England Under-19 were made to work hard in another closely-fought encounter but held their nerve to defeat Sri Lanka Under-19 by three wickets with just four balls to spare at Fenner’s

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill07-Aug-2010
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David Payne and Luke Wells sealed a tense, three-wicket win in the final over•Getty Images

In keeping with the nature of the recent contests between these two sides, England Under-19 were made to work hard in another closely-fought encounter but held their nerve to defeat Sri Lanka Under-19 by three wickets with just four balls to spare at Fenner’s and take a 1-0 lead in the five match one-day series.England were well-placed at 190 for 4 in the 44th over, needing just 18 runs to win, but Alex Barrow’s dismissal shortly after he had reached fifty sparked a nervous passage of play and with Sri Lanka’s bowlers putting in a disciplined performance to keep the pressure on the batsmen two further wickets fell before Luke Wells and No. 9 David Payne sealed the win in the last over, bowled by left-arm seamer Chathura Peiris.England captain Paul Best won the toss and elected to put the tourists in to bat and was rewarded in the fourth over when Rumesh Buddika was caught by Barrow off the bowling of Jacob Ball. Matthew Dunn had Yasoda Lanka caught behind to leave Sri Lanka struggling on 26 for 2 in the seventh over. Sri Lanka continued to lose wickets regularly and at 116 for 7, England looked firmly in control.However an eighth wicket partnership of 91 between Dhanushka Gunathilleke and Sanitha de Mel helped Sri Lanka reach 207 for 7 from their 50 overs. Gunathilleke top scored, finishing unbeaten on 83 from 102 balls with de Mel adding 29 from 33 balls in support.Needing to score at just over 4 runs an over for victory England’s reply began well with Jack Manuel playing a typically aggressive innings to reach 23 off 17 balls before being bowled by de Mel. Joe Root’s controlled 48 helped England past the 100 mark and Barrow and Luke Wells kept the scoreboard ticking over without taking unnecessary risks.Even when Barrow was bowled by Buddika in the 44th over, leaving England on 190 for 5, the home side would have been confident of a comfortable victory. But with Sri Lanka showing great fight in the field the match went down to the wire before Wells, who finished unbeaten on 39, and Payne maintained their composure to steer England to their target of 208 with four balls to spare.”We are delighted to be one up and are looking forward to resuming the ODI series at Arundel on Monday,” said Best after the game. “Today’s match was closer than it needed to be and we aim to be more disciplined and ruthless going forward.”

Colin Ingram has been called up to South Africa’s side for the two limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2010Colin Ingram has been called up to South Africa’s side for the two limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, while fast bowler Wayne Parnell has been named in all three squads after recovering from injury. Wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn has taken the injured AB de Villiers’ place for the Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe.Allrounder Jacques Kallis and fast bowler Dale Steyn have both been rested for the two Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Kallis recently picked up a neck injury and withdrew from the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 on the advice of Cricket South Africa’s medical team.”They are two key players for the ICC World Cup next year and we need to manage them carefully,” selection convener Andrew Hudson said. “The next ICC World Twenty20 is 18 months away and this also provides us the opportunity to look at several younger players.”Hudson said Ingram, currently playing for the Warriors in the Champions League, deserves his chance at international level after playing “outstanding cricket in both MTN40 and Standard Bank Pro20 domestic competitions.”Ingram topped the 2009/10 MTN40 scoring chart with 600 runs at an average of 60, with one century and five half-centuries, and a strike-rate of 103.62. He followed that up by topping the 2010 Pro20 scoring chart as well, making 283 runs at 47.16 and a strike-rate of 144.38. The Warriors won both tournaments.Fast bowler Rusty Theron and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson both found places in the Twenty20 squads but not the ODI teams. Theron was part South Africa side that played in the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies, but did not get a game.”We only have a relatively small number of ODIs before the World Cup and it is our intention to go in with our strongest combination in all these matches,” Hudson said.Parnell has been cleared to begin playing again next month after needing surgery to fix an injury he suffered while warming up for an IPL match in March. Ryan McLaren misses out on a place in the Test team as a result. De Villiers meanwhile should be fit in time for the ODI series against Zimbabwe, which begins on October 15.Test squad (to play Pakistan): Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo TsotsobeODI squad (to play Zimbabwe and Pakistan): Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo TsotsobeTwenty20 squad (to play Zimbabwe): Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Heino Kuhn (wk), David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo TsotsobeTwenty20 squad (to play Pakistan): Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has decided to not sign a central contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), ESPNcricinfo has learnt

Tariq Engineer29-Sep-2010Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has turned down a central contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Gayle is the third prominent West Indies player to opt out of a central contract, after allrounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo did the same earlier this month.”Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, who were both offered A contracts, and Kieron Pollard, who was offered a C contract, have indicated to the WICB that they were not minded to take up the offers,” confirmed a press release from the board. “The WICB has written to Gayle, Bravo and Pollard seeking details of the issues which caused them not to take up the offer in an attempt to understand same and so that the issues can be addressed for future contract offers.”The contracts on offer had required players to make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times, something that the three players – all of whom have forged prominent careers in domestic Twenty20 competitions including the IPL – were reluctant to do.The board release subsequently confirmed that Gayle, Pollard and Bravo would be available for selection in the West Indies team if they meet the board’s criteria which makes it mandatory for players to participate in regional tournaments, unless under “exceptional circumstances”, to be in contention. It also confirmed that possession of a retainer contract is not a pre-requisite for selection to the West Indies team.According to the criteria that was outlined in August, those players seeking selection into a particular format will have to make themselves available for participation in the corresponding regional version – the first-class four-day competition, the 50-over one-day tournament or the Caribbean T20.The WICB had offered 25 players contracts on August 31 – ten of them were development contracts worth $25,000 – and gave the players until September 10 to accept them. If any player chose not to accept the contract, the board said it would make alternate offers. Twenty-three of the players have now signed their contracts, 15 on full retainers across three bands, plus eight further names on Developmental contracts.”The WICB is delighted to have a full complement of players on Central Retainer and Developmental contracts,” said WICB CEO Dr. Ernest Hilaire. “We see this as a clear demonstration by the players themselves that they are committed to working with the WICB towards the development and success of West Indies cricket.”The WICB is encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response from the players and we look forward to working very closely with each of them in the coming year,” Dr. Hilaire added.”Gayle, Bravo and Pollard have each indicated to the WICB that they remain committed to West Indies cricket and are available for selection to the West Indies team,” continued the statement. “The WICB appreciates the stated commitment to West Indies cricket.”West Indies contracted players Shivnarine Chanderpaul – A, Sulieman Benn – B, Darren Sammy – B, Kemar Roach – C, Brendan Nash – C, Adrian Barath – C, Darren Bravo – C, Shane Shillingford – C, Nikita Miller – C, Devon Smith – C, Ravi Rampaul – C, Nelon Pascal – C, David Bernard Jr – C, Andre Russell – C, Carlton Baugh Jr – CDevelopmental contracts Kirk Edwards, Gavin Tonge, Andre Fletcher, Chadwick Walton, Devendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Imran Khan, Kevin Stoute

Sachin Tendulkar was disappointed with the way India’s batting collapsed after he got out

Sidharth Monga at the Chinnaswamy Stadium12-Oct-2010Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t in his usual cheerful press conference mood, his slightly sombre interaction standing out on a day when he joined Virender Sehwag as the Indian with most double-centuries.When the day began, Tendulkar was a stroll away from his sixth double, and many hoped for what would have been a maiden triple. Missing out on that elusive landmark, though, was not playing on his mind. “As far as scoring runs is concerned, you try to score as many as you can,” he said. “Sometimes you manage them, sometimes you don’t. The effort is in my hands, not the result. I have always tried my best to contribute. It is about what I want to do for my team. And I will not compromise on that.”Perhaps his mood had to do with the way the rest of the batting collapsed, not slamming the door on the Australians. The four wickets after him added just nine runs against pretty unspectacular bowling. As a result, India can’t be assured of the series win after nine days of gruelling Test cricket during which they have won most of the crucial moments.”Disappointed to lose five wickets in the span of 45 to 50 runs in the morning but such is the game,” Tendulkar said. “I think we have come back very well. Bowlers did a fantastic job. It’s going to be a big day for us tomorrow. The Test match is at a critical stage. It’s all about how we deal with pressure and apply ourselves.”A special moment during his double-century didn’t have much to do with Tendulkar. It was when M Vijay reached his maiden century. Tendulkar looked the happier of the two as he hugged the youngster and had a long chat with him. It was reminiscent of his reaction when Suresh Raina reached his first hundred alongside him against Sri Lanka in July. Being with them reminds Tendulkar of the time he scored his first century. It is a feeling not many know, and Tendulkar of course has gone on to score 48 more. There cannot be a better person to share that feeling with if you are a young upcoming batsman.”Scoring the first hundred is always special and I am sure the players will never forget that moment,” Tendulkar said. “However many more hundreds you score after that, but the first hundred is always special. All these guys have been really working hard, it is wonderful to see the guys working hard in the nets and applying themselves in the big games, and also becoming successful. It is wonderful to our cricket and they deserve it.”Along the way, 11 of those 49 hundreds have come against a side that has dominated world cricket for most of Tendulkar’s playing days. “I just got to know that I have got 11 hundreds against Australia,” Tendulkar said. “I don’t believe in counting. It feels nice. To score runs against a top side is obviously satisfying and it has been a great challenge playing against them.”Tendulkar’s focus, though, remains on the final day’s play of another Test that has swung this way and that, and neither team holds clear ascendency going into the finale. “We know that if our opposition has scored 470 and it is there on the board, you have to chase it to stay in the game and then at one stage also on the top of the game,” Tendulkar said. “These challenges are something we all look forward to, we don’t want to take anything for granted. It’s going to be exciting and that’s what I can say. It’s going to be a wonderful day.”

Gautam Gambhir has had a poor 2010, but says he knew he would return to form if he was fit for three or four consecutive Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2010After a second successive century partnership from Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, New Zealand would have been delighted to get rid of both before they inflicted excessive damage on the scoreboard. It’s small consolation, though, that the duo that has replaced them forms the second-most prolific pairing in the history of the game.When Rahul Dravid cut what turned out to be the last ball of the day for a single, it marked the 19th century partnership that he and Sachin Tendulkar have shared in 14 years of batting together. Another 201 runs and they will overhaul the old Caribbean firm of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, setting a benchmark that may only be threatened by the Sri Lankan duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.Both men barely extended themselves in a final session that was a throwback to old-style Test cricket; periods of watchful defence interspersed with the odd breathtaking drive or cut for four. New Zealand’s bowlers weren’t unduly threatening, but they bowled to a plan and were once again backed up by exceptional fielding that must have saved at least 40 runs.Tim Southee and the debutant, Andy McKay, tested Tendulkar with quite a few short deliveries, while Daniel Vettori wheeled away in the strike-stock bowler role that Anil Kumble filled for India for so long. But for all the discipline and effort in the field, New Zealand are already 99 behind and left to contemplate the mountain-climb that their pathetic first-innings batting has left them with.With three days left to play, Gambhir was confident that India could do what they were unable to in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. “It’s a slow wicket and the way it was turning on the first day, I think it will deteriorate,” he said. “If we have a 300-run lead on this wicket, then we have a good chance with two quality spinners in our side.”After a wretched run for much of 2010 – he didn’t cross 25 in nine innings – Gambhir’s return to form has been the biggest batting positive as India start to turn their eyes towards the tour of South Africa. “I didn’t play much cricket at one go,” he said after the day’s play. “After the Asia Cup, I played one Test [Galle] and got injured. Then I played another match [Mohali] and got injured. I didn’t have match practice or runs. Playing continuously would have helped. I always thought if I can play three or four Tests in a row, that would help and that’s what has happened.”It helps too that he bats opposite Sehwag, who takes the opposition’s bowling plan, shreds it and then scatters the confetti into the wind. “He is an impact player,” said Gambhir. “The way he sets the run-rate and plays the same way in all three formats of the game; I don’t think there are many players in the world like that. I don’t see anyone matching him. He attacks from the word go, which is something I haven’t seen in Test cricket.”Once again, Sehwag sailed along at a run-a-ball, allowing everyone else to play at their own pace. Having batted with him while he was struggling, Gambhir attributed some of the credit for the turnaround in his form to his partner. “When you are not among the runs it is always difficult to bat with anyone,” he said. “You need to score runs to be confident. In Hyderabad, the kind of confidence he gave me throughout my innings and in every over was tremendous and I’m thankful to him.”Any satisfaction at having batted fluently was tempered, though, by the awareness that both he and Sehwag failed to cash in on starts, just as they had in the previous game. “It’s very disappointing because as opening batsmen, we both feel that once you get settled, you have to get as many runs as possible,” he said. “The new ball is definitely a challenge, and an opportunity as well. I’m very disappointed that neither of us could go on and make a hundred. Hopefully, we will in South Africa.”Surviving the new ball had been Gambhir’s biggest problem in recent times. “I’ve had three ducks in the second innings this year,” he said. “As an international cricketer, it keeps getting into your mind. I kept telling myself that it is not about one over, it is about each and every ball. Six balls are a lot of balls when you’re not in good form.”The knee injury that went hand-in-hand with his batting slump could continue to bother Gambhir though, especially since he admits that the team doesn’t really have another fielder who can crouch down low close to the bat for hours on end. “At one point, it used to bother me a lot,” he said. “It was a pretty serious injury and standing at forward short leg for one-and-half days hardly gives your body time to recover. It is a bit of a concern but at the same time the combination of the team is such.”Given the position that India are in now though, he may just be able to give those knees a well-deserved rest on Monday.

At the end of the second day, with India falling hopelessly behind, Rahul Dravid didn’t promise to show “what batting actually means”, but said India believed they could get out of this rut

Sidharth Monga at SuperSport Park17-Dec-2010Rahul Dravid is not a man for false bravado. At the end of the second day, with India 230 runs behind, with three days to go and eight South African wickets still standing, Dravid didn’t promise to show “what batting actually means”, but said that the team believed they could get out of this rut.”We are way behind in the game, that’s pretty obvious,” Dravid said. “We are far behind. But yeah we have got to bat well in the second innings. Yeah, it’s going to be tough, but we have got some quality there. We have shown some fighting spirit in the last couple of years. We have got to believe that we have got that and we are going to have to play well.”Dravid is not alien to India’s slow starts on important tours, but was distraught the team went back to old ways. “I thought we had come a long way over the last few years to correct that,” he said. “Over the last decade we have tried to correct that. We sometimes do tend to start off slowly, and in a three-match series you cannot afford that sort of thing.”Dravid, though, can’t do anything about one of the reasons behind this particular slow start. “In an ideal world, you know, you would play warm-up game or a couple of warm-up games before a tour like this,” he said. “But we don’t live in a Utopian world, we don’t live in a perfect world, you have got to make do with what you have. We tried to do the best we could, we came here as early as possible – some of us – and practised a bit. The conditions yesterday were a bit different from what we have practised on also, but having said that, there’s still a lot of cricket left in this series. We have got to keep our heads up, and we have got to show some fighting spirit with the ball tomorrow and later with the bat.”Despite the weather leading into the match, South Africa are not looking for an adventurous declaration just as yet, which could mean India will begin their second innings some time after tea on day three – weather permitting and assuming South Africa won’t collapse against the run of play. That would leave India more than two days to bat, facing a deficit of around 450.”We just can’t think about how many runs behind we are, and how much time is left,” Dravid said. “We have got to play ball by ball, hour by hour, session by session, we have to bat for long periods of time. We can’t afford to look too far ahead, we are so far behind in the game.”That the pitch has eased out considerably does give Dravid hope. “We saw today that it did get a lot better. It will be interesting to see how it plays as the game goes on. We have got to still bat really well, with us so many runs behind on the fourth and the fifth day. It’s a good test, it’s going to be a great challenge.”

The end of the IPL’s 2011 auction has shifted the franchises’ focus to filling up their roster of uncapped Indian players, but a controversy has arisen over the rules under which those players are to be signed

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2011The end of the IPL’s 2011 auction has shifted the franchises’ focus to filling up their roster of uncapped Indian players, who will form the base of any team. The process begins on Monday but a controversy has arisen over the rules under which those players are to be signed – and a general confusion over those rules hasn’t helped matters.The issue was raised a few minutes after Sunday’s auction by Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who said he wondered whether the BCCI could protect the uncapped – read: young – players from being the subject of a bidding war and other forms of poaching.”Now we look to sign uncapped players and try to complete our team,” Mallya said. “But I urge all the franchises and the IPL governing council to exercise the utmost vigilance while signing uncapped players.”The IPL has, as Mallya noted, laid down “strict guidelines” for the signing of these players, whose value has increased because of the general dearth of domestic talent and the need to fill squad berths. First, it has laid strictures on how these players can be signed, through a three-way agreement involving player, franchise and the IPL, and with the explicit permission of the board. It is the player’s decision, though, whether he wants to sign the contract and he is free to choose his team.It has also clearly categorised these uncapped players into three types and set wage limits for each. Those players who made their debut in the last two years will be paid Rs 10 lakhs ($22,000); those in the field for two to five years would get Rs 20 lakhs and those with more than five years’ experience Rs 30 lakhs.Those two conditions together have raised fears among the franchises – which Mallya vocalised on Sunday – that, far from protecting them from inducements, the system leaves them open to bidding wars that could violate the salary cap. More so because some of these players (see sidebar) could, in open auction, command several times the maximum they can under the BCCI’s rules. The only differentiator in a level playing field, it is feared, will be under-the-table deals.Mallya gave the example of Ravindra Jadeja, who was banned from IPL’s season 3 for attempting to negotiate a contract with a franchise on his own, and without the IPL’s knowledge. He’d been picked by Rajasthan Royals before the IPL’s first season when still an Under-19 player, and hence for a minimal sum, but sought better terms after success with the team.

The most sought-after uncapped Indian players

Dhawal Kulkarni (Mumbai), Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai), Iqbal Abdulla (Mumbai), Manish Pandey (Karnataka), T Suman (Hyderabad), R Satish (Tamil Nadu), Siddarth Trivedi (Gujarat), Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (Bengal), Harmeet Singh (Punjab), Rajat Bhatia (Delhi) Pinal Shah (Baroda)

The current situation could have been avoided, the franchises feel, had the rule not been changed last month. The original plan was for domestic players who had played 75% of their teams’ matches in IPL 3 to be part of the open auction and a transparent bidding process. That rule was changed to the current one following a suggestion from Mumbai Indians.The one ray of hope is the IPL’s “catchment area” rule, which states that franchises have to sign four players from the neighbouring, or “catchment”, areas. That would lessen the bidding war for coveted players but, as one franchise official said, there was “no clarity at all” on the definition and applicability of this rule.On its part the IPL has said it will do everything possible to stop unfair dealings. “That [poaching] is a very difficult situation for us but we will be monitoring,” Chirayu Amin, chairman of the league’s governing council. “If we come to know anything was done underhand we will take stern action against them (player and franchise). I agree that it is a difficult situation but we will be very vigilant.”

The WICB has increased the prize money for the Caribbean T20 tournament to US$62,500 for the winning team, a raise of US$37,500 from what reigning champions Guyana took home last year

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2011The WICB has increased the prize money for the Caribbean T20 tournament to US$62,500 for the winning team, a raise of US$37,500 from what reigning champions Guyana took home last year. The total prize money for the event is US$125,000, more than double the amount in the tournament’s inaugural edition.The decision comes amid criticism from the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), the players’ representative body in the Caribbean, of overspending by the board for the competition which includes two county teams, Hampshire and Somerset. The board has defended its spending on investment, claiming it has taken the rights steps to ensure a long-term return.”An increase from 8 to 10 teams and 16 to 24 matches from the CT20 2010 necessarily increase match operating and logistics costs, accommodation and travel expenses and television production costs,” the board had said. “Caribbean T20 is not yet a profit-making venture and is still in the investment phase. WICB has put the necessary plans in place to ensure that the tournament shows a long term return on investment.”The Caribbean T20 got underway on January 10 in Antigua.

Graeme Swann told police he was on the way to buy a set of screwdrivers to rescue his trapped cat when he was arrested for drink-driving a court heard at the start of the trial

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2011Graeme Swann has been found not guilty of drink-driving, as his trial came to an end at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.Swann, who is currently on paternity leave before linking up with his England team-mates ahead of their World Cup opener against Netherlands on February 22, was stopped near his home in West Bridgford shortly after 3.00am on April 2 last year, as he drove a white Porsche Cayenne towards a local supermarket, having arrived home to find his cat trapped under the floorboards.During his original trial in August, Swann admitted to having drunk three or four glasses of white wine to celebrate his birthday, and was alleged to have told the arresting officer, PC Steven Denniss, he “shouldn’t have probably been driving”, when pulled over for driving a high-performance car in an area beset by a spate of recent burglaries.The second of two blood samples showed that Swann had 83mg of alcohol in 100ml, which is over the legal limit of 80mg. However District Judge Julia Newton said that it had not been proven that the sample could be used as evidence, after Dr John Mundy, a forensic alcohol consultant, told the court on Tuesday that it was possible the sample had been contaminated.Swann showed little reaction as the judge delivered her not-guilty verdict, and was later asked by reporters if he would be fit for the World Cup, after flying home from Australia with a back problem. “Getting there,” he replied. “It’s a bit stiff but I’ve had a lot of physio.”

Bengal and Madhya Pradesh served up a thrilling finale in Hyderabad, a game that was decided by one run to conclude the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2011
Scorecard
Bengal won the 2011 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after beating Madhya Pradesh by one run in the final•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bengal and Madhya Pradesh served up a thrilling finale in Hyderabad, a game that was decided by one run to conclude the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. A quickfire 49 from Subhomoy Das, his 77-run recovery stand with wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, a collective bowling effort and greater control over their nerves gave Bengal the title.Bengal, after being put in, were dealt some early strikes that slowed their progress in the first ten overs. Their top three struggled to find the boundary and were contained by some tight MP bowling. Opener Anustup Muzumdar made 24, but off 34 deliveries, and support from the other end was lacking. Seamer Amarjeet Singh kept Bengal in check with two wickets and a run-out within the first 11 overs, and at 54 for 4 MP had them in trouble.That’s when Das and Saha got together. Not only did they help their team recover, but did so in quick time by infusing the innings with some badly-needed urgency. Das struck five fours and two sixes while Saha struck three over the ropes in his cameo of 36. The pair batted eight overs together and steered their team to a competitive 142.Captain Mohnish Mishra’s onslaught in the chase threatened to shut out Bengal out of the game. He tore into the Bengal bowling early on and at 32 without loss in less than four overs, MP would have felt vulnerable. But periodic breakthroughs from there on, coupled with a loss in momentum due to some restrictive bowling, gave Bengal hope. By the end of the 12th over, MP were 85 for 4 and had lost another attacking batsman in Naman Ojha.Harpreet Singh and Murtaza Ali, however, revived the innings in a 46-run stand that took their team within striking distance of their target. Harpreet paced his innings well to make 55 while Murtaza was more attacking, collecting 32 in 22 balls. At 131 for 4 with 10 balls to go, it was MP’s game to lose and lose they did. Ashok Dinda removed Harpreet and Ankit Sharma off consecutive deliveries, and two run-outs in the final over – including one off the final ball with three runs required to win – sealed MP’s fate.