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Ameen top-scored for Pakistan with an unbeaten 84 but they could only finish with 166 for 9

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2023A record opening partnership for Bangladesh in women’s ODIs set up their series win in the final game of the tour against Pakistan. The right-left combination of Fargana Hoque and Murshida Khatun added 125 for the first wicket, setting Bangladesh on course for their 167-run chase at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.It took an unbeaten 84 from opener Sidra Ameen for Pakistan to crawl to 166 for 9 in their 50 overs. On a slow surface, Bangladesh employed only six overs of fast bowling from Marufa Akter, operating with spin for the rest of the overs to pin Pakistan down.Ameen hit only three fours in her knock and finished with a strike rate of 58.74. She added 65 for the opening wicket with Sadaf Shamas (31 off 61 balls) but Pakistan failed to string partnerships in the middle order. While the opening part took 116 balls for their stand, the second-wicket stand between Ameen and Muneeba Ali was worth 28 off 70 balls.From 93 for 1, Pakistan could never quite find the momentum and finished with a low total. All of the middle-order batters were out for single digits and only Diana Baig – batting at No. 9 and scoring 11 off 9 – scored at a strike rate in excess of 100. Nahida Akter once more was the tormenter-in-chief, finishing with 3 for 26 in ten overs.Bangladesh’s reply was a slow but steady one. Both Hoque and Murshida had strike rates in the fifties but they never let Pakistan in the game. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu then struck twice in two overs to dismiss the openers. But captain Nigar Sultana once again exuded calmness and finished the chase off in the company of Sobhana Mostary.It was the third ODI series win for Bangladesh over Pakistan, but the first time in a bilateral series of three matches. Pakistan had won the opening contest before Bangladesh got back with a Super Over win in the second ODI.Pakistan continue to be second on the ICC Women’s Championship table while Bangladesh are placed sixth. But only three points separate the two sides.

Legspinner hasn’t taken over Test cricket by storm but is waiting in the wings trying to do his best for Queensland and Brisbane Heat

Andrew McGlashan22-Aug-2022Mitchell Swepson knows he will probably have to bide his time over the next few months for another chance at Test cricket, but admitted he has long had “one eye” on Australia’s tour to India in early 2023.Swepson, who had served a long period as a Covid-19 reserve and drinks carrier, played four of the five away Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka earlier this year. He was handed his debut in the 2nd Test against Pakistan in Karachi, after Australia had gone with three frontline quicks in the opening match.Related

• Glenn Maxwell still hungry to succeed in Test cricket

• Progress made, but subcontinent cracks still present for Australia

• Adaptable Australia make further strides on subcontinent mission

An end result of ten wickets at 45.80 does not leap off the page as an overriding success, but there were enough signs that Swepson has the chance to forge more than a fleeting Test career – although conditions in Australia won’t aid him in adding to his tally on home soil.Nathan Lyon, who partnered Swepson in those four matches, is currently on a run of 88 unbroken Tests and Australia are unlikely to field two frontline spinners in a home game despite the annual tradition of it being debated when the Sydney Test rolls around in January.”I’ve had one eye on it [the India tour] for a while, so I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t,” Swepson told ESPNcricinfo at the launch of the BBL draft. “It’s certainly a massive tour for Australian cricket. India in India is the final frontier as some people would say, so it will be massive series and the way the World Test Championship is, just adds that extra element.”But in saying that there’s also a massive summer here to go first and the boys have got to do well there. I’ll be ready to go [for the home series] if required, but chances are probably pretty slim, so I’ll just be waiting in the wings and trying to do my best for Queensland and Brisbane Heat.”Mitchell Swepson is likely to be Brisbane Heat’s premier spinner in the upcoming BBL•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Swepson is unlikely to be part of the squad for the T20 World Cup in October and November – he was part of the 15 for the previous event in the UAE, but Australian conditions won’t demand another frontliner alongside Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar – which should mean a clear run of Sheffield Shield cricket ahead of the BBL season. However, there won’t be a chance to return to red-ball cricket before the India tour with that trip due to start in early February but he should, at least, be playing cricket rather than sitting and watching.Depending on who Heat sign in the BBL draft – they have a retention option for Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Swepson could be their premier spinner and create a pairing with Matt Kuhnemann who made his ODI debut in Sri Lanka having only played five games last season.”I can’t wait for just a full season of cricket,” he said. “It’s been great to be able to travel around with the Australian team, but now getting back to normal, being able to fly in and out, I’m really looking forward to getting back to playing for my state and Brisbane as well.”Reflecting on his experiences of the last few months, Swepson spoke of his partnership with Lyon as one of the highlights, the duo firstly trying to combat the docile surfaces in Pakistan, then offered a raging turner in the first Test in Galle before something more even in the second Test, where Sri Lanka came out on top to level the series.”I might be a bit biased here, but I love seeing offspin and legspin work in tandem,” he said. “I think it’s really cool and you don’t really see it much, especially not in Test cricket. So I really loved bowling with Gaz, he’s a great fella, he’s done so much for the game in Australia, so to be able to learn off him and see how he goes about it, bounce ideas off him, it’s made me a better bowler, and hopefully, I can get the chance to do it a lot more often.”I’d dreamed as a youngster about playing Test cricket for Australia and getting a baggy green, and now that’s happened it’s been awesome to look back on, share it with my friends and family. But it’s also meant I’ve bowled some overs in a period of the season where I usually wouldn’t so that Sri Lanka tour was really good for me to bowl a lot of balls and work on some things. Now I’ve had some time at home and I’m ready to just hit the ground running, and I’m just really excited to just get a full season in.”

Jharkhand crumble from 130 for 5 to 167 all out

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2021Fifties from Punam Raut and Sabbhineni Meghana helped Railways lift the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy, their 12th title in the 14 editions of the tournament. Right-arm pacer Meghna Singh and offspinner Sneh Rana routed Jharkhand for 167 to set Railways up for a win in the final in Rajkot, clinching their 12th title in the last 14 editions.Jharkhand were off to a decent start before Ekta Bisht applied the brakes with Niral Rashmi’s wicket. Singh then struck in consecutive deliveries in the seventh over to remove Ritu Kumari and Radhey Sonia to leave them reeling at 30 for 3. It was Indrani Roy and Durga Murmu’s fourth-wicket partnership of 60 runs that then resurrected Jharkhand’s innings.Rana pinned Murmu in front to break the partnership and then returned to have Roy stumped for 49. Jharkhand’s innings never saw a lift following that, except for captain Mani Niharika’s 39 off 59 balls, as Rana, Bisht and Poonam Yadav combined to rattle the lower order, bowling them out for 167 from 130 for 5. Rana finished with three wickets, while Singh and Bisht picked two apiece. Railways lost opener Nuzhat Parween for a duck but a strong second-wicket partnership between Meghana and Raut kept them on course in the chase. Raut, who is coming off an excellent form for India in the recent ODIs against South Africa, followed up her 69 not out in the semi-final against Bengal with a carefully-crafted 59. Meghana, on the other hand, was the aggressor in the partnership, making a 67-ball 53, which included six fours.Ravinder Devyani removed both the set batters, but the rest of the line up had only 43 runs to chase in with 116 balls remaining after Meghana’s dismissal in the 31st over. Rana made easy work of the target with her 22-ball 34 and Mona Meshram chipped in with a 34-ball 19 as the duo remained unbeaten to help Railways cruise to a seven-wicket win.

The decision to tour hinges on security assessments which will be partly determined by the government

Mohammad Isam09-Dec-2019The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will know later this week whether the Bangladesh government will allow them to send the men’s team to Pakistan for a full tour in January, according to chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury. The decision to tour hinges on security assessments, which will be determined by the government, apart from the board’s own security team which has submitted a report recently.Chowdhury was responding to a question posed about the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposal to play a day-night Test during the tour. He said that the decision to play the day-night game is secondary for them currently.”Before discussing the proposal to play day-night Test, we are awaiting the government directive because of the security issue in Pakistan,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by . “We will need the government’s permission. We have to first see if we can go on this tour. We don’t have much time as the tour is scheduled for next month. We are hopeful that we can clear our position on the tour this week. We will know if we are going to Pakistan or not.”ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the BCB are not quite keen on playing another day-night Test without giving the players enough match practice with the pink ball under lights. The current schedule would not allow the senior team time to prepare separately for pink-ball cricket, as the BPL ends on January 17.The tour is scheduled for three T20Is from January 23, and the Test series has to finish before the PSL that is scheduled to begin on February 20, so like their maiden pink-ball Test in India last month, Bangladesh are unlikely to get an extra practice match before the proposed Pakistan day-night Test.On the other hand, the PCB has been experimenting with day-night first-class cricket for the last eight years starting with the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2011, which was played with an orange ball in Karachi, and their Test side has played four day-night matches.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama is also back in the squad, while Kaushal Silva has missed out

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2018Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has been recalled into Sri Lanka’s Test squad, with wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama also picked in the 17-strong outfit heading to New Zealand for two Tests in December.Dinesh Chandimal, who missed the last two Tests of the recent series against England with a groin strain, is back to lead the side. His deputy is the opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who has been elevated to vice-captaincy ahead of fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, who led Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence against England.The only major omission is that of offspinner Akila Dananjaya, who is awaiting the results of his biomechanics test, having been reported for a suspect action. Also failing to find a place in the squad is opener Kaushal Silva, who produced four modest innings in the recent series against England. Danushka Gunathilaka, who also had a poor Test at the SSC, and has been in various disciplinary scrapes over the past 18 months, has been selected, however.The composition of the five-member seam-bowling contingent is largely as expected. Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara, who had both impressed in the West Indies, are in the squad. Dushmantha Chameera, who had a good tour of New Zealand in 2015, has been chosen as well. Senior seamers Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep are in the squad as well. Pradeep has not played a Test for over a year, but that has largely been down to injury concerns rather than form reasons.Thirimanne, who had had an extended poor stretch before being dropped in 2017, makes his way back into the squad via runs for Sri Lanka A. He had been the highest scorer in the A team tour to Bangladesh in July, having scored 347 runs at an average of 173.5, across four innings. The 23-year-old Samarawickrama, meanwhile, has not been in particularly prolific form in the high-profile domestic competitions this year, but has been picked largely on potential. He had played four Tests toward the end of 2017 and made a high score of 38.Sri Lanka Test squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera

A 5-0 result seems likely given India’s dominance in the series but Sri Lanka will hope Upul Tharanga’s return can spur them to a solitary victory

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Sep-20171:36

Maharoof: Sri Lanka’s senior players need to step up

Big Picture

By this stage, this seems more like a benefit function for India’s cricketers than a competitive series. Rohit Sharma has emphatically broken his poor run on the island, Virat Kohli has padded his stats with a couple of good scores, Jasprit Bumrah has secured a maiden five-wicket haul, and most recently, Manish Pandey has made a strong return to the ODI team. Elsewhere through the tour, India’s players have been taking in the sights, planting trees, and enjoying meals at Sri Lankan players’ homes. Save for that 35-minute crowd disruption at Pallekele, and one collapse against Akila Dananjaya, almost nothing in the tour so far has been objectionable.Sri Lanka’s myriad problems have been endlessly recounted through the tour, but in this match they will at least be led by regular captain Upul Tharanga, who returns from a two-match suspension. Though Sri Lanka have lost the chance to lock down their 2019 World Cup berth, there remains something to play for. If they win this game, West Indies will need to win all five of their ODIs against England, as well as the game against Ireland, to pip Sri Lanka in the rankings. If Sri Lanka lose here, West Indies could need to win one fewer match against England.But still, for all that, so dominant have India been through the series that a 5-0 result seems the most likely by a distance

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLLLL(completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight

He has not scored an international century since August 2015, and he had only scored one ODI fifty in his first nine innings this year, but during the 80-ball 70 on Thursday, at least, Angelo Mathews seemed to regain a little of his old self. He seemed to have a little zip with the ball as well – two wickets falling off one of his overs. During Sri Lanka’s woeful 2017, it is probably fair to say that no one’s contributions have been missed more than Mathews’.While virtually all his team-mates have prospered, KL Rahul has skidded through the series with scores of 4, 17 and 7. Perhaps it hasn’t helped that he has been moved around the order – coming in at No. 4 in the second ODI, No. 3 in the third, and No. 5 in the fourth. Whatever the case, if he gets another chance on Thursday, Rahul will need some runs in order to fend off the talented team-mates who are breathing down his neck.

Team news

Danushka Gunathilaka has been ruled out of the match after he failed a fitness Test on Saturday. With Tharanga returning to the XI, however, Lahiru Thirimanne may have to move down the order.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Dilshan Munaweera, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga (capt.), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Milinda Siriwardana, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Dushmantha Chameera/Malinda Pushpakumara, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Lasith MalingaShikhar Dhawan will miss the match as he will be flying to India to attend to his ailing mother. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to take his spot. Shardul Thakur, Manish Pandey and Kuldeep Yadav will probably get another outing.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 KL Rahul, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The Khettarama track has a little bit of grass again, which means the seamers are likely to be effective. It is possible afternoon showers will interrupt play.

Stats and trivia

• If India win the series 5-0, it will be the second successive time that bilateral series between these countries have finished with that scoreline. India had also inflicted a whitewash when Sri Lanka made a hasty tour in 2014, to fill the gap left by West Indies’ withdrawal.
• Virat Kohli has now hit seven of his 29 ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka. His second highest tally of centuries against another team is five – against Australia.
• With the 49 not out on Thursday, MS Dhoni’s average for 2017 has risen to 91.16, with a strike rate of 85.
• Five of Kusal Mendis last eight ODI scores have been either zeros or ones. This is despite his having been a very consistent ODI batsman in the first 12 months after his debut in 2016.

Quotes

“To be brutally honest, the confidence level in the team is down. I guess that’s natural when you are 0-4 down. But I must say that the guys are trying hard, and their enthusiasm is still pretty high.”

All ten matches of the West Indies tri-series, featuring Australia and South Africa, will be played under lights

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2016All ten matches of the tri-series in the Caribbean, featuring Australia, South Africa and West Indies, will be played under lights. It is the first time every match of a series in the Caribbean has been accorded day-night status.The series, due to begin on June 3, features nine group games – three each at Guyana National Stadium, Warner Park in St. Kitts and Kensington Oval in Barbados. Kensington Oval will also host the final on June 26. Each match will begin at 1 pm local time (1700 GMT).Roland Holder, WICB’s cricket operations manager, said the board wanted to cater to the fans better. “We looked at ways to enhance the appeal and the spectator experience and it is accepted that fans like the day/night matches. I’m sure we will have a win-win situation for players and fans and everyone will enjoy the afternoon start and the finish under lights.”

While Delhi Daredevils are there to make up numbers now, Chennai Super Kings have their eyes firmly on a top-two finish

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu11-May-2015

Match facts

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big picture

One team’s tournament is done. Delhi Daredevils are there to make up the numbers now. The other team shifts focus to ascertaining a playoffs spot. 
Chennai Super Kings have a fine chance of making the top two in the table.Daredevils are creaking under the weight of eight losses in 12 matches. Four of them needn’t have been: the batting-order malfunction in their opening game, failing to defend 184 in their next, letting Mumbai Indians off the hook last week and losing to pressure and Sunrisers Hyderabad two days ago.Super Kings, meanwhile, are supremely healthy in closing out matches. A versatile batting line-up, coupled with canny bowling resources and handled by a captain who understands the flow of limited-overs cricket like a sailor understands a choppy ocean. Practice in winning T20 contests has taught MS Dhoni when to fight against the current and when to bide his time. But his best strength is the crew he helms and the certainty and familiarity of their roles.There is a kraken in the deep, however – a misfiring middle-order. Super Kings have often mentioned they target over 100 in the back 10. But Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja have just about faced 100 balls in the season each and Dhoni himself hasn’t been able to summon his big-hitting either.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings WLWLL

In the spotlight

A left-arm spinner by trade, Pawan Negi might need a better job description. The 22-year old’s primary discipline was ripped apart by Mumbai but his lusty blows down the order have been a welcome surprise. He bases it on a decent technique and a preference for the front foot.In the lead-up to the IPL, there was a lot of talk in the Daredevils camp about Zaheer Khan adding to his own bowling duties by mentoring the others. It was on display in Raipur when Zaheer flitted around talking to the likes of 25-year old rookie Jayant Yadav, and was at the captain’s ear regularly during the final overs. His own economy of 7.35 in five games adds to the theory that his relevance is not quite lost.

Stats and trivia

• Delhi Daredevils have struck 13 fifties this season. The only team to better that is Mumbai Indians, with 14


• On condition of at least 50 balls faced, Pawan Negi’s strike rate of 182.35 is better than AB de Villiers (180.16). It is, however, second-best this season after Andre Russell’s 197.93.

Quotes

“We probably didn’t play as well as we possibly could in our away games and we need to change that. It is not a complete overhaul; just a bit of nipping and tucking in a couple of areas and we will get a better performance away from home.”

Ask for an abiding memory of Sri Lankan sides at previous Champions League T20s and you are likely to get a blank stare for an answer

Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2012Ask for an abiding memory of Sri Lankan sides at previous Champions League T20s and you are likely to get a blank stare for an answer. The raw truth is that both Wayamba and Ruhuna had team songs livelier than either of them were on the field and they failed to make a major impression on the competition.The former have won two matches in their six games at the tournament across two events and the latter failed to get past the preliminary round last year*. This edition of the competition sees a third Sri Lankan side participate, Uva Next, and they promise things will be different.In fact, some of those things already are. Uva emerged champions of Sri Lanka’s first franchise competition, the SLPL, a league formed as a mini-me of the IPL. Apart from giving the country a glitzier stage on which to play their 20-over competition, it also brought in cash and with that was the ability to lure superstar players from other countries. It’s those players who Uva hope will help them improve their lot at the CLT20.”We have been playing a lot of domestic tournaments but without foreigners. This is the first time we’ve had foreign players in our league and it’s a very good idea,” Thilina Kandamby, the Uva captain, said. “We had Shoaib Malik in our side and it was very nice. We were able to share a lot of thoughts with them. I learnt a lot from them when we were playing the SLPL. I think having foreign players is the way forward.”While heavyweight internationals often steal the spotlight and hog the headlines, Dave Nosworthy, the former coach of South African side Lions, who is consulting for Uva at this tournament, said the players that have been involved with the team are anything but attention seekers. Uva have five foreigners in Jacob Oram, Andrew McDonald, Umar Gul, Fawad Alam and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.”The internationals we have are such good guys,” he said. “Sometimes, you can get some guys who are arrogant and ego driven but we don’t have that here. They are also learning the Sri Lankan way and having them involved helps develop local players. Because everyone is learning from everyone, the game is moving forward.”One of Uva’s foreigners whose knowledge is often sought out is Chanderpaul. The West Indian is not known for his flashiness but brings other important elements to 20-over cricket. “He might not be a Chris Gayle but he is really experienced and works the ball around. In South Africa, the way he uses the pace will also important,” Nosworthy said. “We are relying a lot on him.”Chanderpaul is also one of Kandamby’s assistants, especially important because the pace of 20-over cricket means the captain cannot be in charge of everything. “Level headedness and calmness under pressure is very important because in T20 cricket, the emotions can run high,” Nosworthy said. “If the captain is busy with field placings or bowling changes, it’s important to have someone on the field who can help other players. Having an international player around to touch here and there what the captain doesn’t get to is very good for us.”Even though Nosworthy admits that Uva will depend on the internationals he said they will also need their “local players to step up to the plate,” if they are to improve on Sri Lanka’s record in the tournament. Uva only have two matches to do it in. “It would have been nice if we had another couple of games but we knew this was the situation,” Kandamby admitted. “Guys know what we have to do.”October 8, 1500GMT: This story was amended to correct Wayamba record

The last time Lancashire won the County Championship outright, Adolf Hitler had just organised the Night of the Long Knives, Roosevelt had just launched the ‘New Deal’

George Dobell at Taunton14-Sep-2011
Scorecard
Steven Croft’s half-century was part of a consistent batting performance from Lancashire•PA Photos

The last time Lancashire won the County Championship outright, Adolf Hitler had just organised the Night of the Long Knives, Roosevelt had just launched the ‘New Deal’ and the Loch Ness monster had just been seen for the first time. It was 1934.There have been times since when Lancashire have gone close. They’ve finished second in the Championship eight times since 1934 – five times in the last 13 years – and shared a title in 1950. In 2007, a last-day run chase also fell agonisingly short.But whether 2011 will turn out to be another near-miss or finally end their 77-year run of disappointment remains to be seen. With one day remaining of another absorbing Championship season, Warwickshire and Lancashire remain locked in battle.
It would be fatuous to suggest it doesn’t matter whether Lancashire clinch the trophy. To the players who have worked tirelessly and to the spectators who have followed every twist and turn, it matters plenty.But whatever happens on the final day, it should do nothing to diminish the fact that Lancashire have enjoyed a superb season. Whatever happens on the final day, the team, the coaches and their supporters can feel justifiably proud.Several former players have been heard to utter – off the record – that this is one of the weakest Lancashire sides for many years. And, maybe, in terms of individual talent, they have a point.But cricket is a team game. And Lancashire have achieved the ultimate aim of any team by becoming more than the sum of their parts. They are not, by any reckoning, a bad team.
It was a sense emphasised several times on the third day here. In Lancashire’s innings, for example, no individual scored more than 68, yet everyone contributed with a double-figure score. It’s believed to be only the second time the county have achieved that in the first innings of a first-class match; the other occasion came against Sussex, at Old Trafford in 1957.Then, with Lancashire desperate to achieve a fifth batting bonus point, the lower order – and Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple in particular – accelerated selflessly against some negative bowling and defensive field placing. They eventually clinched that fifth point with just three deliveries remaining of the 110 overs. It’s the first time this season they’ve claimed all five batting bonus points in a game. Even Gary Keedy and Simon Kerrigan played their part, adding 57 in just 11 overs for the tenth wicket to earn a first innings lead of 100. Kerrigan, a cricketer very much in the ascendancy, improved his career-best score for the second game in succession.Paul Horton, meanwhile, typified their excellence in the field. He clung on to two more chances, including an outrageous effort – diving to his left at slip and taking the catch at the second attempt – in the dying moments of the day to get rid of Jos Buttler. Only Daryl Mitchell and Rikki Clarke have held on to more catches in Division One this season.Most of all, however, there was the sight of Chapple, apparently struggling to walk only a day or so before, charging in with the new ball. Typically, he was leading from the front and bowling, as ever it seems, with pace and skill. His example can only have served to inspire his team-mates.”I think it’s torn,” Chapple said of his hamstring afterwards. “They’ve got the wheelchair ready for me. I didn’t expect to be able to bowl to be honest. But sometimes a very good physio can off-load the pain. I’ve got some serious strapping on and I’ve been on some painkillers. I don’t know how I’ll pull up tomorrow. But, fingers crossed, I’ll be able to go again.”Several times during the day Lancashire went to the top of the table as the struggle with Warwickshire ebbed and flowed. Liam Dawson – a fellow whose parents come from Lancashire – was certainly doing his best to deny Warwickshire.By stumps, however, despite victory in this match surely within Lancashire’s grasp, the tide in Southampton had turned Warwickshire’s way. The truth is that Lancashire’s fate is no longer in their own hands. They are in the uncomfortable situation of needing a relegated side to bat through most of a day against the championship leaders.Some will blame the dropped point for a slow over-rate against Nottinghamshire. Some will blame the capitulation at New Road. Most seasons, however, Lancashire’s total of 10 victories would surely be enough to guarantee success.”We can’t effect what’s going on 100 miles away,” Chapple said. “We’re very confident and positive about our position in this game and that’s about all we can do. We’ve proved we’re a good side. We’ve done well in all aspects of the game and our commitment is the best thing we’ve got.”If someone offers you 10 wins at the start of the season, you’d bite their hand off. We would next season as well. Whatever happens, we’ll have had a great year.”This was a somewhat dispiriting day for Somerset. With their Championship race run, their eyes are already focusing on the CB40 final and the Champions League. Murali Kartik finished with his first five-wicket haul of a disappointing season, but he was never at his best.Somerset’s batting, shorn of three first choice players, looked fragile when they began their second innings. Arul Suppiah was beaten by one that nipped back from the distinctly sharp Chapple, before Alex Barrow, for the second time in the match, edged an indeterminate prod at a good one on off stump and Chris Jones edged a beauty that squared him up.James Hildreth, cutting beautifully, and Jos Buttler resisted for a while. But when Hildreth, head in the air, charged down the pitch in an attempt to thrash a ball in to the Blackdown Hills and was stumped by miles and Buttler was brilliantly caught by Horton, diving to his left at slip to cling on to an edge off a delivery that turned sharply, the writing was on the wall. Somerset reached stumps five ahead with only five wickets in hand.”We’ve got a lot to do because it’s still a good pitch,” Chapple continued. “On that pitch, to take three with the new ball, was a great effort.It was noticeable that this charming ground began to fill with Lancashire supporters as the day wore on. The hotels in Taunton are full to bursting. Whether they’ve gathered to witness a coronation or a wake, however, remains to be seen.