All posts by csb10.top

William Porterfield: runs and calm leadership of Ireland•International Cricket Council

The previous top six

(Marks out of ten)

Biggest surprise William Porterfield’s tenacious, confident batting and calm leadership.
Best player Porterfield and Eoin Morgan. And Phil Simmons’s aura as coach
The future is bright; the future’s green. Good young players and a solid development programme, allied to greater financial investment, equals a promising outlook. But still their best players will be pick-pocketed by England.
In one sentence Not at their best, yet were still the envy of opposing coaches.

Biggest surprise That they maintained consistency and didn’t rely on the (injured) John Davison.
Best player Khurram Chohan. Consistent and economical.
The future is hazy but the sun is breaking through. Investment from Scotiabank is rumoured to continue, but they urgently need some athleticism in the field and younger native-born players coming through.
In one sentence A solid performance throughout, befitting their status, but lacking in eye-catching displays.

Biggest surprise That they limited their renowned ability to implode to just two matches when they slipped to heavy defeats against Canada and Namibia
Best player Kennedy Otieno. 346 runs at 57.66 (pre play-offs)
The future is exciting but nerve-wracking. Andy Kirsten has gelled with the squad and opposing coaches are envious of the obvious talent. If only they didn’t switch off so randomly.
In one sentence World-beaters on their day and, with Ireland, comfortably more accomplished than any other team, but Ireland are now the Associate team to beat – and they know it.Edgar Schiferli: not the youngest, but comfortably Netherlands’ best bowler•Cricinfo/Ian Jacobs

Biggest surprise Edgar Schiferli who topped the wickets tally and made so many crucial top-order incisions.
Best player Schiferli for his bowling, Alexei Kervezee for crucial runs and a maturity beyond his years.
The future Who knows? Ryan ten Doeschate preferred to play for Essex rather than Netherlands, and likewise Kervezee will play more and more for Worcestershire. Schiferli can’t bowl for ever.
In one sentence A surprisingly adept performance, with regular contributions from key players, they deserve their World Cup placing.

Biggest surprise – That they played so consistently poorly and were, at times, embarrassingly disappointing. Ryan Watson, one stone lighter, had a shocker.
Best player Neil McCallum. Several key innings (416 runs @ 59.42) and one of their best fielders.
The future is confusing. They only reached the top six by the thinnest of net run-rate margins. The inquest into their performance will determine their four-year future. Watson could call it quits, and Craig Wright (their best bowler, but feeling his age) too.
In one sentence Their batting was remarkably brittle, and their bowling and fielding was notably poor, much to the turf-kicking chagrin of their wicketkeeper.

Biggest surprise That they won any matches.
Best player Gus Logie for his honesty; David Hemp for topping the averages.
The future is deservedly dismal and they urgently need to re-think their approach to grassroots cricket if they are to ever compete on the world stage again. Where has all the money gone? Why would they rather play domestic cricket than internationals? More questions than answers.
In one sentence An eye-sore for the ICC who can now concentrate on another Associate nation who actually wants to progress.

The new No.6

Biggest surprise The depth of talent. Two quality opening bowlers, and Karim Khan is an absurdly gifted allround cricketer (normally a wicketkeeper, he injured a finger and subsequently picked up 11 wickets).
Best player – Karim Khan, though he loses points for a couple of overly aggressive incidents. Nowroz Mangal batted beautifully.
The future is tricky to determine but tremendously exciting. The extra funding will transform their lives, as long as it falls into the right hands, but cricket in schools is still reliant on equipment from charities and the MCC. Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hassan are natural bowlers and highly gifted. How long before ICL or IPL suits spot themselves a bargain?
In one sentence The most enjoyable Affiliate nation to watch for years, a side simmering with talent and belief, but they cannot afford to rest on their admittedly humble laurels – particularly playing four-day cricket in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Andrew Symonds was easily the best allrounder on display•Associated Press

Andrew Symonds may have cut his Rastafarian beads, but he showed tonight there had been no cutback on his competitive spirit or his aptitude as Australia levelled the series 1-1. His two-wicket over, in the face of a marauding Shoaib Akhtar, had kept Pakistan down to a par total, but his bigger contribution came with the bat when Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal threatened to run through Australia for the second time in a row.Afridi and Ajmal had undone James Hopes’ good work at the top, bringing the game right back into the balance, when Symonds came in to bat. Hopes, filling in for the injured Shaun Marsh at the top of the order, had put Australia on their way to a chase of a tricky 207, before Ajmal and Afridi struck in back-to-back overs.The contest was always going to come to life when the spinners came on. Before that Hopes had weathered the storm from hostile and accurate Shoaib and Umar Gul. That initial spell resulted in the early wicket of Brad Haddin, but Hopes counter-attacked and brought the run-rate within manageable proportions.From 19 for 1 in six overs, Hopes cut and drove Gul and Shoaib for three boundaries and a six in the next three overs. Australia reached 70 for 1 in 14 overs, when spin was first introduced.Australia tried to play the mind game, going for the batting Powerplay immediately, and trying to delay the introduction of the dangerous spinners. Pakistan played ball, and went on with Afridi and Ajmal anyway. From 70 in 14 they moved to 91 in 20 in a tense period of play.In the 21st, Ajmal got Watson with a doosra, the batsman looking to pull without reading the spin. In the end Watson tried unsuccessfully to pull out of the pull, and top-edged. In the next over, Afridi beat a Hopes sweep with a straight and full delivery.Batting was not easy then, what with Test fields in place and the ball turning big, and Australia coming off a monumental collapse in the previous game. Ajmal and Afridi attacked, but Symonds tackled them superbly. Even early on in the innings, he picked Ajmal’s doosra. For good measure he let Ajmal know every time he saw the away-spinner. His 58 comprised only four boundaries and a six, the first of which was the team’s first boundary in 17 overs.The value of Symonds’ knock grew when put in comparison with his partner Michael Clarke’s effort. Clarke struggled to pick the spin, and was patchy all the way through. At one point, out of a 58-run stand Clarke had scored only eight.Symonds’ sensible batting also coincided with Pakistan gradually running out of the spinners’ quota, and with a small total to defend they had to bring back the pace bowlers on. Once that happened it was a cruise for Australia, with close to four an over required.Even that small target was thanks to Symonds’ effective over at the death. Shoaib’s 14-ball 25 had lifted Pakistan from 176 for 7, but just when it looked he would take Pakistan to a more competitive total, Symonds struck with two in the 46th over to not even allow them a full quota of 50 overs.That was not the last twist of a slow yet dramatic first innings of the game. A disciplined Australia had done well to pull Pakistan back after they had threatened twice to move out of their grasp.First it was Younis Khan who recovered from a sluggish start to get into fluent mode only to be dismissed for 28. Then Shahid Afridi played an uncharacteristically responsible innings, but when he looked set to launch Pakistan into the safe zone, Hopes got him with seven overs to go.Following the early run-out of 17-year-old debutant Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistan made an edgy start. Salman Butt and Younis were literally edgy against Nathan Bracken and ODI debutant Doug Bollinger, both left-arm seamers. They troubled both the batsmen with their angle and movement both ways. By the end of the ninth over Pakistan had crawled to 28 for 1, having faced a maiden each from both the bowlers.With Hopes came the change of angle, and Younis helped himself to three boundaries in his first two overs. In the next seven overs Pakistan doubled their score, mainly via Younis who scored 20 off 14 during that period. The sight of Ben Laughlin lit his eyes up, a short loosener first up widened them further, and an edge resulted as he went to cut the leather off the ball.Two more wickets, punctuated by an especially asphyxiating spell by Bollinger, meant Pakistan were struggling in the middle overs, five down for 122. Bollinger went for 26 in his 10 overs, including a middle spell of four overs for five runs.But then Afridi lifted them, not looking to hit the ball out of the ground every time he faced up. The main feature of his innings was his late-cuts, and placement for quick runs. He actually faced 40 balls, the most he has since his 52-ball 85 against Zimbabwe last January. Afridi also read the game well, picking a slower ball early during the Powerplay, when Australia had both third man and fine leg up in the circle. That was his only six. Afridi, along with Ajmal, provided Australia with a tough examination, but he was not the best allrounder on the night.

James Anderson’s control of swing is rapidly becoming masterful•Getty Images

James Anderson – 9When the ball moves, no-one moves it better. An exceptional performance to seal the second Test, and two impressive incisions at Lord’s as well, where he bagged Gayle and Sarwan in the follow-on to hasten West Indies to a three-day defeat. Anderson has six years on the clock as an international cricketer, and he knows it’s time he made the most of his prime. Bowled with swing and control without sacrificing his pace, and for some strange reason became the most sought-after wicket in the England line-up when Edwards decided to knock his block off. His skill as a nightwatchman, however, is becoming legendary – 48 innings without a duck is proof of his stickability.Stuart Broad – 9The unsung star of the series. It was evident at Lord’s that Broad had added some meat to his bones and a yard of pace to his action, but it wasn’t until the second Test that we saw the full extent of his development. A thuggish streak runs straight through his veins, as shown by his superb extraction of the centurion Ramnaresh Sarwan, and the manner in which he put Fidel Edwards back in his box during his spat with Jimmy Anderson. He possesses a mean streak reminiscent of Glenn McGrath – he may not be the quickest, but he has height and attitude, and isn’t afraid to show it. His batting looked sparky as well.Ravi Bopara – 8Two innings, two centuries, and hey presto, England’s Ashes No. 3 was born. Ravi Bopara’s selection seemed at first to be a whim, but was soon revealed to be a masterstroke, as he built on his previous hundred in Barbados to emulate the achievement of his mentor, Graham Gooch, 19 years earlier. He needed some luck – particularly at Lord’s when he was badly dropped on 76 – but crucially he took it, and with a serenity that his predecessors, Bell and Shah, would not have been able to emulate. Tougher tests lie ahead, but mentally and technically, he’s got what it takes.Graeme Swann – 8Came under sustained attack for perhaps the first time in his career during the second Test as Denesh Ramdin and Sulieman Benn cut loose in the first innings, but Swann still emerged in credit after his all-round heroics at Lord’s. His batting is a bonus and may not always come off – he has a great eye, but does love to take the aerial route through the covers – but the intelligence and variety of his bowling will have England’s Ashes think-tank salivating. West Indies’ left-handers didn’t know what to do with him as he beat them both sides of the bat at will. Hughes, Hussey et al will have taken note.Graham Onions – 8The statistics brook no argument. Four wickets in seven balls on debut at Lord’s; two in three (and in Gayle and Sarwan it was no ordinary pair either) at a vital moment at Chester-le-Street. Onions has a happy knack for making breakthroughs, and his amalgam of pace, swing, bounce and innate aggression suggest he should be able to replicate such performances on less helpful surfaces later in the year. But until he is tested against more streetwise opponents, there will have to be a small asterisk against his achievements.Alastair Cook – 7His second-Test century was a triumph of the will. Like Shivnarine Chanderpaul, his technique will never attract wolf-whistles, but the determination with which he compiled his runs is incredible. Some would say he’s never been the same since his working-over in Australia in 2006-07, and the way he still flinches outside off stump is Glenn McGrath’s lasting influence. But Cook still emerged from that series with a century at Perth, and he’s now made two more in three Tests. One day he’ll iron out his technical glitches, and then there’ll be no stopping him.Matt Prior’s confidence with the bat has all but sealed England’s No.6 slot•Getty Images

Matt Prior – 7His keeping will never convince everyone, but it was as a No. 6 batsman that Prior was being assessed in this series, and in that regard, he impressed with a pair of attacking performances. His 42 at Lord’s helped rescue England from an awkward 109 for 4; his 63 at Chester-le-Street built speedily on their first-day advantage. Both innings were scored with total confidence, particularly through the off side. Whether Australia will offer him such width is debatable, but he’s passed his audition thus far.Andrew Strauss – 6Both his dismissals were uncharacteristically loose, but for the time he was at the crease, he looked as solid as he had done during his trio of centuries in the Caribbean. It was his captaincy which caught the eye, however, and not just for the ostentatious use of Swann as a new-ball bowler at Lord’s. Tactically astute and sympathetic to his bowlers, he looked like a man in command of all he surveyed.Paul Collingwood – 6He may have scored four centuries and a 96 in his previous eight Tests, but he sat on the bench throughout the IPL, and his wooden dismissal in the first Test at Lord’s provided his detractors with further ammunition – there’s something about Collingwood’s attritional style that doesn’t permit him to fail without calls for his head following close behind. Happily his series finished on a much lighter note in front of his home fans – a handy half-century and a joyous (and unexpectedly accomplished) couple of sessions behind the stumps as Matt Prior’s deputy.Kevin Pietersen – 5An anonymous series by his usual strutting standards. There was nothing KP could do about the exocet that nailed him first-ball at Lord’s – not even his late return from the IPL could be blamed for that – although he looked sure to wreak his vengeance when got off to a flyer at Durham. But not for the first time in his career, a left-arm spinner proved to be his downfall. From Daniel Vettori and Yuvraj Singh, and now to Sulieman Benn, there’s something about that breed that gets right under his skin.Tim Bresnan – 5A late, late showing on the final day of the series, as Strauss saw fit to give him free rein to express himself at last, and he didn’t disappoint with three morale-boosting wickets. Swung the ball prodigiously in perfect conditions, albeit with rather less control than some of his colleagues. Judgment still needs to be deferred on this one.

Australians 349 for 7 (Haddin 69, Hauritz 65*) v Sussex
ScorecardBrad Haddin and Michael Clarke revived Australia’s fortunes after a top-order slump•Getty Images

Australia recovered from an unconvincing start to their Ashes preparations against Sussex at Hove, as the South African-born journeyman, Pepler Sandri, scalped their top-order with three prime wickets. Australia slumped to 114 for 5 shortly after lunch on the opening day, before Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke revived their fortunes with a counterattacking sixth-wicket stand of 114. Both men fell in the space of three balls, but Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz carried their side through to the close against a tiring attack with an unbeaten alliance of 117.It was an arduous day’s work in an idyllic setting for Australia. They won the toss and chose to bat in front of a packed house and beneath clear blue skies, and when Phil Hughes marked his return to four-day batting with three fours in the first over from James Kirtley, it seemed as though their unscheduled training camp in Leicester during the World Twenty20 had served to sharpen their focus.But when Hughes mowed ambitiously across the line and lost his middle stump to a Sandri yorker, the complexion of the innings changed in an instant. Ricky Ponting punched a brace of fours off the back foot, but was never allowed to settle as Sussex’s second-string attack ploughed a tight furrow outside off. He soon became the second big wicket of the morning when Luke Wright found the edge of a back-foot drive, and the keeper Andy Hodd sent him on his way for 8.Mike Hussey entered the fray at No. 4, a man in desperate need of runs after a tally of just 85 in three Tests during Australia’s victory against South Africa in March. He and his fellow left-hander, Simon Katich, carried the score along to 90 for 2 at lunch in an eventual stand of 65, but after the break both men lost concentration and departed in the space of three deliveries. Katich fell one short of his half-century, as he steered a wide half-volley from Sandri into Michael Yardy’s midriff at gully, before Hussey was trapped half-way out of his crease by Kirtley, and adjudged lbw for 32.Australia’s wobble then became a full-blown collapse of 3 for 1 in ten deliveries when Marcus North, so crucial to the balance of their Test side at No. 6, prodded flat-footedly outside off to Sandri, and snicked a simple catch through to Hodd for 1. In the last month, Sandri – who capitalised on his EU passport to sign for the county in March – has failed to claim a single wicket in nearly 27 overs spread over three matches for his Sussex Premier League side, Hastings. All of a sudden he had three in nine overs against the mighty Australians. Go figure.Sandri, whose father emigrated from Piedmonte in Italy to South Africa as a 19-year-old, only heard he was playing in this match on Monday, having passed a fitness test on an abdominal strain the previous day. “The final place was between me and a spinner, so I’m glad it was 12 a side,” he said. “I must say that was first prize to play today, and fortunately it happened and I took the opportunity.”This was only his third game of an injury-interrupted season, and his first for the first team.”It was quite a contrast, but my rhythm was good this morning so I was very happy with that. I thought Hussey was in good nick, and Katich was very circumspect, but my favourite wicket was the first one – the young guy, Hughes, played a lot of shots. He’s a very attacking batsman.”Australia so nearly lost their sixth wicket when Clarke, on 6, edged Kirtley to second slip, but Ed Joyce spilled the opportunity, and sure enough Sussex were made to pay for the let-off. Haddin made the running with a cultured 69, including a sweet straight six off the spinner Ollie Rayner, followed by two more in the same over from Will Beer – the second a flat pull over midwicket that brought up his half-century from 108 balls.But with a century on the cards, Haddin miscued another big hit down the ground from Rayner and chipped a simple leading edge to Sandri at mid-on, and then three balls later, Rayner struck again to extract Clarke for 45 from 78 balls. At 232 for 7, Sussex’s thoughts doubtless drifted towards the prospect of batting before the close, but Lee and Hauritz repelled them with arguably the most comfortable stand of the day.”I think the purpose of the day was to get some competitive match practice and play under a bit of pressure, so it was a good day,” Haddin said at the close. “You get out of it what you need, so we’re not too fussed at all. It can get pretty tedious just hitting the ball out of the nets all the time, so the main point of this game was blowing some cobwebs out.”By the end of the day, even Sandri had been tamed, as Hauritz drove him exquisitely down the ground to move along to his half-century with his ninth four in 62 deliveries. At the other end, Lee provided a timely reminder of the valuable second-string to his bow – in 2005, his batting at No. 9 in the order proved invaluable, not least in the valiant run-chase at Edgbaston, and on this evidence it could well do so again. He was unbeaten on 47 at the close, after 80 balls of unyielding composure. Now it is all down to his bowling.

Rudi Koertzen, the South African umpire, will become the second official after Jamaican Steve Bucknor to stand in a 100 Tests at the Lord’s Test starting on Thursday.”It is a huge personal achievement and a dream come true,” Koertzen said. The achievement comes less than a week after he became the first umpire to stand in 200 one-day games.The ICC umpires’ and referees’ manager Vince van der Bijl congratulated Koertzen on his feat. “Rudi is a man of fine character. He is hugely respected throughout the world and international players and captains regard him very highly,” he said. “It is a sure sign of the quality and consistency of his umpiring and decision-making since he made his international debut in 1992.”He has seen it all and has maintained throughout his professionalism a sense of calm and authority as well as the umpires’ traditional values throughout the changing face of cricket. ICC is proud and considers itself blessed to have men of his calibre officiating and serving cricket.”Cricket South Africa’s CEO Gerald Majola also praised Koertzen. “Rudi Koertzen is one of South African cricket’s greatest sons,” he said. “He has added immense value at the highest levels of the game for almost two decades and CSA salutes him.”It is most fitting that he is making his Test century at Lord’s, the home of cricket. He deserves to have his name on the century honours board in the famous pavilion.”

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Scorecard
The Canadian weather again proved the winner in the final ODI between Kenya and Canada in King City. The persistent rains on Saturday and the high water table meant there were plenty of wet areas on and near the pitch as well as the outfield. The unfavourable conditions resulted in the match being called off without a ball being bowled. Canada, due to their win in the first game, and the abandonment of the next two, won the series 1-0.

Ravi Bopara has vowed to return to the England Test side a better player after being dropped for the Ashes decider following a torrid series. He made just 105 runs in the first four matches and was dumped in favour of Jonathan Trott for the final clash at The Oval.However, Bopara responded in fine style in his first innings since being dropped when he struck a double-century against Surrey in Colchester. “That’s my way of answering,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme. “I think when I got to 100 I said to myself I am not getting off this pitch until I come back with 200.”I usually take things on the chin and get on with it,” he said about his omission. “I am not a massive guy for making too much of a fuss. I was surprised I went through seven innings without getting a massive score or a big score. I did feel as if there was a score around the corner.”Bopara has already been through a similar situation of having to rebuild his credentials after his first taste of Test cricket in Sri Lanka on the 2007-08 tour. He collected three consecutive ducks to finish that series and didn’t play another Test until the tour of West Indies in March when he made a hundred on his recall in Barbados.At the start of the home season he was promoted to No. 3 and responded with consecutive centuries against West Indies, but found life much harder against Australia. His technique was exposed outside the off stump and he was also trapped leg before on three occasions.Bopara admitted having felt the difference between domestic and international level, but is determined to learn from the experience. “I think the mental side is the biggest step up,” he said. “I will come back a better player.”The route back won’t be easy, though, after his replacement Trott made an outstanding debut hundred and there will be a battle for batting berths for the South Africa tour when Kevin Pietersen returns from injury.

Canada became the fifth team to qualify for the Under-19 World Cup, beating Vanuatu by 24 runs on the back of Usman Limbada’s century in a high-scoring game at the Maple Leaf North-East Ground.With just one qualifying spot remaining, Netherlands, Uganda, Hong Kong and Vanuatu still mathematically have a chance of qualification, despite the fact that Netherlands and Uganda also lost to Afghanistan and Ireland respectively.Vanuatu felt they were in with a good chance during the chase after captain Simpson Obed’s quick 108 but the lack of support from the others meant they were bowled out in the 46th over. Choosing to bat, Canada were lifted to 303 by Limbada’s breezy 126, comprising 13 fours and two sixes with Jelany Chilia (3 for 42) finishing as Vanuatu’s most successful bowler. Hiren Patel accounted for three of the top five batsmen during the reply, as Hardik Kotak and Manny Aulakh finished with two wickets apiece.”When I came into bat, I had a really good feeling and wanted to try and get a big score,” Limbada said. “I always like trying to bat positively.”The 19-year-old right-hander believed Canada would impress at the main tournament in New Zealand. “For most of us it will be the first time we will be playing in a World Cup. It can really change our lives by playing high-level cricket against some good teams and I really think that we can be competitive at that event as we have a really good team.”It took two teams that have already qualified for the World Cup to produce arguably the match of the tournament as Papua New Guinea scraped home by one wicket against the United States of America at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground. An incredible bowling performance from John Reva, who collected 7 for 34, restricted the USA to 179, a total that could have been far smaller but for Regis Burton’s 52 in the lower order.In reply, PNG reached their target in a dramatic final over, getting home with one wicket in hand and two balls remaining as Charles Amini struck the winning runs. “It was very surprising to get seven wickets. I have been trying to get five wickets all tournament, but I never expected to take five wickets,” Reva said.”The last over was very nerve-wracking for us. We were nine wickets down and I was very nervous. I hoped our batsman would do well. I want the team to win this tournament. We have already qualified, but want to finish on a high note and win our last two games.”Ayoub Ahmadzai and Izatullah Dawlatzai were the chief executors of Afghanistan‘s demolition job against the Netherlands. While Ahmadzai put in a Man-of-the-Match performance with his classy 105, including 14 fours, right-arm fast bowler Dawlatzai picked up 6 for 30 as Afghanistan won by a huge 183 runs at the Maple Leaf South-East Ground.Netherlands captain Tim Gruijters might have fancied his chances at the halfway mark, after picking up a five-for to keep Afghanistan to 272. However, the chase folded up in the 22nd over, as three ducks and three twos featured on the dismal Netherlands scorecard.”It was a very good game and I am glad that we performed very well,” Dawlatzai said. “It was good to do well against a team like Netherlands. I hope we will be able to win the remaining matches in this tournament as the players have been working hard and now we have qualified we all want to win this event.”Ireland retained their position at the top of the table with an 67-run win over Uganda at the Maple Leaf South-West Ground. Half-centuries to Stuart Thompson (67) and Ben Ackland (50) helped Ireland set up a total of 252 for 8, despite a strong bowling effort from Ahmad Sangau, who grabbed 5 for 44.Uganda struggled to build partnerships in reply, although Hamu Bagenda (36) and Daniel Batuwa (37) did their best to get the chase on track. But Craig Young’s 3 for 26 was key in restricting Uganda, who were dismissed for 185 in the 48th over.Hong Kong raised their hopes of sealing the final spot with the two points from the walkover against Sierra Leone.

Floyd Reifer has ruled out any possibility of West Indies slacking against India even though they have been ousted from the tournament. West Indies play their final match in the tournament tomorrow and Reifer was confident his team could pull off a shock win, one that would send India home as well.”We’re going to play the game at the same intensity as before,” he said. “We’re looking to improve every game; it’s about improvement for us as individuals and as a team. Though we can’t qualify we’re still going to play hard, tough cricket.”In one-day cricket the team that plays better on the day has a good chance of winning. India are a good side, they have a lot of stars, they play a lot of one-day cricket but we’re going to approach the game the same way we approached the first two.”Though they have lost two matches, a depleted West Indies had their moments against Pakistan and Australia a few scares. Gavin Tonge made Pakistan sweat in their chase of a small target and Kemar Roach’s pace posed a few hiccups for Australia on a two-paced pitch.”We can take a lot of positives from the tournament,” said Reifer. “Some of our guys bowled well, couple of our guys batted well, and as a team I think we played pretty good cricket. We have a good squad of fast bowlers; the guys have a lot of talent and are just looking to explode on the international circuit.”Tonge is very tall and bowls a good line and length. Roach is very fast, I think he bowled the fastest ball in the tournament so far. He’s very quick through the air and he has a bright, bright future in West Indies and international cricket.”

Zimbabwe Under-19 coach Kevin Curran has got his excuses in early, warning not to expect too much of a depleted side as they head off for three-ODI series in Bangladesh.His squad is missing six players who are unavailable because of end-of-year exams, and they face a Bangladesh side boosted by a 5-2 series win over England.”It’s going to be tough, some of the players in the side have not even left the country before,” Curran told the Independent. “We’re going to face a lot of spin on turning wickets. But if the boys put to practice what we have been doing in training we will compete.”A lot of good players are not touring. It’s an opportunity for the other players to stake claims for the World Cup squad. No one is a certainty.”The series is part of Zimbabwe’s preparations for January’s Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand.