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Batsman committed to KKR contract, and T20 World Cup ambitions, despite Test talk from Vaughan

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2020Tom Banton says he has ambitions to play Test cricket, but is not about to be swayed by Michael Vaughan’s assertion that he needs to ditch his Indian Premier League contract to take part in the County Championship with Somerset.Speaking on the eve of England’s first warm-up match on the white-ball leg of their tour of South Africa, Banton, 21, admitted he is still getting his head round a “whirlwind” 12 months, which included a starring role in the Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, an explosive introduction to the Big Bash League with Brisbane Heat, and a maiden England T20 call-up for the recent tour of New Zealand.And now, with a number of England’s World Cup-winning batsmen resting for the ODIs in South Africa, Banton is in line to make his international debut in the 50-over format too. In the short term, his likely berth will be at No,3, with England’s established pair of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy set to resume their alliance at the top of the order.While Banton’s outstanding talent was already well known on the county circuit, his profile was sent soaring over the course of this winter – most particularly at the BBL, where his haul of three fifties in seven matches included a stunning innings of 56 from 19 balls against Sydney Thunder, featuring five sixes in a row and seven in total.That innings, and similarly hard-hitting knocks against Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers, confirmed the impression that Kolkata Knight Riders had picked up a bargain in signing Banton for just over £100,000 at the IPL auction in December. He is set to link up at the franchise with the England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, where the influence of head coach Brendon McCullum will no doubt help to hone his game in the shortest format.All of which means that, regardless of Vaughan’s belief that Banton is ready to challenge for a Test berth (despite averaging 27.12 in 12 first-class matches for Somerset), his short-term career trajectory could not be clearer.ALSO READ: ‘Kookaburra would bring different skill-set to IPL’ – MahmoodAsked whether he would be honouring his KKR contract, Banton said: “Yes, 100 percent. When I was growing up, IPL was definitely something I thought I’d love to do, and play for England and definitely in Test cricket as well. But we’ll just have to wait and see.””I just think this last year has been a whirlwind,” he added. “I was in Perth last year playing first grade for South Perth and I think I averaged 10 across all cricket. I wasn’t really sure if I was enjoying it that much, which was a bit of a shame.”I’d open and seem to get out in the first two overs, and then not do a lot for about a month or so. But definitely I’d like to play Test cricket. I’ll just take it day by day and see how it goes.”And yet, despite his success, Banton was candid about the state of his game after linking up with the England squad in Paarl, and said that he would be seeking the advice of England’s Test captain Joe Root, ahead of their practice matches against a South Africa Invitation XI on Friday and South Africa A on Saturday.”I think the last few months, I’ve kind of lost, not the basics of cricket, but just there that net session didn’t feel like how I’d have liked it to have done. After this, I’m going to hit with Rooty.”I just feel I’m not coming forward as much as I’d like to, but I guess there’s always areas you can improve on. I just want to keep enjoying my cricket, I love playing it and a bad net session isn’t going to change a career.”With back-to-back T20 World Cups looming in Australia this winter and India in 2021-22, Banton’s inclusion in the 50-over squad is a reflection of how that format is now being used to test up-and-coming prospects. For the moment, he will be on the outside looking in when the three-match T20I series begins next month, with the likes of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler returning to the front line in his place.However, he is still firmly focussed on pressing his T20I claims, having had a taste of the format with three matches and a top score of 31 from 20 balls in New Zealand in November.”I’m yet to get a score with an England badge on, which is pretty disappointing,” he said. “I’ve only played three games, I know, but it’s something to do.”Maybe one of those 30s could have gone on to be a 60 and it would have been completely different, but I’m not going to change the way I’ve played.”The white-ball team seems so strong at the moment but I’d love to go,” he added. “You’ve just got to keep performing, haven’t you? We’ve got the summer coming up and an IPL so I think some strong performances there are going to help.”

Test team remains far from the finished article, in spite of ‘great result’, says head coach

Andrew Miller26-Nov-2018Trevor Bayliss has warned that it is too soon to say whether Rory Burns and Keaton Jennings can be considered England’s answers to their long-term problem at the top of the Test batting order, in spite of the key contributions they made to a memorable 3-0 series whitewash against Sri Lanka.Speaking in the aftermath of England’s 42-run win on the final day in Colombo, Bayliss admitted that the Test team remains far from the finished article, in spite of what he described as a “great result” in achieving the team’s first overseas clean sweep since 1963.And, despite praising his players for the manner in which they bought into the positive strategy that, as a former Sri Lanka coach, he felt was required for success on their spin-dominant pitches, he insisted that “statistics will tell the story” as to whether Jennings and Burns can forge long-term futures in the side.Of the two, Jennings produced the most memorable performances, compiling a match-defining century in the first Test at Galle while excelling himself under the helmet at short leg with a succession of world-class interventions in all three games. However, he also came into the series under the greater scrutiny, having averaged just 18.11 in five Tests against India last summer.Burns, meanwhile, made a key pair of contributions to the second Test at Kandy, including a maiden Test half-century in the second innings in which he shelved his natural game to give England a brisk start in overturning a first-innings deficit. But he still finished the series with a middling return of 155 runs at 25.83 in the three matches.”I probably don’t think so,” Bayliss told Sky Sports when asked if the pair had done enough to cement their places in the longer term. “Obviously statistics will tell a story there, they are still both fairly young in the Test game, and have shown some good character in the way they’ve gone about it. It’s been exceptional at times, but in the end, for every one of the 11, runs and wickets count.”On the subject of England’s overall strategy – one which clearly paid dividends in the course of the series – Bayliss admitted that there had been times, not least in the first innings at Galle, when they had veered on the side of reckless, but reiterated his belief that positivity and aggression were the way to go in conditions he knew well from his four-year stint with the Sri Lanka team from 2007 to 2011.”In the past, teams have come here and decided to bunker down, wait for the bad ball and bat for a long time,” Bayliss said. “But quite simply, with the spin over here, eventually there’s going to be a ball with your name on it, so we decided to take the attack to them. Don’t let them dictate to us, we wanted to dictate to them. We thought it was the way to go, and certainly panned out that way in the first two games.””We said after that first day in Galle [when England went to lunch on 113 for 5], that first session we were a bit frenetic. There’s a fine line between being busy and looking to score, being mentally positive, and going over the top and trying to hit good balls for runs. You still have to defend well and hit the bad ball for four. With that mental approach, if you are in the right frame of mind, your feet move well and you make good decisions.”Bayliss did, however, concede that the demands of England’s fast-paced strategy had put particular pressure on Jennings, Burns and Ben Foakes, the eventual Man of the Series, but a player who – by his own admission at Galle – is more comfortable with grinding his runs than blazing them in the manner of his more expansive batting colleagues.”Foakes, Jennings and Burns are three guys who probably haven’t got as many shots as the other boys,” said Bayliss. “But they went about their game in a positive manner as well, they were able to rotate the strike and put pressure on the opposition by playing their game, and when they got a bad ball, they put it away for four.”In spite of his own success, Foakes in particular will be under pressure going into the West Indies tour, and ultimately the 2019 Ashes, from his rival for the wicketkeeper’s role, Jonny Bairstow, who made it clear after his comeback century at Galle that he would not be satisfied at playing as a specialist batsman.Asked if that burgeoning rivalry was one to keep an eye on, Bayliss said: “The short answer is yes, we don’t want to put any undue pressure on other people. But it does keep the guys in the team on their toes and, in the long run for England, that’s a good thing when you’ve got competition for places and depth to select from. Even Jos Buttler wants to keep, but the way Foakesy has gone in this series, he’ll definitely be in for the next one.”Since I’ve been here, every time there’s been a challenge thrown to Jonny, he’s been able to come out and score some runs,” Bayliss added. “The trick for us is to try to come up with a challenge for him every time he comes out to bat. He’s got the goods, and the challenge for him will be at home on seaming wickets, but he’s got the talent to master that as well.”In keeping with his reserved judgment on England’s overall series performance, Bayliss also mixed praise for his captain, Joe Root, with mild criticism of his personal contribution of 229 runs at 38.16, as he challenged the side to get better and better in all departments.”He’s probably disappointed with the amount of runs he’s scored, even though he’s scored a great hundred up in Kandy,” said Bayliss. ” I think more so from a captaincy point of view, he’s really been in charge, you can tell in the changing room he’s in charge, and some of his decisions out in the field have been pretty good. I still feel there’s a lot of improvement in these guys yet, which is an exciting thing for England cricket.”

Gloucestershire’s website pronounced that Gareth Roderick was out for the season. With wickets falling at Bristol, it proved to be far from the case

ECB Reporters Network15-Sep-2017Not even a badly damaged finger could prevent Gareth Roderick from keeping Kent at bay on the final day of Gloucestershire’s Specsavers’ County Championship game in Bristol.The day began with Gloucestershire’s official website claiming Roderick would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a significant finger injury whilst keeping wicket on day three.However, when the host county found themselves in a spot of bother in mid-afternoon, Roderick reached for his pads, gloves and bat and duly held up Kent’s push for victory.By the time captain Phil Mustard declared, bringing the match to an earlier than scheduled end, Roderick was 78 not out, Gloucestershire were safe and Kent were left to wonder what might have been.It had been anything but a successful start to the day for Gloucestershire. Kent, desperate for early wickets, left an indelible mark on Gloucestershire’s top order, thanks to veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens. The 41-year-old sent back Chris Dent (41) with the very first ball of the day and then trapped captain Mustard lbw, three balls later. When James Bracey departed in the same manner, Gloucestershire were 91 for 3. With the news of Roderick’s likely no-show, that, effectively, was 91 for 4. Or so we thought.First innings batting hero Cameron Bancroft, and George Hankins, provided some respite and took the hosts to 146 before the latter edged Mitch Claydon to Sam Billings and though Bancroft and Jack Taylor survived to lunch and beyond, there was further trouble ahead.Bancroft departed for 72, at 186 for 5 and Taylor, who was dropped at second slip on 9, at 163 for 4, followed the Australian back to the pavilion a dozen runs later when Matt Coles had him caught behind by Billings for 27. It got worse, for Gloucestershire, before it improved, with Kieran Noema-Barnett, driving Stevens to mid off where sub fielder Imran Qayyun took a comfortable catch.From that juncture, the pressure fell on the shoulders of Roderick. With Josh Shaw providing solid support, the 26-year-old looked in precious little trouble or discomfort as Kent struggled for the break through.By the time Stevens helped himself to a fifth wicket in the innings, that of Shaw, for 2, Gloucestershire were just about home and dry at 249 for 8.
Roderick passed his 50 off 76 balls, with eight fours, and continued to help himself before the players shook hands with 26 overs still remaining.

David Warner’s recovery time could be anywhere between two and six weeks if he does not require surgery, but he may be out for longer should a procedure be required

Daniel Brettig12-Jun-2016David Warner has been effectively ruled out out of the triangular series and may require surgery for a broken left index finger suffered while fielding during Australia’s victory over South Africa in St Kitts on Saturday.In a grievous blow to Steven Smith’s side, Warner will be lost to the top order for the remainder of the tournament and is now in a race to be fully fit in time for the start of the Test tour to Sri Lanka in July. He had made an unbeaten half-century and a century in three innings of the triangular series so far, following a successful IPL.Australia’s team doctor Geoffrey Verrall said Warner’s recovery time could be anywhere between two and six weeks if he does not require surgery, but he may be out for longer should a procedure be required.”The x-ray showed an intra-articular fracture of the distal phalanx of the index finger of the left hand – the top part of that finger,” Verrall said. “We will assess the situation over the coming days to see if the injury requires a surgical option but should that not be the case then David is likely to be available to return to play in somewhere between two and six weeks.”The selector on duty Trevor Hohns and interim coach Justin Langer are yet to decide whether Warner will be replaced by another player flown in from Australia or elsewhere. Warner said the injury would provide him with an opportunity for downtime ahead of a demanding international schedule over the next 12 months.”It’s obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I’ve been in and given the important stage the tri-series is at, but it’s always important to look at the positives,” he said. “This downtime, however long or short it is, will give me the chance to freshen up and spend quality time with my family after an intense period of action.”Langer said he was particularly disappointed to lose Warner’s services after watching the example he had set around the squad. “It’s doubly disappointing to have David Warner sidelined because of his outstanding form plus his attitude and professionalism around the group which has been a joy to work with,” he said. “But we’ve spoken from day one of this tour about every single person in the squad contributing to our success.”I’ve encouraged the players not in the starting eleven to be ready at all times because you never know when opportunities might come. One of the boys will now get that opportunity in David’s absence.”Australia’s captain, Steven Smith, said that while it would be a blow for Australia to miss Warner during the tri-series, the main goal would be to ensure Warner was available for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which begins in Pallekele on July 26.”The most important thing from my aspect is that he’s right for the Test series,” Smith said. “That’s still about six weeks away before the first Test. I think the medical staff and Davey are confident that he’ll be fine for that first Test match.”It’s always tough missing players like Davey, particularly at the moment. He’s in the form of his life and batting beautifully. It’s going to be a big loss for us. I’m sure whoever steps into that position is going to do a terrific job.”Warner’s injury may mean a recall for Glenn Maxwell, following the allrounder’s poor displays in the opening two matches of the tournament. Usman Khawaja is likely to move up the order to partner Aaron Finch for Monday’s match against the West Indies.

Somerset left out two promising young bowlers and took a pounding against Brendon Taylor at Taunton as Nottinghamshire took command

Andrew Miller at Taunton14-Jun-2015
ScorecardBrendon Taylor made 152 to steers Notts’ day•Getty Images

For much of the afternoon at Taunton, Lewis Gregory, Somerset’s highly rated 23-year-old seam bowler, cut a bemused figure in the Twenty20 dug-out at midwicket. Out in the middle, his elders and – in the opinion of his coach, Matthew Maynard – betters, were chugging through the motions on a track so placid it might as well have been a cliché.It was No County for Old Men at the County Ground. Alfonso Thomas, in his 39th year, was the pick of a toiling attack with 4 for 57, three of which came after Nottinghamshire, powered by a brilliant, chanceless 152 from Brendan Taylor, had rocketed past 300; Tim Groenewald, the youngest of Somerset’s six bowlers at the age of 31, was flogged for 84 runs in 18 overs.Gregory claimed he no idea why he was not playing in this fixture. Maynard later confirmed he was paying the price for a profligate display up at Durham last week, where did admittedly leak runs in bowler-friendly conditions.”You can only learn from playing,” Maynard said, somewhat confusingly, “but also you need to take time out to reflect on what you have to do to put it right for the next time.”While Gregory reflected, so too did his 21-year-old team-mate Jamie Overton, both of whom looked considerably sharper than any of Somerset’s preferred options while being put through their paces in a lunchtime net on the outfield.Jamie’s motivation for putting in the sort of performance that Somerset so desperately need would presumably have been at an all-time high this week, seeing as his twin brother, rival, and greatest source of inspiration, Craig, has just been called up to the England squad. Instead, he is being sent to play for the seconds in two Twenty20 games this week, because Maynard feels his team is no position to gamble on such youthful impetuosity.”That’s what we did up at Durham and it cost us,” he said. “We didn’t have that experience to control the game when it was needed. There will be plenty of opportunities for all the youngsters but I am still trying to find out what my best five seam bowlers are, and that’s developing more and more which is great.”Somerset’s best moment of the day was, in fairness to their veterans’ policy, produced by the most senior professional on parade – and it brought to an end the day’s outstanding innings. Taylor had just crashed his 20th four of the day to reach his 150 from 199 balls when Marcus Trescothick, 40 this Christmas, pulled off an outstanding one-handed pluck at a solitary wide slip, low to his left and fractionally behind him, to cling onto Taylor’s first false stroke of the day.According to some reports, Taylor had been earning 30p a run before, at the age of 29, ending his brilliant but all-too-brief career as Zimbabwe captain on a high note at the World Cup. That’ll be an invoice for £45.60 waiting in Lisa Pursehouse’s in-box on Monday morning then.It was a brilliant display from a batsman in the prime of his form. He added 82 for the first wicket with Steven Mullaney, who set the early tempo with 42 from 60 balls and was visibly aghast to be bowled neck and crop by Abdur Rehman as he reached forward but down the wrong line. It was clear from the ease of the wicket and the pace of the outfield that he had foregone the chance for a monster.Frighteningly for Somerset, they weren’t even up against a full-strength Nottinghamshire team. What Alex Hales would have made of the chance to bat first on this track and against this attack can only be the stuff of speculation, and if he hadn’t come off, then James Taylor surely would.Instead, after Greg Smith had come and gone cheaply, shouldering arms to Thomas for 11, it was left to Michael Lumb to provide Taylor with company, as he marked his first red-ball innings since last September with 73 from 133 balls, including 12 fours and sharing in a third-wicket stand of 155 that, for as long as it lasted, looked certain to take Nottinghamshire closer to 450 than 400.Thomas can take the credit for reining them in – he was even on a hat-trick when Samit Patel fell lbw first ball – but little else went Somerset’s way on a sobering day. A generation that, for five almost-glorious years, could justifiably claim to be the second-best team in the country are now, simply, second-best. Now, what about that youth policy?

A round-up of the President’s Trophy matches that ended on November 23, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2012
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar’s seven-wicket haul helped Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) snatch a thrilling four-run win against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in a see-saw battle in Faisalabad. The continuous shift of momentum was apparent in SBP’s chase of 165 as in the entire match. After being in a position of control at 93 for 3, SBP lost six wickets for 36 runs, then managed a 33-run last-wicket stand to raise hopes of victory, but in the end, they fell five short of the target.Neither team created a position of clear advantage throughout the contest. However, WAPDA, led by seamers Junaid Khan and Azhar Attari, had a slight edge over their opponents midway, as they took a 46-run first-innings lead.But that was nullified by a poor second innings by them. Spinners Adnan Rasool and Hasan Mahmood ran through the entire batting order, taking nine wickets between them to bowl WAPDA out for 118. Only lower middle-order batsman Mohammad Ayub resisted their onslaught with an unbeaten 32.The chase began poorly as opener Rameez Raja fell with five runs on the board. His partner, captain Kashif Siddiq, with other top-order batsmen, took them to a position of apparent safety at 93 for 3, before a collapse ensued.
ScorecardAt the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi, the home team, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), claimed a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with the help of big centuries from middle-order batsman Shoaib Ahmed, and a combined bowling performance in the second innings.After being asked to bowl, KRL took wickets regularly to bowl PIA out for 268. Although only lower-order batsman Tahir Khan scored a half-century, PIA were helped by small but productive partnerships to go past the 250-run mark. The seventh-wicket stand of 58 was the highest, but there were five other partnerships all worth over 30. Left-arm seamer Rahat Ali took four wickets.But the total was overhauled by KRL, with a knock of 177 from middle-order batsman Shoaib. Off the other batsmen, only Saeed Anwar jnr scored a half-century, as they were bowled out for 343. Shoaib’s innings featured 21 boundaries and three sixes.The deficit of 75 was erased by PIA, but three wickets apiece by Yasir Ali and Ali Khan restricted them to 194. Sarfraz Ahmed, with an unbeaten 53, and Faisal Iqbal were the chief contributors to that total. The target was quickly achieved by KRL, courtesy of an aggressive 54 from opener Tayyab Riaz.
ScorecardA potential winning opportunity was spurned by Habib Bank Limited in their chase of 139 as they drew against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in Islamabad. After gaining a 61-run lead in the first innings, Habib Bank, through seamers Ehsan Adil and Abdul Ameer, bowled SNGPL for 199. But they couldn’t chase down the small target in 36 overs, and had to be content with three points from the game.SNGPL, after choosing to bat, lost a couple of wickets early, but a 75-run third-wicket partnership, and four other smaller stands took them to 232.Habib Bank’s reply was dominated by their first three batsmen. Openers Imran Farhat and Shan Masood put on 119, with both scoring half-centuries and No. 3 Ahmed Shehzad scored 94. But from 220 for 3, they collapsed to 293 all out.SNGPL managed a more productive second innings than their first. Opener Azeem Ghumman scored a half-century, but of the other batsmen, no one scored more than 24. Ehsan Adil, who had taken two wickets in the first innings, took four this time. A target of 139 in 36 overs appeared achievable and Habib Bank began their chase positively too, but they lost four wickets quickly, and ultimately, ended the game at 73 for 5 with a draw.

Trent Boult has said playing in the first two rounds of the Plunket Shield has helped his preparation ahead of New Zealand’s two-Test series in Australia in December

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2011Trent Boult has said playing in the first two rounds of the Plunket Shield has helped his preparation ahead of New Zealand’s two-Test series in Australia in December. Boult, a 22-year-old left-arm quick, was the new face in New Zealand’s 13-man Test squad that was announced on November 16.”[I was] pretty disappointed that I didn’t get selected in that squad [that played a one-off Test in Zimbabwe earlier this month],” Boult told . “But looking back it’s been a good opportunity to get a bit more game-time and get my season underway with Northern Districts and obviously [I’ve] enjoyed a little bit of success there in those first couple of Plunket Shield rounds.”Boult picked up a career-best match haul of 8 for 74 against Auckland in the opening round, and then claimed three wickets in Northern Districts’ win over Wellington.This is not the first time he has been named in the national squad. Following a strong showing at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, he made it to the squad for the Chappell-Hadlee series in 2009 but did not get into the playing XI. A stress fracture of the back then put him out of cricket. He returned to the domestic circuit last year and finished third on the Plunket Shield’s wicket-takers’ table, with 32 scalps at 25.34. In July of this year, he was awarded a central contract by New Zealand Cricket.”I took a lot of confidence out of completing a full first-class season with Northern Districts last year,” Boult said. “The back’s fine. I’ve come out of that.”I was pretty young, pretty naive three years ago [when he was first picked for New Zealand]. Obviously playing cricket, and just getting that opportunity to play pretty decent cricket here in New Zealand and learn from that [has helped develop my game].”Grant Bradburn, who coaches Boult at Northern Districts, said Boult is ready for international cricket. “He’ll keep bustling in,” Bradburn said. “He’s very fit. He’s very strong now and just grown a lot over the last couple of years; just filled out and grown a lot in terms of physical size.”He’s quick. He swings the ball. And the understanding of his own processes and his own bowling … He’s extremely professional and leads our [Northern Districts] guys in terms of that professionalism of just knowing how to look after himself and keeping himself in good tune.”

Ricky Ponting has warned England they will find it “hard to come to grips” with the Gabba pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010Ricky Ponting has warned England they will find it “hard to come to grips” with the Gabba pitch despite their extensive preparation for the Ashes. The tourists will have had three warm-up matches by the time they reach Brisbane for the first Test on November 25, but Ponting does not believe it will help them deal with the pace and bounce of the surface.”With just a normal Brisbane wicket, visiting teams find it hard to come to terms with just how different it is up there,” Ponting said in the Australian. England played in Perth over the weekend and start a match in Adelaide on Thursday, before their final warm-up in Hobart next week.The tourists’ first look at the Gabba will come on the opening day of the series. “Our record there is unbelievably good and we want to make sure we continue that on,” Ponting said.”There’s been a lot made of England’s preparation, the fact that they’re here early and they’re playing lots of games, but they don’t play a match at the Gabba before the first Test. They’ll definitely still find it hard to come to grips with what they’re confronted with in Brisbane day one.”The pitch has caused lots of problems for batsmen this season with extra bounce and seam following an unusually wet spring. Queensland were dismissed by New South Wales for 75 and 96 in a Sheffield Shield game two weeks ago and Sri Lanka were knocked over for 115 in an ODI on Sunday.Australia’s last loss at the ground came against West Indies in 1988-89. “In my mind it’s been the best cricket wicket in Australia for as long as I’ve been playing the game,” Ponting said. “There’s always something in it for everyone. The fast bowlers always get something out of it, it spins late in the game, and it’s a great place to bat once you get in.”

Half-centuries from Sarel Burger and Wian van Vuuren steadied Namibia’s innings after a shaky start against the United Arab Emirates in Windhoek

Cricinfo staff05-Dec-2009
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Sarel Burger and Wian van Vuuren steadied Namibia’s innings after a shaky start on the first day of their ICC Intercontinental Shield match against the United Arab Emirates in Windhoek.Namibia went into the game missing their regular opener Gerhard Randolph and were soon jolted, losing their first two wickets in the space of four runs after an opening stand of 43. Burger and van Vuuren, who was called up to replace middle-order batsman, Norbert Manyande, stabilised the innings with a 103-run partnership for the third wicket.Van Vuuren made 55 before he was caught by the wicketkeeper Abdul Rehman off Fayyaz Ahmed with the score on 150. Burger then added another 53 runs with captain Craig Williams and Namibia were looking solid, having passed 200 for the loss of only three wickets. However, both Burger and Williams were dismissed in the space of six balls with the score on 203 and UAE were right back in the game.Nicholaas Scholtz and Louis van der Westhuizen were both unbeaten on 22 when play ended. Medium-pacer Qasim Zubair, who dismissed the openers, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 21 off 13 overs.