly the greatest utility player who the selectors found difficult to leave out. A loveable guy, he was a knowledgeable critic of the game. He spoke out as fearlessly as he stood at the dreaded forward short-leg position, sleeves rolled down and a grin on his dark, sweat-covered face. Many a batsman who have fallen to him, will surely remember that face.

The Ashes memories just keep on coming as two more DVDs arrive for your viewing pleasure

Edward Craig28-Jan-2007

Another Christmas, another Ashes series andyet another Phil Tufnell DVD. Here, Phil, with anold twist to an old theme, trades on his loveablerogue image to string together another series ofcricket clips, linked with toe-curling one-linersand limp explanation from the ex-king of thejungle.This seems little different to Tufnell’s effortslast year, except he wanders round quirkylocations at Lord’s and The Oval as opposed toquirky locations at Arundel and the Rose Bowl(increase in budgets, no doubt) introducingclips of Ashes Geezers (Botham), Gaffes (Englandin 1989) and Greats (Keith Miller).In theory, this could make for an interestingretrospective, and some of the clips aremagnificent – Harold Larwood’s bowling action,Gooch batting at The Oval in 1985 – but youcould watch this footage through goggles filledwith ink and still enjoy them. Cutting themtogether with an irritating soundtrack and anirritating script only diminishes their value.That said, Tufnell is one of the better thingsabout the DVD. You know what he’s going todo, how he’s going to do it, you can see thejokes coming and, although it can be painful, hedoes it pretty well – he’s natural and energeticbut needs a better writer. Throw in somehorrendous editing and an awful “chat” withTMS commentator Henry Blofeld (he’s on radiofor a reason), you’ll do well to reach the end.

This is not an easy time for English people toview an Ashes DVD. The past seems very similarto the present. Australian victories, like a SteveHarmison over, just go on and on.Our famous guides, Ian Botham and AllanBorder, do their best, but Shakespeareannarrators they ain’t. In between Tests they faceeach other across the table and dissect. “AndAustralia went on their merry way,” says ABseveral times. Beefy nods and scratches theside of his nose in preparation for rememberinganother ad-lib.But what they describe is magnificent- lots and lots of great cricket. They begin onIllingworth’s 70-71 tour and the clips just keeprolling. John Snow getting menaced by theworld’s oldest hooligan. Lillee and Thomson;Tony Greig hitting, then signalling, a four. ColinCowdrey, aged 42, with no need for a chestprotector, getting one on the elbow.There are little moments of beauty too.Those Gower cover drives. How could aman stand so still when the ball was aboutto be delivered? And on disc two, enjoythe wicketkeeping of Ian Healy below, thebest Australia has had. Speaking of brilliantAustralians, there’s nothing like a Benaud bonmot. Bill Lawry, on the other hand, with 30 yearsin the comm box on his CV, may never knowwhether a swipe to the boundary will becomea four or a six.If you’re English, the fast forward button may be useful on disc two. A decade-and-a-half of Australian skill and English ineptitude. If only we’d known in 1989, when disc one shows Kim Barnett getting slogged to all parts by Merv Hughes, that – 2005 excepted – Australia wouldjust keep going on their merry way.

This is Australian sporting nirvana. Amazing Adelaide records the critical second Test of the 2006-07 Ashes at the Adelaide Oval, in which the hosts were 15-1 to win on the final morning… and went on to win. Each of the five days’ play, plus the post-match celebrations, have been put into one 115-minute highlight reel. The DVD, hosted by Michael Slater and Richie Benaud, is a compilation taken from Channel 9’s excellent coverage over the Australian summer.Features are few; there is no 5.1 stereo available for proper effect. There is only the one menu to navigate, though, and the image is represented well on any HD television or projector. A great gift and not to mention lesson. England should be sat down and made to watch the highlights again and again to learn just why it’s important to play the full five days out – and play them with total concentration.

Captains keeping and scoring hundreds; and most runs scored in the first and last 10 overs

Steven Lynch23-Oct-2007The regular Tuesday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

VVS Laxman has scored the most ODI runs for a batsman without a World Cup appearance © AFP
What is the Test batting average? I mean runs scored by batsmenin Test cricket divided by total dismissals. I’m guessing it’s around 30,but the idea has been pinging around in my head for a while and it needsto get out! And while you’re at it, what’s the overall bowlingaverage? asked Kieran O’Leary from Australia
Your guess was remarkably close: the overall Test batting average (runsscored divided by completed innings) is 29.84 since the first Test in1876-77. The overall bowling average is slightly higher – 31.43 – becauseof run-outs and the recent counting of wides and no-balls against thebowler.Who has scored the most runs and taken the most wickets without everappearing in a World Cup? My guess for the batsman is VVS Laxman – am Iright? asked Satyakant from India
There’s some fine guessing going on this week, because the batsman withthe most ODI runs who has never appeared in a World Cup is indeed VVS Laxman, who has made 2338.The leading wicket-taker is another Indian, Irfan Pathan, who has so fartaken 122 one-day wickets. He’s just ahead of Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Zoysa, who has taken 108wickets in 95 matches, and holds the record for the most ODIs playedwithout appearing in the World Cup.Was the Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton in 2002-03 theonly one in which part of all four innings took place on the same day?asked Ashwin Sundar from India
The match you’re talking about is this one. India started the third day(the first was washed out) at 92 for 8 in their first innings, and weresoon all out for 99; New Zealand were bowled out for 94; India went in andout again for 154; and by the end of the day New Zealand, chasing 160 towin, were 24 without loss (they completed a four-wicket victory nextmorning). This was the second occasion that part of all four innings hadtaken place on the same day of a Test: it also happened on the second dayof the 2000 Lord’s Test betweenEngland and West Indies (one ball of West Indies’ first innings, wholeinnings by England and West Indies, then seven balls of England’s second).What is the highest number of ducks in an ODI? I only ask because therewere seven in one of the India-Australia matches … asked Ed Dixonfrom England

Michael Clarke was the first of seven ducks during the seventh ODI between India and Australia at Mumbai © AFP
The match you’re talking about was the seventh one of the recent seriesbetween India and Australia, at Mumbai last week, andthere were indeed seven ducks (three golden ones), four by Australia andthree by India. That was the sixth instance of seven dismissals for 0 inthe same ODI – but the record is eight, shared by England (5) and WestIndies (3) in the 1979 World Cup final at Lord’s. For a list of the othersevens, click here.Who has taken the most wickets against England in Tests and ODIs?asked James Hamilton from Dundee
In Tests it’s a familiar name leading the way: Shane Warne took 195 Englandwickets in 36 Tests. Another Australian, Dennis Lillee, lies second with167, just ahead of CurtlyAmbrose of West Indies (164). Overall 17 bowlers have taken 100 ormore wickets against England in Tests. In ODIs the leader is anotherfamiliar Aussie – GlennMcGrath, with 53 wickets. Next come Malcolm Marshall (41) and Shaun Pollock (40).Which cricketer called his autobiography Retired Hurt?asked Max Hayes from Brisbane
This was Roshan Mahanama, theSri Lankan batsman who played 52 Tests between 1985-86 and 1997-98scoring 2576 runs including 225 in the Test-record total of 952 for 6against India in Colombo in1997. Mahanama’s book was privately published in Australia in 2001, and hecalled it that because he was upset at his treatment by the selectors,especially towards the end of his career.And there’s an update on the recent question about thehighest score in the last ten overs of an ODI, from Sreeram in India
“I believe that the most runs scored in the final ten overs of an ODIinnings is actually 146, by South Africa against Pakistan at Centurion earlier this year. They were 246 for 4 after 40 overs, but finished up with 392 for 6 – Mark Boucher made 78 in 38 balls.” That just beats a match several other people notified us about, Pakistan against Zimbabwe at Multan in 2004-05 – in that match Pakistan were147 for 6 at the end of the 40th over but, with Abdul Razzaq and ShahidAfridi going ballistic, they finished up with 292 for 7.

Throughout the series Ricky Ponting has spoken proudly and defiantly about only one team playing aggressively and wanting to win at all times. That didn’t happen on Saturday when Australia, who must win to level the series, batted in the most subdued styl

Ali Cook08-Nov-2008
Simon Katich maintained a popular view on tour that only one team was playing for victory. The difference is India will be happy with a stalemate, which will give them the series and regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy © Getty Images
Throughout the series Ricky Ponting has spoken proudly and defiantly about only one team playing aggressively and wanting to win at all times. That didn’t happen on Saturday when Australia, who must win to level the series, batted in the most subdued style. Ponting’s team is behind 1-0 in the series, and the display almost felt like surrender.India bowled incredibly defensively, especially in the morning, but during the first two sessions the visiting batsmen did not look for ways to break free. Forty-two runs came before lunch, when the off-side was usually crowded with eight men, but as the fields relaxed after the break and the bowlers moved their line towards the stumps only another 49 were added. It’s about half the rate they usually aim for.Only when Cameron White lifted the tempo after tea did Australia escape becoming an entrant on the top ten list for the fewest runs scored in a day’s play. When the innings ended at 355, leaving India one over to bat before stumps, Australia had collected 166 in 85.4 overs. It must have been like this in the 1950s with England.Yet the performance came from a team that batted like it was a Twenty20 on the fourth day in Mohali, and had breezed to 189 in 49 overs on the second afternoon in Nagpur. The side that knows only how to play aggressively.Naturally, the slow progress wasn’t Australia’s fault. It was because India posted an 8-1 field and the bowlers directed their line well outside the off stump. It wasn’t fun to watch, but it was what India needed to do.Simon Katich, who was dismissed for 102 in the morning, was so upset by a question after play about why Australia was so defensive that he challenged the knowledge of the interrogator. “You’re kidding, aren’t you,” Katich snapped. “We were defensive with an 8-1 field?”Both teams were. Nothing was done to try and force changes in the field or the bowling once a couple of edges had headed towards the slips. Balls were left and left in a way that would have earned the batsmen taunts about Geoff Boycott or Chris Tavare from Australian crowds.Katich added 10 runs in 69 balls on Saturday while Michael Hussey collected 45 in 121. Hussey performed capably and confidently during his 90, employing the method that has made him, and the situation was under control while he was there. Usually someone more attacking is at the other end and the batsmen feed off each other. On the third day things were slower than a crawl.”Huss and I were pretty content to try and wade it out and reap the rewards later on, but it didn’t happen due to both of us getting out,” Katich said. “When that doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look great.” As the wickets started to fall – they lost 4 for 37 when Katich departed – Australia did not have enough support in their platform to fulfill their aim of matching India’s 441.The amusing thing about the batting suffocation was Australia have been trying to bore India’s batsmen out throughout the series by using cluttered fields with short and deep men. Indian players have called that defensive – something the attacking visitors reject – but the tourists have been unable to restrict the runs with any method.With India’s settings and immaculate discipline, they showed their opponents how to do it. With each hour the visitors’ task to save the series became tougher as the walls and fielders closed in. In India’s case, winning means drawing.”It’s a good strategy if you can execute it,” Katich said. “If you don’t get it right you can pay the price. They executed it well, that’s the bottom line.”Katich maintained a popular view on tour that only one team was playing for victory. The difference is India will be happy with a stalemate, which will give them the series and regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy.”They know they don’t have to win the Test match,” Katich said. “Judging by the scoring rate today we’d have to keep them to around 300 on the last day. We’ll have to bowl well tomorrow and take our chances.”The last time Australia needed to win the final Test to save the series was during the draw at The Oval in 2005. Strange decisions were made in that game too, especially when a bad light offering was accepted during the first innings.At the moment of most importance, they were unable to lift or find another answer. The current outfit looks confused and unrecognisable from Australia’s previous team. Even supporters with just a little knowledge of the game knew they had been tricked into being defensive.

It’s up to Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra to prove that they can at least partially fill the breach left by Anil Kumble’s retirement

Dileep Premachandran17-Dec-2008
From the common sight of three specialist spinners in the XI at home a decade ago, India might be forced to opt for a lone tweaker in the post-Kumble era © AFP
How much do India miss Anil Kumble? At the risk of inviting irate reactions from the old romantics, more than they’ve ever missed any other bowler. In home conditions, Kumble was in a class of his own. Bishan Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna don’t even come close, and Harbhajan Singh must reinvent himself drastically if he’s to have anything like the same impact in the second half of his career.So much has been written about Monty Panesar’s travails in India that the performances of Harbhajan and Amit Mishra in Chennai have slipped under the radar. Michael Atherton pointed them out in a typically astute column in the , and it’s worth remembering just how comfortably Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood played Harbhajan from deep inside the crease. It’s far too early to make an assessment of Mishra’s qualities, but Harbhajan is bound to come under the scanner now that he’s the senior spin bowler in the side.To analyse his career, it’s necessary to break it into two significant portions. Having made his debut in 1998, he only established himself in the side after the 32-wicket heroics against Steve Waugh’s team in 2001. Kumble was recuperating from shoulder surgery at the time, but from that point on, it was Harbhajan that was the frontline spinner until he faced finger surgery of his own after the Gabba Test of 2003.Kumble, who got his chance in the next game in Adelaide, didn’t waste it, and Harbhajan was once again back to support-spinner status when he returned against Australia in October 2004. Though he enjoyed a fine series with 21 wickets, it was Kumble who grabbed the headlines, especially on the opening day in Chennai where he took 7 for 48.Before that finger injury in 2003, Harbhajan’s home record was superior even to Kumble, though it’s not necessarily fair to compare 18 Tests with 63. Over the 63 games he played in India, Kumble took a staggering 350 wickets at 24.88 and a strike-rate of 59.4. Of the golden oldies, Bedi had the best average [23.99, albeit at a strike-rate of 75.8], while Chandrasekhar had the best strike-rate [64.6]. Kumble’s own figures were inflated during the course of a wretched final year, when a succession of injuries restricted him to just seven wickets at considerable cost from four Tests.Prior to his injury, Harbhajan had taken 96 wickets at 23.33 from 18 Tests. The strike-rate [56.2] too was in the Kumble category. Since returning though, he hasn’t been anything like as effective. The 23 Tests since October 2004 have seen him take 114 wickets at 29.78, and a strike-rate of 64.5. The only ten-wicket hauls were against Australia [2004, in a match India lost heavily in Bangalore] and Sri Lanka [Ahmedabad 2005]. Too often, the five-wicket hauls have been meaningless ones, with teams throwing the bat around after raising huge totals.So, what has changed? The pitches, undoubtedly. The rank turners that Kumble had so much success on in the mid-1990s are largely a thing of the past, and when they do make an appearance [Mumbai 2004 and Kanpur 2008], visiting teams invariably run off crying to the ICC. But blaming the pitches alone would be a cop-out, a failure to admit that Indian spin is in crisis.Murali Kartik is highly rated on the county circuit, but that opinion doesn’t seem to be shared by India’s selectors, despite 22 wickets at 25.77 in his six home TestsAtherton summed up Harbhajan’s predicament perfectly in his column. “I am not entirely sure that Harbhajan is the bowler he used to be, now that an overextended use of the doosra – the ball that spins to the off – has affected his ability to drift and spin his stock ball, the offspinner,” he wrote. It’s something other commentators have been saying for years, and was best illustrated in Sri Lanka a few months ago, when Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan made India’s spinners look second-rate.Both Harbhajan and Mishra will undoubtedly play in Mohali. Just two months ago, they took 12 wickets between them as Australia were routed. It’s worth pointing out though that whenever Mahendra Singh Dhoni wants to keep the runs down or take a crucial wicket, it’s the pace bowlers and reverse-swing that he turns to. Even in Chennai, it was mainly Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan that reduced England to a fourth-day crawl, with Ishant summoning a superb spell to dismiss Andrew Flintoff.So, what are India’s options when it comes to spin? Not very many. Piyush Chawla did nothing in his two Tests, and Pragyan Ojha is just as unproven. Murali Kartik is highly rated on the county circuit, but that opinion doesn’t seem to be shared by India’s selectors, despite 22 wickets at 25.77 in his six home Tests.With quite a few pace options waiting in the wings – Munaf Patel and a fit-again Sreesanth would definitely add value to the side – it’s not unthinkable India will soon go the Australian way. For the best part of 15 years, they played mainly three fast bowlers alongside Shane Warne. Sadly for India, there’s no Warne on the horizon, and it’s up to Harbhajan and Mishra to prove that they can at least partially fill the breach left by Kumble’s retirement.

Sixty years ago he was a prodigy who served notice to the world – before he went missing and later turned up as a brave old man against the West Indies firing squad

Alan Hill04-Aug-2009All those who watched the ferocious gladiator in his magnificent opening season testify to his thrilling command as a batsman. Brian Close’s power and supremacy at the crease provided onlookers with an early demonstration of the adventurous approach that always governed his cricket.Raymond Illingworth, a close friend and later an astute ally in Yorkshire’s championship years in the 1960s, remembers the confidence of the imperious young giant. “At 18, Brian was the finest straight driver I’d ever seen. He used to pepper the rugby stand at Headingley – and that’s a big hit.”One example of Close’s striking powers came in the match against Derbyshire at Park Avenue, Bradford. Close was in opposition to the fast bowling trio of Gladwin, Jackson and Copson, all of them England players. Illingworth recalls the entry of Close and the subsequent barrage of strokes, which produced near-delirium in the spectators. Copson conceded 45 runs in five overs. As Illingworth recalls, one of Close’s two sixes rose mightily to land on the roof of the stand. The correspondent enthused: “Close gave the Derbyshire attack a Jessop-like hammering, using his long arms to hit out with terrific swings.”Trevor Bailey has watched, played and written about cricket for over 80 years. He was present when Peter Smith, his Essex colleague, was subjected to another tremendous barrage of shots. Close was unbeaten on 88, with a hundred at his beckoning, when Yorkshire declared. “It was a magnificent performance,” says Bailey. “We were all astonished by his big hitting at Headingley.” Bailey still believes that Close was the best young player of his time and was unrivalled until Sachin Tendulkar displayed his own uncommon artistry.The gods smiled on Close in the momentous summer of 1949. He became the youngest player, aged 18 years and 149 days, to represent England in a Test match. He made his debut against New Zealand at Old Trafford. Other distinctions followed. He was the youngest Yorkshireman to gain his county cap, which followed national recognition, and the youngest allrounder to achieve the double, and he was the only player ever to reach this milestone in his first season.Sporting prodigies carry the burden of high expectations. Close in his cricketing infancy was praised as a wondrous talent. There were some among the Yorkshire elders who urged more sober consideration. Jim Kilburn, the historian and cricket correspondent, offered a typically measured response. “Close has the grace and balance of a natural player of games. Nobody would wish to withhold congratulations and hopes for a famous future.” Kilburn’s next words might have been a premonition; they certainly reflected the anxiety felt by other admiring bystanders. “Hero worship and success make for a heavy wine and it would be a cricketing tragedy if unbalanced enthusiasm were to lead a young player into a mood of complacence.”The buoyancy of the rough-hewn Yorkshire boy was crushed on an ill-starred tour of Australia in 1950-51. The failure to nurture an immature youth would deprive England of an allrounder who could have vied with the greatest in the game. Close became a lonely and disconsolate boy on the tour and was derided as a misfit by his captain, Freddie Brown. Brown was an amateur martinet of the old school. He had, in fact, overridden the objections of the Yorkshire committee to include Close in the touring party. That was the worst thing that could have happened to Brian,” says another Yorkshire veteran, Ted Lester. “The promotion was too sudden; he would otherwise have been in the England team for the next 20 years.”

“The promotion was too sudden; he would otherwise have been in the England team for the next 20 years”Ted Lester, Yorkshire veteran

The late Ronnie Burnet tells a revealing story of the impact of the demoralising experience in Australia, which had, he recalled, almost resulted in Close’s giving up the game. In one long conversation Burnet had tried to dispel the clouds of depression. “You’re wasting your breath,” said Brian, “I’m finished.”Close did linger on the brink of despair for some time afterwards, but he eventually emerged from his dejection to embark on an exhilarating new phase as Yorkshire captain in the early 1960s. He was then 32 and found assurance and peace of mind in a coveted leading role. Bill Bowes, another Yorkshire elder, was among those astonished at the impact of Close as captain. “Brian’s field placings were as intelligent and antagonistic as any seen in the county for 25 years,” says Bowes.Yorkshire won four championships and two Gillette Cups in an invincible decade. Close was now the hard man of cricket folklore. His courage as a batsman was notably displayed against the ravenous West Indies pacemen in 1963, and even more remarkably at the age of 45 when he was recalled by England for the last time against other marauders from the Caribbean in 1976.His swansong as a cricketer produced new tributes when he moved to captain Somerset. At Taunton he nurtured the talents of a player who was cast in a similar coinage to his youthful self. Close rescued Ian Botham from the clutches of disapproving coaches on the Lord’s groundstaff to help propel him to legendary status.Sir Ian today says: “Closey was a great leader and a remarkable man. We will always be indebted to him. He was the man who put us on the road and transformed a happy-go-lucky band, as Somerset was regarded, into the winning machine we became.”

The night before he scored the century that revitalised his West Indian team, Dwayne Bravo lay in his hotel bed watching boxing

Alex Brown at Adelaide Oval04-Dec-2009The night before he scored the century that revitalised both his West Indian team and the Frank Worrell Trophy series, Dwayne Bravo lay in his hotel bed watching boxing on the television. The combat, the valour, the bloody-minded determination struck a chord with Bravo, the Trinidadian allrounder, and he later relayed to team-mates a quote from one of the duelling pugilists: “Destiny is in my hands.”It was a motto that resonated throughout Bravo’s innings on Friday, and one that stands as a beacon for his side to follow in this series and beyond. The dispiriting Brisbane defeat still weighing heavily upon them, West Indies might well have been expected to capitulate when Adrian Barath, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan fell inside the first session, only for Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to combine for a century stand that was as much sweet science as precise batsmanship.Whereas Chanderpaul, fighting out of the crouch, was content to counter-punch on a bouncier-than-usual Adelaide Oval wicket, Bravo advanced. Risks were taken and luck was ridden, but when Bravo raised both his half-century and century with hard-driven boundaries down the ground, the Adelaide patrons offered generous ovations to a born entertainer and a battle-forged fighter.It may have surprised them to learn that this was Bravo’s first Test century since Hobart in 2005; the result of a long battle with an Achilles injury, wavering application at the crease and the distractions caused by the Twenty20 game. The current series is Bravo’s first in whites since Australia’s tour of the Caribbean 18 months ago, and his match-turning efforts have provided the region with hope that the once flashy youth is maturing into a responsible veteran capable of inspiring a new generation.”I was very confident coming here to play in Australia,” Bravo said. “I think they’re the best team in the world and I’m the type of person who loves challenges. After being out of the game for so long I took this tour to make sure I got my Test career back on track. I have a lot of starts at times and tend to give it away. I’m just happy that I got a start in this game and carried on. It’s long overdue and I’m happy to get another hundred behind my name and looking forward to the innings ahead of me.”

“For so long, Bravo has been the embodiment of all that is right, wrong and worrisome about West Indian cricket”

For so long, Bravo has been the embodiment of all that is right, wrong and worrisome about West Indian cricket. Here is a man blessed with athletic gifts the envy of his peers; an allrounder with the hubris and flair to snap Caribbean cricket out of its decade-long malaise. It was this Bravo who defied Australia in its own backyard with a century of pure power and panache, lifting his side to a competitive first-innings total in the process.But there has been another side. Fairly or not, Bravo has been portrayed as one of the poster children for the Twenty20 game. That perception wasn’t helped when Bravo did not represent West Indies during their ill-fated Test tour of England earlier this year, yet was deemed fit enough to represent the Mumbai Indians in the concurrent IPL. Club over country debates raged, as they had the previous year when he made an 11th-hour arrival for the Test series against Australia in a Mukesh Ambani-sponsored private jet.A tentative peace has taken hold between players and the board of late, and perhaps with it will come a more dedicated commitment to international cricket. Certainly, Bravo gave every indication after play that he remained committed to both the region and the five-day format in an oration every bit as refreshing as his innings.”Test cricket to me is the ultimate,” he said. “I think all players have to make a name for themselves through Test cricket. It’s the only way you can become one of the best players in the world and be recognised by the best players in the world. Once you’ve dominated at Test level then you become a world-class player. I really love playing Test cricket. I think it is the ultimate.”I’m very happy to be back in the team playing Test cricket again. After that first Test I was very disappointed for us as a team. We regrouped after that first Test and identified where we went wrong as a team. We knew coming into this Test that we would play better and make a better showing of ourselves.”So far, so good.

After all the bargaining and shopping you can do, escape to the peace of Dhaka’s famous golf course

Shakib Al Hasan06-Nov-2010Experience Gulshan and Uttara
These areas of Dhaka are never short of activity. There are many trendy restaurants, fast-food joints and cafes here that you just have to try. For great kebabs and masala dishes, I recommend Dhaba on Banani Road 11. If you are looking for authentic Bangladeshi cuisine, stop over at Kasturi. There are so many choices in Gulshan and Uttara, I suggest you just walk around and try whichever eatery you feel like.Gulshan is not just about multi-national food, it is also a shopping hotspot. Although you’ll see many international brands, a must-visit is Aarong, a chain store that will turn you into a Bangladeshi no matter where you come from. Apart from handicrafts, they have the best designer kurtas (we call it Punjabi in Bangladesh).My favourite restaurant in the city is Mainland China in Uttara.If you are in the mood to party, head to the Radisson Waterfront or the Dhaka Regency.Play at the Kurmitola golf course
I didn’t know such an amazing facility existed in the mad rush, traffic jams and noise of Dhaka till I went there with Jamie [Siddons] and my team-mates one day. Even if you are not a Tiger Woods wannabe, it’s worth going there for the scenery and the atmosphere. This is the course where Bangladesh’s first pro-golfer, Siddikur Rahman, once worked as a caddy before he shot to fame by winning an Asian PGA title.Stroll around the Dhaka university campus
I love the university campus because it welcomes everyone. If you don’t know what to do in Dhaka, just go there and mingle with the youngsters. Become a student for a day. The university’s must-see places are the Curzon Hall, a grand British-era faculty complex, and the Shaheed Minar, a monument for the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement.Shop in Bangabazar
Bangabazar is the most famous shopping centre in Dhaka. Every rickshaw-wallah and cabbie knows where it is. Don’t be disappointed by its tiny outlets and narrow alleyways because the place is a goldmine if you are shopping for clothes. You name it, Bangabazar has it, at unbelievably low prices. Bargain hard.Visit the Bashundhara Shopping Mall
Don’t leave Dhaka without buying DVDs from Bashundhara Shopping Mall. It is a fun mall, with movies theatres, food courts and an amusement hall.

Bangladesh’s performance in Mirpur seemed to follow the script of a Shakespeare tragedy, with unfulfilled ambition, revenge and eventually the fall of would-be heroes

Firdose Moonda in Mirpur19-Mar-2011Shakespeare would have been proud of this tragedy. There was unfulfilled ambition, revenge, inner turmoil and death, not of anyone, but of a dream.At the end, the Bangladesh vision lay lifeless on the Shere Bangla field. The supporters had abandoned them, some leaving when the early dents were made in the batting line-up and the rest jumping ship near the end. The play wasn’t worth watching anymore and they didn’t care what happened to the hero Shakib Al Hasan. He was the protagonist and we all know what happens to them in Shakespeare’s scripts.When the curtain opened, the scene that rolled out had the makings of a horror show. The Bangladesh fast bowlers were feeding Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith some juicy deliveries. Full tosses, balls pitched on leg stump, short and wide stuff, and there was no stopping the opening pair. Bangladesh allowed Smith, who had been in scratchy form in the tournament, to plant some roots and settle. They gave Amla the stage to continue growing his stature as one of the batsmen of the tournament, and Bangladesh’s woes may have grown even more had they been allowed to continue.There was a twist in the plot, though. Abdur Razzak, Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah and Shakib did what they did to South Africa in the 2007 World Cup in Guyana – tied them up. Although they were not running the same kind of strangling circles as they did on that day, they still managed to pull the run-rate back enough for 250 to look like a reasonable amount of runs to restrict South Africa to.Of course, the South Africa batsmen were part of the play too and they had some acting to do themselves. Jacques Kallis brought up his half-century almost unnoticed, and Faf du Plessis was able to craft his character for the third time in this World Cup. du Plessis has been able to show the maturity that many from his domestic franchise knew he had all along, against India, Ireland and again today. South Africa’s middle order, still relatively untested, may need a few more of these situations before they start to be considered as threatening as the bowling attack, but du Plessis will be central to that.The Bangladesh bowlers would have never seen him before and it showed. They bowled to him as South Africa bowled to Mohammad Ashraful in Guyana in that World Cup – as though he was too unknown a quantity for them to have done much homework on. They batted in the same fashion against Lonwabo Tsotsobe, although they had seen him on during South Africa’s A tour early last year.What really happened is that Bangladesh hadn’t rehearsed their lines properly, hadn’t put enough research into the South Africa players; maybe because they didn’t expect them to field the side that they ended up fielding. Once Tsotsobe had set them back significantly, the lines that they were struggling to remember were gone.There was no recovery. The fans seemed to know that before anyone else and that may have been why they started pouring out. Shakib tried to prompt a comeback, that gentle reminder of how things should be, and he had four beautiful boundaries, but his performance alone would never be enough. Smith has said that South Africa were on no revenge mission; but the way they unleashed the pain on Bangladesh told a different story. It meant that there was no room for any of the ambition Bangladesh had harboured to peep through.This game alone may not have been the vehicle to fulfill Bangladesh’s dream but because of the results of the past few weeks – the loss to West Indies and then the West Indies loss to England – everything eventually hung on beating South Africa. Maybe the end wasn’t too painful because beating the team that has looked strongest in this tournament would be a tough ask. It may have made the final act easier to swallow.Shakib was too traumatised to be able to think about the way forward, but Smith had a suggestion, although it is not positive. He thinks there that there is still a long way to go before the script can be revised. “The challenge will be to create consistency,” he said. ‘”They need to start learning to win.” It may be as difficult as learning their lines but they’ve got four years to practise.