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Of all the areas in which Shaun Marsh has excelled in his first two Test innings, leaving the ball unless he has to play it must sit near the top

Daniel Brettig in Colombo16-Sep-2011Of all the areas in which Shaun Marsh has excelled in his first two Test innings, leaving the ball unless he has to play it must sit near the top. Marsh has succeeded in forcing Sri Lanka’s bowlers to bowl at him, opening up bountiful regions for scoring provided he is patient. Speaking after making 81 out of Australia’s 235 for 5 on day one of the third Test in Colombo, Marsh said he had placed a heavy emphasis on his judgment of what to leave.”One thing I’ve really tried to work hard on in my first two games is leaving the ball well, leaving the ball with intent,” Marsh said. “I’ve worked really hard with Tim Nielsen to make sure I’m really on my game out there, and on being nice and positive in my defence. It’s worked well so far.”I guess that has a little bit to do with me playing at the WACA [in Perth] as well. You do leave a lot of balls over there, and I’ve really tried to make sure that if the ball’s not in my hitting area, to let it go, and just try and get myself in.”Marsh’s strength of mind stood out in his 141 on debut, and it was on show again as Australia struggled for runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club. “I knew I had a job to do. I was just looking forward to having another opportunity to do a job out there. Just looking forward to the challenges,” Marsh said. “I’ve really enjoyed my first two innings in Test cricket. Loved every bit of being out there with the boys.”They [Sri Lanka] bowled really well today. The ball was swinging a fair bit and the wicket was a little bit tacky in that first session, a bit two-paced. It was a tough challenge out there today. That’s what Test cricket’s all about.”The day had begun with Australia’s captain Michael Clarke telling Marsh he would remain at No. 3, pushing Ricky Ponting, Clarke and Michael Hussey down the order to accommodate him. It was quite a moment for Marsh, given that he had not ruled out being dropped to make room for Ponting.”I knew someone had to miss out and if it was me, so be it. I wasn’t too bothered, I was just going to take it on the chin,” Marsh said. “When Pup [Clarke] told me this morning [I was batting at No. 3] it was a huge honour. It didn’t really matter where I batted, I wasn’t too fussed, but it’s a great opportunity.”It’s just an absolute privilege to be out there. You don’t get too many bad balls, I’ve worked out. It’s a tough grind, really tests your concentration and that’s what I expected and what I’ve been told [to expect in Test cricket] by the players and my old man [Geoff Marsh].”Sri Lanka’s debutant Shaminda Eranga, meanwhile, said his first ball dismissal of Shane Watson had not been entirely an accident. Watson drove uppishly at Eranga’s first ball in Test cricket and the slight miscue was taken at point, in a scenario Eranga said had been discussed by the hosts.”As a team, we talk about how each batsman bats and we have a fair idea about the weakness and positives of the batsmen. Whether to bowl straight or bowl just outside off stump,” Eranga said. “The first ball I bowled at Watson was outside the off stump and that was something that we had discussed.”Eranga was part of a solid Sri Lankan bowling ensemble that included three pacemen – an exceptionally rare event at home.”I thought to myself that I will do well if I get an opportunity,” Eranga said. “So when I got my Test cap I was really happy and from the moment I got the ball into my hand I just wanted to do my best. I had worked hard at practice and today was a case of letting out all that I had done at training. I had a simple plan and I just did that and the wicket came my way.”

Simon Katich has given up the captaincy of New South Wales and the spinner Steve O’Keefe appointed

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2011Simon Katich has given up the captaincy of New South Wales and the spinner Steve O’Keefe has been appointed in his place. Described as a “succession plan” by Cricket New South Wales, the move was announced on Wednesday but first mooted during the winter, which was already a difficult time for Katich after he lost his Cricket Australia contract.While his removal from the contract list caused Katich to unleash a well-directed stream of righteous fury at the national game’s administrators and selectors, the NSW handover is believed to have been far more orderly, though the final decision took time to be announced and when it was, O’Keefe was in South Africa on Australia Twenty20 duty.In a statement, Cricket NSW said the Blues were looking to the future by handing the leadership to O’Keefe, 26, who has captained the state side before. However, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke will lead New South Wales in his rare state appearances, while Ben Rohrer will take the reins for the opening games of the season with O’Keefe’s absence.”Simon has been an outstanding captain of New South Wales for the past nine years and we are indebted to him for the service he has given in this role,” David Gilbert, the chief executive of Cricket New South Wales, said. “When I discussed with him during the winter the need for a captaincy succession plan for the mid to long term, it was typical of the man that he accepted that this was the way forward. His leadership both on and off the field over the past nine years has set the benchmark.”Katich, 36, captained the Blues during their recent Champions League Twenty20 campaign in India but he will be a player only for the rest of this summer. He said he endorsed the decision for O’Keefe to take over.”Stephen is a talented cricketer and will do an excellent job of leading the side,” Katich said. “I accept and respect the decision to appoint a new captain with an eye to the future.”The move brings to an end Katich’s long reign as captain, during which he led the Blues to the 2007-08 Sheffield Shield title, the 2008-09 Big Bash triumph and the 2009-10 Champions League title. Although they won other silverware during his time in charge, he did not play in the deciders due to his Australian duties.

A round-up of the action from the second day of the second round of matches from the Ranji Trophy Elite division

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Group BAn unbeaten century by Abhinav Mukund led Tamil Nadu’s strong response to Haryana’s first-innings score of 348 at Chepauk. The hosts reached 169 for 1 by stumps with Abhinav getting 110 of those runs. Haryana had started the day well by adding 84 runs to their overnight score of 264 for 7. Amit Mishra scored 71 not out to help his team reach a strong total while Tamil Nadu were profligate, giving away 34 extras. Tamil Nadu started with an 84-run opening partnership between Abhinav and M Vijay, who was dismissed by Mishra for 33. Kaushik Gandhi, on first-class debut, shared an unbeaten 85-run stand with Abhinav but only got 12 of those runs. Abhinav, who has lost his place in the India Test squad to Ajinkya Rahane, will want to kick on and make a big score as a reminder to the selectors that he is still around.

A century from Ambati Rayudu helped Baroda take a 312-run first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara but MP had begun a recovery by the end of the day, reaching 176 for 2. Baroda started the day on 207 for 4 and really made MP pay for their 63 all out on the first day. Rayudu, who was on 80 not out overnight, went on to get 119 and put together 74 for the fifth wicket with wicketkeeper Pinal Shah, who went on to score 54. The rest of the lower order chipped in to help Baroda reach 375. The runs came quickly as well, at 3.98 an over. Jalaj Saxena was MP’s most-successful bowler, taking 5 for 61.MP made a steady start to their reply, with Mohnish Mishra scoring 58 off 60 balls including 10 fours and two sixes, and Naman Ojha ending the day unbeaten on 63. They still have to get another 136 to wipe out the first-innings deficit though.

Niraj Patel converted his century into a double-hundred to take Gujarat to an imposing 520 against Delhi at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in Valsad. Gujarat then made inroads and Delhi were 119 for 3 by the end of the day. Gujarat started the day on 358 for 6 and Patel and Salil Yadav continued their partnership, taking it to 174 runs. Patel reached his maiden double-century and Yadav reached 71, his first half-century in any professional cricket. Delhi’s bowlers had to toil but 18-year-old left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra took three of the four wickets to fall on the day to finish with his best first-class figures: 7 for 116.Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed early in Delhi’s response but his opening partner, the 18-year-old Unmukt Chand, made his way to 72 not out. Debutant seamer Faisal Dudhat struck twice and Delhi will need big partnerships to avoid a first-innings deficit.

Group AKarnataka seized control of their match against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi by bowling Railways out for 134 on the second day, and then reducing them to 33 for 2 following on. Left-arm spinner KP Appanna took five wickets and fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun picked up three to give Karnataka a 213-run first-innings lead. Karnataka had managed to add 63 runs to their overnight score of 284 for 7. Captain Vinay Kumar brought in spin early and Appanna struck as early as the sixth over. Railways’ top order collapsed and they were 64 for 5 before Sanjay Bangar and Marripuri Suresh added 40 runs. Once that pair was removed, the tail did not hang around long and Railways were all out in 53.5 overs. Vinay Kumar enforced the follow on and Mithun and Appanna struck once each.

Punjab needed wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera to score 47 not out at No. 9 to scrape out a first-innings lead against Orissa in Mohali. Punjab were 220 for 8 in response to Orissa’s 251, and the ninth-wicket pair of Khera and Sandeep Sharma put together 35 to get the crucial lead. Harbhajan Singh decided to declare when the ninth wicket fell, even though Punjab were only four ahead, to give Orissa an awkward over to face at the end of the day. Bikas Pati played out the maiden.Orissa only managed to add five more runs to their overnight score of 246 for 9 at the start of the day with Sandeep Sharma completing his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in only his second match. Punjab then wobbled early in their chase and were reduced to 26 for 3. Basant Mohanty took two of the early wickets and finished with figures of 3 for 76. Uday Kaul steadied the innings with his 62 but seamer Lagnajit Samal made regular inroads and the battle for the innings lead remained in the balance before Khera got Punjab over the line.

Saurashtra got themselves back into their match at the Cantonment Board Ground in Meerut, taking the last six wickets in Uttar Pradesh’s first innings for 96 runs and then reaching 208 for 4 in response to 362. UP started the day on 266 for 4 with Tanmay Srivastava batting on 134 not out. Seamer Sandip Maniar struck with the second ball of the day, giving him his fourth wicket of the innings. Srivastava went on to get 175 not out but offspinner Kamlesh Makvana took wickets regularly at the other end to finish with 4 for 30 as UP were bowled out 26 overs into the second day.Saurashtra ran into trouble in their innings, slumping to 55 for 3, and then losing Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a triple-century in their last match, with the score 112. Captain Jaydev Shah led the recovery with a 109-ball 79. He shared an unbeaten 96-run stand with Shitanshu Kotak, who got to 32 not out.

Mumbai’s script for this match was bat first, bat once, pile a massive total and dominate the opposition to try and register an outright victory. Except, in a role reversal, defending champions Rajasthan did exactly what heavyweights Mumbai had in mind. If Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the Rajasthan captain, had laid the platform with a serene century on the first day, young Robin Bist played an equally stoic innings, to remain unbeaten on 82 and help the visitors to 530.Read full report here.

A strong all-round showing form Mountaineers helped them to an eight-wicket win against Matabeleland Tuskers at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2011
ScorecardA strong all-round showing from Mountaineers helped them to an eight-wicket win against Matabeleland Tuskers at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Tendai Chatara, with a five-for, and Kevin Kasuza, with an unbeaten century, led the way for the Mountaineers.Being put in to bat, the Tuskers lost wickets at regular intervals. They slipped to 122 for 6 in 29 overs as their top order caved in, before handy cameos down the order carried them to a respectable 197 in 45.1 overs. While the Mountaineers bowlers, led by Chatara, were incisive, they were not very disciplined; they conceded 42 extras, including 25 wides, which was the highest individual score in the innings.In the chase, Mountaineers lost their openers off consecutive deliveries in the third over to be reduced to a wobbly 4 for 2, but Hamilton Masakadza and Kasuza were not to be defeated. While Masakadza constructed a solid innings of 64 not out off 84 balls, Kasuza hit the Tuskers out of the match with a blistering 110 of 91 balls. His innings included 14 fours and two sixes, and helped his side seal the game in just the 32nd over.

Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of England’s first tour match which will mean a chance to impress for either Steven Finn or Chris Tremlett

George Dobell06-Jan-2012Success in sport is often attributed to discipline, dedication and determination but, so often, it’s blind luck that makes the crucial contribution.So it could prove for Steven Finn or Chris Tremlett. Both travelled to the UAE knowing they could well spend several weeks doing little more than providing net bowling for their colleagues. Yet, after Tim Bresnan was ruled out of the warm-up match against ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI, one of Finn or Tremlett has an excellent opportunity to stake a persuasive claim for a Test place.It would be premature to completely discount Bresnan as a possibility for the first Test. Andrew Strauss declared himself “hopeful” that the Yorkshireman would be “ready for the second warm-up [match].” But, with only one three-day game to come before three back-to-back Tests, it would something of a gamble to select Bresnan as one of England’s three pace bowlers.That could well leave Finn and Tremlett competing for one place. While Tremlett has a fine record since his return to the Test side, there is a sense that Finn is the rising power within English cricket. Not only did he provide a rare beacon of joy amid England’s limited-overs thrashing in India but, aged just 22, he’s already the quickest bowler in the squad. He’s raw, certainly, but has all the attributes to carve out a fine career at the top level.Tremlett, meanwhile, is struggling with a sore eye. While Strauss dismissed that of “no great concern”, it would be typical of Tremlett’s ill-fortune if such an unavoidable incident should thwart him. He’s previously been sidelined by a tendon cut in a freak washing-up accident and a lung punctured by a misplaced acupuncture needle. While the cynics have long criticised Tremlett’s attitude and commitment, the truth is he’s simply enjoyed little luck.There’s also an interesting sub-plot to this match. Among the opposition is the Ireland and Warwickshire fast bowler Boyd Rankin. After a domestic season in which Marcus Trescothick rated him the best fast bowler he faced, Rankin has forced his way into the England Lions squad and knows that a strong performance here will take him even closer to the Test squad. It’s a prospect that will be viewed with bitter-sweet phlegmatism by Irish cricket lovers. In the longer-term, George Dockrell, a 19-year-old left-arm spinner with Somerset, is another who could follow the same route.They are not the only ones with special incentive, however. The ICC side are itching to show the strength of Associate and Affiliate cricket and feel that a good game will maintain pressure on the ICC to provide greater opportunities for the non-Test nations. Rankin, for example, has argued this current experiment could be continued. “There is room for an Associate team playing Test cricket. A Combined ICC team is more than capable of playing against the best sides in the world,” he said. It’s an intriguing thought.England, meanwhile, will be happy to return to competitive cricket after an unusually long break. With just two three-day games in which to prepare for the Test series – a far cry from the preparation they enjoyed going into the Ashes – they know they need to hit the ground running. In this match, each first innings will be limited to a maximum 100 overs and there will not be an opportunity to utilise batsmen or bowlers from outside the selected XI as is sometimes the case with these warm-up matches.Much as England and Pakistan may wish to move on from the spot-fixing debacle, its shadow will linger over this tour. The trial of the former Essex seamer, Mervyn Westfield, who is accused of offences related to spot-fixing, begins on January 12 and will, inevitably, turn the focus of the cricketing world back towards the sport’s grubby underbelly. The trial of Allen Stanford, currently scheduled to begin on January 23, may also revive memories some would rather forget.Yet there will also be much to savour during this tour. It says much for the abundance of talent in Pakistan that, barely months after losing some of their brightest talents to the spot-fixing debacle, the team are seen as providing a serious threat to England’s winning streak. Pakistan have won their last three series and lost just one of their last 12 Tests. World cricket needs a strong Pakistan and their recent progress is heartening.Perhaps their record flatters to deceive, however. Two of those series wins have come against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe – currently the weakest Test sides – while the other came against a Sri Lankan side in a transitional state. England will provide a far stiffer challenge.It is sometimes blithely stated that all England’s success has come on green pitches favouring seam bowlers. It’s not so, however. While England are certainly a daunting proposition in archetypal English conditions, they’ve also had success on run-filled surfaces. Think of Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Edgbaston and The Oval. With the likes of Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann in the team, England can ‘do attrition’ as well as anyone. Their opponents underestimate them at their peril.Pakistan are progressing, but their fragile recovery could well be crushed under the heel of a very impressive England.England XI (from) Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Steven Davies (wk), Chris Tremlett, Monty PanesarCombined AM XI (from) William Porterfield (capt), George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling (all Ireland), Saqib Ali (UAE), Kyle Coetzer, Majid Haq (both Scotland), Hamid Hassan, Mohammed Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad+ (all Afghanistan), Christi Viljoen, Craig Williams (both Namibia)

Somerset have signed Albie Morkel, the South Africa allrounder, as one of their overseas players for this year’s Friends Life t20 campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2012Somerset have signed Albie Morkel, the South Africa allrounder, as one of their overseas players for this year’s Friends Life t20 campaign. Another South African, Roelof van der Merwe, who played for Somerset in last year’s Friends Life t20 and in the Champions League T20, had been expected to join the county from the start of June, from the Friends Life t20 onwards; but difficulties in obtaining a work permit for him led Somerset to seek an alternative.Morkel, who has scored 2285 runs and taken 131 wickets in Twenty20 cricket, as well as played in 31 Twenty20 internationals, will join Chris Gayle as Somerset’s overseas signings for the Friends Life t20. Somerset have finished as runners-up in England’s domestic T20 competition in each of the last three seasons.”The club has signed Albie Morkel from South Africa as our second overseas player for the T20 competition this season,” Somerset’s director of cricket Brian Rose said. “Albie is an immensely gifted cricketer and especially exciting one-day player, and fits in well with our setup in the T20. The combination of Gayle and Morkel is a mouth-watering prospect for our supporters.”Rose said that visa problems had delayed Somerset’s signing of van der Merwe and bringing in another player for the latter stages of the season would become a priority, should the left-arm spinner fail to get clearance.”As we went through the detailed paperwork process it became apparent that Roelof van der Merwe was highly unlikely to be granted a work permit due to current Home Office legislation, though the door remains open for him at Somerset if the situation can be resolved,” Rose said. “In the event of Roelof being unable to gain Home Office clearance in time for this season, I will be actively looking for an overseas replacement for July, August and September.”

Virender Sehwag has clarified he needed rest due to back spasms and dismissed doubts over the reasons behind his exclusion from the Asia Cup squad

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Mar-2012Virender Sehwag has dispelled speculation over him being “rested” for the Asia Cup, saying he had explained his medical condition to the chairman of the selectors Kris Srikkanth ahead of the selection meeting to pick the squad for the tournament.”I have back spasms. I need some rest. I have never kept my team management in the dark as far as fitness is concerned,” Sehwag told , after his name did not feature in the 15-member squad announced on Tuesday.Srikkanth had said Sehwag was rested based on the fitness report and recommendation of the Indian team’s physiotherapist. The word ‘rested’ was interpreted by many as a euphemism for being dropped, given Sehwag had failed during the Test series in Australia and managed only 65 runs in five matches during the CB Series.But Srikkanth strongly denied the rumours and even lost this cool during the media briefing . Sehwag, too, made it clear that his injury was genuine. “My injury is open for everyone to see. I have never hidden my injury before, or fitness problems. Even my shoulder operation was planned after consulting the then coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni,” Sehwag said.A BCCI official said it was incorrect to blame on selectors for copping out over the ‘resting’ of Sehwag. He pointed out that Srikkanth’s panel had, in the past, taken bold decisions like dropping Yuvraj Singh during the home Test series against Australia, months before the World Cup, and leaving Harbhajan Singh out after his loss of form during the tour of England last year.”The media and critics said the selectors did not have the guts to say he [Sehwag] is dropped. I don’t think that is true,” the official explained. “If they wanted to unconditionally drop him, the selectors would have done that. They had dropped Yuvraj Singh four months before the World Cup. Then they dropped Harbhajan Singh after the England tour last year. They could have easily done so with Sehwag, too, now in case they wanted to.”The decision to rest Sehwag, the board official pointed out, was taken keeping in mind the long-term repercussions of playing with an injury. “Sehwag was suffering from spasms, had shoulder pains and was also was having migraine. There was no option but to give him a break.”When asked if Sehwag’s concerns about his fitness would be undermined should he play the CB series finals in the event of India’s qualification, the official didn’t think so. “If at all he goes ahead and plays the final and smacks a hundred it does not mean his body and mind does not need a break,” the official said. According to him, a majority of elite cricketers are “literally stitched up together” to be fit to play, and the physio has worked hard to keep Sehwag fit on the tour of Australia.

Hemant Desai, a Kenyan umpire, has been suspended after being reported for assaulting a groundstaff member in Mombasa

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2012Hemant Desai, a Kenyan umpire, has been suspended after being reported for assaulting a groundstaff member in Mombasa when he was the reserve official for a one-day international between Kenya and Ireland in February.Cricket Kenya has suspended Desai from any umpiring duties until November 1 following a disciplinary panel hearing on March 9 chaired by the Cricket Kenya Chairman, Samir Inamdar, and consisting of CEO Tom Sears, ICC code of conduct commissioner Sharad Rao and Kenya cricket umpires and scorers’ association representative Subhash Modi.It was alleged Desai assaulted a member of the groundstaff shortly before the match between Kenya and Ireland at Mombasa Sports Club started. The matter had been formally reported by the ICC match referee, Dev Govindjee, to the ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, who authorised Cricket Kenya to investigate a potential breach the ICC umpires code of conduct.Desai had denied the allegation that while engaged as an ICC reserve umpire for the fixture he slapped a member of the groundstaff. After taking into account eye witness statements and interviewing witnesses during the hearing the panel unanimously decided that he was in breach of clause 1.6 which states “Umpires shall not engage in any conduct which is prejudicial to the game of cricket”.

Five new faces have been named in the 26-man England Performance squad for 2012.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2012Five new faces have been named in the 26-man England Performance squad for 2012. Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Danny Briggs, Stuart Meaker and Ben Stokes are all included for the first time. But there is no room for James Taylor, Chris Woakes or Boyd Rankin.The EPS, which is chosen by the England selectors, consists of the 13 centrally contracted players, four players who have been awarded increment contracts and nine other players all of whom have been capped at senior international level. While the selectors are not obliged to pick only from members of the EPS and can add to it at any stage, the days when they sprung surprises are all but over. The squad provides a clear illustration of the players expected to represent England this summer.ECB National Selector Geoff Miller said: “We welcome the five new players to the squad and their inclusion reflects the progress they have all made with senior England teams and the England Lions over the last 12 months.”The England Performance Squad is designed to allow the selectors to monitor the development of international players and better prepare them for the demands of the international game.”We can name a total of 30 players in the EPS squad but have decided to name only 26 at this early stage of the season. We will keep this under review and may add additional players to the squad should individual performances merit it later in the summer.”England Performance Squad 2012
Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Alastair Cook (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Jos Buttler (Somerset), Steven Davies (Surrey), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Stuart Meaker (Surrey), Graham Onions (Durham), Monty Panesar (Sussex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Matt Prior (Sussex), Ben Stokes (Durham), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Tremlett (Surrey), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)

Opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond scored an unbeaten century to lead England Under-19 to a three-wicket victory against Australia Under-19

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2012Opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond scored an unbeaten century to lead England Under-19 to a three-wicket victory against Australia Under-19 at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville. Bell-Drummond made 103 not out off 109 balls, single-handedly leading his team towards the target of 204, which was achieved with 21 balls to spare. Jamie Overton (28) was the only other batsman to make more than 20. Bell-Drummond’s century was his third fifty-plus score in three consecutive innings, having made 55 and 51 in Bangladesh. He kept the chase steady despite England slipping to 46 for 3 and 118 for 5. Medium-pacer Gurinder Sandhu and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar took two wickets apiece for Australia. In the first innings, Australia had done well to score as many as they did (203 for 8) after being reduced to 129 for 7. Nick Stevens made 76 off 78 balls at No. 7 to lift his team. Left-arm medium-pacer Reece Topley and offspinner Sam Wood took three wickets each for England to limit the hosts.New Zealand Under-19 crushed India Under-19 by six wickets after skittling them for a low total at Endeavour Park in Townsville. India were rocked after getting sent in, collapsing to 8 for 4 and then 64 for 8. Baba Aparajith scored an unbeaten 40 to take the score to 123 before the innings ended in 47 overs. Ish Sodhi took 3 for 25 for New Zealand, while Ed Nuttall, Jacob Duffy and Connor Neynens took claimed wickets each. New Zealand also lost three early wickets in their chase, but Joe Carter scored 45 and Nick Kelly an unbeaten 62 to lead their side home in 33.4 overs. Kamal Passi took all four wickets to fall, and finished with 4 for 25 for India.