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Alastair Cook has admitted England will be taking “a risk” if they select James Anderson in their team for the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.Anderson missed the first Test after sustaining a mild calf strain and, though he is confident he should be fit for this match, has not been able to deliver the overs he would have liked before heading into a major match. He bowled just five overs in the tour match in Potchefstroom and, while he bowled in training over the last couple of days in Durban, he usually does very little the day before a Test in order to ensure he is fresh.With England having seen Dale Steyn break down during the first Test after coming into the match having recently recovered from injury, they will be very keen not to make the same mistake.”We have to be really careful with heart and head,” Cook said. “He’s desperate to play but we just have to make sure it’s the right decision for him. We don’t want to hinder ourselves and have an injury caused that we could have prevented. Obviously there will be a bit of a risk about it.”Ultimately, it seems Anderson will be trusted to make the decision himself. As a highly experienced bowler who knows his body, the management are confident that his heart will not rule his head. He bowled at full pace and batted in the nets on Friday and all things considered, he looks likely to play.”If he’s fit to go, then he’ll play,” Cook said. “It’s an interesting call because of how many overs he’s bowled so far on this tour – it’s not a huge amount – and the conditions will be tough for all of us. We’ll have a good chat in the changing room and see how he feels.”You want your best players playing. If he’s fit and ready and confident, then he’ll be opening the bowling. But we have to make sure we’re right.”England’s other concern is their consistency over recent times. In 2015, they won six and lost six Tests sometimes following an excellent performance (Grenada and Cardiff) with a pretty wretched one (Barbados and Lord’s).”I certainly haven’t got to the bottom of why we’ve been so inconsistent as a side over the last ten months,” Cook admitted. “Have we as a side learned? Can we be more consistent and harder to beat?”If South Africa play out of their skin and we hit the same standards then I’ll be happy. But we have to hit the same standard. In Durban, we set a benchmark. It’s just a case of whether we have the same hunger in us to do that again.”In the longer term, England have some scheduling concerns. Both sides go into this match with just a two-day turnaround between games – it seems incredible to think that Tests used to contain rest days – and it starts a year when England are scheduled to play 17 Tests (though it is rumoured the five Test series in India could be reduced to a four-Test series).Such a schedule – and that is before ODIs and the World T20 is considered – gives England’s top players little chance to play at their optimum. Given more rest and care, Anderson and Stuart Broad might still be capable of producing their sharpest spells more often.Equally Graeme Swann’s elbow might not have caused so many problems and Jonathan Trott may have had time to recover his equilibrium. Andy Flower, too, may reflect that the relentless pressure of the England coaching role saw him change, over time, and become, for a while, a less positive figure.Many of the players have their families with them at present – one of the coaching staff saw his family at Christmas for the first time since September – but there is a concern that the demands on those involved now stretch to around 300 days a year and create strains on family life that cannot be fully compensated by a large salary. International careers are becoming shorter; the demands are unsustainable.”A two-day turnaround isn’t great for the players,” Cook said. “If we’d bowled 140 overs in the dirt in Durban and then had a two-day turnaround in 40 degrees, which it has been here, that’s a gruelling ask to keep the standards up. Hopefully, this is just a one-off and people see sense. You need a couple more days between Tests.”We started in April saying that we had 17 Test matches and it was a gruelling schedule. But we certainly won’t be using that as an excuse at the end of this week if we don’t play well.”The players, like the coaches, are pawns in a game that sees the ECB demanding more to sustain a business model that is creaking under the weight of the demands upon it. It is not easy for the ECB: pay any less and players may prefer a future in T20 leagues; play any less and the money may not be there for the academies, the development tours, the county system and salaries. But the current demands on the players are too great and, in time, will become self-defeating.

Nepal have qualified for next year’s Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia after defeating a spirited Afghanistan side by 48 runs in the final of the Asian Cricket Council Under-19 Elite Cup at the Kinrara Oval. Nepal successfully defended a modest of 172 to bowl out Afghanistan, who lost their last four wickets for three runs in 11 balls.The tournament also served as the Asian qualifier and by virtue of winning it, Nepal joined Papua New Guinea (from the East Asia-Pacific region), Ireland (from the Europe region), Bermuda (from the Americas region), the ICC’s 10 Full Members and hosts Malaysia at the 16-team World Cup to be played from February 17 to March 2, 2008.Deciding to bat first, Nepal found the going tough against the disciplined Afghanistan bowlers who continued to take wickets at regular intervals. The only partnership of any substance was for the sixth wicket between Sagar Khadka and Aakash Kumar Gupta who added 61 runs after Nepal had slumped to 60 for 5 in the 22nd over.Khadka scored a painstaking 32 from 79 balls with one four while Gupta scored run-a-ball 48 with six fours and a six. Captain Paras Khadka was other notable run-getter with 28. For Afghanistan, Asghar Hussain, Obaidullah Kunari and Aimal Wafa took two wickets each.Afghanistan began in similar style and fell to 67 for 5, but couldn’t produce the same sort of fightback. Shir Shirazi and Shabir Noori tried to stabilise the innings, however, Shirazi’s departure opened floodgates as Afghanistan lost their last five wickets for 16 runs.Roy Dias, Nepal’s coach, was delighted with the success of his team which also gives him the unprecedented honour of appearing at his fourth U-19 World Cup. “These kids have shown that they are tough and can come through against any opposition and in any conditions,” he said.”We were not given any realistic chance of qualifying this time because we could hardly practice in Nepal because of rain. However, we were rescued by Sri Lanka Cricket who funded our week-long tour [in August]. And although we lost a couple of matches, it was a big tour in terms that the boys got match practice and managed to fine-tune their talent.”Dias felt the key stage of the final was the sixth-wicket stand between Khadka and Gupta. “I think that was the turning point because that partnership made sure we had enough runs on the board. And once we picked up Afghanistan opener Sajed Khan very early in the innings, we knew we had the match under control because bowling was our strength and we showed tremendous discipline in that department throughout the tournament.”

Lisa Sthalekar drove Australia’s total with an important 51 in her 50th match © Getty Images

Australia gave Karen Rolton and Cathryn Fitzpatrick the perfect result to celebrate their 100th games for their country with a nail-biting one-run win in the opening match of the Rose Bowl Series in Brisbane. Chasing 202 for victory, New Zealand wanted 21 from the last 18 balls and seven from the final over, but it took the last-ball run-out of Sarah Burke to end the valiant attempt.A fine 71 from Aimee Mason, who hit ten fours and a six, kept the visitors in sight of the target and when she was another of the four run-outs Anna Dodd struck 15 off 10 balls to ensure a thrilling conclusion. Fitzpatrick finished with figures of 2 for 49 while Rolton, the captain, contributed with a brisk 44 after winning the toss.Lisa Sthalekar marked her 50th one-day international by top scoring with 51 and she passed another milestone by becoming the eighth Australian to reach 1000 career runs. Melissa Bulow picked up 29 at the top of the order and some late contributions from Jodie Purves and Julie Hayes pushed Australia to 9 for 201. The second match of the five-game series is at Allan Border Field on Sunday.

Andrew Flintoff: geared up for the first match of 2005© Getty Images

It’s always the same in England-South Africa series. Just when you think you’ve got the script nailed, it gets dispatched off to Hollywood for a glamorous makeover, and all your pre-series plotlines are scattered to the wind.In 1994, South won a famous victory at Lord’s by the not-inconsiderablemargin of 356 runs, and were well set to wrap up the series at The Oval,only for Fanie de Villiers to aim that injudicious bouncer at DevonMalcolm’s head. Two years later at Cape Town, however, Malcolm was thescapegoat, as the last pair of Dave Richardson and Paul Adams belted SouthAfrica to an unassailable lead in a low-scoring decider.And then of course, there was the 1998 series. This time, South Africa were one-up and cruising in the third Test, and, as Tim de Lisle wrote in the following year’s Wisden, it was England who were “clinging to a precipice, in a hurricane, by one finger, while the baddie [took] leisurely aim, from a sheltered vantage-point, with an automatic weapon.” Not only did South Africa muff the shot, they allowed Robert Croft, Darren Gough and the No. 11 Angus Fraser to haul themselves back from the brink and, ultimately, back into a series that they went on to win 2-1.Leaving aside the twist of an altogether more sinister nature at Centurionin 1999-2000, it has been a fair bet that the side in command will relinquish the incentive before the series is up. The difference on this occasion, however, is that no-one is quite sure who took what out of that seesaw draw at Durban.In the immediate aftermath of the match, they was little doubt who wasmore pleased with the result. “South Africa got out of jail,” declaredMichael Vaughan, and Graeme Smith could hardly disagree: “We got a bitlucky at the end there.”Two days and one New Year hangover later, however, there may be somereassessment taking place in both camps. England did remarkably well tohaul themselves back from 139 all out on the first day, but as JacquesKallis demonstrated and Marcus Tresothick and Andrew Strass belatedlyrealised, there was no need for England to have slipped into quite such apredicament in the first place.Though he could hardly be faulted for his batting, the loss of AshleyGiles to a back spasm was a significant factor in England’s conceding afirst-innings lead of 193. Once the shine had gone off the new ball,England had no-one reliable to hold up an end, and so the effectiveness ofthe seamers was more or less halved. Giles did not bowl at his best in thesecond innings at Durban, but in mitigation, it was his first competitiveday of bowling in more than a week, and, spasms permitting, he is sure tohave a big role on a Newlands pitch that is expected to turn.Of greater concern to England, however, is the form of Mark Butcher, andto a lesser extent, Vaughan himself, who has managed just 53 runs in his first four innings of the series. Butcher was recalled after injuryahead of Robert Key, the man who had cashed in with 221 and an unbeaten 93not out against West Indies, but aside from an unflattering 79 at PortElizabeth he has struggled, and the vultures must surely be circling.Butcher himself feels a big score “is just around the corner”, and for themoment he retains the faith of his captain. “Butch played well in PortElizabeth for his 79,” said Vaughan, “although since then he hasn’tgot many runs. But I think we’ve seen over the last few years that he’s been agood player for us and pretty consistent.” Even so, his last Test hundredcame at Trent Bridge in August 2003, 16 matches ago.The issue of back-to-back Tests is sure to raise its ugly head again, especially with England expected to field the same XI for the third match running. But no matter how much of a strain it is for England’s seamers, no-one will be feeling the pinch – quite literally – like Shaun Pollock. In the closing stages at Durban, he suffered two agonising blows in consecutive balls from Steve Harmison, one on each index finger, but he was today passed fit with nothing more drastic than bruising.But even allowing for Pollock’s recovery, South Africa will still not be able to field the same team twice in two matches. Boeta Dippenaar, who struck an obdurate 110 at Port Elizabeth, has recovered from a knee injury, and takes the place of Martin van Jaarsveld, who batted with determination for his second-innings 49. Hashim Amla, who managed 1 and 0 in front of his home fans, earns a reprieve, while there could be a long-awaited debut for Charl Langeveldt, whose seven wickets for South Africa A destroyed England at Potchefstroom.If they are honest with themselves, South Africa might well have accepted this situation at the start of the series, especially now that they believe their great escape has stolen the initiative back from England. “We are the most relaxed we’ve been this series,” claimed Smith after a gentle early-morning workout. “We’ve had a nice practice here – it’s a bit cooler than in Durban – but every time you arrive at the ground you have to be on the button. We hope we can get it together for five days starting tomorrow.”South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs,3 Jacques Rudolph, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Boeta Dippenaar, 6 Hashim Amla, 7AB de Villiers (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Nicky Boje, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Dale Steyn.England (probable) 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 MarkButcher, 4 Michael Vaughan (capt), 5 Graham Thorpe, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7Geraint Jones (wk), 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Simon Jones, 10 Matthew Hoggard, 11Steve Harmison.

Phil Jaques: impressive form has earned him a 2005 contract© Getty Images

The Australian batsman Phil Jaques will join Yorkshire for the 2005 season after the county fought off competition from other clubs for his signature.Jaques, 25, has already played for Yorkshire this season, when he was brought in to cover Darren Lehmann’s international duties for Australia. And he established himself quickly, averaging over 58 in 19 innings in the Division Two championship, while he has also performed well in the one-day form of the game.”I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Yorkshire and I’m delighted to be going back next summer,” Jaques told the Stellar Group Website.”Everyone at the club made me feel very welcome and I was pleased to be able to repay them in some way with the runs I managed to score,” he added.”Hopefully next season we will be able to improve and launch a promotion challenge in both the four-day and the one-day games.”

Frizzell County Championship Division OneSussex 521 for 8 v Essex at Colchester
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Murray Goodwin maintained Sussex’s momentum at the top of the County Championship with a superb 210, as Essex’s bowlers were thrashed to all corners of Colchester on a brutal day of run-scoring. Goodwin’s innings was the cornerstone of a puzzlingly all-or-nothing effort from Sussex. He opened up with a 202-run stand with Richard Montgomerie (97), and added a further 113 for the sixth wicket with Matt Prior (104 not out), but until Jason Lewry joined Prior towards the end of a tiring day, none of Sussex’s batsmen got a look-in. The main reason was the menacing presence of Mohammad Akram, the only Essex bowler with any bite, who took 5 for 98, including four batsmen in single figures.Nottinghamshire 177 v Kent 242 at Trent Bridge
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Another astonishing innings from Kevin Pietersen, the Graeme Hick de nos jours, could not prevent Kent from taking a first-innings lead on another substandard Trent Bridge pitch. Twenty wickets fell in the day, five of them to Kent’s Martin Saggers (who on this week’s evidence can expect his long-awaited England call-up in roughly 2008), as Notts were bundled out for 177 in 40.5 overs, and Kent replied with 242, their last wicket falling to the final ball of the day. Nottinghamshire’s innings, however, owed everything to Pietersen, who thumped 18 fours and two sixes in his 99-ball 100. Only two other batsmen managed double figures. Kent were under no illusions about the state of the wicket, and sure enough they struggled when their turn came to bat. Mark Ealham fared the best, thumping 11 fours and a six in his 83, but once again there were only two other scores of note. But, if the recent Test is anything to go by, Kent’s first-innings lead is likely to be decisive.Frizzell County Championship Division TwoSomerset 296 v Worcestershire 86 for 2 at Worcester
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Somerset’s captain, Michael Burns, top-scored with 89 to give his side a competitive total against the Division Two leaders, Worcestershire, on the first day of their match at New Road. By the close, Worcestershire had lost Anurag Singh and Graeme Hick, both to Aaron Laraman, but Stephen Peters had helped the score along to a healthy 86 for 2, with a composed 44. Somerset had earlier been bowled out for 296, with Nantie Hayward showing the sort of wicket-taking form that might, one day, earn him a recall to the South African Test team. He finished with 3 for 53, including Burns himself in a brisk second spell, and Matt Mason also impressed with 3 for 56. Gareth Batty, overlooked by England this week, took wickets and a bit of tap in his 25 overs, while Steve Rhodes picked up five catches behind the stumps.Derbyshire 138 v Northamptonshire 224 for 1 at Derby
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Fresh from his unbeaten triple-century against Somerset, Mike Hussey continued his eye-popping vein of form with an unbeaten 103, to take his runs tally in his last three Championship innings to a Graeme-Smith-esque 534 (for once out). He was joined by the barely-less prolific Phil Jaques, who closed on 99 not out, as Derbyshire faced up to yet another drubbing at the Racecourse Ground. They had earlier been decimated for 138, the only resistance coming from their No. 3 Rawait Khan, whose 76 was his second Championship half-century. Andre Nel started the damage with the wickets of both openers, and Jeff Cook swung through the middle-order with 4 for 35.Durham 388 for 7 v Hampshire at Chester-le-Street
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Martin Love converted his first century of the season into a magnificent unbeaten 181, as Durham took charge against Hampshire at the Riverside. Love’s labours tidied up a ragged start to the innings for Durham, for whom Paul Collingwood was making his first start of the season. He didn’t last long, making just 9, but Love and Gary Pratt (66) added 161 for the fourth wicket to swing the day away from Hampshire. Dmitri Mascarenhas kept plugging away with 3 for 59, but Hampshire have it all to do on the second day.Second Division – Day 2Gloucestershire 237 for 7 v Glamorgan 331 at Bristol
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Glamorgan remained on top by the end of another tense day’s play in their Second Division promotion battle at Bristol, as Gloucestershire’s batsmen made heavy weather of their first innings. The morning session had belonged to Gloucestershire, after Jon Lewis had revived their prospects by wrapping up all four of Glamorgan’s remaining first-innings wickets in double-quick time, but runs were equally hard to come by in Gloucestershire’s innings. Phil Weston and Tim Hancock added a steady 98 for the second wicket after the early loss of Craig Spearman, but wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter. Hancock made 64, and Alex Gidman reached the close on a vital 63 not out.

Western Australia remained in a strong position by the end of the second day’s play of its Pura Cup match against New South Wales here at the SCG today.The visitors, inspired by fine centuries from captain Simon Katich (131) and Mike Hussey (100), had reached a mammoth 6/511 by stumps andestablished a lead of 296 runs over the Blues in the process.The Warriors’ performance was cemented by their ability to produce consistently effective partnerships and to prevent frontline bowlers NathanBracken (1/51), Don Nash (0/69), Anthony Clark (2/101) and Stuart Clark (2/90) from restricting the flow of runs. Nor did they allow the quartetto scent many hopes of making inroads.The Western Australians produced five half-century partnerships in all and two of those continued on to ring in the century. In so doing, theWarriors were able to post the state’s second highest total in history against New South Wales.Western Australian captain Katich was delighted with the way his team had batted through the day.”We’ve obviously batted well in partnerships so far. To think that, at the start of the day, (we were) 2 for 140-odd and we’ve ended up at 6 for 500- I mean I’ll take that any day.”The Warriors surpassed the tally of 3/491 registered in 1974-75 shortly before stumps and are also potentially well placed to erase the score of6/594 – made in the 1968-69 season – from the record books.It was Katich who led by example today. The 26-year-old made a constructive century before falling lbw to debutant left arm spinner AaronO’Brien (1/134). The scalp of Katich handed O’Brien his first wicket in the Pura Cup competition.Before padding up to the 20-year-old, Katich played an intelligent innings, restricting his use of the hook and pull shot until after he reached triplefigures. The left hander serially hit the ball into gaps; pushed singles consistently; and relied on good running between the wickets to secure hiscentury.That’s not to say that he didn’t eliminate belligerent strokes from his artillery either, as his century included six fours and three sixes, including two insuccession off his eventual wicket taker.For his own part, Katich attributed the century to a touch of fortune and an improvement in concentration.”I was lucky today,” said Katich, who had edged a catch into the slips off a Bracken no ball when his score was only 28.”For most of the summer I’ve been getting starts – 30s and 40s – and I had a big game away today.”I got caught off a no-ball … you need luck in this game.”Katich’s innings was also a timely one, played as it was before national selector Trevor Hohns. He continues to be the man most likely to fill abatting spot in the Test eleven in the event of injury or a loss of form for one of the country’s current top six.Hussey also played his best first-class innings of the season and was a key force in constructing a platform upon which the visitors could assembletheir big lead. With Scott Meuleman (60), he had added an excellent 127 runs for the first wicket yesterday; today, another 139 came in a fineassociation with Katich.First innings points – as well as Katich’s half century – were duly obtained in the opening session.Hussey’s three figures were raised shortly after the break, though some of the gloss was taken off the achievement when Bracken upset his stumpswith the very next delivery.Like Hussey, young left hander Marcus North (26) fell shortly after an adjournment, though it wasn’t until after tea that he edged a flighted AnthonyClark delivery to Michael Bevan at slip.Brad Hogg (57*) and late inclusion Chris Rogers (36*) maintained the momentum on a golden two days for Western Australian batsmen in bothSydney and Adelaide. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Campbell (57) also played effectively before driving a catch to Michael Clarke off Clark.New South Wales, meanwhile, used eight bowlers in its attempt to quell the flow of runs. Part timers Mark Higgs (0/9), Greg Mail (0/9) and Clarke(0/17) were even used late in the day in the hope of snaring an elusive wicket. Strangely, Bevan didn’t bowl himself on a pitch yielding turn andbounce at times.

ScorecardFile photo – Manpreet Juneja’s 91 couldn’t help Gujarat avoid defeat•BCCI

Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar’s second five-wicket haul of the match helped Uttar Pradesh seal a 155-run win over Gujarat in Valsad. Manpreet Juneja (91 off 101 balls) and Axar Patel (80 off 89) played gritty late-order knocks and added 142 runs off 153 balls for the seventh wicket, but couldn’t avoid defeat.Set a target of 431, Gujarat were reduced to 6 for 2 inside five overs by Saurabh and Praveen Kumar. Gujarat rebuilt via a 60-run stand between Bhargav Merai, who scored 54 off 77 balls, and captain Parthiv Patel. But, after Praveen dismissed Parthiv, Gujarat slid from 66 for 3 to 110 for 6 with left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza picking up two of the three wickets to fall.Juneja and Axar counterattacked, but Murtaza removed Juneja to claim his third wicket before Saurabh came back to clean up the tail. Saurabh finished with a match haul of 10 for 143.
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Yusuf Pathan, Aditya Waghmode and Deepak Hooda, along with a useful hand from Swapnil Singh late in the innings helped Baroda secure the first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh in Vadodara.Resuming on 188 for 4, the hosts lost their first wicket in the ninth over of the day when Waghmode was caught behind off offspinner Jalaj Saxena.Legspinner Mihir Hirwani, who finished with five wickets, first dismissed Yusuf, and a few overs later, removed Atit Sheth and Rishi Arothe off consecutive deliveries to reduce Baroda to 251 for 8, still 18 runs short of Madhya Pradesh’s first-innings total.However, Swapnil and Ajitesh Argal put on 33 runs to take their team past the visitors’ total, and eventually pushed the lead to 27 runs. Madhya Pradesh, in the second innings, went to stumps on 113 for 2.
ScorecardSeamer Aswin Crist’s maiden five-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl out Railways for 164 and enforce the follow-on in Delhi.Railways, resumed on 129 for 7, lost opener V Cheluvaraj, who had batted nearly five hours, in the fourth over of the day when Crist had him caught behind. The hosts were bowled out soon after.Railways, however, put up a better show in their second innings, and once again Cheluvaraj was at the forefront. The team had got off to a shaky start and had slipped to 77 for 4, before Cheluvaraj, scoring his second half-century of the match, and captain Mahesh Rawat raised an unbroken 123-run stand to erase the deficit.

An injury expert has now dropped a big Newcastle United claim on Allan Saint-Maximin before they face Brentford away from home in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Missed West Ham…

As quoted by The Chronicle, Eddie Howe revealed that Saint-Maximin got a ‘kick on his calf’ against Aston Villa, which subsequently ruled him out of the 1-1 draw away to West Ham United over the weekend.

He has recently posted a video of him in training after missing the game, suggesting that he could now be available again to face the Bees on Saturday afternoon, in what is another crucial match in the battle to avoid relegation.

The Latest: Injury expert reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis, has now claimed that Saint-Maximin should be fit and available to play in West London after his latest injury setback:

“He took several whacks, which isn’t uncommon for Saint-Maximin.

“For the most part, he dusts himself down and gets on with it. His powers of recovery are great. Unfortunately, this time he didn’t recover as hoped.

“But I’m fairly confident we should see him back against Brentford this weekend. The fact it was just a knock, that’s huge for Newcastle.

“But Newcastle did show against West Ham that they aren’t a one-man team, in any case. On another day, they could have left with three points.

“But I fully expect him to be in and around that starting XI barring any setback on the training ground this week.”

The Verdict: Huge

As Dinnery claims, it is huge for the St. James’ Park faithful that Saint-Maximin only appears to have suffered a knock, and so should be ready to come back into the team on the weekend.

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There is no doubting his importance to the side, as he is their second-top scorer in the top flight so far this term with five goals, while his three assists are more than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Saint-Maximin also averages more shots and dribbles than any of his teammates, and the Magpies will certainly need their shooting boots if they are to take all three points away from their trip down south.

In other news, find out which six-foot-three ‘Hercules’ NUFC have sent scouts to watch here!

ScorecardFile photo: Dishant Yagnik took Rajasthan home with an unbeaten 16•Sakshi Telugu Daily

Rajasthan stole a slender two-wicket win against Odisha by chasing down 230 in the last innings on the third day in Jaipur. Rajasthan turned things around despite being routed for 51 in their first innings, which is the second-lowest first-innings total to win a Ranji Trophy match.Rajasthan were 79 for 2 overnight, still 151 away, and lost Puneet Yadav (59) after he scored only three runs on the third morning. They lost two more wickets – Tanveer-Ul-Haq (21) and Ashok Menaria (20) – in quick succession and were struggling at 118 for 5 before Rajat Bhatia (31) and Siddharth Dobal rescued them with a stand of 76 runs to take them close to 200. However, Bhatia was dismissed by Basant Mohanty and Dobal went on to register a fifty before he too was removed by Mohanty for a run-a-ball 52. From 210 for 7, Rajasthan lost Aniket Choudhary too at the score of 223 but Dishant Yagnik (16*) and Pankaj Singh (8*) held their nerves to take six points.
Scorecard Right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar, playing his third first-class match, and Pragyan Ojha shared six wickets between them to wipe Assam out for 143 in 54.4 overs. Resuming on 1 for 4, after Ashok Dinda had scythed through the top order on the second day, Assam lost Amit Verma to Ojha to 9. Tarjinder Singh, aided by contributions from Arun Karthik (30) and Syed Mohammed (31), mounted some resistance but Assam were asked to follow on.They fared much better in their second dig, reaching 72 for 2 before bad light curbed another day in Guwahati. Opener Pallav Kumar Das (28*) and Gokul Sharma (8*) stayed unbeaten after Aamir Gani dismissed Rahul Hazarika and Amit.
ScorecardRavi Jangid followed his third first-class century with figures of 4 for 44 as Haryana were bowled out for 241 and asked to follow on. Haryana’s steady opening partnership of 118 between Nitin Saini and Chaitanya Bishnoi showed only little of what was to follow.It was offspinner Akshay Wakhare who broke the stand when he got rid of Bishnoi for 47. Saini reached hid fifty but was bowled by Jangid soon after. He made light work of the middle order before Shamsher Yadav become the second half-centurion of the innings. However, Aditya Sarwate collected four wickets of his own to perform the final rites on the innings.Jangid was at it again, removing the openers in Haryana’s second innings. Saini had a good start again, but did not convert it into a big score. Mohit Hooda and Rohit Sharma managed to survive till stumps but Vidarbha are on course to seal their quarter-final spot.
ScorecardFifties from Shrikant Mundhe and Rahul Tripathi set Karnataka a target of 293 in Pune. The double-treble winning defending champions lost R Samarth to Nikit Dhumal, who took his match tally to four, but Mayank Agarwal and Robin Uthappa scored at a fairly brisk clip as Karnataka closed the day at 61 for 1 in 15 overs.Earlier, Tripathi, who started the day on 31, went onto make 78 before he was undone by S Aravind. Kedar Jhadav and Vishant More failed to build on starts but Mundhe, coming in at No.8, struck 81 off 150 balls, including seven fours and two sixes to push Maharashtra to 260. Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for Karnataka, claiming figures of 4 for 71.