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Mohammad Ashraful demands Bangladesh give it all in the third and final one-day international in Queenstown after an “unacceptable” performance in the second match. Bangladesh have already conceded the best-of-three series 2-0 to New Zealand but Ashraful felt his side could come back hard ahead of the two Tests.”I believe we can recover from the performance in Napier,” he told the . “Our effort in that match was not up to our usual standard and we’re capable of playing much better than that hopefully we can prove that here in Queenstown.”We need to lift our game in all the main areas but particularly in terms of producing a better performance in our middle order. We can’t afford to lose wickets so quickly; we need to make better decisions when the pressure is on.”From Queenstown, Bangladesh will travel to Dunedin to begin preparations for the first Test. Ashraful, 23, was glad to have the services of Test specialists Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees and Enamul Haque jnr, who fly into Auckland today. Bangladesh have a single win in 49 Tests, against a weak Zimbabwe side in 2004-05, and Ashraful called on his players to play hard against New Zealand.Assessing the opposition, who were completely outclassed in a two-Test series in South Africa recently, Ashraful felt they were a formidable side. “I don’t think New Zealand are vulnerable in the Tests, despite what happened to them in South Africa,” he said. “They’re a good side; they fight very hard and they’re especially tough to play in their own conditions.”The second and final Test, also the last match of the tour, starts in Wellington on January 12.

Pakistan have objected to playing in Ahmedabad after an inspection by their security team. Pakistan were due to play their second Test against India at the venue, which is in the state of Gujarat, where communal riots occured in 2002.Shaharyar Khan told the BBC that the Pakistan Board’s objections had been made officially to the BCCI. “We have reservations in playing there and we have suggested changes to the BCCI. We haven’t suggested any alternate venues. We will play anywhere else they want us to play.”This news is unlikely to please the BCCI, which has insisted that Ahmedabad is a safe venue and that precautions will be taken to avert any unpleasant incidents. And since matches are awarded to associations on a rotational basis, the Indian board will have to tread lightly to avoid stepping on toes at home and abroad.However, Shaharyar stood firmly behind the security report presented to him. “There are possibilities of security problems erupting and tensions running high,” he said. “We have informed the Indian board of our concerns and we hope to settle the issue mutually.”The BCCI was quick to move after receiving notice of the Pakistan board’s concerns, referring the matter to the government. “The PCB has written a letter to the BCCI president expressing some reservations over Ahmedabad as a venue,” quoted Rajiv Shukla, vice-president of the BCCI, as saying. “We have now taken up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs.”

New Zealand’s hopes of success in the tri-series with India and Australia starting today will rest on resolving the long-standing puzzle of bowling at the death. This has consistently been a weak area in the New Zealand game but one which will again be sorely tested given the batting line-ups both the world champion Australians and, the runners-up, India possess.The death phase of games has so often been shown to be the vital stage of matches, the true difference between winning and losing. Control is something of an art form, and was an area where New Zealand enjoyed some ice cold composure during its outstanding era in the 1980s in the one-day game. More recently, the attention to this phase has not resulted in any significant formula being achieved.But if the side is to advance in the one-day game it is the area that most needs addressing. The facts are revealing. New Zealand has the worst of the Test-playing nations, even Bangladesh does better, albeit with less games to throw into the equation. However, New Zealand’s plight can be seen from the fact that the Netherlands has a superior record.Average runs conceded by each country in the 47th-50th overs of completed innings, between September 1 2001 and September 1 2003 (instances in brackets):

1st innings 2nd innings All innings————————————————————Pakistan (16) 28.8 ( 6) 25.3 (22) 27.9South Africa (22) 30.2 ( 6) 22.7 (28) 28.6England (13) 31.7 ( 4) 24.3 (17) 29.9West Indies (14) 31.1 ( 2) 24.5 (16) 30.3Australia (19) 31.7 ( 3) 27.0 (22) 31.1Sri Lanka (21) 32.9 ( 5) 27.0 (26) 31.7India (19) 35.1 ( 4) 24.8 (23) 33.3Zimbabwe (22) 37.5 ( 2) 17.0 (24) 35.8New Zealand (17) 38.5 ( 1) 35.0 (18) 38.3Netherlands ( 3) 36.7 – ( 3) 36.7Bangladesh (13) 38.1 – (13) 38.1Namibia ( 6) 40.5 – ( 6) 40.5Kenya ( 8) 43.5 – ( 8) 43.5Canada ( 1) 52.0 – ( 1) 52.0

On Asian soil:

All innings—————————-Pakistan (11) 24.3Sri Lanka (10) 27.9England ( 2) 28.5West Indies ( 3) 31.0India (12) 34.3New Zealand ( 7) 34.7South Africa ( 3) 34.7Zimbabwe (12) 36.7Australia -Netherlands ( 1) 33.0Bangladesh ( 9) 42.9Kenya ( 4) 43.8Canada -Namibia –

Again, a measure to be considered by a side looking to be competitive on the international scene is the absence of New Zealand bowlers among practitioners regarded as death specialists. Daryl Tuffey, is the only New Zealander to feature, and his placement is a further indication of how under-valued he was by some critics before the just-completed Test series with India. But to see Jacob Oram, Scott Styris and Andre Adams on the list for worst bowling at the death is of significant concern.INDIVIDUAL BOWLING AT THE DEATH:Best death bowlers (minimum qualification 10 overs):

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-AR Caddick ENG 11 59 5.36M Muralitharan SL 18 97 5.39A Flintoff ENG 27 161 5.96CD Collymore WI 16 96 6.00GD McGrath AUS 27 170 6.30Wasim Akram PAK 22 140 6.36SM Pollock RSA 57 363 6.37Shoaib Akhtar PAK 19 131 6.89ST Jayasuriya SL 21 145 6.90TJ Friend ZIM 13 90 6.92

On Asian soil (minimum qualification 5 overs):

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-Shahid Afridi PAK 5 14 2.80HDPK Dharmasena SL 8 40 5.00M Muralitharan SL 10 50 5.00Wasim Akram PAK 7 40 5.71RP Arnold SL 7 42 6.00Waqar Younis PAK 5 30 6.00D Gough ENG 7 43 6.14Harbhajan Singh IND 5 31 6.20DR Tuffey NZ 9 56 6.22SM Pollock RSA 9 57 6.33

Worst death bowlers (minimum qualification 10 overs):

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-SM Ervine ZIM 14 148 10.57JDP Oram NZ 11 110 10.00TM Odoyo KENYA 15 148 9.87DT Hondo ZIM 24 235 9.79PW Gunaratne SL 11 104 9.45IJ Harvey AUS 10 93 9.30AR Adams NZ 21 192 9.14A Nehra IND 10 90 9.00WPUJC Vaas SL 17 150 8.82JN Gillespie AUS 11 97 8.82

On Asian soil (minimum qualification 5 overs):

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-DT Hondo ZIM 13 118 9.08SB Styris NZ 6 55 9.17TCB Fernando SL 5 46 9.20JDP Oram NZ 9 87 9.67Z Khan IND 12 120 10.00SM Ervine ZIM 8 82 10.25M Dillon WI 6 62 10.33Mohammad Rafique BDESH 9 96 10.67V Sehwag IND 6 67 11.17TM Odoyo KENYA 7 83 11.86

All New Zealand bowlers at the death:

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-KD Mills NZ 4 15 3.75NJ Astle NZ 1 5 5.00CL Cairns NZ 7 43 6.14DR Tuffey NZ 11 83 7.55PA Hitchcock NZ 2 17 8.50SE Bond NZ 16 138 8.63DL Vettori NZ 5 45 9.00AR Adams NZ 21 192 9.14SB Styris NZ 8 78 9.75JDP Oram NZ 11 110 10.00CD McMillan NZ 2 25 12.50CZ Harris NZ 2 25 12.50JEC Franklin NZ 4 57 14.25

On Asian soil:

player team overs runs rpo——————————————————-KD Mills NZ 2 2 1.00DR Tuffey NZ 9 56 6.22AR Adams NZ 4 31 7.75SE Bond NZ 2 18 9.00SB Styris NZ 6 55 9.17JDP Oram NZ 9 87 9.67CD McMillan NZ 2 25 12.50DL Vettori NZ 1 13 13.00

Most expensive death over:

runs player for against venue season—————————————————————-28 RJ van Vuuren NAMIB AUS Potchefstroom 2002/0327 AA Donald RSA AUS Perth 2001/0227 JEC Franklin NZ RSA Perth 2001/0226 MA Suji KENYA IND Paarl 2001/0226 AR Adams NZ ZIM Bloemfontein 2002/0325 WPUJC Vaas SL PAK Tangier 200224 JN Gillespie AUS PAK Nairobi (Gymk) 2002/0324 SM Ervine ZIM PAK Sharjah 2002/0323 SM Pollock RSA WI Cape Town 2002/0323 CZ Harris NZ ZIM Bloemfontein 2002/0323 GD McGrath AUS PAK Brisbane 200223 DT Hondo ZIM PAK Sharjah 2002/03

Most economical death over:

runs player for against venue season—————————————————————-0 Mohammad Sami PAK NL Colombo (SSC) 2002/030 Alok Kapali BDESH WI Benoni 2002/030 AA Donald RSA BDESH Benoni 2002/030 DR Tuffey NZ PAK Dambulla 20030 B Lee AUS RSA Melbourne 2001/020 Shahid Afridi PAK BDESH Dhaka 2001/020 A Symonds AUS BDESH Darwin 20030 A Flintoff ENG NAMIB Port Elizabeth 2002/030 Shahid Afridi PAK BDESH Dhaka 2001/020 KD Mills NZ SL Dambulla 20030 GD McGrath AUS WI Gros Islet 2002/030 Inzamam-ul-Haq PAK BDESH Chittagong 2001/02

Most expensive death spell (2 overs):

runs player for against venue season—————————————————————-40 RJ van Vuuren NAMIB AUS Potchefstroom 2002/0336 JEC Franklin NZ RSA Perth 2001/0235 WPUJC Vaas SL PAK Tangier 200234 TM Odoyo KENYA RSA Cape Town 2001/0233 LJ Burger NAMIB ZIM Harare 2002/0333 CM Willoughby RSA IND Dhaka 200333 ML Nkala ZIM PAK Bulawayo 2002/0333 IJ Harvey AUS RSA Port Elizabeth 2001/0233 Z Khan IND ZIM Faridabad 2001/0232 D Gough ENG RSA The Oval 200332 V Sehwag IND WI Vijayawada 2002/03

Most economical death spell (2 overs):

runs player for against venue season—————————————————————-0 Shahid Afridi PAK BDESH Dhaka 2001/022 KD Mills NZ SL Dambulla 20032 JM Anderson ENG PAK Manchester 20033 GD McGrath AUS WI Gros Islet 2002/033 SM Pollock RSA IND Colombo (RPS) 2002/033 Alok Kapali BDESH WI Benoni 2002/034 RC Irani ENG NAMIB Port Elizabeth 2002/034 TM Odoyo KENYA CAN Cape Town 2002/034 Mohammad Hafeez PAK ENG Manchester 20035 V Sehwag IND KENYA Paarl 2001/025 A Kumble IND KENYA Paarl 2001/025 MR Ramprakash ENG ZIM Harare 2001/025 SM Pollock RSA KENYA Benoni 2001/025 CRD Fernando SL BDESH Colombo (SSC) 20025 GD McGrath AUS WI Jamaica 2002/03

Run scoring in death situations is also not healthy. The statistics show that New Zealand, especially in the second innings of matches, is the worst performed of the Test-playing nations in scoring runs at the death. It is better placed in the first innings of games, but only slightly.BY COUNTRY AVERAGE RUN SCORING AT THE DEATH:Average runs scored by each country in the 47th-50th overs of completedinnings (instances in brackets):

1st innings 2nd innings All innings————————————————————Pakistan (25) 40.2 – (25) 40.2South Africa (26) 39.1 ( 3) 30.5 (29) 38.2West Indies (15) 38.5 ( 4) 31.3 (19) 36.9India (18) 37.2 ( 1) 30.0 (19) 36.8Zimbabwe (10) 38.3 ( 7) 28.3 (17) 34.2Australia (23) 33.9 ( 2) 30.0 (25) 33.6New Zealand (16) 33.1 ( 4) 24.8 (20) 31.5Sri Lanka (26) 28.7 ( 3) 26.3 (29) 28.4England (20) 27.3 ( 1) 25.0 (21) 27.1Kenya ( 9) 27.2 ( 1) 10.0 (10) 25.5Bangladesh ( 3) 28.7 ( 4) 19.3 ( 7) 23.3Netherlands ( 3) 25.7 ( 1) 11.0 ( 4) 22.0Canada – ( 1) 16.0 ( 1) 16.0Namibia – ( 1) 14.0 ( 1) 14.0

On Asian soil:

All innings—————————-West Indies (11) 39.0India ( 9) 39.0Pakistan (13) 37.8South Africa ( 4) 35.8Australia ( 1) 35.0Zimbabwe ( 5) 33.4Sri Lanka (13) 30.8New Zealand ( 7) 30.4England ( 4) 28.3Kenya ( 1) 29.0Bangladesh ( 5) 19.2Netherlands ( 1) 19.0Canada -Namibia –

Statistics compiled by Duane Pettet.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the ICC today announced the venues for the ICC Champions Trophy, taking place in September 2004.The Oval, Edgbaston and The Rosebowl are the three grounds which will stage the 15-match tournament, taking place from September 10 to 25, with rain days scheduled for all matches. Teams will be seeded on the basis of their official one-day international ratings on December 1, 2003.”The ICC is very pleased that the ECB will be hosting this showpiece tournament next year", Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, said." Using the official ODI ratings is the fairest way to seed teams. This system ensures that all teams are treated in an equal manner as it provides an objective assessment of form over the last two to three years”.The tournament will be contested by the ten main countries along with Kenya and the winner of the ICC Six Nations Challenge, to be played in the United Arab Emirates in March 2004.Tim Lamb, the ECB chief executive, said: “The ECB is looking forward to welcoming the world’s top teams here next year and the ICC Champions Trophy will provide a terrific climax to our summer of international cricket throughout England and Wales in 2004”.

The Sri Lankan cricket board has been advised of the results of Muttiah Muralitharan’s suspect-bowling-action assessment, but they are yet to release the details publicly. Bruce Elliott, the biomechanist at the University of Western Australia who supervised last week’s tests, said on Monday that he had passed on the main findings to the Sri Lankan board.Elliott said he would complete a written report later this week and send it to the board. “They know what the numbers are,” Elliott told Reuters in a telephone interview from Perth. “Just the pure numbers at the elbow. That’s the key to the issue, I suppose, but that’s where we are with that.”I don’t know what the Sri Lankan board will be doing. I would hope theywould tell me that they would let us make it public, or they would make itpublic. Now really it’s up to the Sri Lankan cricket board and the ICC.”Muralitharan’s bowling was assessed after he was reported by Chris Broad, the match referee, during the recent Sri Lanka-Australia Test series. The legality of Murali’s doosra, which spins in the opposite direction to his stock ball, had been called into question.Elliott’s team analysed data relating to six doosra deliveries from a test session in Perth during which Muralitharan wore only reflective markers on his upper body.The Sri Lankan board is responsible for reviewing and, if necessary,remedying Muralitharan’s bowling action with the assistance of an ICC-appointed expert before submitting a report to the ICC within six weeks of Broad’s announcement on March 28.Muralitharan’s action has been the source of controversy ever since he was no-balled for throwing by Darrell Hair in a Test match at Melbourne in December 1995. He was later cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis – again at the University of Western Australia – which concluded that his bent-arm action created the “optical illusion” of throwing.

When the first round of matches began, and the minnows lined up to get thrashed by the giants, the only upset that seemed even remotely on the cards was West Indies being done in by Bangladesh. Well, not only did Brian Lara and his team get past that hurdle with a degree of comfort, they’ve also beaten a struggling South Africa and are now only a game away from having a shot at the trophy, and partially redeeming a season which has so far gone horribly wrong.Standing in the way, though, is a resurgent Pakistan outfit which, since Bob Woolmer took over as coach in June, has displayed a commitment and steel that isn’t the norm with Pakistan cricket. On current form, it’s clear that Inzamam-ul-Haq would fancy his chances of making it to Saturday’s final. To be fair to West Indies, their recent one-day record isn’t half as bad as their Test stats – in their last 25 ODIs, they’ve won 12 and lost only nine. Their bowlers have struggled for penetration in Tests, but in the less-demanding world of one-day cricket, where dot-balls are almost as valuable as wickets, their collection of part-time trundlers has fitted in perfectly.Where West Indies have become extremely formidable, though, is in their ability to chase down almost any target. In their last nine games when they have chased over 225, they have won six times, and Australia, South Africa and England have all been at the receiving end.Lara’s prowess at the crease needs no elaboration, but the revelation has been the manner in which the support cast have spruced up their act. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have regularly played pivotal roles, while Chris Gayle’s stand-and-deliver style has often allowed the team to get off to blistering starts. Add the contributions of Ricardo Powell down the order, and it’s easy to see why West Indies’ preferred mode of approach is to win the toss and field first.Here’s more data which suggests that the toss could have a critical bearing on the match: in games between the two sides over the last ten years, the team winning the toss has won 22 and lost three, while the last time Pakistan lost after winning the toss against West Indies was more than ten years ago – back in October 1993.Even if Lara does call correctly, his team will still find it tough to put it across a Pakistan outfit which is, finally, showing signs of fulfilling its potential. Since the Asia Cup began, they have won seven out of ten games, but even more than that, it’s their approach which suggests a huge change in attitude.Discipline in the field was never one of Pakistan’s strengths, but under Woolmer, the intensity has gone up a notch, the number of shocking misfields has considerably reduced – there were still a couple in their win against India on Sunday – and the bowlers seem finally to have understood the virtues of line and length. The batting continues to be iffy, though. Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana bailed them out on Sunday, but the West Indian bowlers will fancy their chances against the top three. Shoaib Malik has had a fabulous run at No. 3, but most of those runs have come in flat, subcontinental conditions. His last three innings in England have fetched him a sum total of seven runs.Their aren’t too many question-marks over Pakistan’s bowling attack, though, and while Lara v Shoaib Akhtar is the obvious key contest, the outcome of the match could well be decided by how the rest of Pakistan’s bowling fare against the West Indian line-up. A West Indies-Pakistan encounter may not quite have the zing of an Australia-England clash, but there are enough entertainers in both sides to make the game an enthralling contest.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Yasir Hameed, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Moin Khan (wk), 9 Naved-ul-Hasan, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Mohammad Sami.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Wavell Hinds, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Brian Lara (capt), 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Ricardo Powell, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Courtney Browne (wk), 9 Ryan Hinds, 10 Ian Bradshaw, 11 Corey Collymore.

Bangladesh’s tour of India next October looks set to be postponed for the second time in six months, according to the Daily Star newspaper in Dhaka, because it will clash with the International Cricket Council’s new fixture, the Super Series.The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) received a letter on Sunday from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in which it was stated that the scheduled time was not feasible. Bangladesh had originally expected the tour to take place in April, after India’s visit to the country in December last year.”The Indian board informed us that it would not be possible to arrange the series in October due mainly to the Super Series and as well as their two big festivals in this month [Diwali and Dhashara] ,” said BCB president Ali Asghar on Monday. “But it is an ideal time for us as we also have international commitments with the other countries.”Asghar added that the ICC had requested all the respective boards to avoid any kind of clash with the Super Series if their players are involved. The Bangladesh board, however, is worried that the tour could be postponed indefinitely, as India has busy international schedules from next November, which begin with a five-match one-day series against South Africa.”It is a very important tour for us considering financial and other aspects but there is actually hardly any vacuum to reschedule the series,” added Asghar. “I will discuss the matter with the Indian authorities when I attend a function in Kolkata on July 16.”Asghar also informed that he would visit England next August during the Bangladesh A tour to create opportunities for the Bangladeshi players to play county cricket. “We had a preliminary discussion with our English counterparts during the ICC meeting and hopefully it will be finalised this time. We believe that it would create real exposure for our cricketers.”

Dominic Cork looks set to be relieved of the captaincy at Derbyshire, after a miserable season in which they have been rooted to the bottom of the second division of the County Championship.Derbyshire’s chairman, Trevor Bowring, has been canvassing opinion among the county’s 14-man committee, and Cork is likely to find few supporters, especially as a comprehensive shake-up of the playing staff is in the pipeline. Cork, who is believed to earn £80,000 a year, is unlikely to want to remain at Derbyshire, if and when he is reduced to the ranks.While Cork seems to be on the way out, the former Zimbabwe captain David Houghton is almost certainly on his way in. He has been offered the role of director of cricket, having cemented his reputation as a good leader during a spell as coach with Worcestershire in the mid-1990s. He is currently involved with Sky TV, and is keen to remain in England, rather than return to Zimbabwe.

John Gloster, the Indian physio, has said that he was pleased with the progress Sachin Tendulkar was making after his elbow surgery and that he could assess the condition of the elbow after a week.Gloster said that they were working according to a schedule given by Dr Andrew Wallace, the surgeon who operated on Tendulkar’s elbow. “I feel we are right on track. I am happy with the progress he has already made and with the way he is hitting balls in the nets,” Gloster was quoted as saying in rediff.com.Tendulkar batted for two hours at the MIG Cricket Club in Mumbai and sounded confident after the nets session. “If I am fit to play for India, then why wouldn’t I play,” said Tendulkar. Gloster added that the final decision had to be taken by Tendulkar “The decision is up to him. It depends on his confidence. If he is not confident about the way he is playing, then we will need to work on it.”

Division One

Points Table

Kent were indebted to an amazing last-wicket stand of 135 between Justin Kemp and Amjad Khan to rescue their first innings against Middlesex. The pair came together with Kent struggling on 249 for 9, after wasting the earlier efforts of Robert Key who made 94. But Kemp and Khan flayed the ball around, with Kemp reaching his second century of the season. Khan was no slouch, and actually struck more boundaries – 10 – than his more recognised batting partner. The stand began as a frustration for Middlesex and rapidly turned into something serious as they are in desperate need of a win to ease their relegation fears. Kent, meanwhile, will have gratefully welcomed the extra batting points as they chase Nottinghamshire at the top of the table. Jamie Dalrymple eventually ended the stand, but the pick of the attack was Alan Richardson who worked through 27 overs for his three wickets. Paul Trego also snapped up three in the morning, while Yogesh Golwalkar, the 25-year-old spinner signed to fill Middlesex’s overseas gap, managed three of his own on Championship debut.Mushtaq Ahmed bowled Sussex into a promising position against relegated Glamorgan as they attempt to keep pace with the Championship leaders. Mushtaq took 5 for 89 as he and James Kirtley shared nine wickets between them to restrict Glamorgan’s first innings. A number of batsmen made starts, but only David Hemp converted into anything approaching a substantial innings. Even his 71 was a wasted opportunity to reach a bigger score when he was bowled by Kirtley and Mushtaq quickly wrapped up the tail. However, Glamorgan did show some fight as they claimed two Sussex scalps before the close although Ian Ward remained firm on 42.

Division Two

Points TableIt was a day of wasted innings for Worcestershire as they shared the opening day honours with Yorkshire. Both teams are still fighting for promotion, with Yorkshire holding the third spot at the moment and they will have been happy with their efforts today. The bowlers chipped away at Worcestershire’s batting, as everyone except Shoaib Akhtar reached double figures but no one went beyond Vikram Solanki’s 48. Tim Bresnan took three wickets and the rest of the attack all chipped in but the total was boosted by a last-wicket stand of 58 between Matt Mason and Nadeem Malik. Yorkshire’s reply moved along a rollicking pace as Anthony McGrath raced to 65 from 54 balls with 12 boundaries.Ian Blackwell and Arul Suppiah made contrasting nineties as Somerset took control against Northamptonshire. Both teams are someway adrift of the promotion spots but produced a hard fought day of cricket at Taunton. Matthew Wood starred in the early proceedings with an aggressive half-century but Suppiah and Blackwell added the key stand of 91. Suppiah’s individual 91 came from 179 balls while Blackwell’s was a typically forthright innings, his 98 taking 122 deliveries with 13 fours and two sixes. It was a blow for Somerset as both fell because on a flat Taunton pitch one of them really needed to turn their innings into a big century. Monty Panesar toiled away for 24 overs – as did Jason Brown – with three wickets between them, while also keeping a lid on the scoring rate after the seamers had been dispatched at around four an over.