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Captain Angelo Mathews has defended his move of bowling with the new ball even as Sri Lanka slumped to an innings defeat and a series whitewash

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the Wanderers14-Jan-2017Angelo Mathews has labeled the 0-3 whitewash in South Africa his worst series defeat as captain, after Sri Lanka lost by an innings and 118 runs at the Wanderers.Mathews also has two 0-2 whitewashes in New Zealand on his captaincy record, but Sri Lanka had been somewhat competitive in those series, even claiming a first-innings lead in two of those four Tests. In South Africa, however, only three Sri Lanka batsmen hit half-centuries, and first-innings deficits of 81, 282 and 295 were surrendered.”I have been part of many defeats but as captain this is certainly the worst,” Mathews said. “We kind of expected to do better than what we did. But there was no improvement.”The batters were extremely disappointing – all the batters, including myself. All of us had got starts but didn’t convert them into big ones. That is disappointing. To give the bowlers a chance we need to put the runs on the board.”The defeat, Mathews said, came in spite of extensive preparation for the conditions Sri Lanka expected to face in South Africa. Sri Lanka had had roughly 10 days in at home following the Zimbabwe tri-series to prepare for the South Africa tour, and had also played a practice match in Potchefstroom.”When it comes to preparation we did our best,” Mathews said. “We practiced on wickets with grass back in Sri Lanka too. We kind of expected we will get wickets with lot of grass. It’s not easy to prepare wickets like this in Sri Lanka, given the high humidity. Life goes on and we need to find a solution to compete well overseas. Maybe it’s an opportunity for Sri Lanka Cricket to leave bit of grass when we play domestic cricket at home.”Mathews top-scored for Sri Lanka in the series, with 178 runs, while Kusal Mendis hit 138 runs to sit at second on the team list. It was Mendis’ first trip to South Africa for any level of cricket – the same going for Dhananjaya de Silva, who was asked to move to No. 4 in the second and third Tests, after having earlier prospered lower down the order.”If you look at our squad, only three guys had played in South Africa before. Guys like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya are full of talent, but they need to be given a chance in these conditions. Playing four seamers in these conditions wasn’t easy. They will learn I am sure. It is a tough time and we need to hang in there as a team.”Of his practice of bowling first change, or with the brand new ball, through the series, Mathews also launched a spirited defence, and suggested this was a plan hatched by the bowling coach. Mathews has had success opening the bowling in limited-overs internationals, but has 33 Test wickets at 52.66. He has averaged 64.5 for his two wickets in this series, while Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep – bowlers he came in ahead of – have taken 11 and seven wickets respectively, at 26.45 and 43.”My kind of bowling is swing and seam. When the ball is new it’s good to come early. The coach and bowling coach told me to bowl early as I land it on the spot. I didn’t bowl for that long. Even if you bowl 60-odd overs, in these conditions, the shine is still there. Given the fact that the wicket was seaming and swinging – if you look at my economy rate and the way I beat the bat, you would understand why I bowl early.”Across the last two years, in New Zealand, England and now South Africa, Mathews has taken four wickets at an average of 72.

Minhajul Abedin felt the bowler had regained his rhythm during the recent first-class matches in the Bangladesh Cricket League

Mohammad Isam17-Feb-2017Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin has indicated that Mustafizur Rahman could be picked for the full tour of Sri Lanka next month, after watching the fast bowler’s performance in his latest domestic first-class appearance.In two matches for South Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League, Mustafizur has taken four wickets in 48 overs. He was excluded from the side for the one-off Test against India to give him time to recover fully from a shoulder surgery. Mustafizur underwent surgery in August last year after injuring his shoulder in July, while bowling for Sussex in the English T20 tournament. He was picked for the New Zealand tour but struggled, taking five wickets in the four limited-overs matches he played. Mustafizur did not play in any of the Tests.”I am really impressed with the way he bowled in the second innings [against Central Zone],” Minhajul said. “I think he got back his rhythm, so there is no need for him to play the fourth-round match. You can only know whether he will be in the Test team or not when we announce it but I can say that he is ready to play the full series in Sri Lanka.”Mustafizur said that he is back to full fitness and had regained confidence in bowling longer spells. He is expected to join the national camp on February 24. The series in Sri Lanka is likely to comprise two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is.”I felt a little discomfort on my back but gradually everything was fine,” Mustafizur told the Dhaka-based . “I bowled 31 overs with ease. Playing two rounds of BCL matches helped me a lot to get back full confidence in my bowling.”I now have full confidence to play the Sri Lanka series but the selectors and team management will take the decision about what would be best for me. I missed the Test in India so I am looking forward to Sri Lanka. Mentally I am also fresh now and I am happy with the way I bowled in the last round of the BCL.”Khaled Mahmud, the BCB director and Bangladesh manager closely associated with Mustafizur, has urged that the bowler’s workload be handled carefully in the coming months.”I am sure he can play in all three formats in Sri Lanka but we have to keep in mind that he has just returned from a major injury,” Mahmud said. “If we handle him with care, his career will be prolonged.”

Mashrafe Mortaza has announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the toss of the first T20I between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo

Mohammad Isam04-Apr-2017Mashrafe Mortaza has announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the toss of the first T20I between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo. Mashrafe said that the current series would be his last in the format.”This is going to be my last T20 series for Bangladesh,” Mashrafe told Dean Jones, who asked the Bangladesh captain if the rumours were true. “I would like to thank BCB, my family and friends, team-mates and coaching staff. I would also like to thank my fans who really supported me in the last 15-16 years.”Mashrafe’s official Facebook page soon carried a statement that said: “It has been a great honor for me to represent Bangladesh in T20I for more than 10 years. I believe that this team is currently a balanced one & there are some promising young stars. There were some bad & some good days as well. I always tried to make my fans happy. I am very sorry to each and every fan for not being able to make them happy in every match. Right now as a team we are playing good cricket. I am sure Bangladesh will keep on playing good cricket in the days to come.”This is high time for me to say good-bye to T20 format so that many youngsters can get the opportunity to showcase their talent and thus BCB can nurture them for the future. Let me congratulate the new Captain in advance & I am sure the best is yet to come.”Mashrafe has led Bangladesh in the most number of T20Is, winning nine of those 26 matches. He played 52 games before Tuesday’s match, having taken 39 wickets at 37.56. He had taken one four-wicket haul in the format, against Ireland in Belfast in 2012. He was also a handy bat down the order, having struck 23 sixes in 37 innings.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mashrafe had informed the team’s senior players first, and then the rest of the team. There were talks recently around the team and BCB management about infusing fresh blood in the T20 line-up and making the team lead with Shakib Al Hasan, after Bangladesh lost 0-3 to New Zealand in a T20 series in January. Bangladesh’s 259-run defeat in the Galle Test last month also prompted a lot of speculation about major team changes across different formats.Mashrafe will continue as the ODI captain and his next assignment is a tri-series in Ireland, involving New Zealand as the third team. From there, Bangladesh will head to England to play the Champions Trophy in June.

While Joe Root took wickets in England’s easy victory against Ireland in Bristol, brother Billy was having a ball as he struck a maiden List A century against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2017
ScorecardBilly Root had the finest day of his county career•Getty Images

Billy Root’s maiden limited-overs century lifted Notts Outlaws to a precious ten-run Royal London Cup victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.While brother Joe was making easy meat of Ireland in Bristol with bat and ball, lesser-known Billy was having the best day of his career.The Outlaws made a meaty 303 for 6 from 50 overs thanks to Root’s unbeaten 107, supported by Steven Mullaney’s 89. Their stand of 159 was a List A fifth-wicket record for Notts.Jonathan Trott then continued his prolific 50-over form with his 21st limited-overs century but the chase proved beyond his colleagues as the Bears fell short on 293 for 9.”The century just snuck up on me really,” Root said. “I wasn’t thinking about it, it was just a question of trying to score as many runs as possible. There were a lot of high-fives in the dressing-room which was nice.”I haven’t checked my messages yet but I am sure there will be one from Joe. It’s nice to be selected for the start of a competition and then it’s your job to try to contribute and I am happy to have done so today.”After Notts chose to bat, the innings began with two maidens but Michael Lumb was soon batting in typically forthright fashion, smashing three sixes in 16 balls.He received little top-order support though as Rikki Wessels was bowled, trying to sweep Keith Barker, Samit Patel hoisted Olly Hannon-Dalby to long-leg and Brendan Taylor fell lbw to Josh Poysden.When Lumb also perished lbw to Poysden for 56, the Outlaws were 92 for 4 but Mullaney, back after injury for the first time this season, and Root counter-attacked.Mullaney showed how much his nous and skill have been missed by Notts with a classy innings which ended when he made room to carve Barker over the off-side and was bowled. But Root, showing a composure and strokeplay of which brother Joe would have been proud, kept the runs flowing.He reached his ton in the final over which, delivered by Olly Hannon-Dalby, went for 19 and left Warwickshire chasing 300-plus for the third time in five days.They were solidly launched by a stand of 104 in 18.1 overs by Trott and Sam Hain before the latter was trapped lbw by James Pattinson.Trott reached his ton with a single off Stuart Broad, following an entertaining tussle with his former England colleague, but the applause had barely died away before he lifted Mullaney tamely to mid-on.Mullaney’s fine match continued when he dismissed Ian Bell and Tim Ambrose, who missed sweeps to fatal effect, and the Bears’ wobble continued when Matt Lamb, on his List A debut, was bowled by Pattinson.Warwickshire needed 49 from the last five overs and as the pressure mounted Rikki Clarke and Keith Barker sent up skiers. Sixteen from the final over proved too much despite the perky efforts of Aaron Thomason.

Glamorgan won their first Championship game of the season with three balls remaining in an exciting finish at Swansea

ECB Reporters Network29-May-2017
Scorecard1:35

Country Championship Round-up: Sangakkara falls short of history

Glamorgan won their first Championship game of the season with three balls remaining in an exciting finish at Swansea. They were indebted to opener Nick Selman, who batted throughout the innings for his 116 from 129 balls, with twelve fours and three sixes – the last two coming from the first two balls of the final over scheduled in the day.Durham added 118 runs in the morning session, although Paul Collingwood would have probably batted on after lunch had 16 overs not been lost to rain. The Durham captain was undefeated on 92 when he declared the innings to set Glamorgan 266 in 51 overs – another eight runs would have seen him become the first Durham player to have twice scored centuries in the same game.Glamorgan needed to score at 5.2 runs an over but made a cautious start and the openers had reached 37 when Jacques Rudolph, in the final over before tea, was caught at leg slip attempting to reverse sweep George Harding’s left-arm spin.They required a further 227 from the final 36 overs of the game, and made their intentions clear by promoting Andrew Salter, who top-scored with 75 in the first innings with three sixes. Salter faced 15 balls before scoring his first run, before twice driving Paul Coughlin to the extra cover boundary, but was out shortly afterwards – leg before to Ryan Pringle’s third ball.Aneurin Donald and David Lloyd were also promoted ahead of Colin Ingram, who had scored five centuries in all competitions this season, with Donald striking 28 from 17 balls with six fours, before he was caught off Harding. The left-arm spinner, making his Championship debut, struck again in the following over, when Lloyd gave him a return catch.With 20 overs remaining Glamorgan, needed 157 to win, and much depended on Ingram if Glamorgan were to reach their target. He quickly attacked Harding, who was struck out of the ground over midwicket, while Selman reached his fifty from 89 balls.They put on 73 in 10 overs, before Ingram, who made 42 from 31 balls with two sixes and five fours, was caught behind off Harding, but Chris Cooke kept Glamorgan interested by striking the spinners for six in three successive overs – the second disappearing in the direction of Swansea Bay. But, with 44 required from 30 balls, Coughlin returned and with his fourth ball had Cooke caught at midwicket.Will Bragg came and went, and with two overs left, Glamorgan had much to do to score 24 runs from 12 balls, with eight fielders posted on the boundary. Selman reached his second century of the season, from 124 balls, and then, with 14 needed from the last over, drove Coughlin into the sightscreen, and again over the square leg boundary, before pushing two to win the game.Durham had resumed in the morning on 158 for 3, and Collingwood shared a 102-run partnership for the fourth wicket Graham Clark, who struck a career-best 75 before he feathered one from Michael Hogan to the wicketkeeper. Pringle then helped add a further 81, before three wickets fell for 26 runs. Pringle hooked Hogan to fine leg, Coughlin skied Salter to mid-on, then Stuart Poynter, attempting to sweep Salter’s offspin, was well caught by wicketkeeper Cooke from a bottom edge.

Cricket Australia risks having its best players targeted by Twenty20 leagues around the world as a result of the ongoing pay dispute, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has warned

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2017Cricket Australia risks having its best players targeted by Twenty20 leagues around the world as a result of the ongoing pay dispute, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has warned.The existing Memorandum of Understanding between the players and Cricket Australia expires on June 30, and a stand-off regarding a new agreement continues between the two parties. The players are adamant that the existing pay model, in which players share in CA’s revenue, must continue, while the board is equally resolute in its aim to move away from the system.David Warner last week said that if the disagreement continued over the coming months, in a worst-case scenario Australia could find itself without a team for next summer’s home Ashes series. Unless a new deal is reached, or the existing MoU is extended, players would effectively be unemployed, and thus free to sign with any cricket league around the world.Sydney’s newspaper reported on Tuesday that while some English counties could be interested in signing Australians for the T20 Blast to begin in July, a bigger threat could be South Africa’s new T20 tournament, which will clash with the Australian home summer. The ACA chief executive, Alistair Nicholson, said such reports were unsurprising.”To threaten Australia’s cricketers shows an apparent lack of appreciation of international circumstances,” Nicholson said of CA’s approach. “Times have changed. The commercial reality of the international cricket world is that our cricketers are in high demand for more money all over the world.”CA forcing them into unemployment is an open invitation to the international cricket world. It’s a dangerous mistake and one that is completely unnecessary. And it compounds the existing error of dismantling revenue sharing which is the best defence against international forces.”Australian cricketers, men and women both, want to play in Australia, for Australia and for their states and T20 teams. When you threaten them with unemployment you place them squarely in the sights of the new cricket world.”Nicholson also said it was important to note that Australia’s elite international cricketers were, by sticking together with the rest of the playing group around the country, effectively costing themselves money.”The top players are going into bat for the domestic players, female players and grassroots cricket. That’s what this dispute is largely about,” he said. “And what they are asking for is simply to keep what they already have. The players are asking for 22.5% of revenue for them and 22.5% for grass roots, leaving CA with 55% of revenue.”If they were being greedy they would have taken the deals CA were offering them to walk away from their colleagues. David Warner, for example, could actually be worse off for sticking by his mates. That’s to his great credit.”Ian Chappell, who was a leading figure in the World Series Cricket rift of 40 years ago, said he was pleased to see the way Warner and his colleagues in the Australia team were standing up for the domestic cricketers.”I’m delighted the players are sticking together and staying strong on it,” Chappell told AAP. “From afar it looks as though the board are trying to splinter the players, which I find a rather strange tactic. Maybe the board thought ‘you know what the players are like’.”They were working on the theory of greed, that you keep the top blokes happy with money and they won’t care about the rest. It looks like they’ve picked the wrong target.”Although Chappell conceded that in such disagreements there were generally faults on both sides, he believed that such negotiations were best handled differently in sport than in the business world.”Some ploys might work for Rio Tinto and might work with some businesses and some industries,” Chappell said, referencing the fact that CA’s chairman David Peever was previously managing director of mining giant Rio Tinto. “But what you’ve got here is 100% membership of a union.”And cricketers are more than employees of a business. As a board you risk putting down your most important assets. It’s the top players who attract people to the game. To play, watch it on TV and at grounds.”

ECB reporters Network07-Jul-2017
ScorecardJos Buttler made an immediate impact for Lancashire•Getty Images

Jos Buttler led the way with 59 off 39 balls as Lancashire began their NatWest T20 Blast programme with a 52-run win against Durham at Chester-le-Street.Put in by Durham’s new T20 captain, Paul Coughlin, Lancashire cleared the rope seven times in their 192 for 6, to which Durham replied with 140 for 7.Buttler hit two of the sixes and there was a brace for opener Karl Brown as he and Arron Lilley smashed 65 off four overs after only four runs came off the first two.In the second over Liam Livingstone sliced a drive off Weighell for Ryan Pringle to hold a low catch at backward point.But Lancashire’s experiment of sending in off-spinner Lilley at No 3 paid off as he took three boundaries off Chris Rushworth’s second over, including two lofted over the off-side field.Brown repeated the dose off Weighell and when Coughlin came on Brown picked up his second ball over mid-wicket for six.That was followed by two leg-side wides and a waist-high full toss, which was hit for four and signalled no-ball. Lilley cross-batted a six over long-on and the over cost 22.Durham needed a slice of luck to break the stand as Usman Arshad’s first ball was driven firmly back by Lilley and deflected into the stumps by the bowler, running out Brown for 35.Lilley went for a straight six off the next ball and was caught just inside the rope by Adam Hickey.When Coughlin returned Buttler drove his second ball for a straight six as he dominated a stand of 92 in ten overs with Dane Vilas.The England one-day wicketkeeper also proved adept at working the ball into space for twos, while a precise cut bisected deep gully and backward point.
His only improvisation came when he reverse paddled a full toss over gully for his fourth four to reach 50 off 31 balls.Having hit Ryan Pringle’s second ball over extra cover for a big six, Buttler was then tied down by the off-spinner before skying a return catch.
Weighell also picked up two late wickets to finish with three for 28. as Lancashire stalled slightly with 29 off four overs before Ryan McLaren took 14 off the last, bowled by Arshad.Durham sent in left-hander Hickey to open with Graham Clark, who raised hopes by taking 14 off the second over, bowled by Saqib Mahmood, including a six over backward point.But wickets fell in each of the next three overs. Hickey fell lbw to Tom Bailey, Michael Richardson skied a catch to third man and Clark was run out for 23 attempting a risky single.When Jack Burnham was bowled by Jordan Clark to make it 51 for four it was left to Paul Collingwood to keep Durham afloat. But he lacked support and Lancashire’s use of three spinners helped them to stay in control.Collingwood holed out at deep mid-wicket for 48 off Jordan Clark, who finished with three for 26.

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

The Report by Brydon Coverdale30-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
2:03

Isam: Shakib, Mushfiqur helped Bangladesh spinners rally

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

The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit has launched an investigation even as the players, including captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, urged SLC to probe the ‘baseless allegations’ reportedly made by former selector Pramodaya Wickremasinghe

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Sep-2017The ICC has confirmed its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has opened an investigation in Sri Lanka, less than 48 hours after 40 top cricketers petitioned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to launch an inquiry into corruption allegations.On Friday, SLC confirmed it had received a letter signed by national players, including captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, urging the board to probe the “baseless allegations” the players claim were made by former cricketer and selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe. The board, however, stopped short of stating it would launch the probe, and merely recounted the current players’ dismay at having their integrity questioned. But the ICC itself has now publicly established ACU officers have recently visited Sri Lanka in relation to an investigation.”The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so,” Alex Marshall, the ICC’s General Manager – ACU, said. “There is currently an ACU investigation underway in Sri Lanka. Naturally, as part of this, we are talking to a number of people.”There have been rumours in Sri Lanka about the nature of play in a particular international match for several weeks, but no evidence of any sort has been produced, or even pointed to.And while some present cricketers claim Wickramasinghe made wild allegations against them, Wickramasinghe himself has more recently suggested that he was only making note of allegations that were already in circulation.Nevertheless, Wickramasinghe has been cast as the source of these allegations. SLC said the players had expressed “profound shock and displeasure at a former national cricketer and selector making such serious allegations,” and that SLC should “initiate an immediate inquiry by summoning Wickramasinghe in fairness to their good names that have been slandered by such diabolic [] allegations.”Whatever the case, it is uncommon for the ICC to comment on ongoing ACU investigations as they have on this occasion.

Aiden Markram fell close to the line as his maiden century approached last week, but made no mistake second time around

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2017Aiden Markram has developed a habit of making his girlfriend, Nicole, cry.Last week, when he was run out for 97 on debut, his long-time partner was spotted in the Senwes Park stands wiping away tears of disappointment. This week, when Markram banished 97 with a swat to fine leg, there were emotions on show again – but this time of joy.”She knows how much it means to and that’s probably why,” Markram said.It’s been a big week for the young couple. Between Markram’s South Africa debut and his first major milestone, he also turned 23. Next week, he will return to his franchise Titans, which he captains, a vastly more experienced man than the one who started the season. Although a young skipper, Markram will take a lot of lessons with him from his first international experience. “I am still a young guy and I have never been one to stamp my authority on environments. But I will take what I have learnt and share it with the guys.”Lesson number one has been not to underestimate anyone, especially not Bangladesh. Though their attack has barely threatened, Markram was full of compliments. “They were at us quite a bit. The score says they didn’t bowl that well. I don’t think that’s the case. It’s a quick outfield and all of that reflected in the score,” he said. “They had a plan to bowl short. As comfortable as you can be on the short ball, it’s never a great thing to keep facing. They bowled with great energy, good intensity.”Markram batted with even more energy and intensity, almost as though he was trying to make up for not reaching the milestone last week, by scooting passed it when his chance came again. He admitted it was special to have the man who played a part in his run out then, Dean Elgar, to be in the middle for his achievement.”It hasn’t quite hit home yet. I think it will at some stage tonight. It’s quite a proud moment for me, especially after last week,” Markram said. “Today I had a little bit of extra focus in the 90s. Dean was with me. And he said it’s a special moment to have shared with me. It was nice for him to have been at the other end.”If you look at the replays closely, there may have been a glint in Elgar’s eyes too.