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ScorecardRyan ten Doeschate brought his IPL form to Chelmsford•BCCI

Ryan ten Doeschate and Hamish Rutherford produced exhilarating performances with the bat as Essex beat Scotland by 125 runs at Chelmsford. The home side reached 368 for 7 to record their highest 40-overs total before their opponents responded with 243 for 8.Ten Doeschate thrashed his way 180, his best limited-overs score for the county, while New Zealand international Rutherford powered his way to 110 on his Essex debut with the pair posting 230 in 22.1 overs, a new county record for the fourth wicket in List A matches.The pair were on top against the Scotland attack during an innings that totalled 23 sixes and 23 fours. Rutherford launched his Essex career with a wonderful display of clean and powerful hitting facing just 88 balls which included six sixes and nine fours.Ten Doeschate was typically aggressive. His century arrived from 72 balls with six sixes and five fours and when it ended 26 balls later, his innings boasted 23 boundaries of which 15 cleared the ropes.The pair went at full throttle pulling and driving without mercy to batter an increasingly wilting attack, hammering the ball to all parts of the tight Chelmsford venue.Scotland’s problems were compounded when umpire Steve Garratt ordered Calvin Burnett out of the attack after the bowler had been called twice for beamers in one over that had cost 28 runs. It left captain Preston Mommsen to complete the over with a further two deliveries that cost another five runs.Mommsen though suffered heavily as ten Doeschate went into overdrive hitting the bowler for four successive sixes and a four in one over.The rousing run-fest between Rutherford and ten Doeschate finally ended when the former was caught going in search of another boundary with the score on 279, while ten Doeschate’s wonderful knock came to a close 55 runs and four overs later when he was bowled by Michael Leask.Such was the dominance of bat over ball that 208 runs were added in the final 15 overs of which 159 came in the final 10.Having chosen to bowl first, Scotland started well. Calum MacLeod had removed Tom Westley with the fourth ball of the match while Owais Shah, making his first appearance after his stint in the Indian Premier League, was also dismissed for a duck after Mark Pettini had been caught for 23.At that stage Essex were 49 for 3 in the 11th over but that was the final cause for celebration for the Scotland bowlers who were treated with disdain thereafter.The home side retained their vice-like grip on the match when they took the first four Scotland wickets inside the opening 10 overs of the reply at a cost of 55 runs.Mommsen joined Ewan Chalmers in a well-constructed 64-run partnership before man-of-the-match ten Doeschate took a hand once more. He removed both batsmen in successive overs leaving the visitors on 124 for 6 and then ended a 39-run stand for the seventh wicket when he ran out Moneeb Iqbal.Matthew Cross then ensured a modicum of respectability for his side with an unbeaten 54 in an unbroken partnership of 72 with Burnett but Scotland finished well adrift of their target.

ScorecardJackson Bird’s late burst put the Australians on course for a strong lead•Getty Images

New Road is the sort of ground where instead of posting the sold out sign, the club sends a kindly request over the Tannoy for spectators on benches to bunch up a little closer. Shrugging off the unfamiliar crest on his helmet to compile 79 for Worcestershire against the Australians, Nick Compton did his best to ensure England’s bench for Trent Bridge is similarly crowded. Either side of that innings, Steve Smith and Jackson Bird likewise swelled the tourists’ options with bursts of runs and wickets.Each of the Worcestershire-for-a-week Compton, Bird and Smith were in need of something eye-catching to force their way into the first Test plans of their respective teams, and all would provide something to recommend them for inclusion. Ryan Harris was less successful in his quest for the stuff that would vault him into the Test XI, dropping short of the length most likely to reap wickets.Bird had found the going equally barren in his early spells, but after tea struck four times in as many overs to illustrate why he may yet be a pivotal Ashes contributor. Moving the ball a tad either way while maintaining a relentless line has worked on plenty of occasions for Bird, and there was a pleasing look for the tour selectors Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann in a scorecard that showed one man pouched at slip, one lbw and another taken behind, albeit down the legside.These wickets removed some shine from Compton’s earlier work. He had taken the Australians for 81 with Somerset last week and, parachuted in to Worcestershire’s midst by the ECB, he acknowledged his half-century with a somewhat sheepish wave of the bat towards the home dressing room. Nonetheless he remained determined and focused until the moment of his exit, thus keeping his name in front of England’s selectors much as Smith had done for Australia’s panel in the morning.Smith dominated an unbroken stand of 74 with Phillip Hughes, ostensibly ahead of his fellow New South Welshman in the queue for Trent Bridge batting spots but less certain here than he had appeared at Taunton last week. Whether that was out of respect for his former teammates at Worcestershire cannot be certain, but it was clear the hosts had a fair idea of how to keep Hughes corralled.By contrast Smith gathered momentum with every over, and looked bound for an attractive century by the time the captain Michael Clarke called him in. In 2010-11, Smith was called up alongside Hughes for the third Test of the series in Perth, and both would look out of their depth in the three matches that followed.Back then Smith appeared confused about his role, juggling a personal preference for batting with expectation that his embryonic leg breaks would develop fast enough to merit a place on their own. But two years on he is most definitely a swashbuckling middle order batsman, and would be capable of occupying the No. 5 or 6 spots, where his comfort against spin may come in handy.The closure offered Harris and Bird the chance to get the better of Compton, but neither would manage to do so before the interval. Harris moved the ball a touch and swung one tempter past Compton as he reached out to drive, while Bird was typically straight and narrow, maintaining a line just outside off stump that did not encourage free scoring.Clarke tried Ashton Agar and James Faulkner before the end of the session, meaning of three preparatory innings so far only the first against Somerset – Marcus Trescothick hooking to fine leg from the bowling of James Pattinson – reaped a new ball wicket for the opening bowlers in their initial spells.Bird and Harris both improved upon resumption, and Compton was fortunate when the sound of an inside edge strangled Bird’s appeal for lbw not long into the afternoon. He lost Matthew Pardoe for 16, slicing Faulkner to gully, and Moeen Ali could manage only 10 before some turn from Agar drew a low edge and a catch by Clarke that was confirmed after the umpires consulted.Shane Watson delivered a brief, cobweb-shedding spell, but posed few problems as Compton pushed gravely past tea. He looked good for a century in the evening, but Bird defeated him on the pull shot after the Australians had upped their ration of short balls. Alexei Kervezee was pinned in front of the stumps five balls later, then Tom Fell edged to slip and Daryl Mitchell’s busy innings was ended by a glance too fine to evade a diving Brad Haddin. It had been a precision spell to undo the hosts, causing New Road’s benches to clear where once they had been packed.

Cricket Australia has asked the ICC to explain why Usman Khawaja’s dismissal was upheld after a decision review that appeared to show no evidence that he had edged behind off Graeme Swann.Khawaja was visibly mystified by the outcome of his referral, shaking his head as he walked off following third umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s decision to back Tony Hill’s on-field call of out. There was no mark on Hot Spot and the raw vision, while not conclusive, appeared to suggest that the ball had not made contact with Khawaja’s bat.”Cricket Australia has sought an explanation from the ICC on the dismissal of Usman Khawaja,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. “In our view, the on-field decision and referred decision using DRS were both incorrect. CA remains a strong supporter of DRS and believes it is important that cricket continues to improve and build confidence in the DRS.”We understand and accept that from time to time mistakes can be made, however in this instance, on behalf of the player, the team and all cricket fans, we feel duty bound to seek further explanation as to how this decision was arrived at.”The DRS is designed not with the idea of giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman but the on-field umpire’s call, which meant that Dharmasena had to be completely certain that Hill was wrong in order to overturn the decision. Chris Rogers, who was at the non-striker’s end when the dismissal occurred, said even the England players appeared resigned to Khawaja staying at the crease.”He said he didn’t hit it and I said he didn’t hit it. That was about it,” Rogers said. “I was up the other end. Even in real time I didn’t think he hit it; I didn’t think he was anywhere near it. The umpire must have had a different view on it. I thought it was not out and that’s why we reviewed it. From what we saw on the replays I think even the England guys had given up hope of it being out. It was disappointing and another question-mark.”It’s a weird thing because it’s people’s careers on the line as well, so you want these decisions to be right. I felt for him, but it’s been happening so we’ve just got to get on with it and not worry about that and try to have a good day.”Rogers said despite the apparent error costing Khawaja his innings, there was still a place for technology in assisting umpires. “I still think it’s important,” he said. “We want technology to make sure these decisions are correct. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. You just have to take it.”

Officialdom beamed down on England after their third successive Ashes victory but the ECB hierarchy might feel obliged to take a more dim view of an alleged late-night celebration which ended with them urinating on The Oval pitch on which they had completed their triumph only hours before.Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, has had matters of rather more import to deal with, but it will invite a troubled shrug nonetheless on a day when it has been confirmed that he is resigning to take up the vacant chief executive’s role at Glamorgan.It will be dismissed as a supreme irrelevance by many – it is quite a trek from the Oval square to the nearest toilets – but it is bound to be viewed as distasteful in other quarters and presented as an example of the laddish culture which pervades English society.Australian cricket journalists were still at The Oval, completing dead-of-night tour pieces with the help of free beer and sandwiches from the ECB, when they reported seeing several England players take it turns to relieve themselves on the pitch. It is not known how much they relieved themselves but reportedly there was more than enough to fill an Ashes urn.It was enough for Ben Horne of AAP to term it a “distasteful finale” and report that “cleaning staff and other game day workers were still present at the ground.”Malcolm Conn, chief cricket writer for , described the ground as “quite dark” and said that players were “gathered near the pitch celebrating and yahooing”.England’s celebrations had begun in a more carefully choreographed manner, with the obligatory fireworks and champagne at the awards ceremony and players holding their children in their arms as they strolled around the outfield shaking hands with the crowd.They then returned to the dressing room with a quiet celebration with their families before the players themselves moved to the centre of the Oval to continue what their captain, Alastair Cook, had described as a deserved few beers, chatting among themselves and cherishing privately what they had achieved.Uninhibited post-series celebrations are regarded as part and parcel of professional team sport in England, a final restatement of team morale and a release from the strict professionalism, with few opportunities for downtime, which is now the lot of an England cricketer.But judging by reports from Australian journalists, who arguably represent more dangerous opponents to England than their team, England’s players, who are well practiced in zipping up their mouths in an era of cautious media comments, may now have to receive training in zipping up their trousers.Morris’ first task will be to ascertain whether England’s behaviour carried any deeper significance other than the urge to relieve themselves. Certainly England’s weak bladders provided final justification for all those toilet breaks, but were there other more worrying explanations?Was it an indication of what England’s players think of the dry surfaces on which they have won the Ashes series – surfaces which suited them but which often demanded laborious cricket? Australians scoffed that this was the first watering England’s Test pitches had had for months.Were they paying homage in a strange fashion to the antics of Monty Panesar, whose place in England’s Ashes squad for the return series is in jeopardy because he urinated from on high on a Brighton nightclub bouncer?Or were they simply marking out their territory after dismissing Australia 3-0 in the five-Test series? It is common in cats, especially male cats. Neutering is often proposed as a solution.

Sachin Tendulkar has highlighted factors beyond statistics, particularly the skill to absorb pressure, as vital indicators of fresh talent. Former India captains Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and GR Viswanath were in agreement with Tendulkar, during a discussion on the ingredients that make a good cricketer, at an event to commemorate the platinum jubilee of the Karnataka State Cricket Association in Bangalore on Saturday.”It’s about vision,” Tendulkar said. “When it comes to selection, one has to analyse a player. Even if he fails in a few matches, one needs to see if he has the ability to withstand pressure and execute at the international level. I have seen players who are exceptionally good at the domestic level not being able to perform as well in international cricket.”That’s a scenario that is not entirely unfamiliar to Karnataka. From dominating the Ranji Trophy in the late nineties, capped with three titles in four seasons from 1995-96 to 1998-99, and at one time boasting six players from the region on the Test side, Karnataka have had no new representatives at the highest level since Vinay Kumar’s only Test in January 2012 – though Stuart Binny is currently with the A side on tour in South Africa.Dravid, the last Karnataka regular in the Test side, identified experience and a desire to learn as remedies to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket. “Hitting it off the middle in the nets is well and good, but it’s different out in the field and under pressure,” he said. “Watching the seniors helps. Sachin and Laxman and Sourav, the way they approach the game, the kind of shots they play, the kind of shots they don’t play, the way they build an innings …”Viswanath continued in the same vein, saying hard work is an ally to talent. “When you look at four or five players, there will be somebody a little better [than the others]. But you can’t just sit on your talent,” he said. “You have to practice. You have to learn from your seniors. You have to keep working hard. Even Sachin did not become who he is overnight and I’m sure he is still working hard to stay on top of his game.”

‘Players that played me best’

Kumble – My team: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman, Azharuddin; opposition: Lara, Steve Waugh, Hayden
Erapalli Prasanna – Chandu Borde, Vijay Manjrekar; Garry Sobers
Bishan Bedi – Viswanath; Sobers
Bhagwath Chandrashekar – Ken Barrington, because I could never beat him. I’ve beaten Sobers, Kanhai, but I was always disappointed bowling to him

Ganguly, though, was swift to point out that every player, while picking the brains of his seniors, must trust in his own style of play and be careful not to copy another’s game. “No two players’ techniques are the same,” he said. “It’s all about the basics, going back and going forward.”Dravid agreed: “Individuality is important. Everyone has unique skills. You need to build on your game and keep improving. I was never going to succeed if I batted like Sehwag.”The mantle of teacher need not necessarily be limited to one’s seniors, Anil Kumble, the current KSCA president, suggested. He said he considered himself fortunate for having high-quality players of spin in his dressing room. “Bowling against Tendulkar, Ganguly, Sehwag, and Mohammad Azharuddin was a great education for me,” he said.Video footage is another useful tool for a young player, the panel indicated, which had not been available before. Tendulkar remembered his debut series against Pakistan in 1989, when practice sessions were not as organised. “Now we have laptops which provide direct access [to match footage] within seconds to help plan better,” he said.Though far from perfect, as evidenced in the recent Ashes series, Bishan Bedi believes the DRS is here to stay. “In due time it will improve and everything will fall into place,” he said. “Cricketers of the modern generation could also help eradicate umpiring blunders by being honest with themselves.””I see a lot more shots in Tests. We are getting more results,” Ganguly said, when the conversation turned to Twenty20 cricket. “Scores of 350, 400 in ODIs. There has been innovation in the game, no doubt.””Captains are also being creative,” Tendulkar added. “They are taking more chances [even if it means] going for runs and trying to get wickets with the ball.”But the fundamentals for success in the longer format still apply, Dravid said: “If you look at Chris Gayle, Michael Hussey, AB de Villiers, they are all very good players in Tests. It is easier for a player with good basics to adapt to T20, but it rarely happens the other way around.”

The county career of Phil Jaques, the former Australia batsman, appears to have come to an end after Yorkshire decided to not renew his contract.Jaques’s deal at Headingley expired at the end of the season, following Yorkshire’s draw at The Oval, and he will now take up a coaching role back in Australia with club side Sutherland in Sydney. But he may return to play for Yorkshire for part of a season should an opportunity arise.Jaques, 34, had eight fruitful seasons in county cricket for Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and in two stints at Yorkshire, for whom he was most productive with over 4,000 first-class runs at 51.12.His father was a Yorkshireman and Jaques embraced the family connection, scoring over 1,000 runs for the White Rose in 2004 and 2005. He returned to Headingley in 2012 playing as a British passport holder and made 792 runs at 44.00 to help Yorkshire win Division Two of the County Championship and scored 770 runs at 36.66 this season as they finished runners up in Division One.At the time, his decision to play for Yorkshire with a British passport was a big commitment, changing his status to overseas in Australia. But the tweak made to the eligibility of domestic players by Cricket Australia, the “Robson rule”, means Jaques could now return to Australia as a home-qualified player.”He’s been a great asset to the club during the two spells that he had with us,” Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon said. “He’s been invaluable not only on the field but off it as well with our younger players; that was one of the reasons we brought him back to help with our young batsmen in particular.”Phil talked about batting and passed on his experience, and the lads picked up bits here and there from him. He talked to us about what he saw technically and whether things needed to change, and I think he fed off us as well with regards to his future career.”Jaques will maintain a link with Yorkshire, with second XI batsman Jack Leaning joining up with Jaques’ club side in Sydney in November. Leaning made his first-class debut this summer and played four matches in the Yorkshire Bank 40.”Phil’s been instrumental in getting that sorted,” Moxon added. “It’s nice to have that connection in Sydney for our young players to get some experience playing over there. I don’t think Phil’s completely given up on the thought of playing, but he doesn’t want to come back to England for a full season. If he does come back it would be for part of a season. Obviously that depends if an opportunity ever arises.”He’s looking to get more into coaching himself. He started last winter back in Australia doing his club side and in the Big Bash. That was a great challenge and experience for him. He learnt a bit from us and he gave our young batsmen some help as well. His nickname is The Pro – and he is. He’s the ultimate professional.”

ScorecardBangladesh Under-19s won the series 4-3•WICB Media

Offspinners Mehedy Hasan and Nihaduzzaman picked up nine wickets between them to bowl West Indies Under-19s out for 101 and secure a 4-3 series win for Bangladesh Under-19s after a 67-run victory in Guyana.West Indies, who had won back-to-back games to level the series, were never really in the run-chase and lost wickets at regular intervals, as Mehedy and Nihaduzzaman wrecked West Indies’ batting line-up to defend 168 with ease.Jeremy Solozano offered some brief resistance with an unbeaten 35, but apart from a 33-run stand for the seventh wicket with Ramaal Lewis, he had little help from the other batsmen, who altogether made just 33. Nihaduzzaman finished with 5 for 12 in 7.5 overs, while Mehedy picked up four scalps to take his total tally for the series to 13, just one behind Jubair Hossain, as West Indies were bowled out in 33.5 overs.Bangladesh were earlier propelled by opener Shadman Islam’s 48, and his 56-run second-wicket stand with Jashimuddin, who made 33. The pair finished as the top two run-getters of the tournament with 259 and 208 respectively. Five of Bangladesh’s batsmen departed for ducks, but important contributions of 28 and 20 from Mehedy and Yasir Ali respectively, pushed the visitors to 168 in 44 overs.Medium-pacer Jerome Jones was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, taking a hat-trick to dismiss Yasir, Nihaduzzaman and Jubair in the 44th over, and finished with figures of 6-1-23-5.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited moved to the top of the table with a 237-run win over United Bank Limited in Faisalabad. SNGPL were in trouble at 132 for 6 on day one after choosing to bat, but a 63 from No 8 Bilawal Bhatti stretched the innings to 279. Bhatti also starred on the final day, taking 5 for 13 as UBL were dismissed for 95 in their pursuit of 333.After Bhatti’s rearguard in the first innings, legspinner Yasir Shah took five wickets to earn SNGPL a lead of 62. Ali Asad made 87 at No 3 but there was little support for him. Batsmen No 4 to 7 departed for 15 each as UBL were bowled out for 217.SNGPL captain Azhar Ali then took the game away from UBL with an unbeaten century, his 17th first-class hundred. Azhar came in at 46 for 2 and ensured UBL were set a difficult target. Opener Azeem Ghumman (62) and Ali Waqas (47) helped their captain build the innings and SNGPL declared on 270 for 5. Imran Ali again made key incisions with the new ball to have UBL tottering on 13 for 3 in the chase after which Bhatti took over. Barring Asif Raza and Bismillah Khan, no UBL batsman made more than 8.State Bank of Pakistan fought back from the brink of an innings defeat to draw their match against National Bank of Pakistan in Sialkot.National Bank of Pakistan piled up 435 for 5, after being put in to bat, and were driven by big centuries from opener Sami Aslam (191) and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal (162).In reply, State Bank were shot out for 53 in their first innings, with National Bank medium-pacer Ataullah taking 5 for 19 off nine overs. State Bank began their second innings with a deficit of 382 runs and suffered a few setbacks but recovered steadily after a dogged partnership between opener Kashif Siddiqui (80) and Usman Arshad, who added 85 for the third wicket. Arshad scored his 11th first-class hundred and also shared a useful 87-run stand with Rameez Alam.Once Arshad fell for 102, Alam and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf took on the task of saving the match for State Bank. The pair added 112 for the sixth wicket and Sadaf carried on after Alam’s dismissal to stitch a partnership of 124 with Zahid Mahmood for the seventh wicket. Sadaf’s resistance ensured that State Bank took a 144-run lead over National Bank. Offspinner Adnan Rasool finished with figures of 6 for 105.National Bank had to play just two overs in their chase and managed to close at 4 for no loss.Port Qasim Authority, by way of acquiring a first-innings lead, got the better of Water and Power Development Authority as their President’s Trophy clash petered out to a draw at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.Put in to bat, Faraz Ali (91) and Mohammad Waqas (76) overcame a shaky start as their 111-run partnership steered Port Qasim to the relative safety of 188 for 4. However, there was little resistance once the pair fell as pacer Azhar Attari took 6 for 76 and Port Qasim lost their final wicket for 273.In reply, WAPDA’s start was even worse as seamer Mohammad Talha ripped out the first four wickets with only 16 on the board. Mohammad Sami drove the stake further with three more wickets, but Adnan Raees refused to budge. His partnership with No. 9 Asif Ali revived a feeble 61 for 7 to 202 for 8. Asif’s 71 was his maiden first-class fifty while Raees’ century was his 12th in the format. Sami completed his 27th five-wicket haul to limit WAPDA to 231.The Port Qasim top order could not build on their starts a second time, with the exception of captain Khalid Latif who made 73. There were only two stands over fifty as WAPDA seamer Sarfraz Ahmed held sway, claiming 5 for 36 in just under 25 overs. Asif’s form continued with the ball too as he chipped in with three wickets to bundle Port Qasim out for 221.WAPDA were chasing a target of 264, but the match was drawn with the score at 158 for 5, leaving Port Qasim winless after three matches.Shoaib Ahmed’s century and slow left-armer Mohammad Aslam’s six-for in the second innings were the main highlights of another drawn match between Khan Research Laboratories and Habib Bank Limited in Rawalpindi.After losing the toss, Khan Research Labs got off to a jittery start. At 19 for 2, opener Saeed Anwar jnr and Shoaib paired well, taking the score to 98. Shoaib starred in two more fifty-run stands – for the fourth and fifth wickets – but there was little support down the order. He was dismissed for 119, with 20 fours and the final four wickets could contribute only 15 more runs as KRL posted 307.Yasir Arafat led a disciplined bowling performance as Habib Bank’s only fifty came from No. 9 Ehsan Adil. Although a few batsmen did manage starts – Imran Farhat (32), Asad Baig (45) and wicketkeeper Jamal Anwar (31) – regular wickets thwarted their efforts to push on. Arafat’s four wickets stifled the middle order, while Sadaf Hussain and Rahat Ali, who picked up two each, took early KRL wickets. Coming in at 151 for 7, Adil produced an earnest effort, lasting just under three hours for his maiden first-class fifty and took the score to 236.KRL’s second essay was a woeful story as they lost their last six wickets for 25 runs. Usman Salahuddin, coming in at No. 4 offered the only resistance with his 66 off 125 balls, but a devastating spell from 34-year old Aslam, accounting for the last five of the six wickets, bundled KRL out for 159 to set up a target of 231 runs. However, the excitement was short-lived as there wasn’t enough time for Habib Bank to record more than 63 for 3.Pakistan International Airlines demolished Pakistan Television by ten wickets in Islamabad. Kamran Sajid, the PIA captain, struck 148 to lead his side to 382 in the first innings. Aizaz Cheema then picked up seven wickets as PTV were dismissed for 156 and 230, after being made to follow-on.PIA piled up a big score after being asked to bat. Sajid was assisted by Faisal Iqbal’s 96. Though there were few contributions from the other specialist batsmen, No 9 Anwar Ali made 36 before falling to Mohammad Ali, who ended with 5 for 79.Cheema replied with 4 for 49 as PTV conceded a first-innings lead of 226. Three middle-order batsmen fell in their thirties while the top order also gave away starts. Asked to follow-on, PTV put up a better show. Imran Ali and Nawaz Ahmed made forties at the top of the order but there was little resistance after that. Cheema took three more wickets while Tahir Khan ran through the tail to finish with 4 for 41.PIA needed to make just five runs in their second innings, and were gifted five wides by Zohaib Ahmed in the second over.

ScorecardPankaj Singh took four wickets to extend his season’s tally to 39•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This was an interesting match for Rajasthan since they were playing without a professional after a number of years. The selectors had already dropped Ramesh Powar from the squad. On Sunday, captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who had played with a muscle tear in his leg in the previous round, ruled himself out. Kanitkar had been the backbone of Rajasthan’s climb from the Plate to Elite ranks and the force behind their winning the Ranji Trophy twice.But Rajasthan still had Pankaj Singh. The tall, broad-shouldered Pankaj has been Rajasthan’s go-to man with the ball as much as Kanitkar has been their brain over the last few seasons. From 2010, Pankaj has taken over 25 wickets every Ranji season, and has twice been among the top five wicket-takers.This season, before this match, Pankaj had taken 35 wickets at 20.97, including three 5-fors. He was a wicket away from taking his tally to 40 when bad light stopped play halfway through the second session.On an avocado-green pitch with good bounce, Rajasthan opted to field. Considering they were out of contention the selectors had made four changes to the squad and Rajasthan fielded three debutants: Suryaprakash Suwalka (batsman), Azim Akhtar (wicketkeeper) and Naman Kataria (fast bowler). But all eyes were on Pankaj. Rajasthan needed a good start, Baroda a good beginning.In the third over of the morning, Pankaj struck a double blow. The third ball of the second over he moved in to trap opener Dhiren Mistry lbw. The final delivery was pitched marginally outside the off stump. Abhimanyu Chouhan decided to leave the ball and was astonished to see his off stump sent cartwheeling. Pankaj’s roaring celebration echoed around the empty Sawai Mansingh Stadium.The plight of a domestic cricketer is well-known: his performances are watched by a handful and remain under-appreciated. Pankaj has endured this for long, but has continued to motivate himself. Despite consistent performances over the years he has wondered why the national selectors have not bothered to consider him even once in the last few years, even for an A tour. But instead of brooding too much and for too long, he has converted his frustration into more wickets, and taken them by the bagful.Bowling at around 135kph, Pankaj hit the deck hard, surprising the batsmen with not just movement but also bounce and pace. Irfan Pathan, playing primarily as a middle-order batsman, was squared up by a rising delivery that pitched back of a length, moved away a little and climbed over the Baroda left-hander’s head. A young fan sitting at the North Stand end (behind the third man boundary) screamed “, Irfan (hit a six)”. Irfan pushed the next ball solidly to cover and ran two, and bottom-edged the one after that, playing with hard hands, to long leg for a single.Pankaj was putting pressure on the batsmen with his relentless approach. Saurabh Wakaskar failed to read the line of a fast incoming delivery and was hit on the back pad, becoming Pankaj’s third victim of the morning.Having coming in to the match on the back of consecutive outright victories, Baroda would have fancied a much more solid batting performance. After the top-order collapse the onus was on the Pathan brothers. On Sunday, Yusuf, the captain, had indicated how his younger sibling had the responsibility of motivating the pack as well playing the anchor role.But Irfan only made 8 before offering a simple catch to the cover fielder off left-arm fast bowler Aniket Choudhary. Disappointingly for Baroda, Yusuf also failed and gave Pankaj a catch at mid-off off the leading edge while trying to push a delivery from Deepak Chahar to the on-side.Only Aditya Waghmode stood resolute and made his second fifty in consecutive matches. Playing as late as possible and without trying to force the issue, Waghmode made use of the bad balls or lengths offered by the Rajasthan bowlers and led Baroda’s fightback. His 74-run partnership with Pinal Shah for sixth wicket saved the visitors more embarrassment.Pankaj, unsurprisingly, was the man who broke their alliance, Shah falling prey to a set-up. Immediately after lunch Pankaj moved five balls in a row away from Shah before slipping in an incutter that trapped the right-hander plumb. Pankaj finished the day the way he had started it. He sensed the Baroda top order would be tentative in playing their strokes against his outswingers early on, and used the incoming delivery cleverly to surprise them and upset their sense of comfort.

Manojit Ghosh, the 30-year-old Bengal medium-pacer whose action has come under scrutiny, has been barred from playing BCCI-organised tournaments. In a letter addressed to the Cricket Association of Bengal, BCCI CEO Ratnakar Shetty said the BCCI’s suspect action review committee found Ghosh was straightening his elbow beyond permissible levels.”He is barred from playing BCCI tournaments till his action is cleared,” Shetty wrote.Ghosh made his first-class debut in a Ranji Trophy match against Rajasthan in Jaipur last month, and took a wicket in each innings. On-field umpires BK Ravi and K Srinath reported him during the match, and Ghosh hasn’t featured since.Ashok Malhotra, the Bengal coach, told PTI that he would help Ghosh with his rehabilitation at the end of the season. “I came to know of the decision today,” Malhotra said. “I will sit with the pacer as soon as the Ranji ties are over.”Last month, the Maharashtra fast bowler Sachin Chaudhari was called for an illegal action during a Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad, and has been barred from BCCI matches till his action is cleared.