NEWS » to turn Hughes through midwick

Moin Akhtar was not purely a comedian and neither was he purely an actor. He was, lets just say, a man with an extraordinary range of gifts suited perfectly to the broadcast medium. He could anchor a show and steal it in a guest cameo; he could lead, he could support; he could make you laugh, cry, or think, and sometimes he made you do all three at once.One of his trademarks in the 1980s was a routine about a Bangladeshi who goes to watch a Test. The humour is spun from the central premise that cricket as sport and spectating experience is entirely alien to him.After the third day, exasperated, the man explains to his friend what he watched. First, he says, two paadris, or priests (the whites, geddit?), came out onto the ground and flipped a coin. They must be about to gamble, he reasoned. Then, one of them goes into a building and walks out with 11 ghoondas, or thugs. In defiance, the other paadri calls out two of his own ghoondas and they are wielding sticks. One of the ghoondas is given a bright, shiny red stone. He spits on it, but then, realising the entire stadium is watching, quickly starts rubbing it clean against his trousers.He then runs in and throws it at one of the men with sticks, who hits it away. These paagal ka bachas, or loons, the watcher says incredulously, run after the stone except the two with the sticks, who run past each other and back.Trust me, its funnier hearing Akhtar tell it, and in the way it plays upon the physical act of cricket as one of rioting or political demonstration, it makes an anthropological observation. Cricket can be visually unfathomable to many not familiar with it, but it is telling that he used a Bangladeshi as the central protagonist - it revealed a widespread assumption in Pakistan that cricket was alien to Bangladesh. That should come as no surprise for it was the residue of an attitude that coursed through the western half of the country when Pakistan and Bangladesh were one. Not a single player born in what was then East Pakistan ever represented Pakistan in Test cricket. The usual excuses were that there was no talent pool and that the region had no real association with the game: an outright falsehood in both cases.The truth is there was plenty bubbling along in the region until 1971, just that nobody in West Pakistan cared to know, or do much, about it. That was standard operating procedure in all spheres of life, economic, cultural or political. There was certainly plenty of fervour for the game, proof of which lies in the heaving stadiums for Pakistans earliest Tests in Dhaka, for side games in Chittagong and in smaller but well-established leagues.A softer manifestation of that attitude - the patronising, the dismissiveness - transmitted itself to the rest of the world and has lingered since Bangladesh became a Test-playing nation. For too long, after every loss (and there were many), Bangladesh have been derided and mocked for not being good enough, for only being there because they were a useful vote at the ICC. Teams have avoided going there and have been equally reluctant to invite them.These are the churlish reactions of a small-minded sport too full of itself and not concerned enough about its growth. There has never been any doubt that cricket is a better place with Bangladesh in it; instead there has only been doubt about international crickets commitment to helping Bangladesh develop.Despite the prevailing apathy, Bangladesh have created moments of magic, and most recently they lit up 2015 when it looked, finally, as if they had arrived. They got to the quarter-finals of the World Cup and then beat Pakistan, India and South Africa in ODI series at home as if they had been doing it all along. They found fast-fast bowlers and a genius slower-fast bowler; their batsmen began to play smart and prospered; crucially, two planks aligned in the shape of a world-class allrounder and a charismatic captain.For this months cover story, Sidharth Monga travelled to Bangladesh and together with Mohammad Isam not only traces this rise but sketches a rare and vital history of Bangladesh as a cricket-playing country. They are cognisant of challenges - of continuing apathy, for instance, as Bangladesh have not played a Test since July 2015, or an ODI since November last. Militant violence threatens to reshape future opportunities too. Nevertheless it is a stirring tale, to be read by anyone who has ever doubted that nations love for the sport or its aptitude for it.There is a lot else to sink your teeth into. Gideon Haigh weighs in with a masterful essay on Victor Trumper and that photograph; Tim Wigmore catches up with Marcus Trescothick, a decade on from the last international he played for England; there is an encounter with one of the oldest grounds in the subcontinent, and a compelling study on whether batsmen are batting the wrong way round. Intrigued? Read on.Nike Air Force 1 Tarjous . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Myydään Nike Air Force 1 .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. http://www.airforce1suomi.com/nike-air-huarache-ale.html . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Air Force 1 Lv8 Halvalla . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Air Force 1 Lv8 Suomi . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons.Lancashire 281 for 8 (Livingstone 98, Croft 68) beat Derbyshire 254 for 9 (Godleman 91, Jarvis 4-31) by 27 runsScorecardLancashire revived their Royal London Cup campaign with an impressive all-round display that sealed a 27-run North Group victory over Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground.Chasing 282, Derbyshire were well placed through Billy Godlemans 91 from 98 balls and Hamish Rutherfords 47 but they collapsed from 177 for 2 to 254 for 9 with Kyle Jarvis taking 4 for 31.Liam Livingstones one-day career best 98 from 98 balls and Steven Crofts 68 from 75 balls took Lancashire to 281 for 8, which they then defended with accurate bowling and tigerish fielding to deal a blow to Derbyshires quarter-final hopes.Lancashire struggled on a sluggish pitch after electing to bat, scoring only 34 in the first 10 overs with Alviro Petersen dismissed cheaply by Ben Cotton. The South African was lbw playing across the line at the fast bowler, whose disciplined opening spell also brought him the wicket of Karl Brown, leg before half-forward to one that nipped back.Livingstone gave the innings momentum by cutting consecutive balls from Shiv Thakor for four before edging the seamer to the third man boundary but Tom Smith never got going and was run out by Alex Hughess throw from mid-on in the 19th over.At the halfway stage of their innings, Lancashire were 101 for 3 but Livingstone and Croft began to accelerate with Livingstone driving Thakor over long-off for six to reach 50 from 54 balls.Croft pulled Matt Critchley for six and in the 29th over the Falcons had to replace wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein who went to hospital for an X-ray whiich showed a fracture to his left thumb with Wayne Madsen taking over.dddddddddddd But Derbyshires immediate concern was restricting the flow of runs which increased as Croft and Livingstone both dispatched Critchley for sixes in the 33rd over while Cotton was clipped over the midwicket boundary by Livingstone when he returned at the City End.Croft pulled Tony Palladino for another maximum and the game was threatening to run away from Derbyshire when Livingstone tried to turn Hughes through midwicket and was lbw.Croft failed to clear deep square leg in the 44th over but Luke Proctor and Jordan Clark added 49 in five overs to post a competitive total which Godleman put a dent in by taking three fours from Saqib Mahmoods second over.Jarvis bowled Ben Slater but Godleman and Rutherford played patiently against some tight bowling before Godleman twice straight drove Clark for six on his way to a 49 balls 50. The pair were starting to assert themselves when Rutherford sliced Stephen Parry to backward point but Godleman was the key and he drove Smith for consecutive fours as Derbyshire went into the last 20 overs needing 139.Livingstone took a superb catch at deep midwicket to remove Madsen with the score on 177 and Lancashire struck another blow five balls later when Godleman came down the pitch and was bowled by Croft.With 84 needed from 10 overs Jarvis returned to bowl Thakor and after Wes Durston missed a drive at Clark, sustained bowling and a climbing run rate proved too much for Derbyshire. ' ' '