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As a boy, Ashton Agar was inspired by Steve Waugh’s legendary SCG century, achieved with a box office boundary from the final ball of the day. As a teenager, Agar found himself joining Waugh in the pantheon of Ashes history, after conjuring 98 of the most staggeringly nonchalant runs ever made by a Test debutant, let alone a No. 11.If there was any momentary grief in Agar at managing to pick out Graeme Swann on the midwicket boundary with a pull shot, it did not last long. As he turned on his heels in the direction of the dressing room, the applause swelled and so did Agar’s pride. Partnered by Phillip Hughes, he had made history of the rarest kind in an Ashes Test, and in doing so revived Australia’s hopes of forcing a series lead.”It was a bit out of the ordinary,” Agar said. “One of my favourite Ashes moments was Steve Waugh hitting four runs off the last ball of the day to make his hundred, and to make a hundred in an Ashes test would have been awesome. But I’m very happy.”Obviously it’s a dream to make a Test match hundred but I didn’t really dream I was going to make 98 on debut. I’m super happy, and I’m happy me and Hughesy could get the team in some kind of winning position.”I probably hit it a bit too well. All the other ones I’d been hitting up and over the top and I tried to come down a little bit on that one and picked him out perfectly. I could have made a better decision there but, oh well.”Though lacking any Test match experience, Agar had demonstrated his batting ability numerous times at club and first-class levels. Last summer in Perth he rattled off 108 for the University of Western Australia after arriving at the fall of the fifth wicket for 58 and also facing a large first-innings deficit. For the Warriors he had also been instrumental in Sheffield Shield wins over Queensland and South Australia.

What they said about Agar’s 98

“I thought I was presenting a first cap to a bowler, not a batting all-rounder” – Glenn McGrath
“Never ever thought I would say I am disappointed a Aussie got out but I really wanted Ashton Agar to get a 100…” – Michael Vaughan
“Whether he got 100 or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m most proud he got out playing his shots. He didn’t hold back. That’s great.” – John Agar, Ashton’s father
“What a stunning, gutsy, agonising 98 from Ashton Agar in the Ashes Test” – prime minister Kevin Rudd

“I like to keep myself fairly relaxed,” he said. “I don’t get too nervous when I bat. I just try to play freely and when I’m hitting the ball well I try and keep doing that throughout my innings and not change too much. Darren Lehmann told me to bat the way I know how to bat and he has told the whole team to bat in their own natural styles. That is what I tried to do.”I’ve done it before. In Queensland I had to bat at No. 10 and was fortunate enough to get 50. I was lucky to have a really good partner at the other end in Phil Hughes, he is a seriously, seriously good player and he helped me through it.”The stand with Hughes pulled Australia back into a game that had been well in England’s keeping at the fall of the ninth wicket. “It could have been a lot worse, so to do that with Hughesy has helped me a lot in terms of mentally getting around batting in a Test match and hopefully help put the team in a winning position,” Agar said. “He just said keep watching the ball hard and keep playing it ball by ball. That’s all we were really thinking of, just keeping it really simple.”England’s frustration at being held up by a world-record tenth-wicket union was evident in the field but afterwards the fast bowler James Anderson was generous in his praise. Anderson admitted to little knowledge about Agar before the innings, but was now well aware of his capabilities. “I didn’t know a great deal about him but he played really well and put us under pressure,” Anderson said. “I’m sure it will be looked back on as one [special Ashes moment], on debut he played brilliantly in a pressure situation and coped well.”In an innings speckled with handsome strokes, Agar picked out his drive of Swann over long-on for six as his personal favourite. Swann pumped his fists after claiming the catch that did for Agar, but was quick to catch up to the younger man as they made their way off. Swann offered the words “well done young fella”. Millions around the world shared exactly that sentiment, no doubt including Steve Waugh himself.

Anil Kumble and John Wright were two important additions to the Mumbai Indians team this year even though their expensive player acquisitions before the start of the tournament had hogged most of the limelight. Along with Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, they had formed a strong mentoring group which Kumble thought “seemed complete” and were instrumental in the team winning its first IPL title.”As soon as I became the team mentor the first call I made was to John [Wright] to find out whether he was available to coach and he readily agreed,” Kumble told the IPL site. “We have a good partnership and we know each other well since our Team India days. The next job was to choose a leader and Ricky [Ponting] was the obvious choice. With Sachin there, it all seemed complete.”After below average showing in the first two seasons of the IPL, Mumbai Indians came close to winning the title in 2010, but lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final. They continued their dominance in the league stages in the following two seasons, but were knocked out in the playoffs. This year though, they peaked towards the end of the tournament, winning seven of their nine matches including the final against Super Kings at Eden Gardens.Asked what the new mentoring group did right, Kumble said, “Our job was just to create an environment where players could go and play to their potential and the team has responded exceptionally well. I’m really glad that after five years, on sixth attempt – both as player and mentor – I have finally won an IPL Trophy. It’s great to be on the winning side.”The team had a quiet start to the tournament after which their captain Ricky Ponting, struggling to make an impact on the field, decided to drop himself from the XI. But Ponting’s leadership skills came in handy, Kumble said. “It’s never easy when you’re nominated as the captain and you have to sit out of games. It’s not been easy for him too but he has handled it commendably. His experience of being part of winning Australian teams has certainly helped. He knows how to motivate the players and what exactly to say to the players.”It was Wright’s first year in the IPL and the win thrilled the former India coach. “It is unbelievable. It is the big league, and there are tough games in it. I always wanted to come here and experience it as a coach,” he said. “We have played well as a team and have really come together, particularly in our fielding and our bowling. We had to hustle on Sunday night. We had a pretty tough start and we managed to get 148, which was good. “Wright said the team tried to be fearless and aggressive after they had to make tough decisions early on. They played two fast bowlers as their overseas players consistently and Wright praised the way Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson responded. Johnson was the leading wicket-taker for the team with 24 wickets, while Malinga, who had a relatively below-par season, bowled a match-winning spell in the final.”Eden Gardens has been so wonderful to me, I will never forget 2001 against Australia. This one ranks right next to it,” Wright said.

Match facts

Tuesday, June 11, 2013, The Oval
Start time 1030 (0930GMT)Can West Indies wipe that smile off?•ICC/Christopher Lee

Big Picture

It is a little surprising that these two sides, hugely popular among the expatriate population in England, haven’t faced each other in an ODI in England in the last 30 years. When India last played West Indies in an ODI in England, ODI cricket and West Indies were the kings. India upset West Indies that afternoon, became the new kings of ODI cricket, and paved the way for a whole new commercial explosion in the format. Thirty years later, as they face off in England again, India are the world champions and the No. 1 ODI side, but the format itself is fighting for relevance, at least in popular discourse.West Indies, knocked off their proud perch long ago, will like to believe they have begun the resurgence through Twenty20, the format that is supposed to be the premier limited-overs format. This Champions Trophy provides them a big opportunity to carry that resurgence into the ODIs. And if they can beat India, the only way to keep West Indies out of the semi-finals will be net run rate. If India win, they are through to the semi-finals as only one out of West Indies and South Africa would then be able to secure two wins*.These are teams built around batting might. The new regulations might have made India sacrifice one of the seven batsmen they loved to play, but they still rely on their batsmen, who racked up 331 against South Africa. West Indies’ win might have come in a low-scoring game, but they played with just three specialist bowlers, with captain Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle left to share 20 overs between them. West Indies might add one bowler to the line-up, but it still remains a contest between the mighty batting units.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
India WLWWW
West Indies WWWWL

In the Spotlight

Before Shikhar Dhawan stunned the world with his back-to-back centuries in international cricket, he was discarded because he had failed against West Indies in the West Indies. Going through a phase of supreme form and high confidence, Dhawan now has a chance to set that record straight. Or do West Indies know how to bowl to him better than others do?India’s policy has been clear: play out the initial overs, and the batsmen coming in later can make up for the run rate if there are wickets in hand. Kemar Roach is a man who can put spanners in those works. He did so against Pakistan too, with 3 for 28.

Team news

India had to make two choices going into the Champions Trophy, and both have come off. Rohit Sharma succeeded as opener, and Ravindra Jadeja as allrounder. Don’t expect any changes thereIndia (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh YadavDenesh Ramdin will not be available for selection after he was suspended for two ODIs by the ICC. Johnson Charles is likely to keep wicket, and either Darren Sammy or Tino Best will play. Charles had good wicketkeeping practice at The Oval on the eve of the game, first standing to Sunil Narine and then having more drills from the fielding coach.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt.), 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Darren Sammy/Tino Best, 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach

Pitch and conditions

Conditions have been quite unpredictable. On the same Cardiff pitch that India scored 331, New Zealand and Sri Lanka lost 19 wickets for 277 runs. West Indies might have played a low-scoring thriller against Pakistan at The Oval, but you can’t surely say this game, too, will be difficult for the batsmen. A cool day with a 10% chance of rain is expected.

Stats and Trivia

• In 23 matches against West Indies, Suresh Raina has scored just one fifty and averages 19.72 with a strike rate of 77.
• Chris Gayle, with 734 at 56.46, has scored the most runs in Champions Trophy.

Quotes

“The Gayle factor will always be there. These are sort of individuals who have a big impact on the game. So it is good to get them out early. Our fast bowlers will have fair chance in the sense they have two new balls and with overcast conditions they will get a bit of help, too.”
*07.50GMT, June 11: The preview has been updated after the Pakistan-South Africa game

Since Mushfiqur Rahim surprised everyone by resigning as Bangladesh captain two days ago, the Bangladesh team has been kept away from talking about it to the media. The management finally let allrounder Ziaur Rahman take questions ahead of the first Twenty20 in Bulawayo.A relative newcomer in the squad, Ziaur hardly gave away anything on the Mushfiqur issue, but said the captain became emotional after the defeat in the one-day series. “After Wednesday, we have sat and talked about it [the resignation] together, and it hasn’t affected us,” Ziaur said. “We had a meeting today as well, where the captain talked to us about the conditions we are going to face. He [Mushfiqur] is doing well, and I just feel he is an emotional guy. He felt bad after the defeat, that’s why he reacted that way.”It is a good wicket, but there was help for the bowlers in the morning. But since the Twenty20s are starting in the afternoon, there won’t be too many issues for the batsmen, because it flattens out at that time. That’s what we discussed with the captain today.”The atmosphere around the Bangladesh team has been unusually quiet according to reports from Bulawayo. It caught everyone’s eye because this team is known to be quite accommodating with the media. The last time such a shutdown took place was after the team was bowled out for 58 against West Indies in the 2011 World Cup, following which Shakib Al Hasan criticised former players in a newspaper column.Newspaper reports in Bangladesh have claimed that several of Mushfiqur’s team-mates, who got wind of his impending announcement moments after Wednesday’s match, rushed to him in the dressing room. They urged him to think about it after returning home, but he was adamant. According to one report, Mushfiqur was even asked to skip the press conference but he went a few minutes after Mahmudullah to tell the media.BCB has vowed to convince Mushfiqur to stay, and they have almost five months to do so. The two Twenty20s on Saturday and Sunday are Bangladesh’s last international matches till October when they take on New Zealand at home.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWindward Islands captain Liam Sebastien exults after beating Jamaica by five wickets•WICB Media/Randy Brooks Photo

Half-centuries from Andre Fletcher, Keddy Lesporis and Devon Smith set up a five-wicket win for Windwards Islands over Jamaica in the Regional Super50 semi-final in Bridgetown. Windwards will play Combined Campuses and Colleges in the final on April 21.Set a target of 243, Windwards lost a wicket in the second over, but consolidated with a 78-run second-wicket stand between Smith and Tyrone Theophile. Smith contributed a 44-ball 59 to the partnership, hitting ten fours in his innings. The Windwards innings slowed down once Smith was dismissed but picked up once again when Fletcher and Lesporis came together at the crease. The pair added 91 runs for the fourth wicket in 131 balls and by the time Fletcher was dismissed for 68 in the 42nd over, Windwards needed 48 off the last eight overs. Lesporis and captain Liam Sebastien shared a brisk 41-run stand before Sebastien steered the side to a win in the 49th over. Fletcher’s 81-ball 68 included five fours, while Lesporis scored 61 off 91 balls, with four fours and a six.Jamaica, who chose to bat first, failed to capitalise on a 166-run second-wicket partnership between Brenton Parchment and Nkrumah Bonner. The pair took Jamaica from 3 for 1 to 169 for 1, before Bonner was out in the37th over. Their half-centuries had given Jamaica a launching pad for a big score but the rest of the batting line-up failed to contribute as Jamaica lost seven wickets for 63 runs. David Bernard struck an unbeaten 32 off 29 balls but lacked the support needed to push Jamaica towards a large total.

The captains and coaches of all the domestic teams in India were unanimous in demanding more time between Ranji Trophy matches during the annual captains and coaches’ conclave that was held on Tuesday in Mumbai. This was one of the many suggestions put forth at the conclave that was also attended by technical committee chairman Anil Kumble, BCCI president N Srinivasan, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and Ratnakar Shetty, general manager, cricket development.The 79th edition of the Ranji Trophy was played by 27 teams that were divided into three groups of nine teams each. The number of matches played was also more than previous seasons. In about two months, every team played eight games and, except for a week-long break at some stage, teams often played four-day games with a break of only three days in between. The scheduling not only affected the fitness of players but also resulted in some teams opting for a first-innings lead instead of trying to gain an outright victory.For the BCCI, scheduling remains a tricky aspect, given that a plethora of domestic tournaments are played in a limited time frame. However, Kumble assured teams that their concerns would be addressed.One of the options the technical committee and the fixtures committee may explore is to introduce a four-day gap between matches at least in the latter half of the league stage. “We could have some matches played after a gap of three days, while others could have a four-day break in between. We will have to see how it works,” Kumble told reporters after the two-hour meeting.Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, who has been coaching the Hyderabad team for the last two seasons, endorsed Kumble’s suggestion.”Ideally, every team would want at least a break of four days before every game but since it’s practically difficult to implement, it would help a lot if the teams got longer breaks in the latter half of the season,” Joshi said. “The fatigue starts creeping in as the tournament progresses. That is where the additional break can be helpful.”While Bengal coach WV Raman suggested that both captains and managers should be asked to submit their assessment of the wicket after every match, a section of coaches felt the teams needed extra motivation to go for an outright victory rather than settling for drab draws after attaining the firstinnings lead. “We have seen several instances of teams opting against enforcing a follow-on, despite gaining a big first-innings lead, and opting to bat on instead. If an additional point is rewarded for enforcing the follow-on, it could make such games more interesting,” Joshi said.Another suggestion, which was backed by almost everyone present at the meeting, was to stage the Ranji Trophy knock-out games at neutral venues.”There was a suggestion and the technical committee will discuss the issue during its meeting,” Kumble said.Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni suggested that the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the national limited-overs championship, also be staged in a format similar to the Ranji Trophy. While the Ranji Trophy is played in a three-tier league stage followed by knock-outs, the Vijay Hazare Trophy starts with a zonal league that covers five regions. The two top teams from each zone then progress to the national knock-outs.”It pits the same teams against each other in the preliminary stage, like the old Ranji Trophy format,” Kulkarni said.The suggestion, however, is unlikely to be implemented. “It will be a logistical nightmare,” Kumble said.Some of the teams raised concerns over umpiring standards. The major concerns centred around the decision-making abilities of umpires and uniformity in judging the quality of light during matches. “Everyone went by their own experiences and made their suggestions. The teams who were affected expressed their concerns. But the overall standards of umpiring have improved,” Kumble said.The suggestions will now be discussed in detail by the technical committee which could meet in the third week of March, according to Kumble.

Shane Watson may opening the batting in the first Test in Chennai with Ed Cowan after the national selector John Inverarity revealed significant concerns about David Warner’s recovery from a fractured thumb five days before the first Test.Warner is yet to face anything more demanding than throw-downs since his arrival in India, following a broken thumb inflicted by Mitchell Johnson in the WACA ground nets that kept him out of the ODIs against the West Indies. The captain, Michael Clarke has trained freely enough in the latter stages of his recovery from a hamstring strain and is not in any doubt, but Warner’s thumb must improve over the next few days to ensure he is fit for the first Test.

Watson thinks he will bat at No. 4

Shane Watson believes he will resume his Test career at No. 4 if David Warner is passed fit for the Chennai Test. Though he opened the batting with Ed Cowan in the Australians’ final warm-up Watson said he was expecting to return to the middle order. “Initially in the first Test, it depends on whether Dave Warner will be fit and, obviously we’ve got our fingers crossed, that he’ll be fit to play,” Watson said. “If he’s fit, then I’m not sure, I think I’ll bat at 4, but the selectors and Michael and the coach haven’t really mentioned either way where I’m going to bat. I certainly like to open the batting, there’s no doubt about that it’s a lot of fun to be opening the batting in any conditions really. But I’ve got the game plan and I’ve played a lot in India recently to hopefully have some success at No. 4 if that’s the case.”

“David’s thumb has improved in the last couple of days, he wasn’t fit enough to play in this game, he had some throw-downs yesterday with a cricket ball, and we’re hoping his fitness improves a great deal in the next couple of days so he comes into contention,” Inverarity told . “We won’t make a decision on that until a few days out from the Test.”There is some concern with David because he hasn’t been able to practice, but Michael had an hour’s batting in the nets yesterday and he played beautifully, so I’d say there are very few concerns around Michael because of his experience and the fact he was able to practice.”The injury-enforced absence of Warner would be a major blow to the tourists but, at the same time, a temporary way around the vexing issue of where Watson should bat on his return to the Test side as a non-bowling member of the team.Numerous influential voices, including those of Ian Chappell and Brett Lee, have been raised in recent days to argue that Cowan should be dropped to make way for Watson. But Clarke and the rest of the selectors have valued Cowan’s steady hand at the top, and Matthew Hayden has been one advocate of the left-hander’s retention despite a run of scores that have been handy rather than outstanding.Glenn Maxwells’s prospects of a Test match debut in Chennai also rose when Inverarity hinted strongly at the use of three fast bowlers, one spinner and a slow bowling allrounder. As the Australians struggled to dismiss India A in their warmup match, Inverarity said the tourists were still leaning towards a heavy reliance on pace despite the surface at Chennai’s Chidambaram Stadium appearing likely to spin sharply.”The wicket for the Test match is already prepared. We could’ve played on it today, we could have played on it yesterday or the day before,” Inverarity said. “There is not one blade of grass, so you’d suggest it is a wicket for spinners. But with our Australian team I think the strength lies more with the pace bowlers than with the spinners.”We’ve got the option of playing two pace bowlers and two spinners, but it’d more likely that we’d go in with three pace bowlers and one spinner, plus some spin support. I don’t think it’s clouded. We know what we’re going to do. The Indian players, of course, are very good players of spin. Yesterday, our spinners didn’t bowl well and the Indian batsmen took heavy toll of them, but we’re fairly clear in regards what we’re going to do in terms of spin bowling in the first Test match.”Maxwell was left out of the team to play in the tourists’ final preparatory fixture, but has been groomed for a role in India for more than a month, since he was 12th man in the third Test against Sri Lanka at the SCG. While his offspin has shown signs of improvement across the ODIs against Sri Lanka and the West Indies, Maxwell’s batting has been less convincing as a Test match proposition.Steve Smith is the other notional option as a middle order batsman and spin bowler, though his leg breaks were treated harshly in the tour opener.

The last time West Indies won a one-day series in Australia, Richie Richardson was captain, Desmond Haynes was the top-order rock and the pace battery featured Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Patrick Patterson. A tri-series that had also included Pakistan finished in front of 72,492 spectators at the MCG, where West Indies completed a 2-0 win in the best-of-three finals against Australia. The stands were heaving, the West Indian bowlers were fearsomely fast and ODI cricket was as strong as ever.It is that kind of atmosphere Channel Nine have tried to recall with their promotions for this season’s five-match series between Australia and West Indies. The great names flashed up on screen – Garner, Richards, Ambrose, Lara – as the broadcasters hoped to remind spectators that although school is back and February about to start, the international summer of cricket hasn’t finished just yet.But even the Australian team is already looking ahead. Before this series ends, Australia’s squad will be split: some players will stick around to see out the limited-overs contests, others will fly to India to prepare for their rapidly approaching four-Test tour. Many balls must be juggled simultaneously. The West Indies captain Darren Sammy knows that it presents an opportunity for his men, who last year drew a one-day series 2-2 with Australia in the West Indies.”If we look at last year when Australia was in the Caribbean, it was a very keenly-contested series and one we thought we should have won,” Sammy told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. “We see this as a continuation of that series and it’s a great opportunity for us as a team to come here and be successful. Yes, we haven’t won a one-day series here in 20 years but we’ve got to start somewhere and there’s no better place to start.”The past teams of West Indies were great, what they achieved during that 17-year period was tremendous. We respect our greats, we know our history and we would love to do that. But we are a young, developing team and we are now showing signs that we can not only compete but win against other higher-ranked opposition. Yes, West Indies cricket carries that legacy. But I know all our players would want to form our own legacy.”And as they proved last year by winning the World Twenty20, West Indies can claim plenty of players with enormous limited-overs potential. Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard are among the cleanest strikers in the world. Andre Russell, as he showed against the Prime Minister’s XI this week, possesses immense power. Kemar Roach is quick enough to cause flashbacks to another West Indian era. Sunil Narine adds an element of mystery.Not everything has gone to plan, as their one-day series loss in Bangladesh in November and December attests. But they are developing a certain amount of stability in their line-up, as well as the belief that they can beat anyone. Nothing that happens in this series can move West Indies from their current one-day international ranking of seventh, but they can certainly firm up their self-assurance with strong performances.”In the last two or three years we’ve been putting in and pulling out players. The youngsters we’ve invested in like Powell, Bravo, Kemar Roach, they are maturing in the game,” Sammy said. “It’s showing some good signs for us. Hopefully, we as a team can continue performing consistently and everybody can play a part in the team’s success.”The year didn’t finish off well for us in terms of the one-day series in Bangladesh but we did some good stuff last year. Winning the T20 World Cup was the highlight of the year for us. As a team, we gained a lot of confidence from that and we believe that we can go out and win games against higher-ranked opposition. The goal for the team is to start off well and set the tone for the year, which has a Champions Trophy in it as well.”West Indies will be without one of their best players, with Marlon Samuels still recovering from the severe facial injury he sustained during the Big Bash League when he was struck by a Lasith Malinga bouncer. But his replacement, Ramnaresh Sarwan, will ensure there is no net loss of experience, returning for his first international matches in 18 months. Sammy said Sarwan had slotted back into the squad well, despite his issues with the WICB.”Sarsy is one of us; yes, he’s been out but we always have good camaraderie amongst our players,” Sammy said. “He has fitted in quite nicely. He had a good knock in the practice game and I know he has his goals for this tournament. He’s a class player. We expect him to come out and do well for us. Marlon is a big loss. Since he has been back, he has been very good for us and we will miss him. But I think Sarsy is equally capable of playing that role and stabilising the No.3 position.”The series begins with two matches at the WACA on Friday and Sunday, followed by a game in Canberra next Wednesday and then matches in Sydney and Melbourne. The short tour ends with a one-off Twenty20 at the Gabba.

Ayabulela Gqamane, a 23-year-old pace bowler, had a match to remember as he played a central role in setting up Warriors for a ten-wicket victory against Titans at Centurion. Gqamane took 6 for 40 on the third afternoon to run through the lower order after Titans had threatening to bring themselves back into the contest.Gqamane had earlier starred with the bat, scoring a career-best 86 off 89 balls at No. 10, to earn Warriors a lead of 191 after the match had been heading for a far more even situation. Arno Jacobs had struck 105 but Titans, who had been bowled out for 222 first time around, fought back to have Warriors 265 for 8 before Gqamane added 129 for the ninth wicket with Simon Harmer (66 not out) to stretch them well ahead.Titans then battled themselves back into contention by reaching 138 for 1. However, it did not last. Gurshwin Rabie made two breakthroughs before Gqamane took centre stage. His first scalp was Roelof van der Merwe followed by current one-day international player Farhaan Behardien (13).It continued a rapid rise for Gqamane, who made his first-class debut for Warriors against Lions at the Wanderers last month and grabbed a match-winning 7 for 24 in the second innings.The tail offered precious little resistance and in total Titans’ last nine wickets tumbled for 66. It left just 14 to knock off which took under three overs. The win keeps Warriors second in the table, just over five points behind Cape Cobras, while Titans remain stuck at the bottom with four defeats in five matches.

Khulna Royal Bengals

Shakib Al Hasan, the Man of the Series in the first edition of BPL, will represent the Dhaka Gladiators this season•BPL T20

Without Shakib Al Hasan, Khulna Royal Bengals will not be a team to reckon with. But the presence of some foreign talent (pending availability) could make them the surprise package.The team’s difficulties will arise if the Pakistani players aren’t given NOCs, because Khulna are quite dependent on Shoaib Malik, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. Ultimately, it will also come down to the local players to put up a good show for the team to win games. Nazimuddin, Shahriar Nafees and Shahadat Hossain will have to play out of their skins, while positive performances from Farhad Reza, Mizanur Rahman, Mithun Ali, Dolar Mahmud, Nabil Samad and Sanjamul Islam will be a bonus.Key playerAhmed Shehzad was the highest scorer in the first edition of the BPL, scoring 486 runs. He helped Barisal Burners into the final after Chris Gayle left early. This time, he will have to do a similar job for Khulna, a weaker team on paper than what Barisal were last year.Major team changesShoaib Malik will enter the Khulna dressing room, in place of Shakib Al Hasan. Malik will play a similar role but will be required to be the team’s inspiration too, particularly due to the lack of other big players.Below the radarNabil Samad is suited well to Twenty20s, but hasn’t quite performed with fire with his brand of fast-ish left-arm spin. He has played regularly in domestic cricket, though has always remained behind the likes of Enamul Haque jnr and Saqlain Sajib. It could be an occasion for the Sylhet spinner to take a step forward which would be welcomed in the Khulna dugout.Last year’s performanceSemi-finalists.

Sylhet Royals

Their ownership wasn’t confirmed until the week before the players’ auction, so they were quite far behind in terms of planning about their personnel. However, their early acquisition of a strong management will be beneficial for them. It includes Mohammad Salahuddin, the former Bangladesh fielding coach and the man regarded as the guru of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who is incidentally the Sylhet Royals captain this time.There are only two players from Sylhet Division in the squad – medium-pace bowler Nazmul Hossain and opening batsman Imtiaz Hossain – but the likes of Mushfiqur, Sohag Gazi and Mominul Haque will be required to perform for the team to go beyond the first stage.Among the foreign players, Dwayne Smith, Hamilton Masakadza and Paul Stirling are some of the useful performers, while their Pakistani recruits are relatively unknown. The absence of Andre Russell and Tino Best have hurt the side’s chances, but they have included Dirk Nannes – a welcome addition to the pace attack.Key playerMushfiqur Rahim will lead this Twenty20 side, and his batting in the middle order will be a much-needed thrust for a line-up that lacks a few big-hitters. His captaincy and wicketkeeping, too, will be vital, especially against the more fancied opponents.Major team changesKamran Akmal was the team’s mainstay in the first season, and he will be missed this time around. He has been replaced by Mushfiqur, and the addition of Sohag Gazi has given the team a wicket-taking option.Below the radarImtiaz Hossain has been a regular for Sylhet’s first-class side for the past decade. An aggressive opener, Imtiaz will be facing his first major challenge as an experienced cricketer when he goes out to open. Expect good on-side play but as with any Bangladeshi first-class cricketers, he will be susceptible to the short ball.Last year’s performanceSixth.Mohammad Sami, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the previous edition of BPL, has been retained by Duronto Rajshahi•BPL T20

Duronto Rajshahi

Duronto Rajshahi are the only team to retain most of their players from last season,in a bid to have continuity in their set-up. The team is rich in local talent, whichhas been due the presence of Khaled Mashud in the team management.In addition to Rajshahi locals like Jahurul Islam, Farhad Hossain, Mukhtar Ali andTaijul Islam, they have also acquired Tamim Iqbal, Ziaur Rahman and Abul Hasan, amongothers.They have retained Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Shahzaib Hassan,Khalid Latif and Sean Ervine from last season. Alex Hales has shown signs of being apotent force in Twenty20s, and is likely to complement Tamim at the top. Their pace attack looks good too, especially with Sami taking the new ball.Key playerTamim Iqbal didn’t have much to do in the first season, but he will beexpected to make up for lost time. Rajshahi would be the beneficiary of a man whohas been in form for the past year. He has also done quite well in New Zealand’sdomestic Twenty20 competition, and will be expected to cut loose for Rajshahi aswell.Major team changesMushfiqur Rahim will be missed as captain, batsman and wicketkeeper. ButJahurul Islam can keep wicket, while Tamim and Ziaur Rahman, among the locals, willbe handy. Though quite expensive, the inclusion of Abul Hasan could be the surprise package that Rajshahi lacks as he provides pace, yorkers as well as some late-order runs.Below the radarWith only Mohammad Sami as a major pace-bowling threat in the line-up, it is likelythat the other position will be fought over by Abul Hasan and Mukhtar Ali.The latter could be ahead due to his all-round ability, especially as a late-orderhitter. Mukhtar has been around for a while in the Bangladesh domestic scene, andmore importantly has won major trophies for Rajshahi and in the Dhaka PremierLeague. He can be handy in tight situations, but it would be a big call to throw him the ball in tight finishes during this tournament.Last year’s performanceSemi-finalists.

Rangpur Riders

They became a separate divisional entity in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket in 2011, and played their first first-class game in the 2011-12 season.Flora Telecom bought the Rangpur franchise but it doesn’t seem like they have done much homework to assess the right players to be bought. They haven’t filled their foreign quota, and their local picks leave a lot of questions unanswered.Nasir Hossain is big in local cricket, and will have to pull the team through with middle-order batting, offspin and fielding. Abdur Razzak, Junaid Siddique and Imrul Kayes will have to perform quite well, and ensure that young players like Shamsur Rahman, Taposh Ghosh, Dhiman Ghosh and Mohammad Sharif are not overawed by the BPL glitz.Their few foreign players appear desperate selections, so it will largely depend on how the international players perform.Key playerKevin O’Brien will make his BPL debut and Rangpur have made a wise choice by picking the Irish allrounder. His batting will sometimes be required to tone down because of the lack of options in the line-up, while his seam bowling will be called for regularly.Below the radarShamsur Rahman is to Bangladesh domestic cricket what Mohammad Ashraful has been to international cricket. Inconsistency has been his main problem but when he finds touch, he’s one of the best batsmen in the country to watch.