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The new bowling coach knows there is only one way to be a side that does well abroad and that is to have seamers who know how to hit a line and length

Mohammad Isam29-Jul-2019Since 2015, a major part of Bangladesh’s success in ODI cricket was because of their ability to take wickets with the new ball. However, since the start of 2019, their main quicks have managed only seven wickets in the first Powerplay, at a strike-rate of 113.14 and a bowling average of 103. This is the first problem their new bowling coach Charl Langeveldt will have to try to fix.As a function of playing at home a lot, most of the Bangladesh fast bowlers know how to exploit pitches that are slow and partial to spin. The cutter, for example, is Mustafizur Rahman’s go-to delivery, and he was able to put it to good use even in England where all 20 of his wickets in the World Cup came after the 30th over. However, for Bangladesh to be a successful bowling unit in all conditions, Langeveldt, who has previously been part of the support staff at South Africa and Afghanistan, said they had to work on their consistency and fitness.”In all formats you need to be consistent with the new ball,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “You need to be able to hit your length consistently, and bowl at least four or five balls in the right area from where you will be able to ask questions. Most of the time at home they will play one or two seamers but when you go to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, you might have to go with three seamers. I have to identify three fit guys who will bowl consistently in good areas and be aggressive in that length.”If you want to be the best, you need to be able to be consistent with the new ball. You have to be consistent with the length. [Mustafizur Rahman] is good with change of pace but it is hard with the new ball. The wicket is not gripping at times. For me it is to get the seam position nice and straight. He uses a lot of offcutters into the wicket but for me the key would be able to swing the ball back in to the right-handers, and take it away from the left-handers.”Langeveldt was the South Africa bowling coach in 2017 when they beat Bangladesh 2-0 with the visiting pacers picking up just nine wickets in the entire Test series.”This is a good challenge for me,” he said. “I was coaching the South Africa bowlers couple of years ago when we played against them, and we saw them struggle in foreign conditions. They were struggling with consistency in line and length. It is a thing that can be fixed, and I have to see if it is a technical problem. It will be my challenge.”Langeveldt pointed to the fast bowling revolution taking place in India as proof that teams from the subcontinent can do well abroad. “When you want to play well away from home, you need to have good seamers. India have improved because they play well all over the world. They have good spinners but they also have great seamers. I would like to ensure a few [Bangladesh] seamers come through the system and be able to compete in international cricket.”Langeveldt said that he is the type of bowling coach who likes to be up front with the players, so that he can quickly identify their strengths and weaknesses. “I will go to the bowler first, discuss things with him. What does he think? Then I would try to implement my coaching philosophy on him, and tell him if you want to be the No 1 bowler in the world, this is what you need to do.”How can I help you? If this is a technical thing, I will definitely help him. But first it is a discussion between me and player, what his shortcomings are, and then we will take it forward from then.”

According to the ICC rankings, it was the world’s best batsman vs the world’s best bowler in front of a sell-out Hove crowd – and the batsman came out on top

Matt Roller13-Jul-2018
ScorecardAaron Finch bludgeoned the fifth T20 hundred of his career against Sussex’s star-studded bowling attack to lift Surrey to a second win in as many days.Finch’s brutal 131* – which included several huge blows for six as he took advantage of a flat Hove wicket and a short leg-side boundary – was the dominant innings in Surrey’s total of 192 for 3, but it could all have been so different. On one, Finch chipped the simplest of return catches to Jofra Archer, but the chance was put down, and he lived another day.In response, Sussex were always behind the game. They slumped to 8 for 2 after three overs thanks to an impressive new-ball spell from Sam Curran, and despite Phil Salt’s enterprising 72, never managed to get near the required rate.Jason Gillespie, Sussex’s head coach, said: “There were a couple of missed opportunities in the field which went on to cost us which was disappointing, and I didn’t think our bowlers adapted quickly enough to the wicket which did a bit for the seamers.”Having said that it was a very good knock by Aaron Finch, he’s outstanding in this format but if you drop him when he’s barely got started the chances are he will punish you. But it’s only our first defeat after three wins so we’ll be fine.”Fresh from a typically destructive 58 at the Oval last night, Finch looked rusty at the start of his innings; on top of Archer’s mystifying drop, he was beaten outside the off stump twice in the first five balls of his innings. But after an uncharacteristically sedate start, the clash that defined the game began.Going into this fixture, Sussex were full of confidence. The first three games of their Blast campaign had produced three wins, and five cheap wickets for their star overseas player, Rashid Khan. Surrey, meanwhile, were hoping their campaign would get going. Two defeats in two were to be expected with a squad missing several star names, and last night’s win gave reason for cautious optimism.

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This much was evident as Rashid came into the attack. Before tonight, Rashid had bowled eight balls to Finch in his T20 career, and dismissed him twice. But Finch has improved his game against spin no end over the course of eight IPL seasons, and now has a better strike-rate against slow bowlers than any batsman in the world. At least according to the ICC’s rankings, this was the world’s best bowler against the world’s best batsman, in front of a packed Hove crowd.Rashid won the first battle. Twice, Finch tried to crunch him through the off side; twice, he failed to connect properly, and Rashid started with two dots. Then, his lap sweep only narrowly beat David Wiese at short fine leg, before he knocked a single in a desperate attempt to get down the other end.But Finch landed the next punch: two firm, hard sweeps in the next over brought a single and a boundary, and Luke Wright withdrew his trump card from the attack in anticipation of a further battle.In the interlude, Finch started to put his foot down: Chris Jordan was dispatched for a one-bounce four over extra cover, and Danny Briggs was hit out of the attack.When Rashid returned to bowl the 15th over, Surrey were 117-3 and threatening an explosion. It soon came: Finch crunched a huge six over the hospitality tents at long-on, and milked all the singles he wanted.The next over, from Wiese, brought two more sixes, before Rashid’s return saw another mammoth blow over long-on for six. Rashid and Sussex’s confidence was dented; Surrey and Finch were strutting their stuff.Finch soon had a ton, as some uncharacteristically poor death bowling from Archer and Chris Jordan allowed Surrey to add 47 in the final three overs, and their imposing 192 always looked well above par.Sussex’s reply never got going. Before this evening, Luke Wright and Laurie Evans had made 361 runs between them in six innings; here, they made 0 and 3 respectively. Sam Curran swung the new ball with all the skill and control of the international bowler that he is, and his first two overs were maidens.Salt played a mature innings in his vain attempts to keep Sussex’s hopes alive, but some poor shots by the top order and a failure to build any meaningful partnerships meant that his was a lone hand in a poor showing.Sussex will not be too concerned by defeat – they still sit top of the South Group – but their efforts with the bat did expose a reliance on their top order. Fine all-rounders though they are, Wiese and Jordan are not top-class number six and seven batsmen respectively, and Jason Gillespie will surely ponder the balance of his side before their next challenge.

The 39-year old record-breaking left-arm spinner also said he considers his future before every series he plays

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle 11-Mar-2017Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing Daniel Vettori’s career tally of 362. This was also his 29th five-wicket haul – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble have achieved more.”If you can get to a target like that it would be terrific, because very few people have taken 400 Test wickets,” Herath said. “I’d love to get there, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be in this form forever. But I’ll keep playing and contributing as I can for the team and for the country, and hope that the wickets keep coming.”That Herath is now among the most successful bowlers in the game is all the more extraordinary, given he did not have a long run in the team until he was 31. Before 2009, when he became a fixture in Sri Lanka’s Test XI, Herath had played only 14 Tests at sporadic intervals.”I have no regrets about starting late,” he said. “I have already played 79 Tests and I am happy with what ever I have achieved so far.”Herath needs 34 more Test wickets to get 400, and if matches are played per-schedule, Sri Lanka play six further home Tests this year before they are due to go overseas for a bilateral tour. In those matches, Herath may find himself sharing the spin duties with two other slow bowlers, however – Sri Lanka now having fielded three specialist spinners in each of their last four Tests on the island. Unusually, in this match, they also played two seamers, bringing the number of frontline bowlers to five. As acting captain, Herath said having so many bowlers at his command provided him with a wealth of possible strategies.”We talked a lot about playing six batsmen and five bowlers, and ultimately it was the selectors who made that decision,” Herath said. “I look at it the positive way. I have loads of options when you have three spinners. When we bowl long spells bowlers will get tired, so in that situation having five bowlers is a clear advantage.”As you saw today, playing against three spinners with such a large score to get is difficult for the opposition. The pitch wasn’t turning as much as usual, but we had the bowlers who did well – Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan gave a lot of support.”Though Sri Lanka were rarely pushed in this match, they did drop three catches in the first innings. Catches had been liberally spilled in recent tours of South Africa and Australia as well. 

”After a game we look at the weak points in all three departments, and we have to be more cautious when it comes to fielding, as we missed a few chances,” Herath said. “But we are learning. We will work hard and come good.”

Shashikala Siriwardene will lead Sri Lanka Women in the Women’s World Twenty20 and the preceding T20I series against India, which starts from February 24

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2016Shashikala Siriwardene will lead Sri Lanka Women in the Women’s World Twenty20 and the preceding T20I series against India, which starts from February 24. Siriwardene has recovered from a thumb injury she suffered during the side’s tour of New Zealand in November last year, which ruled her out of two ODIs and the following T20I series.The squad for India includes uncapped allrounders Hansima Karunaratne and Harshitha Madavi, although the latter will only join the squad for the Women’s World T20, which starts on March 15. The experienced trio of allrounder Eshani Lokusuriyage, batsman Yasoda Mendis and left-arm medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodhani have made their way back to the side after missing the New Zealand series.Achini Kulasuriya, Chamari Polgampola, Hasini Perera, Maduri Samuddika, Anushka Sanjeewani, who had a disappointing tour of New Zealand, were left out, although Samuddika and Sanjeewani have been added to the list of standbys for the tournaments.Sri Lanka’s tour of India comprises three ODIs and as many T20Is, which will be played in Ranchi between February 15 and February 26. Sri Lanka have been slotted in Group A of the 10-team Women’s World T20, alongside Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland. Their World T20 campaign kicks off against New Zealand on March 15. The top two teams from the group will progress to the semi-final stage.Sri Lanka T20I squad: Shashikala Siriwardene (capt), Chamari Atapattu, Yasoda Mendis, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Dilani Manodara, Prasadani Weerakkody, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Nilakshi de Silva, Hansima Karunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Harshitha Madavi*

Talk of a possible whitewash has been calmly batted aside by England’s captain

George Dobell in Manchester31-Jul-2013Alastair Cook did not make his name with outrageous strokes or flamboyant innings, so it should be no surprise that his measured approach to batting is reflected in his captaincy.That is not to say that Cook’s approach is limited or lacking in ambition. Just that Cook, like Andy Flower, the coach in whose image this entire England team is moulded, is a pragmatist more than a dreamer. While others plan for the long term, Cook focuses on the present. He knows that his success has come, not through a flash of genius or a preposterous talent, but through hard work, application, discipline and determination. And he is not about to abandon those qualities now he is on the threshold of an achievement that may well define him as a captain.Rightly or wrongly, England and Australia players are still judged – disproportionately, really – by their own supporters on their success in Ashes series. So for Cook, aged only 28 and in his first summer as Test captain, to already have such a landmark achievement in sight is remarkable.Two-nil up with three to play, England need only a draw at Old Trafford to retain the Ashes. Bearing in mind Manchester’s reputation for rain – England’s practice session on the eve of the game had to take place inside due to a torrential downpour – that may prove pertinent.But while the media, in particular, are already starting to speculate on the possibility of a 5-0 whitewash, the England captain remains as calm and unruffled as ever: the one-ball-at-a-time mantra has served him well and he will not deviate from it. There is no talk in the England camp about whitewashes.It’s not hard to understand Cook’s caution. England have been on the crest of a wave before, only to crash dramatically. No sooner had they won the Ashes in 2005 than they were defeated by Pakistan, while the same team dragged them back to earth at the start of 2012 just after England had reached the No. 1 Test ranking.They have experience in Ashes encounters, too. In 2009, for example, England went to Leeds on the back of some good performances only to succumb to an innings-and-80-run defeat that gave Australia a lifeline in the series. Similarly, in 2010-11, they went to Perth on the back of a strong win in Adelaide, and were brushed aside by 267 runs.And then there was the entire 2006-07 series. Cook and several of his team experienced a thrashing in that series and the pain of it has instilled not just a fear of failure, but a fear of the complacency and hubris that often precede it. For Cook and Flower, complacency is an almost unimaginable indulgence.”That was a miserable time,” Cook said as he reflected on the 2006-07 Ashes. “They just showed the Brisbane Test on Sky Sports and it was a very tough introduction to Ashes cricket. But it has gone now and it was part of my learning experience as a player. You can’t keep looking back. We focus on today and today only.”At Headingley in 2009 we did start thinking too far ahead. I admit I do remember saying ‘If we win here, we win the Ashes’. There was that mentality and we forgot about the hard work. I can’t remember who won the toss, but we were suddenly bowled out for 150 and you don’t win many games from there.”Perth was different. I think you have to give credit to the way Australia played in that game. I don’t think it was anything to do with it being 1-0 in the series. It wasn’t a do-or-die game as such and they out-skilled us. Today we are very much focusing on that first day, that first thing that we have to do.”There has been a lot of talk about 5-0, but that has come from outside the dressing room. We are very much focused on this game and this game only. What happens after that we will re-evaluate before the next game at Durham and then the next game at The Oval. That is the only way. We know it works for us better than anything else. Anything else you end up taking your eye off the ball and do not play good cricket.”It is not, perhaps, the most exciting approach. But it is sensible, it is characteristic and it has served England and Cook well. They are the accountants of world cricket. While West Indies and Pakistan flirt with success and failure in a thrilling yet infuriating fashion, England play the percentages, accumulate the runs and sustain the ‘good areas’ with the ball. It may not make them a great side, but it has made them, arguably, as good as they can be. You cannot ask for more.The one man on either side who might be described as a genius is Kevin Pietersen. He is the only batsman in the England side, at least, who can transcend any conditions and any attack to shape a game in little more than a session.But, while Cook remains hopeful that Pietersen will have suffered no reaction to Wednesday’s fitness test, he also remained confident that England could win without him if necessary.”We’ve played some pretty good cricket without him in the side,” Cook said. “Clearly he is a world-class player, let’s make no mistake about that, and he is a player who can change games very quickly. There are not many like that around.”But I think this England squad, especially over the last few years, has developed enough that the players in the squad have also produced some fantastic cricket as well. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott: they are world class batters as well, so we are not as reliant on Kev as we were once a few years ago.”A final decision on Pietersen’s inclusion will be made on the morning of the game and left, largely, to the individual.”At the end of the day it is pretty much the player’s responsibility,” Cook said. “You can have as much medical advice and technology as there is today but only the player deep down knows what he is thinking and that is pretty much it.”He has always been desperate to play for England. He has always worked incredibly hard at his game and over the past week he has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes at rehab, which is not the most fun thing to do, to get himself right for this game.”

Jade Dernbach, the England pace bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the NatWest Series against Australia with a side strain

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2012Jade Dernbach, the England pace bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the NatWest Series against Australia with a side strain.Dernbach had already been withdrawn from the squad for the third match at Edgbaston on Wednesday – along with Surrey team-mate Stuart Meaker – on compassionate grounds as he will be attending Tom Maynard’s funeral.He had been recalled to the one-day side to replace the injured James Anderson, on his homeground at The Oval, and sent down 10 wicketless overs for 59 although had two catches dropped in the deep off him by Eoin Morgan during the final overFollowing England’s win which gave them a 2-0 lead, Alastair Cook praised Dernbach’s effort. “Jade came in and did really well,” he said. “It was obviously disappointing for Jimmy not to play – but that’s the reason why we have squads, and our strength in depth in seam bowling is really encouraging. For Jade to come in and perform as well as he did, bowling a lot of Powerplay overs, is really good.”Chris Woakes had already been added to the squad for the third one-dayer although the ECB have said a decision on further replacements will be made after the Edgbaston match. Meaker was brought in after Anderson’s groin strain and there will be a chance he will be included for the final two matches if England want further cover.

Worcestershire registered their second Friends Life t20 victory of the week as they squeezed past local rivals Warwickshire by one wicket in near darkness at Edgbaston

17-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Worcestershire registered their second Friends Life t20 victory of the week as they squeezed past local rivals Warwickshire by one wicket in near darkness at Edgbaston.The Bears’ highest Twenty20 total of the season – an imposing 184 for 6 – still proved inadequate as the ever-dangerous Gareth Andrew led the Royals home with five balls to spare. The big-hitting all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 65 with four fours and four sixes from 32 deliveries as Worcestershire’s lower order successfully chased 51 from the last five overs.With steady drizzle falling at the start of the innings, Vikram Solanki kept them up with the Duckworth-Lewis rate with a rapid 33 but when Chris Woakes knocked out his leg stump, wickets fell at frequent intervals, three of them to Steffan Piolet.However, the medium pacer’s last over then cost 21 runs and Warwickshire fell apart under a withering assault from Andrew in his second Twenty20 half-century of the season. With four wanted from the last over, he finished the match by pulling Neil Carter for six.For the first time in seven matches Warwickshire batted first. William Porterfield got them under way with a brisk half-century and Tim Ambrose gave the innings a final flourish with an unbeaten 44 from 23 balls.Umpires Mark Benson and Peter Hartley kept the game going despite steady rain and it was Worcestershire’s bowlers who suffered first as they struggled with a wet ball.The pressure got to them at the death when Ambrose and Woakes (17 not out) stretched an unbroken partnership to 65 after plundering 36 from the last two overs by Jack Shantry and Andrew.Warwickshire lost two early wickets to full tosses and Porterfield’s destructive performance could have ended prematurely as a steepling shot off Chris Whelan only just cleared Shakib Al Hasan in front of the fence at midwicket.The Ireland captain was finally caught at deep point for 54 as Worcestershire adopted their regular formula by getting their spinners into play at an early stage but Shakib and Moeen Ali became a shade more expensive than usual.Their three wickets cost 57 in seven overs against a strong bating line-up. Rikki Clarke chipped in with a useful 22 and Ambrose scooted away at the end, scoring 33 runs from the last 12 balls he faced and reaching his highest Twenty20 score in four years.

Sean Ervine claimed four wickets for 12 runs as Hampshire skittled Gloucestershire for their lowest Twenty20 Cup score in a one-sided game at Bristol

19-Jun-2010

ScorecardSean Ervine claimed four wickets for 12 runs as Hampshire skittled Gloucestershire for their lowest Twenty20 Cup score in a one-sided game at Bristol.The Gladiators were shot out for just 68 in 17.5 overs after winning the toss, with only two players reaching double figures. Dominic Cork took 2 for 9 and Chris Wood 2 for 12.That total was never likely to prove a problem for the Royals, who skated to victory by seven wickets with a massive 12.3 overs to spare. James Vince top-scored with 26, while man-of-the-match Ervine finished unbeaten on 14.Hampshire had gone into the game bottom of the South Division, but their third win in the competition lifted them above their hapless opponents. Gloucestershire never recovered from being reduced to 11 for three as Will Porterfield sacrificed his wicket to a needless run out and Wood dismissed Hamish Marshall and James Franklin in the same over.Ervine then destroyed the middle order, sending back Chris Taylor, Alex Gidman, Steve Snell and Kadeer Ali for a combined total of 24 runs. Vince took two good boundary catches at midwicket as Hampshire backed up their bowlers with some sharp fielding.Jon Lewis top-scored with 19 and hit the only six of the innings in a rare moment of defiance. But Cork returned to polish off the tail and it was a sorry procession for the home side, who have now lost five of their seven Friends Provident t20 games.Hampshire openers Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams had no intention of hanging around and took 17 off the first two overs of the powerplay. It looked a pretty good batting pitch, which made Gloucestershire’s failings all the more inexcusable. But Kirby struck twice in the third over as Lumb pulled a catch to Vikram Banerjee at fine leg and Adams edged a catch to Porterfield at second slip.Home supporters had precious little else to cheer as Ervine and Vince continued to be positive in seeing Hampshire to a facile victory. They added 47 in less than five overs before Vince was bowled by Banerjee with the match already won.

He expects to send down a few overs in the next Sheffield Shield match as part of a “slow build” to the Test series

Tristan Lavalette16-Oct-20241:26

How much will Australia miss Cameron Green?

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh will bowl in the upcoming Sheffield Shield round as he prepares to help cover Cameron Green’s absence during the India Test series.Marsh’s fitness and whether he can return to bowling have grown in significance for Australia since it emerged that Green will miss the entire season due to a stress fracture of his back.Green was heading to Christchurch on Wednesday for surgery and in an Instagram post said: “Heartbroken but let’s get a new back.”Related

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There has been uncertainty if Marsh, who turns 33 on Sunday, can physically handle the rigours of bowling. Since tearing his hamstring during the IPL, Marsh has bowled just four overs – all of which were in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s last month.Marsh made 13 and 94 as a specialist batter for Western Australia in their drawn Shield opener last week against Queensland at the WACA. While in the field he was mostly based in the slips and and occasionally helped carry the drinks.But Marsh said he felt “really good” physically as he builds up his bowling loads against Tasmania in the Shield fixture starting on Sunday at the WACA.”I won’t bowl too much for WA, it’s all part of the building process to get ready for that first Test,” Marsh told reporters in Perth at the launch of the 2025-26 Ashes fixtures. “It’s been a slow build. I’ve been really well looked after by Cricket Australia, Ronnie [Australia coach Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Pat Cummins], with our planning and when I bowl.”I love bowling, so I’m looking forward to bowling for Western Australia this week and build from there.”Mitchell Marsh’s overs could be vital this summer•Getty Images

With Australia’s frontline pace attack unchanged last summer, and with Tests played on bowler-friendly surfaces, Marsh wasn’t greatly needed with the ball but still did produce several handy spells.There has been an expectation that the five-Test series against India will be more gruelling, magnifying the importance of Marsh being able to provide support.With Steven Smith to move back to No. 4, Australia’s selectors will likely call in an opener rather than a like-for like replacement for Green. Marsh moving to the top of the order, following in the footsteps of his father Geoff and brother Shaun, has some support, including from legendary Australia batter Greg Chappell.But Marsh dispelled the notion with his focus firmly on contributing as an allrounder and he did not put a cap on how many overs he could bowl in the Tests. “Once you’re in the field of battle, you bowl as many overs as the captain needs you to bowl,” he said.
“I see the allrounder role as being really important, especially for when our bowlers need a bit of a break. I think if you look back at the last few seasons, our allrounders have bowled maybe 10 to 13 overs a game, which is not really a lot.”But those 10 to 13 overs can be really important. So for me, it’s about preparing to bowl as much as I can, as much as Patty needs me to.”Marsh said he was “shattered” for Green who is expected to be sidelined for six months.”From all reports he’s pretty good, initially there is always a shock. It all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “Certainly with stress fractures they can be quite a gradual thing, but this one came pretty quickly.”Someone like Cam with his attitude towards the game, he loves it. The thought of missing that much cricket is probably a little daunting for him, but he’s accepted it now and as an athlete you go through these things.”It’s an opportunity for him to come back better and I have no doubt that he will.”

Quick-fire 32 not out and two wickets spearheads 49-run victory over Phoenix

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2023Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir overshadowed a host of England stars with a quick-fire unbeaten 32 and two wickets to fire Manchester Originals to an impressive 49-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in tonight’s men’s Hundred clash at Emirates Old Trafford.Phoenix, captained by Ashes returnee Moeen Ali, crumbled to 111 replying to 160 for 8.Mir boosted Manchester from No. 8 with an inventive 14-ball assault and finished with 2 for 27 from 20 balls as last year’s finalists claimed their first win after an early defeat and no result.Moeen made 1 off two balls but did not bowl. He did, however, run out his England white-ball captain Jos Buttler for 43 with a direct hit from cover at the non-striker’s end. It was unclear whether Buttler had grounded his bat over the line before it bounced up.England limited-overs fringe quick Richard Gleeson also returned 2 for 22, including Moeen lbw, as he bowled in a match for the first time since January following wrist surgery.This was Birmingham’s first completed fixture after two no results.After being inserted, the Originals were only 26 for 1 after 25 balls following Phil Salt’s early departure lbw to Adam Milne.With the score on 50, savvy seamer Benny Howell then struck twice en-route to 3 for 21 on a used pitch. Laurie Evans was caught at short fine leg ramping and Max Holden bowled reverse sweeping for a golden duck.Buttler continued his encouraging start to the competition with a quartet of boundaries in 33 balls, adding to previous scores of 37 not out and 62.But Ashton Turner, for 21 like Evans, was caught behind attempting to fend off a vicious Tom Helm bouncer before Buttler’s departure was followed by Paul Walter falling caught at short fine leg off Howell to make it 105 for 6 after 76 balls.Significant impetus was added as Mir scooped, ramped and clobbered a six over midwicket off Kane Richardson. Jamie Overton also powered a useful 22 before being run out as one of two late wickets.Phoenix’s chase then slipped to 21 for 3 after 14 balls. They lost openers Will Smeed and Ben Duckett caught at midwicket against Gleeson and fellow quick Josh Little before the former struck Moeen on the back pad with a searing yorker.Liam Livingstone and Jamie Smith, the latter twice in two balls, hit sixes to advance. But it was only a brief respite. Smith was caught at long-on for 15 off Walter’s left-arm seam before Mir had Dan Mousley lbw, leaving Phoenix with a mountain to climb at 64 for 5 after 47. And it was a task too great.Mir had compatriot Shadab Khan caught at deep midwicket and Livingstone fell caught-and-bowled by his Lancashire team-mate Tom Hartley for an innings-high 27.Hartley finished with a late 3 for 13 and Ireland’s Little added a second wicket to wrap up victory.