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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kuldeep Yadav and other KKR spinners restricted Hurricanes to 140•BCCI

Kolkata Knight Riders took their winning streak to 14, the joint second-highest in Twenty20 history, and made it to their first Champions League T20 final after the spinners reduced Hobart Hurricanes to 140 for 6. Having lost captain Tim Paine to a stomach bug, Hurricanes had to contend with 16 overs of spin, including the opening spell of Yusuf Pathan. They couldn’t break free of their chokehold, reaching 140 thanks only to Shoaib Malik’s late surge. Knight Riders, however, made a bit of heavy weather of the chase, with Jacques Kallis and Yusuf getting stuck in the end, bringing the equation up to 21 off 13 before finishing it off with five balls to spare.Knight Riders stuck to their winning formula after the stand-in Hurricanes captain Xavier Doherty chose to bat on what looked like a flat hard pitch. By the time Yusuf sent down the first over, it was obvious it was a pitch slower than expected. Andre Russell provided the first breakthrough by latching on to a tough leading edge off his own bowling, with Dom Michael being undone by the slowness of the surface. In the next over, Hurricanes’ batsman of the tournament, Aiden Blizzard got a rough decision, given lbw off a thick inside edge.From then on it was going to be a catch-up game for Hurricanes. Knight Riders made sure they didn’t take too many liberties by bringing on their two attacking spinners, Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav, one after the other. As a result, Hurricanes had to be watchful, crawling to 54 for 3 in 10 overs, their lowest 10-over score of the tournament. Ben Dunk did majority of the scoring in the first half, but Kuldeep accounted for him.It was down to Malik, their best player of the spin, to provide them some sort of fighting total. Malik obliged, taking 21 runs off the 19th over, bowled by Kuldeep, but the support from the other side was hard to come by. Take out 105 from 75 balls scored between Malik and Dunk, you have precious nothing from the rest of the team.However, the rest of the team was spirited in defence of the small target. The fast bowlers, Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger, got stuck into Gautam Gambhir and had him early. An adventurous shot off Doherty accounted for Robin Uthappa, and Knight Riders were 44 for 2 off 44 legal deliveries. Kallis then provided the solidness, and Manish Pandey gave them the impetus by peppering his favourite wide long-on area. Hurricanes didn’t help their own case with three missed run-outs, and Pandey’s wicket off a no-ball.The free hit went for four, followed by another, bringing the equation down to 49 off 42. When Pandey holed out to long-on in the 16th over, he left Knight Riders just 34 off 28. The next 15 balls were mostly yorkers, conceded just 13, drew some frustrated shots from Yusuf and Kallis, and the game was in the balance with 21 required off 13. Ben Laughlin then failed to execute his yorker with the last ball of the 18th over, and Yusuf crashed it through extra cover.Doherty was now left with a big decision. He and Bollinger had an over each left, and he went against the conventional wisdom to bowl the 19th himself. Kallis stepped out first ball, and crashed him for a six first up. That was game done for all practical purposes, but Hilfenhaus provided the finishing touch by parrying off the first ball of the 20th over for a six after having misjudged a catch.

علّق جيمس ماديسون، لاعب فريق توتنهام، على فوزهم المثير في مباراتهم اليوم ضد ليفربول في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز توتنهام بهدفين لهدف.

جاء هدف فوز توتنهام في الوقت القاتل عن طريق النيران الصديقة، سجله جويل ماتيب.

وقال ماديسون في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “للفوز بتلك الطريقة، هذا هو الطريق الصعب والطويل، هذا الشعور نادر جدًا، عندما تغلبنا على شيفيلد يونايتد قلت إنني لم أشعر بذلك منذ سنوات (فاز توتنهام على شيفيلد في الوقت القاتل أيضًا)”.

وأضاف: “نحن لا نحب أن يكون الأمر بسهولة، أليس كذلك؟ هذه هي الشخصية والروح، أنا فخور بالفريق، إذا كنت قادرًا على تعبئة ذلك الشعور، ستقوم ببيعه مقابل ملايين”.

وواصل: “ربما يصبح الأمر أكثر صعوبة عندما تلعب ضد 9 لاعبين، ليفربول يعتمد على الهجمات المرتدة، فلسفتهم لا تتغير وهم يعانون من النقصان، لا تزال لديهم نقاط القوة”.

وعن طرد ديوجو جوتا وكورتيس جونز، قال: “جوتا كان طردًا بكل تأكيد، وأعتقد الأمر هكذا بالنسبة لـ جونز، لست متأكدًا من أن كلوب سيشتكي كثيرًا من تلك البطاقات أيضًا”.

ScorecardYasir Arafat took 5 for 36 to set up Sussex’s chase•Getty Images

Yasir Arafat claimed five wickets against one of his many former clubs as Sussex boosted their hopes of a Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final place with a seven-wicket win over Somerset in a match reduced to 33 overs per side at Taunton.Arafat’s 5 for 36 from seven overs kept the hosts to a modest 193 for 8 after losing the toss, Colin Ingram top-scoring with 71, while Nick Compton hit 42 and James Hildreth 42 not out.Sussex were set a revised target of 189 under the Duckworth-Lewis system and eased home with 24 balls to spare thanks to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 94 between Matt Machan, who made an unbeaten 47, and 46 not out from skipper Ed Joyce.After a delayed 11am start was prevented by further rain, play began at 11.40am with the game initially reduced to 44 overs per side. Somerset quickly plunged into trouble as Marcus Trescothick played on, trying to leave the first ball of the second over, bowled by Arafat. The next delivery saw Peter Trego, who had scored centuries in Somerset’s previous two games, caught behind down the leg side and by the time the rain returned after 5.1 overs the hosts were 10 for 2.The action resumed at 1.45pm and, with the sun breaking through, batting looked a good deal easier. Ingram and Compton exercised caution, the latter enjoying a slice of luck on 28 when playing a ball from Chris Liddle onto his off stump without the bail being removed. Ingram swept a six off Will Beer as the total approached the 100-mark, but one run short Compton was lbw to Liddle falling across his stumps, having looked in little trouble.It was 157 for 4 in the 27th over when Ingram ran himself out, calling for a second run to fine leg and beaten by Liddle’s throw to the wicketkeeper. The South African had faced 74 balls and hit seven fours and a six.Hildreth looked in good touch, but was unable to conjure up sufficient boundaries in his 43-ball knock and Somerset’s hopes of a big finish were dashed when Arafat removed Lewis Gregory for 18, Tim Groenewald and Craig Meschede in the final over.Sussex approached their revised target with gusto, Chris Nash pulling a six off Alfonso Thomas in only the fourth over, which ended with 33 already on the board. Luke Wright brought up the 50 in the sixth over by lifting Groenewald over midwicket for a maximum.The opening stand was worth 86 when Nash was run out for 30 off the final ball of the 10th over, setting off for a single dabbed to short third-man and being beaten by wicketkeeper Alex Barrow’s direct hit when sent back. The next over saw Wright, on 42, drive a return catch to left-arm spinner Leach, having faced 32 balls and hit six fours and a six. And Somerset were back in it when Craig Cachopa was caught by Gregory for 5, having skied Leach to mid-on.Leach’s figures would have been even better had Barrow not missed a simple stumping chance offered by Machan on 19, with the total 129 for 3. It was an error the home side could not afford and was symptomatic of a poor fielding display. Several catches went down as Machan and Joyce saw their side to a comfortable success, both pacing their innings to perfection.Afterwards Arafat, who was twice on a hat-trick, said: “After losing our first two games confidence is growing all the time and we now have a great chance of reaching the quarter-finals.”Somerset’s Leach added: `”No one should read too much into this result. The toss was important and it was always going to be difficult batting first, so we are determined not to let it affect the momentum we were building in the competition.”

Shakib Al Hasan said Bangladesh had outplayed Afghanistan in all three departments in the opening match of the World T20

Mohammad Isam16-Mar-2014

Afghanistan were stifled by dot balls, a skill rarely displayed by the Bangladesh bowlers and that pressure led the hosts to bowl out an opponent for the first time in T20s during a nine-wicket win to begin their World T20 campaign.Mohammad Shahzad’s growing reputation as a big-hitting opening batsman, even in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, made him a big wicket for the home side. When he lashed out at Mashrafe Mortaza’s first delivery and got caught at mid-off, it put Bangladesh in the front foot.”Mashrafe gave us the early breakthrough,” Shakib Al Hasan said. “The fielding was good and the spinners got into the game quickly. It was important to start off with a wicket off the first ball. We played well overall in all three departments.”Mashrafe, Al-Amin Hossain and Shakib strung 24 dot balls between them during the Powerplay, which set up the three wickets that Afghanistan lost in that period. Importantly, Bangladesh’s bowlers kept up the momentum throughout the innings. They bowled 67 dot balls in the 17.1 overs. Noticeably and even statistically, this was the Bangladesh bowlers at their best in the shortest format.”It is always slightly difficult playing against teams like Afghanistan,” Shakib said. “You don’t know what’s coming your way. Someone from No. 7 or 8 can blast the bowlers. Or someone can suddenly bowl well. It will be wrong to make predictions against them, so it is important to look after ourselves, and look to improve in every game.”The two run-outs were vital, both were good batsmen. Though we dropped a catch, our fielding was good overall. [Mahmudullah] Riyad took two good catches. It usually lifts the morale of the team, which is important for a T20 game.”Shakib insisted he was in a good frame of mind before the game, though there had been talk of unease and nerves in the dressing-room. Few days ago, captain Mushfiqur Rahim had called it a “revenge game”.”I think I was more relaxed before this game than any other match previously. I think our whole team knew that we will win and it will be a one-sided game,” Shakib said. “I was about to throw a banana skin in the bin, I said if it falls inside, they will score 40 and if it doesn’t they will make 80. They made 72.”But Shakib did confess to the team being relieved, particularly as the win helped avoid an early exit. “I said before that if we play to our potential, Afghanistan won’t stand a chance,” he said. “It [an upset] can happen once in a while. The pressure has been relieved. It was important to start off well so I am happy and relieved.”What also worked for Bangladesh, and it can easily get lost in all the hype of a big win, is the combination, especially in the spin department. The pitch in Chittagong wouldn’t be too different, so there will remain enough reason to stick to this team, which looked more streamlined and focused for T20s.

Sunil Gavaskar has said both Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh can still force their way back into the Indian team

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2014

Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have had difficult domestic seasons after being sidelined from the national team, and with the flourishing of a younger bunch of batsmen, their international future looks shaky. Sunil Gavaskar, though, has said both can still force their way back into the Indian team.In his bid to return, Sehwag has shifted down to the middle order – where he began his career – after a profitable decade as opener. The results, though, have been poor: his fast-bowling team-mate Ashish Nehra has similar batting statistics over the Ranji season.Yuvraj has been through similarly wretched form, troubled by the pace of Mitchell Johnson during the home ODI series against Australia last year, before extending his lean run in the matches against West Indies and South Africa. The runs haven’t returned in three Ranji matches since either.”(In) Cricket, nothing is impossible,” Gavaskar said during the Ranji quarterfinal in Mumbai. “You have one good season, one outstanding season, you can come back. It is up to Yuvraj to show that he has got the burning desire for it. I think he has. And he has just had a bad season. Hopefully he could come back because he adds so much to the Indian team because he is still a top fielder and his spinners does help pick wickets.”Sehwag also, nothing is impossible in cricket. It is up to these guys to come back with not just hundreds but double hundreds and stuff like that.”Gavaskar, India’s greatest Test opener, suggested Sehwag, India’s best Test opener after him, could try rediscovering his touch by moving back to the top of the order. “I think he is more happy with the ball coming on to the bat. If you have opened the batting for such a long time, it is a little bit difficult waiting in the dressing room, waiting for your turn to go to bat. The best move for him would be to go back to opening. The new ball will come on to the bat, he can try and score off it. The other thing is that clever captains will confront him with spin straightaway.”One of the seniors who has made a comeback after a year out of the Indian team is Zaheer Khan. The national selection chief, Sandeep Patil, was watching the Ranji quarterfinals in Mumbai, possibly to track Zaheer’s progress. None of the members of the Indian squad whose teams are in the quarterfinals is playing: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Binny and Mohammed Shami are set to leave for New Zealand on the final day of the match. Gavaskar echoed Rahul Dravid’s views that the six players could have played the Ranji knockout match.”It would have been fantastic to have the guys play in the quarter-finals,” Gavaskar said. “If they could have played and left the day the quarter-final finishes, for example the team is leaving on 11th night/12th morning the three-four players could have left on 12th night/13th morning because the first match is on the 19th. I know you lose a day going into New Zealand but it would have still given them enough time.”This is India’s No. 1 tournament. The more competitive it is, the higher the standard and the better the feedback for the selection committee to be able to see when the teams are playing the best and against the best, it is always a good indication for the selectors.”

Daryl Mitchell and Scott Kuggeleijn added 33 in 15 balls to help Northern Districts beat Otago by five wickets and seal the team’s first ever HRV Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBJ Watling’s 30-ball 37 helped Northern Districts recover from a slow start•Getty ImagesDaryl Mitchell and Scott Kuggeleijn added 33 in 15 balls to help Northern Districts win their first ever HRV Twenty20 Cup after beating Otago by five wickets in the final.Before Kuggeleijn joined Mitchell at the crease for their sixth-wicket association, Northern Districts needed 32 off 20 balls, and with Mitchell stable, but not particularly aggressive, Otago would’ve hoped to at least take the chase down to the wire.However, Kuggeleijn, who had held his nerve bowling the final over against Canterbury, slammed Jacob Duffy for a four and six off consecutive deliveries in the 18th over to bring the equation down to 15 off 12. From there on, a Northern Districts victory was never really in question, as Mitchell scooped Jason Holder over short fine leg for four in the penultimate over, before Kuggeleijn took the team home with a six straight over the bowler’s head.Kuggeleijn remained unbeaten on 22 off just seven balls and Mitchell made 46 not out, but it was BJ Watling who had laid the platform for the chase by dropping anchor following a slow start from the team. Northern Districts lost their openers as well as Brad Wilson to slump to 24 for 3, but Watling stopped the slide by hitting a 30-ball 37, and contributing to a 57-run stand with Mitchell. Watling was however fortunate to be given a reprieve, as he was dropped on 8 by Holder at long on. But with the team still needing more than seven an over, Watling went on the attack and miscued a shot straight to Michael Bracewell at deep cover.Scott Styris, coming in at No.6, lasted only 16 deliveries, but his flicked six over backward square leg, off Holder, played a big part in Northern Districts wresting the momentum.Otago had earlier elected to bat, but struggled to come up with the big shots on a slow surface against Northern Districts’ disciplined bowling attack. Hamish Rutherford was fortunate to survive a run-out chance when on 15, but did not enjoy much luck a second time around, and fell short of his crease in the sixth over. With Otago’s run-rate dipping, Neil Broom and Ryan ten Doeschate both counterattacked with quickfire scores of 44 and 36 respectively, to lift the team to a competitive 143 for 5. In the end though, it wasn’t enough.

Australia would not turn to retired batsmen such as Ricky Ponting or Simon Katich even if captain Michael Clarke’s back problem continues to plague him during the Ashes, according to national selector John Inverarity

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2013

Australia would not turn to retired batsmen such as Ricky Ponting or Simon Katich even if captain Michael Clarke’s back problem continues to plague him during this year’s Investec Ashes, according to national selector John Inverarity. Clarke has been out of action since arriving in England and could miss the whole of the Champions Trophy, while his readiness for the Ashes is also looming as a potential concern.Meanwhile, Ponting has made a strong start to his county stint with Surrey, scoring 192, 52 and 38 not out in his three first-class innings so far. Before his first match, Ponting said in an interview that if the Australians came calling during the Ashes he would consider coming out of retirement, although the next day he backtracked and said there was no possibility of him being part of the Ashes campaign.Katich has also enjoyed a solid start to the county season and although he is yet to make a century for Lancashire, he has posted three 80-plus scores and has 406 runs at 50.75. Katich played his last Test during the previous Ashes series, in Adelaide in December 2010, and departed from international cricket on sour terms with the selection panel, then headed by Andrew Hilditch, after he was dumped from the contract list in 2011.”I think they’ve both retired from international cricket,” Inverarity told AAP when asked about the possibility of Ponting or Katich featuring in the Ashes. “… The answer is no.”Australia’s selectors have already put together a list of standby players should injuries arise during the Ashes and it is likely to include Steven Smith, who performed well in India in March and is vice-captain of the Australia A squad currently touring the British Isles. George Bailey, the stand-in Champions Trophy captain in Clarke’s absence, could be another option, although his Sheffield Shield form last summer was disappointing.However, the main focus for the Australian camp in the lead-up to the Ashes is not on potential back-up batsmen, but on ensuring Clarke is fit for action for the first Test starting on July 10. Clarke has battled the back problem since he was a teenager and while he has only missed one Test due to the injury, the concern for Australia is that it was their last Test, in Delhi.”I’m confident he’ll be right for the Ashes,” Inverarity said. “I’m confident but one never knows. Nobody works harder than Michael. His preparation is extraordinary.”

Match facts

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)–>

Big Picture

Four matches played, four matches lost. Blink. A fourth of their season is already over, and Delhi Daredevils have drawn a blank. An IPL side plays a 20-over match roughly every three days. In between, they have to get around a huge country like India, factor in time for sponsor events and also squeeze in time for training. It is possible to get into a rut with all the stuff that goes on and off the field. Before you know it, the season is drawing to a close. Various IPL sides have gone through such periods where nothing seems to go right, Daredevils being the latest.They have been outclassed in a couple of games, fought but failed to come back in one, and lost one which they had no business losing. The absence of Jesse Ryder and Kevin Pietersen is being felt more and more with every loss. Top-order batsmen will tell you that 20 overs only seem short, but you actually have a lot of time. Mahela Jayawardene might be wondering that three hours is too little to turn around his misfiring side.Daredevils’ opponents and the venue of Tuesday’s game will make their task still harder. Royal Challengers Bangalore have won all three home games this season at Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is the two that got away that will make them even more dangerous against Daredevils. A Super-Over loss in Hyderabad followed by RP Singh’s last-ball incredible meltdown in Chennai only reinforce what many have come to expect from Royal Challengers over the years. That for all the big names in their side, their bowlers will regularly fall apart at the death, and their fearsome batsmen will do the same in crunch matches. The IPL is into its sixth season, and Royal Challengers are yet to shake off that reputation.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils: LLLL
Royal Challengers Bangalore: LWWLW

Watch out for

Virender Sehwag finally played his first match of the season amid much expectation against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He lasted only ten deliveries, but looked alright before he ran one to wide slip. Not many batsmen would have opened the face with slip that wide, but Sehwag being Sehwag, he took on the fielder. As always, expectations will be high on Tuesday.Chris Gayle‘s home run this season is 92*, 13 and 85*. His strike-rate at Chinnaswamy also jumps, from an overall 154.29 to 175.53. Unless Daredevils get him early, they run the risk of a fifth straight loss.

Stats and trivia

• Daredevils are behind only Mumbai Indians with an away win-loss ratio of 1.06 in the IPL
• Sehwag has hit the most sixes for a Daredevils batsman, 79 in 67 innings. Gayle has hit 143 in 47

Quotes

“I am not really worried. We are playing some good cricket. A couple of good games have not gone our way. We have to keep improving.”
“We are under pressure to win every game. Hope this pressure will lead us to better results. The guys have got to be positive and have to work hard for tomorrow’s game. That’s all we can do.”

Four half-centuries ensure hosts post imposing first-day total at Grace Road

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Apr-2025Half-centuries from Sol Budinger, Ian Holland, Peter Handscomb and Logan Van Beek helped Leicestershire reach a commanding 423 for nine after Derbyshire had asked them to bat first on the first day of their Rothesay County Championship match in Leicester.The East Midlands rivals are both looking to build on winning starts to their Division Two campaigns. Derbyshire, who beat Gloucestershire at home last week, bowled well at times but found their errors punished ruthlessly by aggressive Leicestershire batting.Leicestershire, victors at Glamorgan in the opening round, built partnerships right down the innings, with all-rounder van Beek, the Netherlands international making his debut, impressing at No 8. New Zealand’s Blair Tickner took two wickets on his return to Derbyshire.Budinger set the tone for Leicestershire from the start, with two of his first five balls faced finding the boundary, the outfield as fast as it is in midsummer as the current run of sunny weather continued.He had an unfamiliar opening partner in Rehan Ahmed, who took the place of the injured Rishi Patel at the top of the order as Leicestershire chased a modest target to win their opening match at Cardiff last week, continued in the role with Patel nursing a dislocated thumb.Given that Ahmed shares Budinger’s positive approach, there was a promise of runs in abundance if things went their way and at 26 without loss after four overs Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen might have already been wondering whether bowling first had been the right choice, even with plenty of grass on the pitch.Zak Chappell provided some reassurance immediately by bowling Ahmed, who drove loosely, but there was no more joy for Madsen’s bowlers until the penultimate over before lunch and the end of Budinger, who had been pretty impressive until, as can be his downfall, he played one shot too many.You could hardly blame him. Until that moment, he’d given the treatment to virtually everything even a tad short or wide and profited to the tune of 15 boundaries in a run-a-ball 81. But this time the ball from Martin Andersson, only just into the attack for the first time, perhaps climbed a little more than he anticipated outside off stump and the contact he made was enough only to deflect it into the gloves of wicketkeeper Brooke Guest. After 19 first-class matches, 87 remains Budinger’s highest score.His demise at 129 for two, following a 103-run partnership with Holland, prefaced a more rewarding afternoon for Derbyshire’s bowlers, with testing spells from Tickner, Luis Reece and Zak Chappell bringing breakthroughs after Holland had completed a 98-ball half-century.Tickner, back with Derbyshire after a family illness last year prompted an early return to New Zealand, hurried one through to have Lewis Hill leg before for 24; Reece, who had been twice close to dismissing Handscomb in single figures, had Holland caught at gully for 74; and Chappell, back on the ground where he began his career, bowled Patel’s replacement, Louis Kimber.But Handscomb, who flashed one edge off Reece almost through second-slip Madsen and promptly dropped another just short, settled down alongside Ben Cox to guide Leicestershire to tea and beyond.The captain and wicketkeeper added 97 for the sixth wicket before Derbyshire, with the new ball four overs away, made an important breakthrough as Handscomb, almost out off a thick edge to slip two balls earlier, was bowled by David Lloyd’s off-spin, one wicket bringing another as left-arm spinner Jack Morley had Cox leg before for 49.But any Derbyshire hopes of making short work of what remained in the Leicestershire innings were thwarted by Van Beek and Ben Green, who added 64 although Van Beek had some good fortune when the delivery from Reece that came back to bowl him on 33 was signalled as a no ball.Tickner had Green caught at long leg and the persevering Reece had Ben Mike leg before but Leicestershire were not to be denied a fourth batting point and may yet claim a fifth.

An opening stand of 227 between Matt Prior and Vikram Solanki hurried England A to victory over the United Arab Emirates in the fourth and final match of their brief stay in Sharjah

Cricinfo staff06-Nov-2012England A 245 for 1 (Solanki 109, Prior 122*) beat United Arab Emirates 243 for 5 (Asghar Ali 72, Syed Maqsood 74) by 9 wickets, and won series 4-0
Scorecard

Matt Prior: unbeaten century hurried England A to a clean sweep© Getty Images
An opening stand of 227 between Matt Prior and Vikram Solanki hurried England A to victory over the United Arab Emirates in the fourth and final match of their brief stay in Sharjah. Solanki was out for 109 shortly before the end, but Prior was still there with 122 as England A completed a nine-wicket victory with 8.4 overs to spare.A repeat of the third match, in which England A squeaked home by just one wicket, was never very likely once Prior, who smacked 13 fours and three sixes, and Solanki (seven fours, three sixes) got going. In the end it was a surprise when Solanki fell to Rizwan Latif, the UAE’s stand-in captain in place of the impressive Khuram Khan. It was the third substantial contribution in a row from Prior, who hit 84 in the second match and 56 in the third one.In contrast to England A’s supercharged start, the UAE had earlier made a disastrous one, losing both openers for ducks – Mohammad Taskeen caught behind by his fellow wicketkeeper Prior off Sajid Mahmood, and Atif Ali run out by Paul Franks. A confident 72 from 89 balls by Asghar Ali, who hit seven fours and a six, steadied the ship, and UAE were lifted to a handy total by an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 104 between Syed Maqsood, who made an unbeaten 74, and Naeemuddin Aslam (34 not out).Four bowlers took a wicket apiece, but the coach Rod Marsh won’t have been amused by the 26 wides that the England A bowlers sent down. The main offenders were Alex Gidman (11) and Mahmood (nine, plus two no-balls). But overall Marsh will be satisfied with the 4-0 result, and an excellent workout before the sterner tests that lie ahead in Sri Lanka, where they will contest a three-way one-day tournament that also includes Pakistan A.