The biggest impact of Australia’s decision to postpone their tour to Bangladesh will be felt by the young home side, but the BCB will also be left with financial and perception challenges

Mohammad Isam02-Oct-2015Australia are not coming to Bangladesh to play the two Tests so the excitement has quite easily drained out of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Bangladesh’s home of cricket. Where there were supposed to be training sessions of two exciting young teams in the eastern and northwestern wings of the stadium, there is silence.Bangladesh cricket has not dealt with such a long silence from international cricket for more than 13 years and this will leave the average fans – millions of them – disappointed. The BCB, too, will suffer some form of a financial blow although it is unlikely to ask Cricket Australia for any compensation lest the chances of a future tour are ruined. In any case, when security is grounds for postponing a tour there aren’t many precedents of home boards claiming reimbursement. It also doesn’t help when you’re not the strongest voice among the Test-playing nations.More worryingly, the BCB has to deal with the awkwardness of a foreign team refusing to tour despite the assurances given in meetings it had arranged with the highest level of intelligence and security agencies in the country.Still, the most significant and immediate impact will be on the Bangladesh team that misses out on two very significant international matches. Test matches against Australia are rare for this team and none of the current squad has ever played one. The last Test between the two sides was held more than nine years ago.The start of the 2015-16 international season in Bangladesh was supposed to be an interesting contest between two teams facing wide-ranging challenges. One that has gone through many recent retirements and is standing at a critical juncture, and another that has a lot to prove as a Test team but was being helped along by its ODI credentials.The World Cup campaign, the continued success in the aftermath at home and the discovery of talented young players has made Bangladesh cricket a happy place in 2015. There was hope that they could crown the year with a strong performance against Australia in a format where they have shown signs of improvement. To be without international cricket for more than six months following the team’s most successful period – October 2014 to August 2015 – could set them back several steps.While the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan have had to adjust to breaks in international cricket, it will be a new challenge for players like Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman, who are just starting out with their international careers.All the squad members will be playing in the National Cricket League first-class competition for their respective divisions from October 3. But a break this long from international cricket is bound to hurt a team that has finally become consistent in ODIs and is looking to extend that into Tests. Zimbabwe aren’t schedule to arrive before mid-January when they are supposed to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s. Bangladesh’s last such break was a day short of six months back in 2002, between January and July.For the BCB, the impact is multiple, too. Their media rights holders, Gazi TV, are sure to query the BCB about the financial implications of missing out on two Test matches. The BCB has also sold their in-stadia and other commercial rights to a company, which now sells those to third parties that get to buy the naming rights to each series. BCB is unlikely to be touched by those parties but it will nonetheless incur some financial losses.Their plan to host the Bangladesh Premier League from November and the scheduled Under-19 World Cup would now have to go through more security reviews, assurances and clearances. While the tournaments will not be of similar importance to the Australia series, foreign players will be involved and teams could ask the same questions about security. In a relatively peaceful period in the country, a foreign team’s refusal to travel due to security concerns could be a bigger problem for the BCB.Getting VVIP-level security assurances for every team that is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in the future will be a big worry for the board, which could end up in a position of having to restore confidence in the country’s security to visiting teams when its real job is to run cricket.While a successfully run BPL may bring back smiles to fans and the Bangladesh players may recover with a good performance against Zimbabwe in January, the impact of this postponed tour could be a long-standing headache for the BCB.

The allrounder has prospered this season for Surrey, but scoring runs and taking wickets are only one part of what makes Zafar Ansari tick

Paul Edwards15-Sep-2015″Cricket is not the end for me. My life isn’t directed towards it. Cricket is a part of my life.”They are not, perhaps, the sort of statements you might expect to hear from an international player, yet if the England coaches are to get the very best from Zafar Ansari, they might do well to heed them.Speaking after his selection for May’s one-off one-day international against Ireland but before he was chosen in England’s squad for next month’s Test series against Pakistan, Ansari revealed himself as someone who is not so absorbed by the game that it has led to him being swallowed up by it and incapable of talking about anything else.Indeed, the avoidance of such obsessions seems a guiding principle of his life. “Balance” and “options” are important words for him.He is a man with a formidable range of accomplishments, none of which dominate his life. Having taken a double-first at Cambridge, he is currently writing a 40,000-word dissertation on the Deacons of Defence, a little known group involved in the Civil Rights struggle in America; he is a talented pianist but that is now a relaxation; his accepts “bookishness” as one of his characteristics but he does not spend his life away from the game in London’s Senate House or University College libraries.And he is a county and international cricketer who greatly enjoys the company of family and friends with no particular interest in the game. Why, one wonders, did he choose this profession at all?

It was a luxury that I had in terms of cricket being a summer sport that I wouldn’t have had if I had been playing rugby or football. And getting a good degree was more important to me than whether or not I became a professional cricketer

“From a relatively early age it was something that people thought that I’d do and I think you fall into things a little bit,” he began disarmingly. “I got offered a summer contract when I left school and there’s really no reason why you wouldn’t take it.”I was enjoying playing cricket and it snowballed from there. I was at university but still playing cricket to a relatively high standard. Part of it was through circumstance rather than a particular decision.”And he now plays for Surrey because the schedule allows him to wander down other avenues, although he knows that freedom will now be limited somewhat by his England selection.”There are a lot of benefits to playing cricket,” he said. “There’s enjoyment to be had through playing yourself but also it gives you time and opportunity to do other things while earning a living. Cricket allows me to do things which I find interesting which aren’t playing with a bat and a ball”At times I find it a bit of a slog and tiring but a lot of the time you are testing yourself at something you find difficult and challenging and then testing yourself against other people who are skilled and seeing how you compare.”As might be expected, Ansari’s three years at Cambridge tested him in other ways.”I wanted to prove that I could cope and excel at Cambridge as well as being genuinely a professional cricketer,” he said. “I wanted to show that I could do both.”But cricket wasn’t my priority while I was there. It was a luxury that I had in terms of cricket being a summer sport that I wouldn’t have had if I had been playing rugby or football. And getting a good degree was more important to me than whether or not I became a professional cricketer.”There is the expectation at Cambridge that everything you do is dedicated towards your academic work, which is on a pedestal. Getting back to cricket after you’ve been there is a challenge. My director of studies, David Runciman, was very interested in cricket but with some of my other tutors, if I said I have to go and play this game, there was a sort of scepticism about it and a questioning asking me why in a world-class academic institution I was playing a game that doesn’t really matter.”Playing his own game: scoring rates are not something that bother Zafar Ansari•PA PhotosAlmost needless to say, Ansari’s time-management and ability to organise himself is formidable, but so is his understanding of his own role within Surrey’s team, specifically his responsibilities as a County Championship opener in an order filled with free-scoring batsmen.”I’ve opened the innings on some tough wickets and I feel that I’ve contributed a lot to where we are as a side. The issue I have with individual statistics is that you can open the innings on a green wicket against a fine attack and actually have done a very good job.”There is a feeling in English cricket that you have to score your runs at a certain rate for them to have an extra value. When I score runs, I score them pretty slowly not because I go out there to block it but because I have to be selective or otherwise I’ll get out. There is value in that for the team. We know what each of us is good at. When you have people like Jason Roy, Kumar Sangakkara or Steve Davies to come in, there is value in taking the shine off the new ball.”Ansari’s talents have so far earned him 771 runs and 44 wickets in the 2015 County Championship. Surrey have won promotion and on Saturday they take on Gloucestershire in the final of the Royal London Cup. And now Ansari has to plan for an autumn with England. As ever, he keeps things in perspective.”You look around the country and there are players that I would put ahead of me who haven’t been selected for England and I am very fortunate to get this opportunity. It is an event and it feels like it. Even though I have never been driven by playing for England , once it’s happened you can always say that something’s been lifted off your shoulders.”Playing for England wasn’t on my radar going into this season and I’m now looking forward to what the next month and a half has to offer. As much as anything I’m there to learn and develop quickly.”

Stats highlights from a day completely dominated by Australia’s batsmen

S Rajesh26-Dec-2015258 The second-wicket partnership between Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja, which is the third-highest for the second wicket at the MCG. The highest is 298, between Ian Chappell and Bill Lawry, also against West Indies, in 1968. The top five second-wicket stands here are all by Australia.14 Test hundreds for Australia’s top three batsmen (Nos. 1 to 3) in 2015, which equals their highest in any calendar year; they also got 14 centuries in 2003. Their aggregate of 4020 runs is the highest for Australia’s top three in any calendar year.5 Double-century partnerships against West Indies in the last two years, the most against any team during this period. The next-highest is four each against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.448 Runs scored by Usman Khawaja in four Test innings in 2015, at an average of 149.33. In 17 previous innings in Tests, he had only managed 377 runs at an average of 25.13.132.57 The average runs per wicket for Australia in this series so far, the highest for any team in any series with a minimum of 200 overs faced. In their last three home series against West Indies, Australia have averaged 54.71 runs per wicket, which is their second-highest against any opposition.25.12 David Warner’s Test average in eight innings at the MCG, with only one half-century – 62 against Sri Lanka in 2012. It’s his poorest average among all home venues. He averages more than 60 in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, while his average is 32.85 in Sydney. Melbourne is the only home venue where he hasn’t scored a Test hundred.1000 International centuries for Australia, making them the first team to reach the landmark. England are next with 964 hundreds, followed by India with 688.73.11 Kemar Roach’s bowling average in Tests in 2015: in seven matches (including this one) he has taken nine wickets. In the three years before 2015 (from January 2012 to December 2014), he had taken 70 wickets in 15 Tests at 21.90.1.94 The economy rate for Jason Holder: in 17 overs he conceded only 33; on the other hand, Jerome Taylor and Roach conceded 136 runs in 28 overs, an economy rate of 4.86.

It helps the batsman play many more big shots, but the cost is high

Aakash Chopra18-Jan-2016Why is it that the ball that pitches outside leg isn’t considered a legitimate delivery to get an lbw dismissal?The moment the ball pitches outside leg, everything else becomes irrelevant, including the batsman not offering a shot and the ball’s likelihood of hitting the middle of middle stump.The reason the batsman gets such a huge favour is that since cricket is a side-on game, there’s a blind spot outside leg. Once the batsman stands with his front shoulder pointing towards the bowler, there’s bound to be some area outside his leg stump that’s not properly visible to him, which is why he’s allowed to cover his stumps and let balls pitching in that area hit the pads without offering a shot. This is relevant especially when the bowler goes round the stumps, for the angle ensures that even balls that pitch outside leg end up within the stumps.To counter this angle, and the blind spot, batsmen are advised to shelve the diktat about cricket being a side-on game and open their stance, right from the toes to the shoulders. By doing this the batsman is able to see the bowler and the ball better – a routine practice while facing left-arm fast bowlers bowling over the stumps.One man – George Bailey – seems to be attempting to turn this theory on its head. He is not only standing fully side-on but is doing so to an extent where the front leg is not in line with the back leg as it lines up with the stumps, but a little further over to the off side, which makes his stance almost too closed.Bailey’s logic is that his new stance provides him more stability and a better shape while going for the big shots. He started batting with this stance towards the end of last year’s IPL. Since then his numbers, in international cricket and the BBL, have improved.Before the IPL, Bailey had a slightly open stance – the front leg was slightly behind the line of the back leg, even to right-arm bowlers bowling over the stumps.

If you have a closed stance, your front foot automatically lands a bit too far across, blocking the bat’s quickest path to the ball. In this case, Bailey is forced to go around his front pad somewhat to make contact

There’s a possibility that if you open up your stance in order to play big shots, your front leg will get planted a little too far away from the back leg, leading the body to fall away at the time of impact and after. The other, more pertinent, problem, as I saw it, was his tendency to get caught behind, because the front foot did not go far enough across for him to get close to the ball. It isn’t surprising that the cover drive wasn’t his preferred shot.With the new stance, Bailey’s front foot is likely to go a lot more further across and take him closer to the ball, which will lead to fewer nicks. And since the front leg will not open as much as it used to, he is likely to have a more stable base when going for the big shots.So is it a good idea for other batsmen to adopt Bailey’s new stance?Let’s first look at its downsides. The front foot going across allows him to get closer to balls pitching fuller outside off. While that results in fewer edges, the possibility of him being tempted to play balls that he should be leaving alone increases radically. Also, if you’re too side-on, you don’t feel comfortable hitting the ball towards mid-off, because the angle of the body pushes everything squarer.But the bigger problem is against the moving ball coming in to him. If you have a closed stance, your front foot automatically lands a bit too far across, blocking the bat’s quickest path to the ball. In this case Bailey would likely be forced to go around his front pad to make contact, and that’s never a good option to balls that are moving and pitching fuller.Another big issue is against left-arm fast bowlers, because there the blind spot increases greatly. In the first ODI, Bailey nicked Barinder Sran off his first ball – possibly an outcome of the closed stance.Sran doesn’t have the swing or the pace to trouble Bailey consistently, but I wonder what happens to a batsman with such a stance against a bowler like Mitchell Starc with the new ball.The best way to bowl to Bailey is to bring it back in on a fuller length, because he’s quick to pounce on anything slightly short, and the even bounce of Australian pitches allows him to dispatch those deliveries easily.My final verdict about Bailey’s modified stance is that the pros don’t outweigh the cons. So try it at your own peril. As for Bailey, he might have to reconsider it the moment he hits the next dry patch, which just might manifest as an increase in the number of lbw dismissals.

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2016Mohammad Hafeez helped dig them out of trouble, smashing 76 off 60 balls•AFPHafeez added 134 for the third wicket with Babar Azam, who made 83 off 77•Getty ImagesShoaib Malik kept the momentum going with 32 off 27 balls, and Pakistan were looking dangerous, reaching 200 in the 30th over•AFPBut the tide turned when Trent Boult removed Malik•AFPSarfraz Ahmed stuck around to make 41, but wickets fell in a heap around him•AFPPakistan were bowled out for 290 in the 48th over, Adam Milne finishing with three wickets•Getty ImagesReturning from a back injury, Brendon McCullum was out for a first-ball duck•Getty ImagesBut Martin Guptill carried on his fine form•Getty ImagesAnd Kane Williamson gave him excellent support•Getty ImagesGuptill and Williamson both scored eighties, and added 159 for the second wicket•Getty ImagesBut just when New Zealand seemed to be cruising, Pakistan struck back through an unexpected source: Azhar Ali•Getty ImagesAzhar dismissed both set batsmen with his part-time legspin, in the space of two overs•Getty ImagesAnd there were further wobbles for New Zealand with Henry Nicholls and Grant Elliott falling cheaply•Getty ImagesRain, which had threatened right through the match, arrived with New Zealand 210 for 5 in the 36th over•Getty ImagesPlay was delayed for just under an hour, and New Zealand came out chasing a revised target of 263 in 43 overs•Getty ImagesCorey Anderson’s 29-ball 35 couldn’t quite finish the job against Pakistan’s spirited fast bowlers, but Mitchell Santner sneaked New Zealand home with two balls remaining•Getty Images

For a brief moment, while Mohammad Shahzad was cutting loose, Faf du Plessis admitted he was a touch worried as his new-ball bowlers again went the distance

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai20-Mar-2016. Shahzad watches the ball as it pitches. Still watches it as it heads towards the wicketkeeper’s gloves. The bat is raised but no attempt is made to bash the ball beyond recognition. No kidding. If Faf du Plessis had, for just a moment, anticipated a relatively calm beginning on the evidence of this – especially after the England game – it turned out to be a reddest of red herrings.Rabada’s next delivery sailed fine of third man – more by virtue of a fortuitously furious edge than design – for a six. He compensated by going short on the fifth stump but Shahzad’s front leg was already out of the way and a scimitar-like cut condemned the ball to the point boundary.The only consolation for Rabada was he had conceded 10 runs fewer than the 21 he went for against England. Kyle Abbott, at the other end, however, was clattered for three sixes and a four in the second over, while Rabada leaked 14 in the third. Afghanistan were 47 without loss after three overs, nine runs shy of England’s 56 at the same stage on Friday. That Chris Morris curtailed Shahzad’s innings to 19 deliveries – they cost South Africa 44 runs, including three fours and five sixes – staunched the bleeding somewhat. But Afghanistan still finished the Powerplay with 64 for 2 after Morris also removed captain Asghar Stanikzai in the sixth over.What perhaps afforded South Africa some insurance was their score of 209 – they became the first team to make more than one 200-plus total in a single edition of the World T20 – especially considering their opponents’ relative inexperience at this level. And yet, du Plessis admitted to having been “a bit” worried.The South Africa captain was right, for their bowling, save for Morris and Imran Tahir, remained inadequate for the second time in three days. Also, despite Shahzad’s dismissal quite a few Afghanistan batsmen swung their bats to swiftly shave runs off the target. Had any of Noor Ali Zadran (25 off 24 balls), Gulbadin Naib (26 off 18) or Samiullah Shenwari (25 off 14) played a longer hand South Africa might have copped some grief.Du Plessis’ approach to the Powerplay is to view it as two sets of three overs and South Africa are having significant problems with the first set of three. Still, du Plessis’ bowling changes in the first six overs appeared regimented. He didn’t deploy Tahir, his most economical bowler against England, in the Powerplay for the second game in succession, although he later said the thought had occurred to him.”Imran Tahir was going to bowl probably the third or the fourth over but then we got Shahzad out,” he said. “It’s a big challenge for the guys bowling in the first six here as we saw with us against England. But I do think there are areas where we are a little bit soft in our execution and we need to improve on.”Among the areas that may need rethinking was the persistence with Rabada and Abbott in the Powerplay even after they were taken apart in their respective first overs. Both the bowlers made drastic course-corrections – they went either too full or banged it short – without varying the pace, and consequently suffered for their lack of subtlety on an even-paced surface. It wasn’t until the second half of the innings that they turned to slower bouncers and cutters.The most gaping hole, though, was caused by David Wiese, who replaced Dale Steyn after the pitch was not deemed to suit Steyn’s “skiddy” style of bowling. Wiese predominantly operated on a good length or just short of it, but he was either too wide outside off stump or too straight; there wasn’t any redemption for him as he conceded 47 runs in four overs.Du Plessis said there was a case for his bowlers to learn from Morris’ spell and that the Wankhede surface demanded a shorter length at a slower pace. He reckoned, however, that the pitch didn’t offer enough turn for them to play Aaron Phangiso.”The wicket is very good but it is definitely not an excuse,” he said. “I wanted us to show a bit of intensity with the ball and show a little bit of ‘we are supposed to be bowling a lot better than that’ attitude. If you bowl well – Chris Morris showed that today – bowl with good disciplines, good intensity and you are strong in the way your plans and the way you want to bowl there is enough for the bowlers to bowl well.”I think in the first six any pace behind the ball is really nice to bat so today was either to go short at them or try and take some pace off before trying to close the batsmen down with some yorkers. So there is a lot of learning for me especially to see how Chris bowled tonight.”Another area of concern for Du Plessis will be JP Duminy’s injury after he went off the field during the first over of Afghanistan’s chase having injured his left hamstring while chasing a ball. With their next two games to be played in Nagpur and Delhi, du Plessis hinted at a possible change in the team’s composition to include another spinner while underscoring Duminy’s value in preserving the balance of the side.”We are going to a different ground now where things will be completely different. Going forward I think spin might play a role but I know our seamers actually bowl really well in conditions that are slower,” he said.”Even though there has been a lot of criticism on JP’s bowling, in these conditions he is massively key for us. He is an allrounder so he balances your side out by bowling a bit of spin. I would have liked for him to bowl two or three. I was even at one stage thinking of telling AB to warm-up again, but he hasn’t practised for a year and a half since the World Cup. So it’s difficult for a captain when you have only got five options.”South Africa have five days to work out their combination before they come up against a rampaging West Indies side in Nagpur. When du Plessis offered his congratulations to Shahzad at the media conference Shahzad responded by wishing him luck for the rest of the tournament. He and South Africa could do with it as much as they could with some tactical flexibility.

Stats highlights from an incredible batting fest in Mumbai

S Rajesh18-Mar-2016230 The target chased down by England, the second highest ever in T20I history. The highest was also against South Africa, by West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015, when they overhauled a target of 232. The match aggregate of 459 is the second highest in T20Is.172 Total runs scored by both teams in the Powerplays: South Africa made 83, which is joint sixth best in the first six in T20Is, and England replied with 89, the third highest in all T20Is, and the best in a match between two Full Member teams. The match aggregate is the best in Powerplays; the previous highest in the first 12 overs was 171, but that was in a seven-overs per team game between New Zealand and Scotland in 2009. In a full 20-over games, the previous best was 156. The highest by any team in Powerplays is 91, by Netherlands against Ireland in the 2014 World T20. The last time these two teams played each other – in Johannesburg last month – South Africa scored 88 without loss in the Powerplays.44 England’s total after two overs, the highest ever in a T20I. Both Kagiso Rabada (21) and Dale Steyn (23) went for their most expensive overs in T20Is.17 Balls for England to get to 50, the joint second fastest in T20Is. The fastest is 16 balls, by New Zealand versus Scotland in that seven-overs-per-side game in 2009.26 Overs, out of 40 in the match, which went for ten or more runs; 13 for each team.13.09 Economy rate for the quick bowlers in the match, the highest ever in a full 20-over T20I. Spinners did much better, conceding only 8.81 runs per over.0 Boundaries conceded by Imran Tahir in his four-over spell, which went for 28. He was the only bowler who didn’t concede one. Rabada conceded seven fours and a six in 24 balls, while Chris Jordan leaked six fours and three sixes.21 Balls taken by Quinton de Kock to notch up his first T20I fifty, which equals South Africa’s fastest in this format: AB de Villiers had scored one off as many balls the last time these two teams played in Johannesburg last month. In 25 previous innings in T20Is, de Kock’s highest score was 48 not out.224 Runs between dismissals for Hashim Amla, the most by any batsman in T20Is. The previous record was 216, by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill. In 2012.13.39 The run rate during the opening partnership of 96, off 43 balls, between Amla and de Kock. It’s the sixth fastest for all 50-plus stands for the first wicket in T20Is, and the second best for South Africa: Amla and de Villiers had added 125 off 50 balls in that Johannesburg game against England last month.2 Instances of three 50-plus scores in a T20I innings: the only previous instance was by India, also against England, in the 2007 World T20, when Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh topped 50. In South Africa’s innings here, de Kock, Amla and JP Duminy got half-centuries.9 Bowlers from both teams who bowled at least two overs and went at ten or more runs per over. Four of those were from England, and five from South Africa.1 Instances of four batsmen scoring 50s in under 30 balls in a T20I: this was the first such match.17.5 Steyn’s economy rate in the match, his worst in T20Is. His previous worst was 12.5 (50 runs in four overs), also against England, in the 2010 World T20.20 Runs in wides conceded by South Africa, the second highest in a T20I innings. The highest is 23, by West Indies against South Africa in the inaugural World T20 game in 2007. South Africa’s total of 26 extras conceded is the joint third highest in a T20I innings.

Stats highlights from fourth day’s play between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington, where the visitors won by an innings and 52 runs

Bharath Seervi15-Feb-20161997 The last time New Zealand lost a home Test by the margin of an innings. They had lost to England by an innings and 68 runs, also in Wellington, in February 1997.0 Defeats for Australia under Steven Smith’s captaincy in ten Tests. They have won six and drawn four. Since Smith has started leading Australia in Tests, his win-loss ratio is the best among all captains.3 Innings wins for Australia in New Zealand. Their first two were an innings and 103 runs in Wellington in 1945-46 and an innings and 60 runs in Christchurch in 1992-93.4-1 Australia’s win-loss record at the Basin Reserve in New Zealand, in ten Tests. Their only defeat was by nine wickets in 1989-90. Their win-loss ratio of 4.0 here is their best at any venue outside Australia, where they have played 10 or more Tests.6 Unbeaten Tests for New Zealand at the Basin Reserve, before this defeat. Their last defeat here was also against Australia, in 2009-10.3 Man-of-the-Match awards for Adam Voges in Tests, which is the joint-most since his debut in June last year. Steven Smith also has three. Stuart Broad and David Warner are the only others with two Man-of-the-Match awards in this period.7/123 Nathan Lyon’s match figures in this Test – third-best for an Australia spinner in New Zealand. Bill O’Reilly had taken 8 for 33, also in Wellington in 1945-46, and Shane Warne 7 for 66 in Christchurch in 1992-93. Incidentally, those are the only two previous Tests when Australia won by an innings in New Zealand.6 Consecutive Tests in Wellington where the team that won the toss failed to win the match, before this game. This is only the second win by the team who won the toss in the last 11 Tests here, and both wins have been by Australia.4 Instances of ten of New Zealand’s XI scoring in double-digits in a Test innings. In their second-innings in Wellington, only Corey Anderson (0) had scored less than 10. Their previous such instance was in 2004-05 in Dhaka. The first two were both against England, in Auckland in 1977-78 and 1987-88.208.67 Tim Southee’s strike rate in his cameo of 48 off 23, from No. 10 in the second innings. His strike rate is the best for any player at No. 10 or lower scoring 40 or more. The previous best was also by him – 77* off 40 at 192.50 against England in Napier in 2007-08, his Test debut.74 Runs by Mark Craig at No. 9 in this Test, without getting dismissed. He scored 41 in the first innings and 33 in the second innings, not out in both. His aggregate is the third-highest for any player who remained not out in both innings of a Test batting at No. 9 or lower. Craig has batted four times at No. 9, and he has remained not out on each occasion. He now averages 41.85 with the bat in Tests, which is third-highest for any player who has scored 500 or more runs batting at No. 8 or lower.

Today Sri Lanka began to pee on the raging fire they had started on day two, but flames are still licking the walls and roof

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Chester-le-Street29-May-2016In the year prior to this tour, Sri Lanka had repeatedly lowered fans’ expectations. Two of their three home series in 2015 were lost. Their last four away Tests ended in defeat. With the top order, it occasionally felt like the selectors were trying to refloat the broken Titanic; some failing players’ places had become more stable than a barn full of horses.So before this tour, pundits had not forecast a repeat of 2014. “A 0-1 defeat is as good as a win for Sri Lanka” read one headline in a national daily. A 1-2 loss was as much as most fans would dare to hope for. Having brought expectations to the bottom floor, Sri Lanka then set about crashing through the basement. Ninety-one, 119, 101 – no team had scored fewer runs in their first three innings of an England tour since 1958.But on day three at Chester-le-Street, something significant occurred. Sri Lanka’s batsmen found something that had been missing. They discovered the location of their off stumps, for one. Previously on this tour, they seemed to have been given rough co-ordinates for the off stump, or had it marked “X” on a crude map. They understood the stump’s existence, but poked speculatively in an area ranging approximately from the popping crease to backward point.Three batting days into the tour, Sri Lanka came to the end of their expedition. Kaushal Silva left James Anderson’s outswing decisively. Dimuth Karunaratne was caught at second slip eventually, but had been similarly disciplined, and made his first start of the series before that. Towards the end of the day, Milinda Siriwardana had even begun to leave balls on length – a strategy that had featured heavily in Sri Lanka’s 2014 triumph in England.When he wasn’t cutting, Milinda Siriwardana was even leaving balls on length•Getty ImagesAlso discovered, after the early movement had disappeared, was a range of Sri Lankan cricket bats. The long, floppy toothpicks that had been used in the series so far had been traded in. Silva’s elaborate pre-ball routine had been about the most consistent thing about the Sri Lanka batting, but today the minimalistic drives that set his game in order were there too. The morning he merely survived. After lunch, he set his thoughts on flourishing.”In the second innings, we were positive from the beginning,” Kaushal said after play. “Whatever we do – whether we leave the ball, play a stroke, run between wickets. The problem is if you play the ball in two minds, you ended up getting out. What we did was to back ourselves 100 percent with our shots. Even if you play a rash shot, commit fully to it, because it’s better if it goes over the slips than to them.”Angelo Mathews’ brushes with the review system had been so bad this tour that you couldn’t help but fear the worst for him when two referrals were made before he scored. He’d surely be out, you thought. And, with his luck having steadily worsened, he might even split his pants on the trek back to the dressing room. Thankfully for Sri Lanka, Mathews was correctly ruled not out twice, and then his bolder batting avatar appeared for the first time. He sent Stuart Broad whip-wristedly through midwicket, then thunked Moeen Ali into the bleachers not long after. Once a batsman who turned Sri Lanka’s matches, more recently the embalmer who makes the team’s corpse more presentable, an 80 off 105 may just put the steel back in his game. If only he could captain like he bats.Dinesh Chandimal’s demotion to No. 6 returned the spark back to his game, and the man who prodded tentatively in three innings became the maverick whose head still falls over in the shot while his bat sends the ball for four. He sent Moeen into the cow-corner fence with a few flapping slogs, but reached his fifty with a cover drive as crisp as the northern wind.If Chandimal and Siriwardana can survive most of the morning session on Monday, they may even avoid an innings loss. Anything better seems improbable. Today Sri Lanka began to pee on the raging fire they had started on day two, but flames are still licking the walls and roof. The house still appears likely to burn down. Yet, if they can emerge from Chester-le-Street with the nuts, bolts and beams of their game in order, maybe something can better can be hashed together in the relative warmth at Lord’s.

With New Zealand already through to the semi-finals, here’s a look at what the other teams in the group need to do to join them

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2016Australia
If Australia beat Pakistan and India, they will go through. Even if they lose to Pakistan, Australia can take it to a net run-rate scenario by defeating India on Sunday, as that will leave all three teams on four points.Pakistan
Pakistan’s only chance of qualifying is to take it to a net run-rate situation by beating Australia, and hoping India lose to Australia. That could favour Pakistan as despite losing two out of three games, their NRR is second best in the group thanks to their 55-run win against Bangladesh.India
If India win against Australia, they will qualify. If Australia get past Pakistan, the India-Australia face-off on Sunday in Mohali will be a virtual quarter-final. If Pakistan beat Australia, and India lose to Australia, then all three teams will have four points each, and NRR will decide which of them goes through.