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Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology beat pre-competition favourites Assupol TUKS, by a narrow two-wicket margin, in their Group B opener played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2015Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology beat pre-competition favourites Assupol TUKS, by a narrow two-wicket margin, in their Group B opener played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun on Monday.The South African side won the toss and elected to bat first, but the decision back fired, as they were reduced to 15 for five in four overs.Malshan Mendis troubled TUKS batsmen with a disciplined spell that yielded five wickets for just 22 runs in four overs.Murray Coetzee helped rebuild TUKS’ innings with a 19-ball 28. His fourth-wicket forty-run stand with Matome Modiba helped TUKS recover from their early set back.Ruben Classen then added 39 runs with Corbin Bosch to help their side post a respectable 134 in their 20 overs.ICBT, in reply, refused to hand TUKS the early advantage. Their top-five batsmen found runs and took their team close-in on a win.It was down to nine needed off four balls. Uralakalasi de Silva smacked a four and a six off consecutive deliveries thereafter to pull off a narrow win.In the first Group A encounter, Delhi-based Shraddhanand College thrashed European University of Bangladesh by seven wickets.Fast bowler Abhishek Vats made the most of a lively surface and pegged the team from Mirpur on the back-foot early, with two quick wickets.They failed to recover from the early set back and were at one stage reeling at six for 27 in eleven overs. Vats added another wicket to his tally, as the opponents managed just 46 in their innings.Shraddhanand College lost just three wickets in the chase and reached the target in just seven overs.In the last match of the day, Loughborough MCCU out classed University of Technology Sydney by a convincing six wickets.The side from Australia scored at a brisk seven-runs per over and managed 140 in their innings. Harry Dalton top-scored with a quick fire 41 off just 30 balls.Loughborough were reduced to three for 43 in six overs, but a 90-run fourth-wicket stand between Michael Burgess and Timothy le Breton helped their side reach the total in just 15 overs.

Kenya, led by its bowlers and Nelson Odhiambo’s all-round performance, defeated Namibia by a resounding 92 runs in a rain-affected game that was pushed to the reserve day

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Nelson Odhiambo picked up two top-order wickets for 26 in his seven overs•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Kenya, led by its bowlers and Nelson Odhiambo’s all-round performance, defeated Namibia by a resounding 92 runs in a rain-affected game that was pushed to the reserve day. The win took them to the top of the ICC WCL Championship table.Rain had washed out play on the scheduled day of the match and once play began on Monday, Kenya won the toss and opted to bat. The Namibia attack reduced them to 68 for 5 by the 19th over and they recovered largely due to a 57-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Odhiambo and Gurdeep Singh (39). Odhiambo was eventually dismissed for 46 off 81 balls, Kenya’s ninth wicket to fall, but the side received another boost in the form of a 43-run partnership for the tenth wicket between Lucas Oluoch and Elijah Otieno. They lifted the side from 172 for 9 to 215 before Oluoch fell for a 32-ball 33.In response the pace trio of Otieno, Oluoch and Odhiambo knocked over the Namibia top four for just 33 runs, with Odhiambo picking up two wickets in successive overs. Offspinner Rakep Patel and left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche then cleaned up the lower-order picking two wickets apiece. The only resistance for Namibia came from the tenth-wicket pair of JJ Smit and Christopher Coombe who added 56 runs and averted the possibility of the side being bowled out for less than 100. Smit finished unbeaten on 31 off 51 balls as Namibia eventually folded for 123 in 38.3 overs.

Imrul Kayes was playing his first ODI after a forgettable World Cup, and he put in a match-defining performance after getting some handy pre-match advice from his captain

Mohammad Isam at Mirpur09-Nov-2015″My boss really inspired me today. He said, ‘You are not dying. Life is not going to be over if you score zero. It doesn’t matter. But when you play badly, you get out of the team. So think normally.’ After talking to him, my pressure got released.”This was Imrul Kayes, talking about how Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, his “boss”, helped him deal with a sudden attack of nerves just before the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Mirpur. This was Kayes’ first ODI since the World Cup, where he did quite badly. He had replaced Anamul Haque midway through the showpiece tournament and, to be fair, it was like airlifting someone from Kathmandu to the top of Mount Everest, so poor was his preparation for the matches in Australia and New Zealand.Here, too, he had been a late replacement. First in the squad for the injured Soumya Sarkar and the later on Sunday night, when Shakib Al Hasan left Dhaka to be with his new born daughter in the USA. Between his last ODI fifty, in March 2014, and this one, he had scores of 9, 1, 1, 5, 2, 2 and 5. But one can’t forget that in between the World Cup woes and this comeback, he had been Bangladesh’s highest scorer in Tests and the most improved batsmen in the format.Mashrafe noticed the nervous Kayes, while the rest of the team were walking around and chatting with each other. “I told him that he thought too much during the World Cup, so ‘you didn’t get the runs. So don’t think this time.’ Sometimes it is good not to think too hard. I wanted him to play freely like he does in domestic cricket,” Mashrafe said.And it worked. Kayes was named Man of the Match for his 76 off 89 balls with six fours and four sixes in an innings that features a relaxed and attacking approach, which is rare with Kayes. He said he was eager for this opportunity and happy that he grabbed it, but rued getting out when he did – in the 32nd over, leaving a lot to do for Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain at the back end. Bangladesh eventually added only 90 runs in the 18.3 overs they batted after him.”I think every comeback is important for me,” Kayes said. “I felt bad after playing poorly in the World Cup. I told myself if I get an opportunity, I will try to make the most of it. Luckily I got the chance and it worked out for me. I did get out at a bad time. There was pressure on the team. I think the next time if I get an opportunity, I will go for a century, definitely.”When I had scored 30-40 runs, then I got confidence – the way I play domestic cricket, I started playing like that… I was a bit low on confidence before 30, but after that I played normally.”Mashrafe agreed that while Imrul should be relieved with his knock, he should have batted longer. “There weren’t any batsmen apart from Nasir and Sabbir after he got out,” Mashrafe said. “I hope he will not let it go next time.”

A spectacular innings from Mangaliso Mosehle took Titans to the Ram Slam T20 title after a comfortable seven-wicket win against Dolphins in Centurion

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Henry Davids anchored the chase with a 38-ball 35•BCCI

A spectacular innings from Mangaliso Mosehle took Titans to the Ram Slam T20 title after a seven-wicket win against Dolphins in Centurion. Mosehle smashed 87 off just 39 balls, with six fours and seven sixes as Titans overcame a target of 160 with 19 balls to spare.Dolphins were given a solid start, after being inserted to bat, as openers Jonathan Vandiar and Morne van Wyk put on 47 in the Powerplay. However, the momentum swung Titans’ way as their bowlers conceded only 30 in the next six overs to keep the score to 77 for 3.David Miller (33 off 25) and Dwayne Bravo (53 off 30), then, stitched an 83-run stand as Dolphins posted a total of 159. Both fell off successive balls – the last two of the innings- but not before plundering 65 off the last six overs to give Dolphins a competitive score in the final.The competition’s top-scorer, Quinton de Kock was dismissed for 12 in the fourth over after lobbing a leading edge to cover off the bowling of Andile Phehlukwayo. However, Henry Davids and Mosehle first stabilised the innings and then got stuck into their work. Seventy runs were still required off nine overs before Mosehle clobbered Imran Tahir for three sixes and a four off successive deliveries as the game turned decisively in Titans’ favour.A partnership of 123 off 67 balls was broken in the 15th over by Kyle Abbott who held onto a return chance to dismiss Mosehle. Davids, too, was caught behind off the next ball but with 12 required off five overs, it was too late for Dolphins.

In a frank post-mortem, Grant Flower said Pakistan “didn’t use [their] brains” towards the end of New Zealand’s innings, in which 85 runs were plundered off the final 31 balls

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jan-2016In a frank post-mortem after the 70-run loss, Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower has said the visitors “didn’t use [their] brains” towards the end of New Zealand’s innings, in which 71 runs were plundered off the final five overs. Those runs had largely come from New Zealand’s No. 9 and 10 batsmen, Mithcell McClenaghan and Matt Henry, who put on 73 together, before No. 11 Trent Boult edged the final ball of the innings through the vacant slip region.Pakistan had used the short ball well, to have New Zealand 99 for 6 by the 23rd over, but Flower said the death overs required a different approach.”We didn’t use our brains at all towards the end,” he said. “Bowling yorkers is skill execution, and we didn’t do that. They played well at the end. The short ball worked to a certain extent, but we overdid it, and we didn’t learn and we just didn’t bowl enough yorkers.”If we’re going to be honest we should have got them out for 200-odd, seeing the start we had.”

Santner’s positivity helped me drop anchor – Nicholls

Henry Nicholls has said Mitchell Santner’s positivity at the crease helped him bind the innings together with his 111-ball 82. The pair lifted New Zealand from 99 for 6 with a 79-run stand.
“It was great the way Mitchell came out and was positive, which allowed me to play more of an anchor role and keep wickets in hand from that position. Credit needs to go to Pakistan the way they got those early wickets, but we had to play positive. The wind and one short boundary made us realise 250 probably wasn’t going to be enough.”
Henry’s dismissal in the 45th over brought together ninth-wicket pair Mitchell McClenaghan and Matt Henry, who provided an explosive finish to the innings, hitting seven fours and six sixes between them.
“I was dirty on myself getting out when I did – didn’t want to miss out on some overs,” Nicholls said. “But it was probably a blessing the way they had that partnership. Matt got hit a couple of times but way he came back was massive to us, in being able to get a score on the board.”

Pakistan’s seamers were guilty of bowling lengths that allowed New Zealand’s tailenders get under the ball. Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan struck six sixes and seven fours in what was a record 73-run ninth-wicket stand for New Zealand against Pakistan.”You can get as many messages as you want out to the players, but it’s got to come from within,” Flower said. “It’s also executing your skills. If there’s a yorker to be bowled, you have to bowl it as a yorker, not a half volley.”Flower didn’t confine his stern words to the bowling attack’s performance. Pakistan’s batsmen had made a slow start to the chase of 281, making just 33 runs from the first 10 overs, at the end of which the required rate had climbed to 6.2. Flower felt they could have been more aggressive.”Even though we should have got them out for a lot less, I still backed the guys to get the target. We lacked a bit of intent at the start and then we had quite a few soft wickets. We didn’t take advantage of a good batting track in the afternoon.”New Zealand have now won 9 out of 11 completed limited-overs matches in their home summer. Pakistan, meanwhile, have lost three consecutive matches on tour, having begun with a comfortable T20 victory in Auckland.”It doesn’t seem like we’re learning from our mistakes – that’s the disappointing part,” Flower said. “It’s one thing losing, but you’re paid to do a job and if you keep making the same mistakes, there are going to be questions asked.”Flower praised New Zealand’s “resilience” for defending 280 despite losing McClenaghan’s overs through injury, and described Henry Nicholls’ 82 as “mature”.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in T20 captain Angelo Mathews has said that the seniors have not delivered, which has put their Asia Cup final chances in jeopardy

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur02-Mar-2016Angelo Mathews looked like a man who didn’t want to be at the press conference, following Sri Lanka’s five-wicket defeat against India. Inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s belly, Mathews gave one answer after another about his team’s lackluster showing at the Asia Cup.Only thanks to same late blows, Sri Lanka reached 138 for 9 in 20 overs against India on Tuesday. Their first productive over came in the 11th, when they scored 10. Overall, there were only four overs that fetched more than 10 runs. Dinesh Chandimal and Tillakaratne Dilshan struggled to get going while Chamara Kapugedara gave it away after a good start. Thisara Perera hit out at the death, but was wrongly adjudged stumped in the penultimate over of the innings.Sri Lanka were eventually put out of their misery by a cameo from Yuvraj Singh. Sri Lanka’s stand-in T20 captain Mathews has said that the senior batsmen have not delivered. Mathews also wanted the youngsters to step up and help spark a turnaround.”I am repeating myself every day,” Mathews said. “We have the team we have here; we are depending on a handful of seniors most of the time. If the seniors fail, we are in a spot of bother most of the time. Specially in a tournament like the Asia Cup and the World Cup you need a lot of seniors in the team. Unfortunately we haven’t clicked. It will take a little time for the younger guys to start performing. We have to be patient, but this is not the right time to be patient.”I think firstly that it’s not just the seniors who have to perform. The selectors have picked a squad and everyone has to perform. This is a big stage and no one is here to learn. This is a stage where you have to perform. You can’t rely on a handful of seniors. We all know Dilshan has been a great servant of Sri Lankan cricket for a long time, and I don’t think this is the time to make that massive change. I am just the stand-in captain. I don’t really know what the selectors and the captain are thinking. But I think we have to be patient and hope the batting lineup fires in the next game.”Mathews conceded that Sri Lanka’s confidence was shot, but said that he saw glimpses of positive intent during their batting. “It is quite damaging, especially the confidence level and the morale,” Mathews said. “You can’t keep losing, it’s difficult to digest. So close to the World Cup, we have to connect the dots together and maybe try a few combinations.”We just have to be positive. But I kind of sensed a positive approach in our batting today and that’s how we have to play.”Dilshan’s form has been a big worry for Sri Lanka. After a hand injury forced him out of the first T20 against India in Pune, Dilshan managed only a run in the next two matches. The struggle seeped into the Asia Cup as well. He made only 57 runs in three games in Mirpur. Mathews, however, backed Dilshan to come good.”I think everybody hits a rough patch, and he has had a few rough patches here and there and his last few innings were not very bad,” Mathews said. “We all need to take responsibility. Not just the seniors.”The selectors and the captain have picked a squad, which they think is good. And so we have to try and go out there with who we have in the squad. We need to have faith in them and move forward.”The losses against Bangladesh and India have put Sri Lanka’s final chances in jeopardy. Sri Lanka need Pakistan to beat Bangladesh and then defeat Pakistan themselves and wait on the net run rate.If Bangladesh put it across Pakistan on Wednesday, Sri Lanka are out of the tournament. Already on Tuesday, Mathews looked and spoke like the stand-in captain of a team that was on its way out.

Mumbai made it to the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in three seasons, but were denied an outright win courtesy centuries from Naman Ojha (113) and Harpreet Singh (105).

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Aditya Tare marked his return from a thumb injury with a century in the second innings to help build Mumbai’s lead•PTI

Mumbai made it to the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in three seasons, but were denied an outright win courtesy centuries from Naman Ojha (113) and Harpreet Singh (105). Madhya Pradesh, who were set an improbable 571 in little over four sessions, ended on 361 for 5 when both set of players shook hands to bring an end to a high-scoring clash at the DRIEMS ground in Cuttack.MP started the fifth day at 99 for 2, with Mumbai having an opportunity to pocket full points. They had a wicket in the first hour when Aditya Shrivastava (68) was caught behind off Badre Alam, the pacer, to give them an opening. But it was a toil from there on as Ojha, who had the most runs this season without a century, brought up his 15th first-class ton during the course of a 159-run stand for the fourth wicket with Harpreet.Ojha, who struck 13 fours and a six during his 185-ball vigil, fell to the part-time offspin of Suryakumar Yadav to once again lift Mumbai’s hopes of running through the lower middle order. But Harpreet frustrated the bowlers and brought up his second century of the season shortly after the tea interval. He finished the season as the leading run-getter for the side with 750 runs in 15 innings.With interest surrounding MP’s second innings dying down soon after Harpreet’s century, the match meandered to a close at the start of the mandatory overs, as Mumbai sealed their final berth on the back of two dominating displays with the bat. While Shreyas Iyer hit 90 and 58 in his two outings, Aditya Tare, the captain, who missed the quarterfinal with a thumb injury, and Suryakumar hit centuries in the second innings to build on a 144-run lead that was taken on the back of Balwinder Sadhu’s five-wicket haul.Mumbai will play Saurashtra, in what will be a repeat of the 2012-13 final, at the MCA Stadium in Pune starting on February 24.

The last time South Africa were in Nagpur they lost a Test in three days and with it their No 1 status, but they are pleased to be back with West Indies their next World Twenty20 opponents

Firdose Moonda23-Mar-2016Given what happened to South Africa the last time they were in Nagpur, in November 2015, you would think it is the last place they would want to return to. Especially so soon. But you would be wrong.”That was a Test match and this was T20 cricket. It’s a totally different format,” said Imran Tahir, who was part of the South Africa side that lost by 124 runs and in so doing lost the series and their No.1 ranking. “And if you look at our record in T20 cricket, we’ve been pretty solid and playing really good cricket for the last year and a half. That gives us a lot of confidence.”Even those who were on the trip, like coach Russell Domingo, are not haunted by the ghosts of four months ago. “At least the Test match was only three days so the memories don’t last too long,” Domingo joked, preferring to remember a happier time in Nagpur in 2011. “South Africa played a World Cup game here and chased 300 against India. Some of the guys from then are in this squad so there are some good memories.”South Africa’s attack have had their fill of the batsmen-friendly Wankhede and would prefer something that does not work against them as much. Nagpur’s deck does not immediately resemble their kind of surface and Domingo has even used the loaded word “interesting” to describe it. He hopes South Africa will have an advantage because of one man. “Imran Tahir on good wickets is a handful. Hopefully on a wicket that assists him, he will be a matchwinner,” Domingo said.Tahir himself did well to brush off any added expectation, especially in the absence of South Africa’s part-time spin option JP Duminy, who has been ruled out through injury. “There is no pressure on me. We’ve got players in the squad who can cover him,” he said.Aaron Phangiso seems certain to get a game, his first since he remodelled his action after it was declared illegal and he will be battling nerves of his own. Not only will Phangiso be playing international cricket for the first time in five months but he will have to do it against a line-up that will include Chris Gayle.Domingo had some calming words for his left-arm spinner, based on the conditions. “West Indies are probably the most powerful batting unit in the world in terms of six hitting but this is a big field and this slow wicket might nullify that strength,” he said. “We’ve got no issues with the wicket. We’ve got two world-class spinners in Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso. And we would much rather play West Indies here than in Mumbai.”

Lancashire supporters have fond memories of Taunton, having clinched their first outright title in 77 years here in 2011, and after two relegations in the interim they had another good day on their return to the west country

Alan Gardner at Taunton01-May-2016
ScorecardAlviro Petersen ensured a good Lancashire day•Getty Images

Lancashire supporters have fond memories of Taunton, having clinched their first outright title in 77 years here in 2011. The club’s Championship cricket has come nowhere near to matching that moment of ecstatic release since, having suffered two relegations in the interim, but they made a strong start on their latest return to the west country, just as they have to life back in Division One.A comprehensive eight-wicket win over Nottinghamshire two weeks ago signalled the Red Rose might prove thorny opposition this season. That performance was based around the prowess of Lancashire’s three seamers, Neil Wagner, James Anderson and Kyle Jarvis; here it was the batsman who staked their case. All that was missing was a century, Alviro Petersen falling to the second new ball just as his was beginning to look inevitable, but the captain Steven Croft was in pugnacious form as his side jousted for the ascendency on a slow pitch against a hard-working Somerset attack.In the absence of the retired Ashwell Prince – who scored the small matter of 1478 Championship runs in 2015 – Lancashire need someone to loosen their belt and match his insatiable appetite. Petersen, once of Somerset and in his second year as a Kolpak signing for Lancashire, spent much of last season in Prince’s shadow but he played an authoritative innings here, replete with pressure-releasing boundaries around the wicket.He had not been long at the crease when he struck his first six, lofting Jack Leach back down the ground towards the River End. Leach was two-thirds of the way through a 19-over spell either side of lunch and he had taken the first two wickets to fall but the proactive approach of Petersen and Croft – who later took Leach for sixes over long-on and deep midwicket – ensured that the spinner would not be allowed to tie down an end completely while Chris Rogers rotated his seam attack.Somerset included the Overton twins in their XI for the first time this season, with Lewis Gregory rested as part of an apparent rotation policy. Jamie produced some fine, fast deliveries – hitting Luke Procter on the shoulder and seeing a low outside edge from the same batsman missed by Marcus Trescothick at slip – but he tired as the day wore on and proved increasingly expensive.A back-foot drive during the afternoon session demonstrated both Jamie Overton’s pace and Petersen’s timing, while after tea the former South Africa opener stepped out to crash Peter Trego insouciantly through the covers; the 77th over, Jamie Overton’s 16th, went for 14 runs, with Petersen pulling four through midwicket and then slapping a wide, rising delivery all the way over backward point for six.Apart from that spell before second new ball, Somerset had bowled diligently and Craig Overton quickly came to his brother’s aid by trapping Petersen lbw as the batsman attempted to play across the line, ending a 125-run stand for the fourth wicket.That partnership helped shore up Lancashire’s position after they had stuttered to 125 for 3 on an increasingly cold and gloomy afternoon. Confronted earlier by a dry-looking surface over towards the west of the square, Lancashire requested and won the toss – meaning that for the third time out of three this season, Somerset will have to chase the game – but a relaid outfield meant the runs rarely flowed.Matthew Maynard, Somerset’s director of cricket, conceded the pitch was “not ideally what we would have wanted” but put it down to the difficulties of preparation amid recent unsettled weather.The Quantocks were visible to the north of the ground until late in the day, despite low, grey cloud cover that loomed over proceedings. There were occasional spots of rain but nothing more severe than spray blowing in over a sea wall and Somerset’s attack hurried through their overs, trying to keep warm: 97 were bowled in the day, despite a brief interruption for bad light.The official gate was more than 1600, although Somerset were hopeful of more for their first home game of the season. The new pavilion is an eye-catching draw but their team have made a tepid start to the season, drawing games at Durham and Surrey, and neither the weather nor the pitch was particularly hospitable for the paying spectator.A solid clutch of members were bunched together in the Marcus Trescothick Stand to applaud Leach back to fine leg after the over in which he picked up his second wicket early in the afternoon session. A bespectacled slow left-armer with shaven head and tightly cropped beard, Leach has the benevolent air of young pastor and he induced a confession from the umpire when appealing for an lbw against Karl Brown, after he had made a compact 47.Leach made the opening breakthrough as well, having Haseeb Hameed well caught on the drive at extra cover following a stand worth 56, during which time Somerset’s seamers had found little to their liking. The change to regulations around the toss look set to give bowlers such Leach many more overs of employment this summer, although the unflustered progress of Petersen and Croft during the afternoon and evening suggested this was an especially sepulchral surface.

Joe Root has admitted he should already have up to double his nine Test centuries and can’t quite work out why he does not convert into three figures more consistently

Andrew McGlashan07-Jun-2016Joe Root has admitted he should already have up to double his nine Test centuries and can’t quite work out why he does not convert into three figures more consistently.Since the beginning of 2015, Root has scored four centuries in 19 Tests but has been dismissed between 50 and 98 on a further 13 occasions, the most recent being in the first innings at Chester-le-Street when he got into a tangle against Nuwan Pradeep and spooned a catch to cover, having move serenely to 80 – a shot he termed as a “car crash”.He is not letting the issue weigh too heavily on his mind – “I feel I am contributing consistently” – but knows that the best Test batsmen in the world he is jostling with to be ranked No. 1 are judged on their century output.”You are always striving to get better, and it’s an area that over the last few months has been very frustrating for me because I am playing well, but you don’t win games with 70s and 80s. You want to make sure you cash in,” Root said.”There have been a few decent deliveries in there but mainly it’s been batsman error so it’s an area that needs to be addressed in practice – and it has been – and the only thing I can really do is make sure I don’t make the same mistake twice.”You look at the dismissal [in Durham] and it was a car crash, really. It was awful. It’s hard to put your finger on it. I don’t think I change my approach or the way I play when I get to a certain score. I’d like to think it was a bit of a coincidence and it’s all happened together.”I feel my game is in a good place, I’m moving well. If anything maybe I get slightly complacent for the odd ball, sometimes you get away with it and it goes unnoticed and sometimes it catches up with you and you are made to look very silly. I don’t think that’s the case, but it may come across that way. I’m working really hard and it’s something I want to address.”Root stressed how he is not a player too fussed about personal landmarks and suggested that, on occasion, he may get caught up in the natural free-scoring pace that he operates at and that encapsulates this England side.”Complacent is probably the wrong word, maybe concentrating is a better way to put it. Maybe you are caught in the flow of the game, scoring at a certain rate and you try to score against deliveries that don’t allow you to,” he said. “It’s not something that’s really concerning me to be honest, but it’s an annoyance that I want to put right. If I’ve been got out, fair play, but I don’t want to throw it away.”Joe Root passed 50 without going on to score a hundred once again in Chester-le-Street•AFP

Despite the issue of reaching three figures on fewer occasions than he would have liked, Root’s game has developed enormously over the last two years – since his recall against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in 2014 when he scored a double-century following omission at the end of 2013-14 Ashes whitewash – to make him one of the most complete batsmen in the world. But in his determination to further improve, he watches his contemporaries closely.”As a kid growing up I would look at the best players and think there’s a reason they are at the top, they are doing something that sets them apart,” he said. “These days, AB [de Villiers], Virat [Kohli] in the shorter formats, then Steve [Smith] and Kane [Williamson], it would be silly not to look at the way they play and try to add bits to my game. If you can take any little nugget hopefully you will benefit from it.”Although Root remains a delightful touch player – his innings in the World T20 against South Africa where his 83 off 44 balls marshalled England’s huge chase was a stand-out example – his boundary-hitting has been one of the areas that has developed most significantly since the early days of his international career when a slight, scrawny 21-year-old made 73 off 229 balls against India in Nagpur.”It’s a slow process when it comes to the gym side of it, a long-term improvement I’m looking for,” he said. “If you don’t practice hitting it for six you won’t do it, either. It’s an area I want to keep developing and it’s good to see it going in the same direction.”With boundary-hitting in mind – and his flamboyant whip over deep midwicket in the recent Roses T20 against Lancashire was the latest example of what he is now capable of – Root joked that he would like bats to get bigger, rather than smaller as the ICC cricket committee has recently suggested, but he remains sanguine about any potential changes to the tools of his trade.”If they feel it’s making an unfair advantage then fair enough, as a batter you have to be skilful and strong enough to find different ways of scoring if restrictions will be put in place,” he said. “There’s no less skill in being able to hit it out of the park to being able to flick it as long as it goes for six. If players are good enough they will find ways of doing it.”Root is clearly good enough to adapt to whatever shape (or size) the game takes. He would just like a few more hundreds to show for it.Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/banking