All posts by csb10.top

Only twice – barring the 2006 series against India that was washed out – in the last 31 years has Sri Lanka not won at least one game in an ODI series at home. As the third and final game of the series comes closer, they face up to the prospect once again, with Bangladesh keen to continue maintaining the pressure on the home side.Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that his team is now more confident as they lead the series 1-0, and the home side would have to do all the running. The visitors won the first match by 90 runs before rain forced the second ODI to be abandoned after the hosts had put up a challenging total.”We are very much confident [of a series win] if we get our processes right,” Hathurusingha said. “I think we will do well against Sri Lanka. They are a very strong team at home. I can’t remember a time when they didn’t win a single game in a series, so it is a good position we are in. We are 1-0 up so we can’t lose the series. They have to play well, and we have to play our best game to come good.”Bangladesh became a more confident side during their Colombo Test win, which many of the players and Hathurusingha have said had something to do with a long team meeting after their crushing 259-run defeat in Galle.”When you win, everything looks good. The body language and effort on the field is the biggest change I have seen in the last few matches, after the Galle Test. They had a good one-to-one afterwards, and the boys responded to that very well. In the last game we were a bit lethargic after the first ten overs, but after that they were really good in the heat,” said Hathurusingha.Though he has been known to be a disciplinarian, Hathurusingha’s approach of giving the batsmen a lot of freedom has been attributed as one of the main reasons for Bangladesh’s progress as an ODI side in the last two years. The current mood within the team can be gauged by the overall improvement in the fielding and body language in the Colombo Test and the first two ODIs in Dambulla.Hathurusingha, when asked why many members of the second ODI’s playing XI weren’t at training at the SSC ground on Wednesday, said that he trusts the players’ preparation and understands how much the weather can have an impact on their physical well-being.”The thing is, we don’t need to train every day. If the players know they are prepared well enough, they can always have rest. It is very hard to play cricket in Sri Lanka. It is very hot.”When players are confident, and if I know they are prepared well enough, I want them to be mentally prepared and physically be rested for the game,” he said.

Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 79 helped Mumbai beat Gujarat to register their second win in the west zone leg of the inter-state T20 competition for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai breezed to their 132-run target with five wickets in hand and ten balls to spare.Iyer, who opened the innings, hit six fours and four sixes. He put on 42 for the first wicket with Ajinkya Rahane, who struck a 30-ball 25. Although Mumbai slipped to 112 for 5, Iyer’s blazing start meant they were always ahead of the asking rate. Earlier in the day, Rujul Bhatt top-scored with 47 in Gujarat’s 131 for 9. Pravin Tambe, the 45-year old legspinner, took 2 for 19 off four overs. Gujarat now have one win in two matches.File photo – Ankit Bawne top-scored for the second successive game for Maharashtra•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Maharashtra bounced back from their loss to Gujarat on Sunday by beating Saurashtra by 15 runs in their second league fixture. Ankit Bawne, who made an unbeaten 90 in the first game, top-scored with 71 in Maharashtra’s 165 for 9. Saurashtra looked down and out at 86 for 8, but were revived courtesy Prerak Mankad’s counterattack. The allrounder struck three fours and five sixes in his 46-ball 72 before falling off the last ball of the innings, to fast bowler Anupam Sanklecha, who finished with 2 for 20 off four overs. Saurashtra fast bowler Shaurya Sanandia finished with a four-wicket haul in a losing cause. Cheteshwar Pujara, who opened the innings, was out for 4.

Ravi Bopara has stepped down as Essex’s limited-overs captain after one season in the role. Bopara wants to focus on his own game, with Championship captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, taking over in all formats.Essex continued their recent trend of losing knockout matches in 2016, with quarter-final defeats in the NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London Cup – something that occurred the previous year, under ten Doeschate, as well. Bopara’s all-round form was solid, if not spectacular, but he went a second consecutive season without scoring a hundred in the Championship.Although Bopara’s bowling was a key feature of Essex’s promotion to Division One – he was their third leading wicket-taker with 42 – he only managed 750 runs at an average of 37.50. His last Championship century came in June 2014.Ten Doeschate was previously Essex’s limited-overs captain before succeeding James Foster in charge of the Championship side this year, leading the team up as Division Two champions at the first time of asking. He said he was happy to reunite the roles and allow Bopara, who is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, to concentrate on his form.”Ravi did an excellent job in limited overs cricket last year, leading us to quarter-finals in both formats,” ten Doeschate. “If we had a bit more luck we could have progressed further. He has decided he would prefer to concentrate on his individual game next year and make valuable contributions throughout the season.”We respect Ravi’s decision and I was more than happy to take up the captaincy in all formats as I have thoroughly enjoyed my role in the Specsavers County Championship so far.”

Joe Burns scored an unbeaten 78 in Queensland’s successful chase•AFP

Queensland have stolen a march on the rest of the field in the Matador Cup, comfortably securing their third win in as many matches in a rain-truncated affair against Western Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth.In a tournament with a fixture list that is slightly skewed, with Brisbane and Perth hosting most of their matches before the action moves to Sydney, Queensland lead the points table with 12 points, before New South Wales have played a single match.Rain in the early afternoon reduced the match to 38 overs per side, after Western Australia captain Adam Voges won the toss and chose to bat. The home side were driven primarily by Voges’ innings of 85, with Cameron Bancroft making 65 in support. Their stand of 117 formed the backbone of the final score of 221. Ben Cutting and Luke Feldman claimed two wickets apiece for Queensland, while wrist spinner Mitch Swepson was economical in his eight overs.Queensland’s pursuit wobbled early to 3 for 77, before the sometime Test opener Joe Burns found a willing ally in Nathan Reardon. Their stand of 116 put the target well within reach, and Burns hung around to ensure the Bulls did not slip up against Western Australia as South Australia had done over the weekend.

ICC chief executive David Richardson has sympathised with Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to bring international cricket back to their country. He was in Lahore on Wednesday to present Misbah-ul-Haq with the Test mace for Pakistan being ranked the No. 1 team in the world.Barring one series, Pakistan have not been able to host Full Members at home since the attack on a touring Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009. Zimbabwe had visited in 2015 for a limited-overs series, but during the second ODI on May 29, there had been a “suicide attack” on the outer edge of the three tiers of security that was in place. Zimbabwe left the country only after completing the tour though.”The fact is that ICC is keen for everybody to play international cricket, including Pakistan,” Richardson said. “The more teams we can have the better. However, circumstances around the world really have gotten quite difficult, from a security point of view and Pakistan has probably been the hardest hit than any other country. The ICC members have always tried to support Pakistan by making sure that they are willing to play Pakistan in the UAE and elsewhere to keep cricket going at least internationally even though it’s not in Pakistan.”On a personal level, Richardson felt the measures the PCB and the government have put in place made it safe for teams to come and play.”It’s actually quite easy for you to convince me that international cricket returns to Pakistan, but unfortunately it’s not me or the ICC that needs to be convinced,” Richardson said. “It’s the security experts, it’s the security consultants who are advising the players who are advising the teams and that’s really out of our control. I know that the Pakistan government and the PCB are doing whatever they can to try and persuade the people and make security situation better in Pakistan. Pretty soon we’ll get to a situation where teams are willing to play international cricket in Pakistan.”The PCB relies heavily on the government to arrange security for the visiting teams, but it has bought four bulletproof buses as part of the efforts to provide the “best possible” protection for players visiting the country.In this seven-year isolation, the PCB has suffered financially, having to arrange matches in the UAE and missing out on bilateral series against India. This prompted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan to suggest the board should receive a “higher percentage of the income” from matches against India at ICC events. Richardson confirmed the ICC received the application and that it would be up for discussion in an upcoming meeting.”We take every application seriously on those lines,” he said. “It came late in the day [during ICC annual conference in July] but we will discuss it in the financial committee meeting next month in October and then in the board. ICC members are actually renewing the whole financial model of international cricket at the moment and certainly the PCB’s request will be considered.”

ScorecardIan Bell battled for more than two hours but could not prevent defeat•Getty Images

Ian Bell’s accession to the Warwickshire captaincy was not meant to turn out like this. Instead of an anticipated title challenge, he is now haunted by vague fears of relegation, unthinkable in April. Instead of an inspired return to the England side, he has made no immediate comeback to a deeply unimpressive England middle order and is so consumed by the job he has taken on late in his career that the runs are not coming easily.The Warwickshire captaincy was a childhood dream for Bell ever since he sprinted onto the outfield at Lord’s to celebrate the county’s 1993 NatWest Trophy win under the individualistic captaincy of Dermot Reeve. For a proven England player to return to the county ranks with ambitions so sharp, and good years still ahead, was something for Warwickshire to relish, but the job is proving an onerous one.Bell challenged Warwickshire to bat out the final day against Surrey – to chase 396 for victory, from 2 for 1 overnight, felt out of the question – but the day he called the biggest of the season fell Surrey’s way by 227 runs with 20 overs to spare. Surrey have passed Warwickshire in the table and have the look of an improving side with much to commend them. If either of the bottom two stir it is now Warwickshire and Durham who have most to fear.

Boys put their bodies on the line – Batty

Gareth Batty, the Surrey captain, praised his team commitment over the four days and especially their final-day efforts.
“It was a magnificent performance. I’ve just said to the boys in the dressing-room I couldn’t ask for any more from any individual which, from a captaincy point of view, is just a wonderful place to be.
“The boys have been absolutely magnificent for the last six weeks, today they were out there diving on a hard square and putting their bodies on the line. We are nearing that time of year where traditionally we are pretty good and we are showing it again. On the flatter pitches we are putting in some wonderful performances.”
Meanwhile Dougie Brown, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, was critical of his team’s batting.
“There were a number of soft dismissals today which we couldn’t afford as we were already behind the game due to our first-innings indiscipline. If you analyse the first five dismissals of our specialist batsmen today I think you would say there was ill-discipline attached to all of them. We need to find a way to apply all the things we do in practice in match-situations.”

At least Bell conceded his own wicket in most honourable fashion during a compelling duel with Gareth Batty, finally unpicked at short leg after making 32 in two-and-a-quarter stubborn hours, survival his only undertaking. He managed a couple of peaceful off-side drives, but the overriding image was of Bell under attack from an angry seagull as Batty squawked, flapped and smiled his way through his overs, finding substantial bounce and turn from a wearing final-day surface. This was surely the best 2 for 27 of the season, earned by 21 antagonistic overs. This has also been another excellent Edgbaston pitch.Surrey’s spin pair, Batty and Zafar Ansari, are both being monitored as potential England tourists in India and Bangladesh and they make a contrasting pair, not just because of offspin and slow left arm but in personality. Ansari has a stately stroll and flick back of floppy hair that smacks of old-time pedigree whereas Batty is waspish and combative, every grin – and he grins often when he is on top – the possible precursor to something more quarrelsome.Suggestions that a spinner fast heading towards his 39th birthday should add to his seven Tests, the last of them 11 years ago, naturally invite suspicion, but contenders are conspicuous by their absence and, if England opt for a specialist finger spinner then on this evidence Batty is better than anybody. That he would relish the challenge could be taken for granted.For the first 40 minutes of the morning, Bell’s call to arms was answered, but the loss of three wickets in six overs then told of a laborious day ahead. The nightwatchman Chris Wright backed up too far and Batty threw him out from mid-on with a celebratory speech of triumph. Varun Chopra, Bell’s predecessor, whose move to Essex has already been confirmed, edged Mark Footitt’s sixth ball of the innings to wicketkeeper Steven Davies. To lose Jonathan Trott, alongside whom Bell stood firm so often for England, was the biggest jolt of all, Stuart Meaker producing a good one to have him caught at the wicket.Three more wickets fell in the afternoon session, not just Bell, but Laurie Evans, who was forced back by Ansari and had his off-stump knocked out by one that turned. Rikki Clarke fell in the final over before tea, bowled as he offered no shot to Sam Curran. The tail succumbed easily enough after tea, the victory suitably confirmed by Batty when he had Oliver Hannon-Dalby lbw for nought, six Surrey bowlers taking wickets in a strong team display.Gareth Batty celebrates the wicket of Ian Bell•Getty Images

Bell was omitted by England after averaging barely 20 in his last 23 Test innings, nine of them single figures. The Warwickshire captaincy seemed a perfect challenge and he has thrown himself into it with gusto. He could have taken quite a narrow role, concentrating on making runs, changing fields and preserving energy to keep his England ambitions alive. Instead, his authority is strikingly wide for a captain. For a player who has not skippered since age-group cricket – apart from a stand-in appearance or two – it must be particularly burdensome.He is taking a central role in recruitment and was influential in the signing of Olly Stone from Northants, a bowler who – if he stays fit – can bring new verve to their attack. Warwickshire’s academy, too, must surely be something that troubles him because he came that way himself, but it has not produced a player of substance for Warwickshire since Chris Woakes a decade or so ago. To lose Woakes regularly now to England – a consummate professional who would naturally buy into his ideas – has been a deserved career progression for Woakes, but ill-timed for Bell as he seeks to implant his beliefs on a squad that is arguably too unwieldy and too set in its ways to respond in the way he wishes.

ScorecardSamit Patel helped Nottinghamshire to a lead•Getty Images

Just when it seemed summer had finally broken out, a blanket of cloud settled over Trent Bridge to enliven the day with a touch of spectator disgruntlement as umpires Alex Wharf and Martin Saggers called time on Neil Wagner’s attempt to prise out Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel through an exploration of old-fashioned leg theory.Bowling from the Pavilion End, the New Zealand fast bowler had aimed a series of short-pitched deliveries intended to cramp up Patel and positioned fielders in close catching positions on the leg side. The tactic was producing debatable benefits. Despite light gloomy enough to require the floodlights to be switched on, Patel had found the boundary twice in four deliveries with a couple of wristy flicks and didn’t appear to be in particular difficulty.Yet as the lights began to appear brighter against the greyness of the sky, a debate began in which the umpires offered Lancashire the usual option of continuing with slower bowlers only. This was declined and the players walked off to the noisy displeasure of the Radcliffe Road Upper, which was understandable given that they could see an hour’s potential play disappearing on a day mercifully free of rain.There should be no blaming the officials in these circumstances, though. They have a duty of care to the batsmen. What’s more, there had been a number of short-pitched balls from the Pavilion End that had failed to get up, including one that Wagner himself had inadvertently ducked into the night before.In the event, the players returned with only four overs lost of a second day that followed the pattern of the first after Lancashire’s first innings had ended with the 11th ball of the morning. Where the visitors had been 109 for 1 after the opening session on Sunday, Nottinghamshire were 120 for 1; at tea the home side were 212 for 4 compared with Lancashire’s 192 for 4.The crucial difference is that Nottinghamshire lost only one more wicket after tea and, with a lead of 27, a third batting point secured and Patel still with a batsman for company, have an opportunity to give themselves a margin to work with on the third dayLancashire, for their part, will feel they could have bowled better. After Imran Tahir’s top-spinner had trapped Matt Parkinson leg before to claim the final Lancashire wicket, Nottinghamshire openers Steven Mullaney and Jake Libby were able to progress as briskly as Tom Smith and Haseeb Hameed had at the corresponding stage of the Lancashire first innings. The two approached the task with a positive mindset from the outset, pouncing on anything wide or overpitched on a surface where the ball tended to sit up to be hit.Mullaney, pulling, had an escape on 33 when Parkinson spilled what should have been a straightforward catch on the square-leg boundary off Kyle Jarvis and Libby edged the next delivery between second and third slips. But Lancashire’s only breakthrough before lunch came when Mullaney bottom edged a cut shot against Jarvis into his stumps.Libby completed a half-century from 88 balls but Nottinghamshire’s batsmen proved no more capable than Lancashire’s of turning solid starts into substantial scores. The right-hander, who made his second first-class century during an early-season loan spell at Northamptonshire, had not added to his 54 at lunch when he feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Steven Croft off Neil Wagner.Lancashire bowled better lines in the afternoon but Nottinghamshire will feel nonetheless that there were some wasted opportunities. Greg Smith was beginning to strike the ball cleanly, pulling Jarvis for four but was leg before when the next delivery arrived fuller and straighter.Brendan Taylor could consider himself a little unfortunate. He launched a couple of huge sixes off Parkinson, a young legspinner who gives the ball some air and a good tweak, but got into a pickle against a short ball from Jordan Clark that was among those that climbed less than anticipated and was caught at short third man off something resembling his uppercut, although possibly an unintentional one.That wicket made the middle session Lancashire’s but although Michael Lumb was another who failed to build on a solid start, the partnership between Patel and Riki Wessels added 62 in what remained, with eight overs ultimately lost.

ScorecardRoss Whiteley’s blitz won it for Worcestershire [file picture]•Getty Images

Worcestershire Rapids kept alive their slim hopes of reaching the NatWest T20 quarter-finals with a five wicket victory over local rivals Birmingham Bears after some explosive hitting from Ross Whiteley.The Rapids ended a run of five successive defeats in completed matches and completed a double over their neighbours to retain the Norman Gifford Trophy.Some explosive hitting by Ross Whiteley enabled the Rapids to reach their 165 target with four balls to spare.He showed the form which brought him 29 sixes in last season’s competition in smoting an unbeaten 42 off 20 balls with four sixes and three fours.Now the Rapids must now defeat Derbyshire Falcons in their final North Group match and hope other results go their way if they are to reach a fourth quarter-final in five years.In contrast, Birmingham’s colossal collapse when baqtting meant they have now lost three matches in a row in the competition to undermine their own hopes of a last eight spot.Dougie Brown, Birmingham’s director of cricket, said: “It wasn’t a case of the game drifting away. We were masters of our own demise again. We were last week as well. We lost eight wickets for 19 runs from a real position of authority.”Worcestershire were immediately on the back foot as they lost three wickets inside the first four overs.Tom Kohler-Cadmore clipped Rikki Clarke into the hands of deep mid wicket, Joe Clarke played on to Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Joe Leach sliced Recordo Gordon to backward point.Brett D’Oliveira, who this week earned his first England Lions call-up, and skipper Daryl Mitchell tried to repair the damage as their half century stand came up in seven overs.The Rapids needed 95 off the final 10 overs and Mitchell targeted the first over from Aaron Thomason to increase the tempo, striking two sixes as the all-rounder conceded 19 overs.The return to the attack of Clarke ended a stand worth 76 in nine overs as D’Oliveira skied a comfortable catch to Josh Poysden at backward square leg.Mitchell reached his half-century off 29 balls with two sixes and four fours but Clarke also brought about his downfall on 61 as he drilled a catch to Sam Hain at mid off. But then Whiteley moved into overdrive with support from Ben Cox to turn ther game in ther Rapids favour.Birmingham appeared to be heading for a score in excess of 200 after reaching 120 for 1 in the 12th over.But a dramatic collapse saw nine wickets fall for just 35 runs and the Bears were bowled out for 164 in 19.3 overs.Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade led the initial onslaught for the visitors in his second T20 appearance for the Bears.He raced to a half century off just 23 balls with the aid of three successive sixes over long on off spinner D’Oliveira in an over costing 25 runs.Wade and Sam Hain plundered 103 in just nine overs for the second wicket. But the Rapids struck back once Wade, having made 74 off 32 deliveries, was caught by Rhodes at long-on off Ed Barnard.Rhodes then came into the attack and in his second over picked up three wickets as Laurie Evans, Hain (46) and Clarke all perished to the off spinner.Ateeq Javid was run out attempting a second run in the next over from Rhodes before Mitchell pulled off a fine one-handed catch at mid wicket to account for Jeetan Patel.Rhodes finished 4 for 13 from three overs in only his second T20 appearance before Henry polished off the innings with two wickets in his final over of his current spell at New Road.

Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has left Sri Lanka’s ongoing tour of England after sustaining a lower-back strain, which restricted his movement. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who was in England already with the A team, has joined the national squad as Thirimanne’s replacement. Thirimanne played all three Tests, but had not played in the ODIs – against Ireland or England – on the tour.Angelo Mathews and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal are nursing hamstring injuries, but have been named in the XI for the third ODI in Bristol. An SLC statement said seam-bowling allrounder Farveez Maharoof is also “sporting an injury to his left hand”, though he too continues to play.Dickwella had been in Sri Lanka’s Test squad, but did not play a game. He has played one ODI – in India in 2014 – four Tests and three T20 internationals.

Guernsey left-arm spinner Max Ellis teamed with Thomas Kirk at first slip for four dismissals on the way to bowling out Nigeria for 99, setting up a ten-wicket win at St Saviour on Tuesday. Kirk also claimed another catch at slip for medium pacer Luke Nussbaumer to take five grabs in a stellar individual fielding effort. All ten wickets for Nigeria were either bowled, lbw or caught between first slip and gully as they lasted just 34 overs after choosing to bat first on a sunny and cloud-free morning.It could’ve been even worse for Nigeria with No. 3 batsman Salako Abdulazeez put down on nought by wicketkeeper Jason Martin, diving to his left across Kirk to spill a one-handed effort in the third over off Newey. Abdulazeez wound up making 20, one of three players to reach double-figures while three deliveries down the leg side that went to the boundary for five wides were part of Guernsey’s 22 extras conceded, joint second-highest score of the innings behind opener Joshua Ayannaike’s 26.Ellis entered in the 18th over and struck with his fourth ball, clipping the edge of Leke Oyede for 3 and continued to rip out the middle and lower order to finish with figures of 4 for 9 in nine overs including five maidens. It followed on from Nussbaumer’s incisive spell that wiped out the top order and resulted in 3 for 13 off four overs.Matthew Stokes and GH Smit began cautiously in pursuit of the target, especially after both were dropped in the slips on 9 and 1 respectively inside the first six overs off opening bowlers Okpe Issac and Chimezie Onwuzulike. They were going at barely above three an over through the first 12 before Stokes started to come out of his shell with a pair of sweeps to the square leg boundary against spinner Sesan Adedeji in an 11-run over to take the score to 48 after 13.Smit cracked three boundaries in the 16th and Stokes did the same in the 18th to take the score to 98. A sliced two past gully five balls into the 19th by Smit ended proceedings ahead of the scheduled lunch interval as Smit finished on 38 with six fours while Stokes walked off unbeaten on 48 with eight boundaries. Stokes has 126 runs so far in three innings at this tournament and has been dismissed just once.Hosts Jersey defeated Tanzania by 85 runs at St Clement behind an unbeaten century and two wickets from left-arm spinning allrounder Ben Stevens. Jersey captain Peter Gough opted to bat first at the toss and struck 47 in an 87-run opening stand with Nat Watkins before making way for Stevens in the 18th over. Stevens teamed with Cornelis Bodenstein and later Corey Bisson for a pair of half-century stands on the way to making 103 not out off 88 balls.The left-hander brought up his first fifty off 61 balls – with his fourth boundary in the 42nd over – then accelerated dramatically to club 51 off his next 27 deliveries, with only four dot balls in that stretch. On 93 at the start of the final over, Stevens struck his third six and then followed it with a two to bring up three figures as Jersey ended on 273 for 5.Tanzania posted their highest score of the tournament so far in reply, batting out all 50 overs to end on 188 for 8, but scoring at three per over through the first 35 overs they were never a serious chance of overhauling the target especially once star allrounder Kassim Nassoro fell to Ben Kynman for a top score of 42 to make it 106 for 5.Stand-in captain Shaheed Dhanani, deputizing for the omitted Hamisi Abdallah, also made 42 before being bowled by Charles Perchard, one of two wickets for the medium pacer in the final over of the match.At St Martin, Oman cantered to victory over Vanuatu by nine wickets with 9.2 overs to spare. Zeeshan Maqsood followed up his half-century against Jersey on Monday with an unbeaten 130 off 138 balls to spearhead the chase of Vanuatu’s respectable total of 204 for 7 after the Pacific islanders opted to bat first.Vanuatu did themselves no favours in the field though, dropping Maqsood twice in the slips in the opening three overs off Nalin Nipiko and Callum Blake before the allrounder had reached 15. They entered the day already behind the eight ball with leading pace bowler Patrick Matautaava ruled out with a left quadriceps injury and things got worse later on when Nipiko, who took the new ball in Matautaava’s place, walked off halfway through the innings with a left groin injury. Both Matautaava and Nipiko remain in doubt for Vanuatu’s final two fixtures against Tanzania and Nigeria.Earlier, Nipiko made a valiant unbeaten 93 off 108 balls, but Vanuatu struggled to maintain momentum – their best partnership was 44 runs for the fifth and eighth wickets – with Oman’s attack taking wickets at regular intervals at the opposite end. Rajeshkumar Ranpura took 2 for 37 to lead the attack with Munis Ansari having a rest day following his career-best 5 for 27 against Jersey.Tuesday’s results moved Guernsey to 3-0 and they’ll take on 2-1 Jersey on Wednesday at St Martin in a pivotal showdown that could determine promotion berths for Division Four a day ahead of the end of the group stage. Wins by Guernsey and Oman, who face Tanzania at St Saviour, would clinch promotion to Division Four for both sides.A Jersey victory over Guernsey though could leave the door open for a three-way tie between the three sides at 4-1 if Guernsey goes on to defeat Oman on the last day of group play paired with a Jersey win over Nigeria. In such a scenario, the tiebreaker to decide the two teams promoted would be decided by net run rate. After three rounds of play, Guernsey holds a +0.141 advantage over Oman and a +1.099 advantage over Jersey. Vanuatu and Tanzania sit at 0-3 and have already been eliminated from contention for promotion while Nigeria at 1-2 is also a threat of being relegated.