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Royal Challengers Bangalore will be without Chris Gayle, who flown back to Jamaica to be with his partner for the birth of their first child. He is likely to miss the next two games

The Preview by Shashank Kishore19-Apr-2016Match factsWednesday, April 20, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big pictureChris Gayle won’t be returning to the Wankhede Stadium, where he slammed an unbeaten 100 off 48 balls against England during the World T20. He has flown back to Jamaica to be with his partner for the birth of their first child, and is likely to miss the next two games. That Royal Challengers have posted 227 and 191 this season despite Gayle contributing just one run in his two innings is a warning Mumbai, who have lost three of their four matches will take note of.In IPL 2014, Mumbai came from five games down to storm into the playoffs. In 2015, they lost five of their first six matches and won the title. The situation this time isn’t as dire, but there is still an air of uncertainty around the team.Injuries to Lendl Simmons and Lasith Malinga seem to have affected their combination. Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu have moved up and down the order. Hardik Pandya’s elevation to No. 3 produced only 20 runs in three innings. Shreyas Gopal and J Suchith were left out after just one game each. Parthiv Patel’s inability to convert starts has put pressure on the middle order. Amidst a slew of ordinary performances, Krunal Pandya’s form lower down has been a massive boost.With only two matches left at their fortress before they shift base, most likely to Jaipur, Mumbai need to do all the running to avoid a late dash to the playoffs yet again.Just like Mumbai, Royal Challengers also have two points, but have played only two games so far. A superstar line-up minus Gayle will need firepower in the middle to build on starts. They were somewhat exposed by Delhi Daredevils, who conceded only 27 off the last four overs and carried that momentum into their chase. How Royal Challengers bounce back from a loss that Virat Kohli described as a “bitter pill to swallow” will, to some extent, depend on their young Indian players.In the spotlightAB de Villiers made 133 in his last outing against Mumbai at the Wankhede. In October, he made a match-winning 61-ball 119 in a series-deciding ODI at the same venue. With scores of 82 and 55 in his first two matches this season, de Villiers returns in red-hot form to a ground where he has a strong record.After being named captain of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, Martin Guptill, a surprise omission at the IPL auction, was brought in as a replacement for Simmons. On his IPL debut, Guptill was out in the first over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His form could dictate who Mumbai persist with in their quest for a settled opening pair.Team newsGayle’s absence will force Royal Challengers into at least one change. Travis Head is in contention as a like-for-like replacement, or Shane Watson could open. Adam Milne, left out for S Aravind against Sunrisers Hyderabad, could enjoy the pace and bounce at the Wankhede, while Stuart Binny could come back to bolster the middle order.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable) 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Shane Watson, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Travis Head, 5 Sarfaraz Khan/Stuart Binny, 6 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 7 David Wiese, 8 Parvez Rasool, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Varun Aaron/S AravindWith Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan playing key roles with the ball, Mumbai could persist with the same overseas personnel. That could mean another game on the bench for Kieron Pollard. Mumbai Indians (probable) 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Jos Buttler, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditionsThe might of two batting line-ups could take the surface out of the equation, even though the Wankhede has largely been flat in the recent past. Dew could be a factor in the second innings.Stats and trivia De Villiers and Kohli’s 215-run second-wicket stand at the Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai last year is the highest partnership in all T20s. Royal Challengers Bangalore enjoy a 3-2 head-to-head record over Mumbai at the Wankhede.Quotes”In his domestic career, Hardik has batted at the top of the order. But I guess it is fair to say that the experiment didn’t work for us. Rayudu played well in the last game and it is likely that he will remain at three.”

ScorecardFile photo – Suzie Bates hit seven fours during her 53-ball 54•ICC/Solaris Images

Captain Suzie Bates continued her excellent form, stroking her third fifty-plus score in four matches, to help New Zealand Women wrap up the series against Australia Women in Wellington.After bowling four overs for 30 runs, Bates added 59 for the first wicket with Rachael Priest to lay the foundation for the chase of 117. Meg Lanning produced a double-strike in the tenth over to remove Priest and Sara McGlashan. Bates and Amy Satterthwaite, however, ate into the target with a brisk 47-run partnership for the third wicket. Both batsmen were dismissed as New Zealand faced some late hiccups, but the chase was completed with five wickets and three balls to spare.The win, however, was set up by Morna Nielsen and offspinner Leigh Kasperek, who had picked up three wickets in the previous game. Nielsen accounted for both openers inside three overs before Kasperek sliced through the middle order. Nielsen and Kasperek boasted combined figures of 8-0-38-5. Ellyse Perry, though, rallied Australia with her third T20I fifty, which included three fours and two sixes. She took Australia to 116 with an unbeaten 55, but it was not enough to keep the series alive.The third and final T20, which has been reduced to a dead rubber, will be played at New Plymouth on Friday.

ScorecardGordon Muchall took his resistance into a century•Getty Images

Winning the County Championship requires ruthlessness in addition to skill, enterprise and a host of other qualities. Sometimes, a team’s chances of victory are increased if they grind their opponents into the dirt and break their spirit. Yet as Gordon Muchall, Paul Coughlin and John Hastings filled their boots on the third day of this match at Arundel, many observers, whether within or without the sylvan bowl, still wondered why Paul Collingwood did not declare.Inside ten overs of the morning session, it had become clear that Sussex would have to score the highest total of the match in order to win it, and this on a pitch of variable bounce where Chris Rushworth had made hay on Tuesday. On that evidence, this was a wicket that the Durham seamers would happily carry around the country with them. What’s more, the Sussex batsmen might help them load it onto the truck.Yet Collingwood did not beckon his batsmen back to the pavilion; he left them to be bowled out for 413. Sussex were therefore presented with a victory target of 514, which is 59 runs more than they have managed in their 151-year history. They had a minimum of 139 overs in which to make set a new mark but even Joe Root might baulk before claiming that all his gun barrels would be blazing in such a situation.The Durham skipper’s decision was perhaps based on the evidence that the pitch was slowing and that a target in excess of 500 would overawe a batting side which had not managed to score more than 266 in any of their last nine innings. Rushworth, Onions & Co. still had more than enough overs in which to take ten wickets and they would have two new balls with which to go to work.By close of play Collingwood’s judgement had been justified. Unlike the first innings, Ed Joyce’s batsman had not been swept away as easily as leaves on a dry autumn pavement. The Sussex openers, Luke Wells and Michael Yardy, added 60 for the first wicket, which is still their county’s highest opening stand of the season, before Yardy played a millionaire’s drive to a ball from Coughlin and nicked a pauper’s catch to Richardson. Thirteen overs later, the keeper had his second victim when Matt Machan was properly beaten by a good ball from Hastings.That was the final wicket to fall on the third day. Luke Wells, batting watchfully and rather astutely within himself, passed fifty for the second time this season and Joyce, who has not made a half-century for nearly two months, remained unbeaten on 5 at the close. There is plenty of labour ahead for Durham’s bowlers on the final day of this match if they are to secure a win in their final four-day contest before their vital meeting with Yorkshire at the Riverside in 11 days’ time. There is still a game on.But whatever awaits the cricketers in the final acts of his curious drama, this week at Arundel will surely be one of the highlights of Muchall’s career. Having made an unbeaten 81 in the first innings, the Durham No. 6 made his first century of the season off 215 balls in the second; he had batted for 282 minutes for 115 runs when he was lbw attempting to cut Wells five overs before lunch. In all, Muchall occupied the crease for over eight hours in a match where five top-six batsmen have not lasted ten minutes. Should Durham win, his 196 runs for once out will have played as significant a role in the victory as anything Rushworth or Onions might do on the last day.Muchall’s innings was epitomised not by a series of memorable shots but by the hundreds of good decisions he made. Sometimes these consisted of nothing more than opting to leave the ball alone but they enabled the Durham batsman to seize on any opportunities to attack. He added 116 for the seventh wicket with Coughlin, who himself contributed a fine 64 before he edged Steve Magoffin to Joyce at slip just after lunch.By then Hastings was fully engaged in taking the game away from Sussex by blasting 91 off 72 balls and playing the sort of bullying thrash which Muchall’s diligence had made possible. Time and again the Australian whacked George Dockrell into the rows of pastel-clothed spectators on the banks at the Park End; and only when it had become almost probable that he would score a maiden first-class century was Hastings bowled, playing an outstandingly ugly heave to a ball from Tim Linley, who added three wickets to his five in the first innings.Hastings was the last man out and his departure left Sussex with all manner of records to set if they were to win or even draw a game in which 14 wickets had fallen on the second day but only six on the third. They need exactly 400 more runs. Even in this place of glories and wonders, that would be something to see.

Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as England’s new coach the day after it emerged that he had become the ECB’s preferred choice ahead of Jason Gillpesie.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20150:31

‘An Aussie in the ranks is a brilliant idea’ – Prior

Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as England’s new coach the day after it emerged that he had become the ECB’s preferred choice ahead of Jason Gillespie. He will join the ECB next month ahead of the Ashes series which begins in July.Bayliss, 52, a former Sri Lanka coach who led them to the World Cup final in 2011 and No. 2 in the Test rankings, is currently coach of New South Wales where he has won two Sheffield Shield titles in separate stints, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He briefly coached Australia last year during a Twenty20 series against South Africa and his appointment will see him reunited with Paul Farbrace who was his assistant with Sri Lanka. Both men were in the team bus that was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009.His pedigree in limited-overs cricket was a key factor in his favour ahead of Gillespie as England look to overturn their horrendous white-ball form in time for next year’s World T20 in India followed by the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup – both of which will be held in England.Bayliss can be ‘strict’ – Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene, who was Sri Lanka captain for part of the Trevor Bayliss was coach, has said Bayliss could be “strict” and “doesn’t like the limelight” but thought he would help the captain and players and a new-look England side.

“Trevor is a good, old-fashioned coach who likes to work behind the scenes,” he told the . “He doesn’t like the limelight very much and just lets the players get on with it most of the time.

“If he sees something wrong he is very strict about it and will keep a firm line around the team, putting his foot down to make sure certain things do not happen.

“He will give the team a clear game plan but then he will let them play. He will try to help the captain in his decision-making and is very sharp on tactics, although he is not a huge guy for statistics.”

Jayawardene dismissed the suggestion that Bayliss’ lack of international playing experience was a issue.

“I don’t think it is a problem that he never had international playing experience. A lot of good coaches around the world are in the same position and you just need to look at Trevor’s record. He has been very consistent in all forms of the game.

“I am sure he knows what needs to be done and that he will give it a good try. It is a great time for him to take the job, because this is a young England side with a lot of talented players.”

“It’s an honour to be appointed England coach,” Bayliss said. “There’s a great opportunity to help Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan shape the direction and development of their respective teams. I am also looking forward to working alongside Paul Farbrace once again as we have a similar outlook on the game, get on well after two years working together and have kept in touch.”What particularly excites me about the role is the chance to work with a very talented group of players. I firmly believe that the team has a bright future and I’ll be doing everything I can to help them realise their potential and achieve success on a consistent basis.”Bayliss was the only non-Englishman interviewed just over a year ago when England searched for a replacement for Andy Flower before they eventually settled on returning to Peter Moores – an appointment that lasted barely 12 months. Bayliss was told, at the time, that he had interviewed well but that the preference was for an English coach. While England have used specialist Australian coaches in the past – the likes of David Saker, who was bowling coach – and have had two head coaches from Zimbabwe, they have never previously employed an Australian as head coach.Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said: “Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, has global experience and is very highly regarded in the game. He has proved himself in both domestic and international cricket, has a strong reputation for man-management and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats.”His expertise in the shorter forms of the game will be vital as we build towards three major ICC events over the next four years”Trevor will also work well with Paul Farbrace, an exceptional coach who will continue as assistant coach after helping us to an outstanding victory over New Zealand in the first Investec Test of the summer. This has been a very competitive recruitment process and we’re grateful to all of the candidates who showed their interest in this role. I’m excited to have him on board.”Meanwhile, the current Australia coach Darren Lehmann looked forward to locking horns in the Ashes. “Trevor has been a great servant of the game in Australia and has had great success with NSW in both long and short format, as well as with the Sydney Sixers and Kolkata Knight Riders in T20s,” he said. “He did a great job for us when he took the reins in the International T20s against South Africa last year.”A trademark of Trevor’s teams is that they are well prepared and this just serves as another reminder to us that this Ashes will be a tough contest. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best.”Andrew Jones, the New South Wales chief executive, said: “Trevor has been an outstanding coach for NSW and internationally. He has a wonderful ability to get the best out of sides with his firm but low key approach. And his attacking attitude as a batsman develops a belief in proactive and entertaining players and teams.”His appointment as England coach is another feather in the cap for NSW cricket, which continues to produce players and coaches of outstanding quality. The highly anticipated Ashes series will now have an extra dimension, with Trevor coming up against nine NSW players he helped mentor who make up the bulk of Australia’s squad.In the short term, Farbrace will remain in charge for the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley and the limited-overs games that follow it.

South Africa could be in line for a new convener of selectors next month, with Andrew Hudson likely to be replaced in the top job

Firdose Moonda14-Apr-2015

South Africa could be in line for a new convener of selectors next month, with Andrew Hudson likely to be replaced in the top job. The contracts of all four panel members – Hudson, Shafiek Abrahams, Hussein Manack and Linda Zondi – came to an end after the 2015 World Cup and Hudson is unlikely to be retained after five years in the job.Although there is no clear indication of who will replace Hudson, one franchise confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Ashwell Prince is among the candidates standing for election to the panel and that it will vote for him. Nominations to the panel, which will be elected on the vote of South Africa’s provincial presidents, close on April 30.Prince retired from all cricket in March but may yet return for Lancashire this season and, if appointed, could be the person on the panel with the most international experience. He played 66 Tests for South Africa, 52 ODIs and a T20 between 2002 and 2011. Abrahams, who has been tipped to keep his job, appeared in just a single ODI while Manack and Zondi featured in first-class cricket; all are likely to keep their positions.Hudson is therefore expected to be the only casualty of the current panel, and there are conflicting reasons believed to be behind his departure. “Andrew has been there a long time and he is speaking about the time he needs for his job and his young family. It seems the time is right for change,” one insider said.Another believed that the current convener may be pushed out as part of the ongoing agenda towards aggressive transformation. “They need someone who is a little more active in transformation and he isn’t driving that.”Cricket South Africa recently reaffirmed a commitment to transformation with increased quotas at domestic level. Franchise teams will be required to field at least six players of colour, of which three must be black Africans, but there remains no official quota at international level.However, insiders have confirmed there are targets that are expected to be met – at least four players of colour in every team that takes the field and international sides are sent to CSA’s transformation manager for vetting. It is believed that was what led to the recent controversy around Vernon Philander’s selection for the World Cup semi-final. Allegations in the South African press – denied by CSA – claimed that Philander, who had been carrying a hamstring injury through the tournament, was forced into the starting XI at the behest of the board, who went over the selectors’ and the coach and captain’s heads. Russell Domingo and AB de Villiers are believed to have wanted Kyle Abbott to play.One source said Hudson was partly to blame for the situation reaching that point. “Everybody knows we have to play four players of colour so that should have been done in the first place to avoid all this,” a source said.Hudson was appointed convener in 2010 and presided over two different panels that oversaw major changes to the leadership of the South African team. In his first stint Hudson was required to pick a replacement fifty-over captain when Graeme Smith stepped down after the 2011 World Cup, while in his second, the selectors were tasked with appointing a new Test captain in 2014 following Smith’s retirement from the game.Hudson’s tenure was largely uncontroversial, particularly from a political perspective, bar one incident involving Thami Tsolekile. The wicketkeeper was nationally contracted in 2012 when Mark Boucher had made public his intention to retire and was widely tipped to take over behind the stumps. But when Boucher’s exit was accelerated after a career-ending eye-injury in England that year, AB de Villiers was preferred for the job.Tsolekile claimed Hudson had promised him he would be in the starting XI in the next season, when New Zealand and Pakistan toured, but that never happened. Hudson admitted he “did tell Thami he would get his chance against New Zealand,” but the situation changed when de Villiers expressed interest in keeping permanently.Among Hudson’s big finds was including rookie spinners Dane Piedt and Simon Harmer in Test squads, picking Quinton de Kock across all formats and backing Imran Tahir at limited-overs levels.

ScorecardFile photo: David Hussey stroked 19 fours and four sixes during his 142•Getty Images

A century from David Hussey, followed by a four-wicket burst from Peter Siddle helped Victoria take firm control of their clash against South Australia in Adelaide.Victoria, who were already a commanding 4 for 347 when the day began, rode on a 178-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Hussey and Matthew Wade to compile 534, after which they declared. Hussey’s runs came at a strike-rate of 83.52, as he muscled 19 fours and four sixes to score 142. Hussey was eventually dismissed by Adam Zampa, who collected three scalps, but half-centuries from Wade (83) and Daniel Christian (57) lifted the team beyond 500.South Australia failed to gather any momentum in their innings, as Siddle (4 for 29) dealt early blows to reduce them to 4 for 45. Travis Head and Jake Lehmann – Australian coach Darren Lehman’s son – briefly stopped the slide with a 77-run stand, but Head’s dismissal towards the end of the day meant South Australia were precariously placed at 5 for 134 at stumps.

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Um dia após o Corinthians receber a notificação da Caixa Econômica Federal sobre a execução da dívida de quase R$ 500 milhões referente ao empréstimo para a construção do Itaquerão, o presidente Andrés Sanchez concedeu entrevista coletiva no CT Joaquim Grava e deu o posicionamento do clube sobre o tema. De acordo com o cartola, o Timão não tem mais dívida alguma com a Odebrecht e seu débito é apenas com o banco estatal. O Alvinegro, de acordo com Andrés, tinha um acordo verbal com a Caixa e estava com duas parcelas em atraso por conta da realização da Copa América.

-O Corinthians nunca negou a dívida com a Caixa. Tínhamos um acordo apalavrado com a diretoria da Caixa e estávamos cumprindo isso. Estávamos conversando todo os meses com a Caixa e isso nos pegou de surpresa. O Corinthians deve e vai pagar – cravou o presidente do Timão.

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No acordo costurado com a Caixa, durante a temporada do futebol brasileiro (março a outubro) o Corinthians paga mensalmente parcelas de R$ 5,7 milhões ao banco. Em novembro, dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro, o clube paga R$ 2,5 milhões já que o fluxo de caixa é menor devido às férias e a realização de menos jogos em Itaquera.

Segundo Andrés Sanchez, o Corinthians tinha duas parcelas em atraso. Um dos motivos para isso foi a paralisação do calendário do futebol nacional para a disputa da Copa América, nos meses de junho e julho. O clube havia notificado o banco do problema ao banco antes mesmo de receber a competição internacional em sua arena.

– Tínhamos um acordo verbal. Continuamos conversando e pedimos permissão para atuar na Copa América e, de repente, fomos pegos de surpresa.

Outro ponto debatido na coletiva de imprensa foi a dívida com a Odebrecht, empresa responsável pela construção da arena e uma das credoras do Corinthians. De acordo com o presidente do Alvinegro, a dívida foi resolvida. Isto porque, o clube entregou os CIDs (Certificados de Incentivo ao Desenvolvimento) e assinou um acordo com a empreiteira.

-Nós demos os CIDs e fizemos o acordo com a construtora. O Corinthians deve só para a Caixa. Pelo amor de Deus, que isso fique claro: o Corinthians deve só para a Caixa – afirmou Andrés, que mostrou o documento assinado e registrado em cartório aos jornalistas no CT Joaquim Grava.

Diante de tudo isso, o cartola ainda explicou que a dívida total do clube pela construção de sua arena, inaugurada em 2014, é de R$ 470 milhões. Vale lembrar que o clube já pagou R$ 170 milhões para a Caixa Econômica Federal referente ao empréstimo de R$ 400 milhões feito em meados de 2013. O restante da conta é de juros e correção monetária.

-Na nossa conta, o Corinthians deve R$ 470 milhões e alguma coisinha. Na conta da Caixa, são R$ 520 milhões. O Corinthians só deve isso, que fique claro – destacou o cartola.

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O Corinthians está confirmado na disputa da Florida Cup do ano que vem, disputada entre os dias 13 e 20 de janeiro. Na tarde desta terça, o Timão fez o anúncio oficial. Esta será a quinta vez que o Alivinegro fará sua pré-temporada nos Estados Unidos, que já participou nos anos de 2015, 2016, 2017 e 2018. O clube do Parque São Jorge se junta ao seu rival Palmeiras e ao Atlético Nacional, da Colômbia.

– Participar da Florida Cup é muito importante para a nossa pré-temporada. Teremos três semanas de preparação intensa, sendo que na segunda semana faremos os jogos da competição internacional com adversários competitivos. É um torneio muito bem organizado, com ótima estrutura, com participantes fortes em que focamos todas as nossas atenções para iniciar o ano. Foi uma experiência que agregou ao nosso trabalho nas outras temporadas e tem tudo para surtir o mesmo efeito para começar bem em 2020 – pontuou o técnico Fábio Carille já pensando na preparação para o ano que vem.

– Receber novamente o Corinthians em Orlando nos traz muita alegria. É um clube que, por diversas vezes, destacou a excelente preparação na Florida Cup seguida de temporadas vitoriosas nos últimos anos – afirmou Ricardo Villar, CEO da Florida Cup, e um dos responsáveis pela ida do Timão aos Estados Unidos na próxima temporada.

– Além da condição diferenciada de treinamento e jogos, o evento oferece diversas opções de entretenimento ao público e oportunidades únicas de ativações para o clube e parceiros – concluiu Villar, citando o potencial de exposição de marca oferecido pela Florida Cup ao Corinthians e também aos outros clubes que disputarão o torneio.

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De acordo com os organizadores do torneio amistoso haverá quatro jogos no estádio do Orlando City, no sul dos Estados Unidos. As datas das partidas e o regulamento da competição ainda não foram divulgados, mas há a possibilidade da realização do Dérbi na América do Norte.

Maior participante da história do torneio, o Corinthians volta a disputar a Florida Cup após sua ausência na temporada passada. Os cartolas do Timão haviam dito que a ida aos Estados Unidos não compensava ao clube e, portanto, optaram por não fechar o contrato com os norte-americanos.

Desta vez, no entanto, a diretoria repensou sua postura e concretizou a ida da delegação alvinegra para a Florida. O clube ainda não divulgou os detalhes sobre a pré-temporada do ano que vem, mas ela deve ser toda realizada na América do Norte, a exemplo do que aconteceu nos outros anos que o Timão disputou o torneio amistoso.

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A round-up of the DPL matches played on October 7

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2013

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club cantered to an eight-wicket win against Prime Bank Cricket Club in the Dhaka Premier League. They won with 20.1 overs to spare after being set 201 to win in 48 overs.Dilshan Munaweera and Junaid Siddique got their chase off to one of the most scintillating starts this season.The opening pair added 130 runs in just 17 overs. Munaweera blazed 95 off 57 balls with 15 fours and three sixes, completely dominating the opening partnership. Junaid took over after Munaweera’s departure. He hammered an unbeaten 74 off 79 balls with five fours and two sixes.Prime Bank’s bowling was taken to task, particularly Tapash Baisya and Ziaur Rahman, who gave away 18 and 19 off their only overs respectively.Earlier, their new English recruit, Ravi Bopara, made 74 off 78 balls with 12 fours. Gulbadin Naib took four for 31 in seven overs. The match had started an hour late due to a wet outfield in Bogra.Mohammedan Sporting Club reversed their recent poor form with a 42-run win over neighbours Victoria Sporting Club. They had previously lost their last three matches in the league, slipping to eighth position.Batting first, Mohammedan were bowled out for 240 runs in 50 overs with Upul Tharanga making 73, with Ezaz Ahmed and Shamsur Rahman hitting 44 each. Victoria’s makeshift captain, Monir Hossain, took four wickets.In reply, the defending champions couldn’t recover from a poor start, although Milinda Seeriwardana and Soumya Sarkar added 95 for the fifth wicket. Soumya top scored with 57 off 54 balls. But once the pair was removed, left-arm spinner Murad Khan took three wickets to hasten Mohammedan’s fourth victory.Gazi Tank Cricketers handed Abahani a sixth defeat, when they won by 13 runs in Fatullah.Abahani faltered in their chase of 190 runs in 49 overs after rain delayed the start of the match by an hour. They slipped to 52 for four in the 23rd over, after which Thilina Kandamby and Al-Amin added 76 runs for the fifth wicket.The pair, however, batted slowly, which left Alauddin Babu too much to do in the latter overs. He struck a couple of sixes in his 11-ball 24 but it wasn’t enough as they were restricted to 176 for 8.Earlier, Al-Amin’s three-wicket haul helped restrict Gazi Tank to 189 runs. Rakibul Hasan’s 42 was their highest score while Imrul Kayes made 39, with Al-Amin being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 27.