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Sri Lankan supporters had assembled in large numbers at the SCG, and there was music, dancing and plenty of cheering, as their team renewed their World Cup rivalry with Australia

Tharindu Vishwanath09-Mar-2015Choice of game:
When the Sri Lanka v Australia World Cup match was washed out in 2011, I missed the long-awaited opportunity to relive the memories of the 1996 final. As soon as the 2015 World Cup tickets were issued, I reserved them. As the day arrived, it became clear the match had a significant impact on who they will meet in the quarter-finals, and I had flown in from Singapore to be a part of it. Most Cricket experts predicted Australia to win the match.Team supported:
Sri Lanka every day.Key performer:
Glenn Maxwell. Not only did he add 30-40 runs to the possible total, he scored his first century which was eluding him for a long time (Almost did this time as well on 98), much to the delight of Australian fans. After scoring the century, he took time to let go of Watson from his embrace, and tears were visible in his eyes. Could feel even from the distance how much the century meant to him. He played an absolute peach of an innings.One thing you’d have changed:
Chandimal being cramped. Until then Sri Lanka had the momentum and the rhythm. Chandimal was scoring quickly, while Mathews was looking to stay till the end. After Chandimal retired hurt, the magic evaporated, and it was downhill for Sri Lanka since then.Face-off you relished:
I was looking forward to how the battle between David Warner and Lasith Malinga would pan out. They have a history: Malinga has got the better of Warner a few times. This time, too, Malinga set up him with his trademark yorkers, and followed them up with a slower ball to get him out.Under the microscope:
A string of events was set in motion when Dilshan started to bowl even as the umpire, Ian Gould, stretched out his arm, and asked the bowler to ‘hold on’. When the umpire saw Dilshan running into bowl, he exchanged words with Dilshan. Then during the drinks break, when Dilshan kicked the ball to Gould, who was not happy again, and was seen having a serious word with him before Dilshan joined the rest of his team-mates for drinks. Again, while Sri Lanka was batting, there was a third-umpire call during which time Dilshan asked for drinks to be brought onto the ground. Gould was unhappy this time, too, indicating that Dilshan was delaying the match. Dilshan pointed to the big screen that showed the decision was still pending.Wow moment:
The catch Thisara Perera took to get rid of Steven Smith had ‘spectacular’ written all over it. It was a very hard chance, and he did a brilliant job to get to the ball and take it safely.Close encounter:
Ironically, after spoiling the party for Sri Lankan fans, Glenn Maxwell had to field for a few overs near the boundary just in front of the Sri Lankan fan zone. The crowd made a lot of noise and for some time a rapport was building between the him and the crowd. Maxwell was responding dynamically with gestures and laughs.Shot of the day:It is really hard to pick one shot because there were some eye-pleasing shots from batsmen of both teams. My pick of the match is the six Dinesh Chandimal scored off Watson in 36th over. His quick innings came as a surprise package to most Sri Lankan fans.Crowd meter:
The match had been sold out before the Game day. More than 39,000 were present for the match, and although the Australian supporters outnumbered the Sri Lankans, going by the noise you would think the match was played at the Premadasa. In the sixth over, when Dilshan hit six boundaries in six balls off Mitchell Johnson, the Sri Lankan flags fluttered with cheers and chants typical to Sri Lankan supporters. A crowd wave, say Sydney wave, began and it was picked up by rest of the crowd. Glenn Maxwell got the biggest cheer when he scored the hundred. The moment when Sangakkara passed 14,000 ODI runs also received a standing ovation.Entertainment
They played English songs as well as Sri Lankan songs. When there was a wicket or a six, rock music was played while fireworks were set off near the sidescreens. From time to time, the giant screen entertained the crowd by picking up people with kiss cam, dancing cam, and costume cam. But the famous music stood out as always.Banner of the day
“In Sanga We Trust”Overall
It was fantastic game of Cricket. Though Maxwell walked away as the hero, there were other good innings from Steven Smith, Clarke, Sangakka, Dilshan, and Chandimal. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with a pleasant weather and papare music.Marks out of 10
8. Would have given 10 had Sri Lanka won.

Thrust with the responsibility of steering a shaky team, Jason Holder was a surprising choice as West Indies captain. But two months into the job, he is already making it his own

Firdose Moonda14-Mar-2015Jason Holder was made West Indies ODI captain on December 20, 2014. But it was only almost a month later that he became their leader.On January 16, 2015, Holder led his men out to face South Africa in their first 50-over contest since the abandoned tour to India and their last series before the World Cup. He was asked to field first and he took the new ball.He began with a short-ball barrage. Enthusiastic but unsuccessful. He brought himself back when South Africa were teed up to run away with the game. He took a wicket. Still enthusiastic and a little more successful. Then, he offered himself up at the death to leave a sting on the South African tail. He pinged Dale Steyn on the helmet. He forced him to protect his toes with bat. Successful? Perhaps. But definitely enthusiastic.For someone who was just 21 matches into his ODI career, and was thought to have risen through the ranks far too rapidly, Holder’s robust embracing of responsibility was impressive. He took on something which has swallowed other men – even those who were playing alongside him like Darren Sammy – with an attitude that suggested he would not be easy prey.Holder showed that throughout the series, on and off the field. He was never bold but never brash. He was articulate about his aims to restore pride in West Indies cricket but honest about his inexperience. He wanted to learn but he also wanted to lead.Someone who could relate was Graeme Smith, who was also named captain even though he was still finding his own direction. After West Indies lost the series, going down in an inglorious blaze to AB de Villiers’ record-breaking 31-ball century in the second game, and a batting collapse in which they shot out for 122 in the third, Smith offered Holder some sympathy.”He probably just wants to get that one win right now,” Smith said at his opening commentary stint of the fourth ODI. “As a young captain, you can get so nervous, you just want something to go your way.” As if the cricketing gods were listening, West Indies won that match. Holder finished the series as joint leading wicket-taker, with eight scalps. Although they did not come cheap – his average was 35.87 – the price he paid was worth it. In that content Holder showed his potential to lead from the front, which West Indies would need at a World Cup.*****Once all-conquering, now merely clamouring to stay among the elite, West Indies took no great expectations into the World Cup. It was a tournament for building a new regime under Holder. He took over out of necessity, when they sought to make a clean break after the abandoned India tour even though many, including former coach Ottis Gibson, thought the appointment came to soon. “He needs time to work on his own game,” Gibson told Sky Sports. “But he has the credentials to become a leader.”Ian Bishop thought the same thing. “I thought the captaincy came a little bit earlier than it should have been because he wasn’t settled in the team,” Bishop told ESPNcricinfo. But time was not a luxury West Indies had, especially after they lost their opener to Ireland. A repair job had to take place immediately and, just six matches into his captaincy, Holder faced his most daunting task. He had to rally the troops, just like song says, and get results.Cool amid the storm•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksThe big question was how he would manage big personalities like Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels and how he would earn their respect. Luckily, Holder already had the support of some of the senior core, particularly Darren Sammy. Instead of being bitter about his own axing, Sammy threw his weight behind Holder, saying in South Africa that he would “back Jason as much as I can, be there for him but also let him lead in his own way.”Behind the scenes, Sammy played a pivotal role in guiding Holder but he was careful not to let that spill over onto the field, lest it be seen as an attempt to undermine him. To the rest of us, Sammy was just doing as Sammy always does: playing the game with heart and soul and having fun while at it. Holder was much more serious. He seemed to be concentrating on strategies in South Africa. He would hold conversations with Clive Lloyd often, especially at training, but only after he’d first bowled his heart out.Only at the nets did Holder show signs of frustration and that was only ever with himself. If he missed his lengths, he’d let out an irritated grunt or a few choice words. Everywhere else, he looked completely in control. He handled West Indies’ defeats with grace and a good grip of the areas they needed to improve on. He understood when an opposition had simply been better, as South Africa were in that series, and when they met at the World Cup. A more insecure man would have questioned his own ability when his last two overs were taken for 64 runs by de Villiers after the first eight went for 40 but Holder praised de Villiers instead.By then, West Indies’ World Cup campaign was back on track after victories over Pakistan and Zimbabwe and Holder could afford to loosen up. “These things can happen to you as a bowler. I’ll just have to go and look at if I could have done something differently. Against some batsmen you can’t,” he said after the South Africa game.Holder had done something more important in that match anyway. He’d scored a half-century when the chase was all but up to show fight, something which Ian Bishop believes will underscore his captaincy. “Jason will win trust of all the other players by his integrity, his work ethic and his performance and we are starting to see that,” Bishop said.Bishop has known Holder since he appeared on the radar as a teenager, tracked him through the 2009 Under-19 World Cup, which he finished as West Indies leading wicket-taker, and kept an eye on his domestic career. “Jason is a great kid. He has always been a great kid,” he said. “I have always thought that Jason is an honest, solid, young man. Very respectful and a budding superstar in the sense that his bowling has so many attributes.”Jason Holder has fought with ball, and admirably, with the bat•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksEzra Moseley, the former West Indies fast bowler, oversaw Holder’s development from simply tall and athletic to skillful as well. He has a pinpoint bouncer and yorker. For all his good manners, Holder can turn on the heat when he needs to. He also regards himself as an allrounder and his innings against South Africa and India, in which Holder was the batsman who held his ground, showed it. He received praise from Brian Lara, who even urged the rest to follow Holder’s example at an event where he spoke in his capacity as a World Cup ambassador. “Several of the so-called senior men on the team should hold their heads in shame after watching how sensibly he batted. They should take example from him,” Lara said.With him at No. 8, West Indies have the potential to bat deep, something that does not go amiss if one of their big names has an off day. Bishop is a keen observer of Holder’s growing confidence as a batsman. “Wes Hall once used the term, ‘superstar under construction,’ so I would like to take the construction aspect out of that phrase and say Jason’s batting is under construction,” Bishop joked. “He plays in nice straight lines, he is a very disciplined batsman. He likes to bat too much. He thinks he is a batting allrounder but I think he is a bowling allrounder.”Lara just thinks he is all-round good news for West Indies, who have finally found a long-term solution. “I like his approach to leadership and the way he has gone about his game. I can see him developing into the kind of leader who will give years of service to West Indies cricket, given the right kind of support. We have a young man with the qualities that can revive our game.”Qualities like enthusiasm and somewhere down the road, they hope, success as well. For now, a World Cup quarter-final spot would be the perfect result for his efforts so far and will set the tone for his leadership in future.

The most IPL matches without making it to the playoffs

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2015Sourav Ganguly
Matches: 59
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors
Record: Runs 1349 Bat Avg 25.45 SR 106.80 Best 91•AFPBhuvneshwar Kumar
Matches: 59
Teams: Pune Warriors, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Record: Wickets 62 Bowl Avg 23.87 Econ 6.98 Best 4/14•BCCIMurali Kartik
Matches: 56
Teams:Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab
Record Wickets 31 Bowl Avg 44.77 Econ 7.24 Best 3/17•BCCIMandeep Singh
Matches: 56
Teams:Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Record Runs 866 Bat Avg 19.68 Strike rate 123.36 Best 77*•AFP

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2015Brad Haddin walks off after falling for 22 to James Anderson armed with the second new ball•Getty Images….and England’s fielders bid him a fond farewell•Getty ImagesMitchell Starc – bowling through pain – had Alastair Cook caught on the drive just before lunch•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood dismissed Gary Ballance straight after the break. David Warner, never shy of a word, sends the batsman on his way•AFPMichael Clarke took a sensational full-length diving catch at slip to dismiss Adam Lyth off Nathan Lyon•Getty Images…and the bowler rather liked what he saw•Getty ImagesIan Bell creamed a series of trademark cover drives as he brought up his half-century shortly before tea•Getty ImagesUntil Mitchell Johnson shattered his stumps with a thunderbolt after the break•Getty ImagesFinally, Johnson had something to celebrate•Getty ImagesBen Stokes gets himself into a tangle•Getty ImagesJos Buttler is caught by Brad Haddin off the glove when trying to reverse-sweep to give Nathan Lyon his 150th Test wicket•Getty ImagesMitchell Starc toiled away, bowling Ben Stokes•Getty ImagesMark Wood had some fun with the bat to finish unbeaten on 32 as England set Australia 412 to win•Getty Images

On a pitch that threw up a puff of dust from the first ball, 17-year-old Ishan Kishan’s remarkable clarity of thought almost negated Saurashtra’s strategy

Sidharth Monga in Rajkot08-Oct-2015The Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot is now a relic, hosting Ranji Trophy matches only because there is an ODI to be played in Rajkot in 10 days time. This stadium has witnessed some exciting batting, though. Viv Richards had scored 100 off 77 balls with seven sixes and seven fours here. Virender Sehwag looted 114 off 82 in a chase of 300 against West Indies in 2002 before he, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara scored hundreds in a 400-meets-400 ODI. Sourav Ganguly, during the fractious days of Indian cricket, began his comeback with a Duleep Trophy hundred here. Not to mention the thousands of runs Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja have scored here to press cases for their national selection.Not many will not laugh at the suggestion that Ishan Kishan’s 87 on day one of a Group C Ranji Trophy match is being spoken of in the same breath. “Ishan Kishan, who?” will be the first question. Kishan is Jharkhand’s 5’6″ 17-year-old left-hand opening batsman and wicketkeeper. He was recently in Bangalore for India’s Under-19 camp. He is yet to score a first-class, List A or Twenty20 hundred. In fact, his strike rate in T20 is under 100.Now why is an 87 important? Saurashtra has two ways of playing cricket. Prepare a flat pitch and score a lot of runs through Pujara and Jadeja, and then unleash the master of metronome on the opposition. If they lose the toss on these pitches they still find ways of scoring runs batting second. The other way is to not water the pitch, prepare a Bunsen and unleash the king of quick turn, Jadeja, again. There is no breathing space for opposition batsmen, especially those in Group C. Tripura experienced it last week, losing in two days and a session. They are very few who can trip Saurashtra into the ditch they dig.For this match Saurashtra opted for the second method. The Bunsen. Underprepared. Powdery. Throwing up puffs of dust from ball one. “A “, a Jharkhand official remarked. A farm. Ploughed farm. “”, wrestling ground, it is generally called. The ball is “turning like a power steering”, it was observed. When Kishan – facing first ball of the match – scratched his guard, dust flew, and he saw Saurashtra fielders laugh at him. It will be interesting to see how the BCCI match referee sees this pitch: substandard, because it was turning from day one, or just a result-oriented okay pitch because it wasn’t really “dangerous”. It was also going to be interesting to see how Jharkhand deal with it and escape the Tripura-like fate?

Kishan was not going to roll over like Tripura did. He jumped out of the crease first ball, reached the pitch of the ball and went over mid-on. Saurashtra were a little stunned. Next ball he did it again. A wide long-on went back, and he went over that man for six. The Jharkhand players sitting on the sidelines were abuzz. “”, “”.

The first step towards doing so is to win the toss, but still you have to score runs first up. If you don’t, Jadeja can bowl all day long and still get you. When Jharkhand checked in into their hotel in Rajkot, Tripura players were yet to leave and told the Jharkhand side not to let the spinners settle, a mistake they made. On such pitches you have to do unto others they do unto you, as wrestler Steve Austin used to profess. The ball rears up on such pitches, well, like a rattlesnake. Saurashtra went in for doing unto Jharkhand as early as the fifth over. They began with the other Jadeja, Dharmendrasinh. He, too, bowls left-arm spin. He took the four wickets that Ravindra didn’t take in the second innings of the last match.Kishan was not going to roll over like Tripura did. He jumped out of the crease first ball, reached the pitch of the ball and went over mid-on. Saurashtra were a little stunned. Next ball he did it again. A wide long-on went back, and he went over that man for six. The Jharkhand players sitting on the sidelines were abuzz. “”, “”. Chhotey because Kishan is a wee fellow and the youngest in the side. “” the noun for verb “” directly translates to a collision. Attack them, confront them, collide with them. Don’t cower. “Even the seniors were not asking me to play carefully today,” Kishan said. “They knew against spin I can hit like a madman.”Before Kishan could face him, the bigger Jadeja had already taken a wicket. Kishan got another shot at Dharmendrasinh before he faced Ravindra. Dharmendrasinh began the next over with a long-on and deep midwicket in place. They were telling Kishan to go for it if he felt he was good enough. Kishan was. He was right out of the crease and down to the pitch of the ball twice in his second over, and cleared the fielder at deep midwicket with ease on both occasions. The key was a big and decisive first stride. And then came the sweet connection.To do it against Dharmendrasinh is one thing, against Ravindra quite another. Ravindra is stronger, bowls flatter and draws more turn. This is obviously early days, but Kishan has an amazing clarity of thought. Some might again laugh at the comparison, but it is almost Sehwag-like. He has no qualms in saying “seam-weam” I don’t understand, but he was picking Ravindra easily. “I was picking him from his grip,” Kishan said. “When he split the fingers on the ball I knew he was going to go slower and try to turn it from outside off. When he went up regularly, I knew he was going to fire it in.”So I went by line. When it was straight I felt it was in my reach, and I stepped out and hit. When it was that wider delivery, I played it properly.” If he was going to get out, he was going to get out on his terms. Before that, though, he would be laughed at once again.Jadeja bowled that split-finger delivery early on, which turned and bounced, and Kishan was almost on the floor, trying to cover the line somehow, and fended in front of his face. Ravindra and friends laughed, and mock-gestured among themselves as if playing a bouncer from a quick. The Jharkhand bench went, “.” Collide with them.Collide Kishan did next ball. Down the pitch decisively, he cleared mid-on. Jadeja responded by sending long-on and midwicket back, suspecting Kishan had only one gear. What a good gear he had, if he indeed had only one. Out of the crease again, managing to get under darts from Ravindra, he cleared midwicket and long-on in successive deliveries. The second went out of the ground. Kishan’s fifty came up in the 12th over, out of a team score of 64 for 2.The hitting didn’t stop although Kishan admitted he was beaten in the flight in two of his eight sixes. He went ahead with the shots, and made sweet connections still. “” [He had dragged the length back.] When Kishan finally miscued for the first time, he had reached 87, off just 69 balls, out of a team score of 120, hitting eight sixes and four fours. Jaydev Unadkat got under the ball, shouted out “mine”, and perhaps knew this was the big catch, went up with fingers pointing up, and let it slip. He stuck out a hand to catch the rebound, and the relief on his face was palpable. This 17-year-old was pushing Saurashtra into the ditch they had dug for Jharkhand.Ravindra ran towards Unadkat. The whole Saurashtra team assembled. Jadeja broke the huddle and patted the back of Kishan, which is not a common sight in the highly competitive world of domestic cricket. Not bad for someone who was laughed at even before he faced the first ball. Jharkhand went on to duly collapse for 168, and their spinners provided too many long hops and full tosses to Saurashtra to let them take a 35-run lead, which can prove crucial on this pitch where spinners have taken 19 wickets on the first day.There is a remarkable un-coached freshness to this Patna kid who had to move to Ranchi because the BCCI until this year didn’t recognise Bihar cricket. He may or may not repeat such efforts in the future, but with the Under-19 World Cup coming up, and with Rahul Dravid to be the coach of that side, he might just get the perfect coach to show him to pick “seam-weam” and how to build bigger innings.

Bharath Seervi14-Dec-20152012 The last time New Zealand lost a Test at home, to South Africa in March in Hamilton. Since then, they haven’t lost in 12 Tests. This is their joint-second longest streak of Test wins at home and another win (or even a draw) in the next Test on Friday will equal their longest streak of 13 unbeaten Tests, between March 1987 and March 1991 (excluding an abandoned Test). In fact, during a 12-year period from 1979 to 1991, New Zealand had lost just two of the 37 Tests they played at home.10 Test wins for New Zealand under Brendon McCullum in 28 matches. He is only the third captain to win 10 or more Tests for New Zealand after Stephen Fleming (28) and Geoff Howarth (11). Since he took over in January 2013, only three captains have won more Tests than McCullum – Michael Clarke, Alastair Cook (13 each) and Misbah-ul-haq (11).2 Man-of-the-Match awards for Martin Guptill in his 37-Test career. Dunedin was his second, and his first was against Bangladesh in Hamilton in 2009-10. These are the only two Tests where he has scored 150-plus in an innings and aggregated over 200 runs in the match. He has been named Player of the Match 11 times in ODIs and five times in T20Is.3 Wicketkeepers to take nine or more catches in a Test on two occasions – BJ Watling joins Mark Boucher and Brad Haddin.3 Times New Zealand have won a Test without any bowler taking more than three wickets in an innings. Dunedin is the latest entry, where Tim Southee took 3 for 71 and 3 for 52, while Neil Wagner finished with 3 for 87 in the second innings. Southee’s figures in the second innings ended up as the best for them in this Test, but it is the least-best innings figures in a New Zealand victory. Southee also held the previous record – 3 for 41 in the Hamilton Test against Bangladesh in 2009-10. The last Test win for New Zealand with no one taking more than three wickets in an innings was against Pakistan in Lahore in 1969-70 where Vic Pollard and Dayle Hadlee took 3 for 27. The least-best for any team is 3 for 107 by David Brown for England against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1967-68. However, there has been a Test where no bowler from the winning side had taken more than two wickets in an innings: the Centurion Test of 1999-00, when South Africa had forfeited one of their innings against England to produce a result.3 Times Dinesh Chandimal has scored 50 or more in both innings of a Test. His 83 and 58 in Dunedin follow the twin fifties on his Test debut against South Africa in Durban in 2011 and those against India in Galle earlier this year. As a wicketkeeper, only three players have scored fifty-plus in both innings of a Test on more occasions than Chandimal – Andy Flower (seven), Alan Knott (five) and MS Dhoni (four). Tatenda Taibu and Matt Prior also have three such instances.6 Wicketkeepers to score fifty-plus in both innings of a Test in New Zealand. Incidentally, five of them have been visitors – Alan Knott, Andy Flower, MS Dhoni, Matt Prior and now Chandimal. The only New Zealander on the list is Jock Edwards way back in 1977-78. Apart from Edwards, Watling is the only other New Zealand gloveman to get twin fifties in a Test. He has done it twice, but both came overseas. Of the four instances when Sri Lanka wicketkeepers have made two fifty-plus scores in a Test, three have been by Chandimal.30 Wickets for Southee in the fourth innings of Test matches, his best being 3 for 28 against West Indies in 2014. He has never taken more than three wickets in the final innings from 20 tries. Although his 3 for 52 in Dunedin was his fifth such three-wicket haul and only Daniel Vettori (36) and Richard Hadlee (32) have taken more fourth-innings wickets than Southee’s 30. New Zealand have also won all five Tests in which Southee has taken three wickets in the fourth innings. But he is the only bowler in Test history with 30 or more wickets in the final innings, without ever taking more than a three-for. Peter Siddle comes closest with 30-plus wickets although he has taken a four-for.9 Tests Sri Lanka have lost in New Zealand. Only West Indies have fared worse. Sri Lanka’s win-loss ratio in this country is 0.22, the third-worst after Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, who are yet to win a Test here.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2015Doug Bracewell accounted for the important wicket of Dinesh Chandimal, trapping him lbw for 9•AFPNone of Sri Lanka’s top seven managed to make more than 20 as Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan ran through their top and middle order•Associated PressSri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 117 in 27. 4 overs•AFPHenry wrecked the most damage, finishing with returns of 4 for 33•Getty ImagesMartin Guptill had an early reprieve – he was dropped by Milinda Siriwardana off the first ball of the chase•AFPGuptill then went about destroying Sri Lanka’s bowlers as he got to his fifty in just 17 balls, the fastest ever by a New Zealander•Getty ImagesHe didn’t stop there, he scored another 43 runs in just 13 balls to help New Zealand gun down the target in 8.2 overs•Getty ImagesGuptill finished unbeaten on 93 off 30 while his opening partner Tom Latham took 17 off 20 to seal the chase with all ten wickets intact and give New Zealand a 2-0 lead in the five-match series•Getty Images

Plus: the youngest to 2000 ODI runs, and the highest totals without a century stand

Steven Lynch09-Feb-2016Alex Hales scored 99 in an ODI the other day, to go with one in a Twenty20 international. Has anyone else made 99s in more than one international format? asked Lakshmi Narayanan from India
Alex Hales’ 99 in the second one-day international against South Africa in Port Elizabeth over the weekend made him the 18th player to have been dismissed for 99 more than once in international cricket. Of those, Geoff Boycott was out for 99 in a Test and an ODI – and also once made 99 not out in a Test. Stephen Fleming of New Zealand, Australia’s Matthew Hayden and AB de Villiers of South Africa have also fallen one short in both Tests and ODIs. Richie Richardson (West Indies) was out for 99 twice in Tests, and made 99 not out in an ODI. Zimbabwe’s Alistair Campbell, Dean Jones of Australia and India’s Virender Sehwag were all out for 99 in Tests, and made 99 not out in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar was out for 99 three times – all in ODIs. Mike Atherton, Greg Blewett, Sourav Ganguly, Simon Katich, Saleem Malik, MJK Smith and John Wright all made two Test 99s, while Sanath Jayasuriya was twice out for 99 in ODIs. Hales remains the only man so far to be out for 99 in a T20I (against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 2012), although his England team-mate Luke Wright finished with 99 not out against Afghanistan in Colombo later in 2012.In the first ODI between South Africa and England both wicketkeepers scored a century. Is this unique? asked Siddhartha Kapila from India
Last week’s match in Bloemfontein – in which Jos Buttler made 105 and Quinton de Kock 138 not out – was actually the sixth time that both wicketkeepers had scored centuries in the same one-day international. The first occasion was in Jaipur in 2005-06, when Kumar Sangakkara’s undefeated 138 for Sri Lanka was trumped by MS Dhoni’s 183 not out for India. In August 2007 in Harare AB de Villiers and Tatenda Taibu traded 107s for South Africa and Zimbabwe (Taibu was not out), and de Villiers was at it again in Johannesburg in 2011-12, scoring 125 not out against Sri Lanka, for whom Sangakkara countered with 102. In a World Cup qualifier in Lincoln in New Zealand in January 2014, Wesley Barresi hit 137 not out for Netherlands, and Kenya’s Irfan Karim replied with 108. And at Lord’s in 2014, Sangakkara made 112 while Buttler cracked 121.Quinton de Kock reached 2000 runs in the first ODI against England. Is he the youngest to get there? asked Michael Malan from South Africa
At 23 years 48 days, Quinton de Kock is the youngest South African to reach 2000 runs in one-day internationals, undercutting Jacques Kallis by 114 days, or about four months. But de Kock lies only 12th on the overall list: Shahid Afridi was just 19 years 111 days old when he reached 2000 runs in 1999, while Tamim Iqbal and Sachin Tendulkar were both 20. De Kock reached 2000 in his 53rd innings, the third-quickest for South Africa after Hashim Amla (easily the fastest of anyone, in only 40 innings) and Gary Kirsten (50). De Kock’s century was his ninth in ODIs, in his 53rd innings; only Amla has reached nine in fewer innings (52).MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara were the first set of keepers to score hundreds in the same ODI, in Jaipur, 2005•Sebastian D’Souza/AFPWas England’s 399 for 9 at Bloemfontein the highest ODI total not to feature a century partnership? asked Anand from the United States
The highest partnership in England’s big score in Bloemfontein last week was 97, between Joe Root and Jos Buttler for the third wicket. And you’re right, 399 is the highest ODI total not to include a century stand. The previous record was set only in June, when the biggest partnership in England’s 365 for 9 against New Zealand at The Oval was 96, by Buttler and Eoin Morgan. Before that, the mark stood at 358 for 6, by New Zealand against Canada in the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai (highest partnership also 96).Josh Hazlewood played his 16th ODI on February 6, and still hasn’t scored any runs. Is this a record? asked Jimmy Haslam from Australia
Josh Hazlewood still has a little way to go to break this particular record, which is held by another Australian fast bowler. Left-armer Doug Bollinger didn’t score a run till his 20th one-day international, coincidentally also in New Zealand, in 2009-10. It was only his third innings, though; Hazlewood has had two – both 0 not outs – in his first 16 ODIs. Sreesanth, the Indian paceman, didn’t score his first run until his 16th ODI, in May 2006. In T20Is the record is held by Krishmar Santokie, the West Indian left-arm medium-pacer, who played 12 matches, batted just once … and made 0 not out. Is it true that Australia have never won an ODI when they were bowled out inside 50 overs? asked Kiran from India
That one is emphatically not true. Australia have won 24 one-day internationals despite being bowled out after batting first (the list includes three matches in which the tenth wicket fell to the last ball of the 50th over). This particular result seems to be an Asian specialty: India and Sri Lanka have both won 30 ODIs after being bowled out batting first, and Pakistan 28. New Zealand have managed it 17 times, England, South Africa and West Indies 14, Bangladesh 10 and Zimbabwe nine. Associate teams have done it 17 times (Ireland and Kenya four each).Send in your questions using our feedback form.

14-May-2016AB de Villiers came in and got going immediately with a back-foot six over cover•BCCIVirat Kohli was more sedate at the other end, his first 20 runs coming at a run a ball•BCCIDe Villiers was beaten by Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over and managed to get back in time to survive a stumping. But otherwise, he hardly put a foot wrong•BCCIDe Villiers’ half-century took just 25 balls•BCCIA sequence of six, six, four, six, and a single off Praveen Kumar in the 16th over raised his century off 43 balls•BCCIKohli was on 52 off 41 balls with just three overs left, before he sensationally accelerated•BCCISuch was the carnage that the Royal Challengers captain raised his century – his third of IPL 2016 – with three deliveries remaining•BCCILions struck off the final two deliveries of the innings, but the Kohli-de Villiers stand of 229 came off just 96 balls and took Royal Challengers to 248 for 3•BCCIOvercast conditions meant there was the threat of rain, but it only rained fours and sixes as the crowd at the M Chinnaswamy stadium got their money’s worth•BCCIDwayne Smith paid the price for playing across the line and was cleaned up by one that kept low•AFPBrendon McCullum got his eye in, but holed out to de Villiers at long-off in a bid to accelerate•BCCIDe Villiers was once again in the thick of the action and took a good catch running backwards to send back Dinesh Karthik•AFPRavindra Jadeja got off to a fluent start before popping a return catch to Chris Jordan to fall for 21 off 19•BCCIYuzvendra Chahal removed Bravo and Akshdeep Nath to leave Lions 69 for 6. Chahal ended with 3 for 19 in four overs for his best IPL figures•BCCIAaron Finch top-scored with 37, but it was scant compensation as Lions failed to stem the rot and were bowled out for 104, slipping to a 144-run defeat – the heaviest-ever in the IPL•BCCIChris Jordan did the bulk of the damage for Royal Challengers, finishing with career-best figures of 4 for 11•BCCI

It is too early to say if Jake Lehmann will be weighed down by expectations or forge a successful career, but the initial signs are promising

Brydon Coverdale25-Jul-2016Jake Lehmann’s surname was always going to be an issue. Not for him, necessarily, but for others. How could it not be? He is the son of Darren Lehmann, former Test cricketer, South Australia legend, and now Australia coach. When Jake chose to pursue a career in cricket he was always going to be watched closely, by supporters and tall-poppy cutters alike.That is inevitable for young men in the position Lehmann found himself in two years ago, when he was handed his first state contract. In similar circumstances some are crushed by the weight of expectation, by unfair comparisons to their father. Others – like Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, Stuart Broad, Shaun Pollock – thrive domestically and forge international careers of their own.It is too early to say which camp Lehmann will fall into, but the initial signs are encouraging. In his first full season of Sheffield Shield cricket last summer, Lehmann scored three centuries – he turned his first into 205 against Tasmania in Hobart – and posted 623 runs at 44.50 from eight matches. Now Lehmann, who has just turned 24, is about to make his debut for Australia A.In one way his rise has been rapid: it was only 16 months ago that he made his first-class debut. But in another sense his journey began as a kid, watching Darren and his mates represent Australia. While there was never any pressure on Lehmann from his father to play cricket, it would have been difficult not to fall in love with the game given the exposure he received to it at a young age.”There was heaps of upside that I was offered as a kid, things some people can only dream of doing,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo. “Going into the rooms during the Boxing Day Test and playing indoor cricket with Michael Clarke, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, you can keep naming them. You go and have Christmas with them.”Even back in South Australia, just walking around the Oval and chatting to the players because you know them and they know you. Some kids dream of doing that, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of it my whole life.”There is more to Jake Lehmann than his surname and elaborate ‘tache•Getty ImagesDarren’s international career spanned a time when Jake was aged 4 to 12, formative years by anyone’s definition. He nominates Michael Hussey as an idol – “a left-hander, brilliant in all three formats, something I’m aspiring to” – but it is perhaps no wonder that the younger Lehmann has ended up batting more than a bit like his dad.”It’s just something that’s happened,” he said. “I’ve never planned or modelled on the old man, but both being left-handed – a lot of left-handers like to cut and cover drive, because the ball is always going across you. That’s part and parcel of being a left-hander.”The old man, we still don’t really talk a whole heap of cricket. We do talk some cricket but it’s not the be all and end all for us – there are other things in life. Growing up, he never forced me to play cricket, never pushed it upon me. I just fell in love with the game, like a lot of people have. It went from there.”Lehmann was by no means fast-tracked into elite cricket. He was 22 when he made his first-class debut, and a half-century in his maiden Sheffield Shield innings gave him confidence that he deserved to be there. And three hundreds last summer proved beyond all doubt that Lehmann is where he is because of his own talent, not his name.”Growing up there were always higher expectations,” Lehmann said. “Once I finally got my crack – people can say what they want to say, but I think I earned my spot and hopefully I’ve showed a couple of people that that was correct as well.”His 2015-16 Shield campaign earned an Australia A call-up, and he will be part of the batting order when they take on South Africa A in a series of two first-class matches in Queensland starting on Saturday. And while his name (and his elaborate moustache) might be the most recognisable things about Jake Lehmann, there is more to him than that.Away from cricket, he has studied human movement and health science at university, and is now completing a masters in primary-school teaching. It is worth noting that Hussey too studied to become a teacher, and ended up not only as one of the Test team’s finest batsmen but most rounded individuals.”I like it, I think it’s good to get a bit of balance outside of cricket,” Lehmann said. “If you’ve had a tough day, you can go away and do some study or go to the footy club. You find a bit of balance in life.”