Category Uncategorized

Peter Handscomb's superb century defies South Australia

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Brendan Doggett took four wickets but it was not enough to force victory

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2022South Australia 357 (Drew 130, Weatherald 122, Perry 4-57, Boland 4-61) and 213 (Hunt 57) drew with Victoria 264 (Maddinson 82, Harris 58, Pucovski 54) and 6 for 236 (Handscomb 148*, Doggett 4-51)Victoria captain Peter Handscomb produced a magnificent century to earn his team a draw in Adelaide on a day dominated by the concerning news of another concussion suffered by Will Pucovski.South Australia pushed hard for their first win of the season and when Victoria were 3 for 49 they had a good chance. Later in the day they removed Matthew Short and Travis Dean, Pucovski’s concussion sub, in quick succession to leave Victoria five down with more than 30 overs remaining but they could not find a way past Handscomb who faced 280 balls. Legspinner Lloyd Pope went wicketless through 24 overs.Sam Harper played his part in a stand with Handscomb that spanned 21 overs and when he was lbw to the impressive Brendan Doggett, Will Sutherland stayed with his captain through to the close although there were some nervy near misses with edges into the slips.Doggett was the standout performer for South Australia on the final day and made the first breakthrough when Nic Maddinson, opening in place of Pucovski, edged behind and when Marcus Harris flashed a drive into the slips in the next over Victoria were 2 for 7.Handscomb and Jonathan Merlo built a stand that lasted 24 overs – Victoria were never a realistic chance of the chance after the early wickets – before Merlo edged Doggett.Short’s innings was ended when he was sharply caught by substitute Ryan Gibson at second slip, who was standing so close he wore a helmet, which revived South Australia early in the final session. They were further boosted when Doggett pinned Dean with a reverse-swinging yorker which the umpire ruled struck pad before bat.Handscomb brought up his century from 212 balls at which point he had 100 of Victoria’s 149 runs. There was chance it would still not be enough, but he found the required support to maintain the team’s unbeaten Sheffield Shield season.

Steven Smith available for first game against CSK, confirms coach Andrew McDonald

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Smith did ‘a bit of zig-zag running’ on Sunday and will be hitting the nets in Sharjah on Monday

Shashank Kishore21-Sep-2020Steven Smith , the Rajasthan Royals captain, is available for selection for their IPL 2020 opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday in Sharjah, according to head coach Andrew McDonald. Smith missed Australia’s ODI series against England earlier this month because of concussion.”Fantastic news that Steve is available,” McDonald said in a Royals release. “It’s fantastic especially on the back of some setbacks back in the UK. It is obviously great to have your skipper available for the first game, as I have said before we are in really good hands. In terms of the rest of the squad, we couldn’t be happier with their preparation. We’ve got what we needed, having been here nice and early to get our preparation going on the back of the long lay-off.”ALSO SEE: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings live score 22nd September 2020Smith arrived in the UAE on September 17. He has since been monitored by the Royals support staff in consultation with Cricket Australia’s medical team. On Monday, Justin Langer, Australia’s head coach, said Smith seemed “visibly ill” as he tried to prove his fitness ahead of the ODI series decider on September 16. On Sunday, after two days of rest in Dubai, Smith was put through the paces at training, and was confirmed to be fit enough to train on match eve.”Yesterday (Sunday) I did a bit of zig-zag running, which is part of the protocols to pass to get back to play, and today (Monday) I’ll have a hit in the nets,” Smith said. “Hopefully, [I will] pull up well from the hit and be good to play tomorrow.”The guys have been here for a month now and from all reports, the training’s been magnificent. It’s been good to catch up with both the old and the new Royals. We’re in a good place and have got a really good squad this year, really strong and we’re ready to get going.”The Royals are among the few sides to have had multiple training sessions in Sharjah, the venue for their opening game. McDonald believes the familiarity with the ground will give his batsmen some advantage.”We’ve trained at Sharjah a couple of times. Most of our players have got a really good feel for the surface,” he said. “We’ve had some net practice in the middle which is always a positive rather than just nets out at the back. The guys have been able to feel what it’s like batting at the center and have had plenty of fielding down there, so they are quite familiar with the stadium.ALSO READ: Australians in the IPL: ESPNcricinfo’s one-stop guide“It’s clearly a different surface to Dubai or Abu Dhabi in terms of runs and the size of the venue, so it’ll create some difficult challenges there for the bowling unit, so no question there being a high-scoring ground. But we feel the team will put out their best show to be able to combat what CSK will throw at us.”McDonald also underlined the depth of his squad, despite not having the services of Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Buttler arrived in the UAE with his family from the UK and will be on extended quarantine. Stokes, meanwhile, is still in New Zealand with his family, with the franchise awaiting confirmation about his participation.”We have got the bases covered and have some really good depth in the squad and really looking forward to seeing what it looks like in a real competitive match against CSK,” he said. “They had a fantastic first game, they’re one game into the tournament which is a slight advantage when you come out against the team that’s already played and performed. So, we’ll definitely have our work cut out and really looking forward to what our guys can bring to the table and we’re really excited about what the journey presents.”

'If the situation arises, Russell will bat higher' – Kallis

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The KKR coach said that while the team was frustrated after losing five matches in a row, they know they aren’t out of the qualifications race yet

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2019In the aftermath of their fifth consecutive defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a part of which could be attributed to Andre Russell’s under utilisation with the bat, Kolkata Knight Riders coach Jacques Kallis admitted they could have done things differently, and will consider doing so in the future should the situation call for it.Batting first, Knight Riders had gotten off to a flying start before losing four wickets in a flurry, but it was Rinku Singh who came out to bat in the ninth over at No.6, with Russell only getting a hit when a little more than four overs were left. While Russell had said that a move higher up the order might benefit the team, captain Dinesh Karthik later quashed the suggestion that the allrounder was unhappy with his batting position, asserting that ‘he has a clear role in the team which he’s trying to achieve every time he goes out to bat’.Kallis had a different take on the subject. “Rinku went in in the eighth over and we certainly haven’t sent Andre in that early, in hindsight we could sent him a bit earlier,” he said at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday.”It certainly hadn’t been one of our plans but if the situation arises then it’s something we’ll think of. It’s a matter of what the team needs in such a situation and what the captain and management come up with, and we feel where each player is suited to play. But like I said, if a situation arises where Andre or someone else can come up the order, we’ve got to perhaps try one or two things a little differently.”Despite Russell’s devastating form – he has 392 runs at an average of 65.33 and a strike rate of 217.77 – Knight Riders have now slipped to sixth in the points table after the loss against Sunrisers. The team had a four-day break between that game and their next one, against Rajasthan Royals at home, and they’ve used the break to give players some downtime. The aim is to get the team refreshed and ready to turn their season around. During the break, a few players – including captain Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa – travelled to Mumbai to get in some extra practice sessions.”We felt that the guys needed a break. They were given the freedom to do what they want for the next couple of days,” Kallis said. “It has been a disappointing couple of games for us, so we thought that guys can go away and do what they want. They could go home if they wanted to, and some guys felt they wanted to get a little practice which they couldn’t get here, so they went to Mumbai. Our practices here are optional, so it’s just about getting guys refreshed and mentally up for the game.”I think they are frustrated, but I wouldn’t say they are negative,” Kallis said of the mood in the team. “They do realise we’ve still got a chance of qualifying. We’ve just got to play some good cricket. I’ve said all along that in this format, it’s the little percentages you need to improve to turn things around and we’re not far off. We just need to do the little things a little bit better.”Kallis pointed to the team’s inability to take wickets upfront as one of the major reason for the string of losses. On a sluggish surface in Hyderabad, Knight Riders were unable to pose a challenge with the ball, as Sunrisers romped home to their target of 161 with nine wickets and five overs to spare. In the match before that, they conceded 213 against Royal Challengers. Overall, Knight Riders have taken only 35 wickets this season, the least among all teams, coupled with the worst economy rate of 9.04 runs an over.”The frustrating part of this season has been not taking wickets and if you don’t take wickets upfront you are under pressure for the whole innings,” Kallis said.”I think we’ve probably taken 20-21 wickets in ten games, which has put us under a lot of pressure. Yes, your bowling unit is going to be under pressure, you can’t quite be as attacking, you almost have to be defensive when there are wickets in hand. So yeah, the key for us is taking more wickets upfront, and making life a little easier in the middle and end period.”

Usman, Afridi take Karachi through to playoffs

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

In a must-win game, the Karachi bowlers came through to dismiss Islamabad for 124 and set up a qualifier clash against the same opponents in two days

The Report by Danyal Rasool16-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellIf Kamran Akmal’s heroics meant Peshawar Zalmi had thrown down the gauntlet to Karachi Kings, fast bowler Usman Khan and his fellow Karachi quicks picked it up and ran with it like it was a baton, dismantling Islamabad and sealing a comfortable seven-wicket win. That took them through to the playoffs, Eoin Morgan’s men finishing second in the final standings.A thrilling spell of raw fast-bowling from the 23-year old was too hot for league leaders Islamabad United to handle, as he burst through Islamabad with four wickets for 17 runs. Mohammad Amir and Tymal Mills were nearly as impressive, if not quite as prolific as far as the wickets were concerned. Shahid Afridi also chipped in, taking two wickets as Misbah-ul-Haq’s men were bowled out in 19 overs for just 124.Karachi Kings needed to score just 109 to ensure safe passage into the playoffs, but they never looked like falling short of the real target. A characteristically truculent knock from Joe Denly on his 32nd birthday set them on their way, the former England international smashing 36 off 28 balls. Besides that, the pace of the chase was sedate, but then again, it needn’t have been any more than that. All the excitement had come in the first innings, and this was simply going to be a procession. Babar Azam and Colin Ingram played calm innings to see their side through, meaning Karachi finish in the top two, and will take on Islamabad United in the first playoff again on Sunday. The game might not have been the most exhilarating for the neutrals – and certainly not for a helpless Multan Sultans, now eliminated from the tournament – but Karachi will feel there’s plenty of time for that in the coming week or so.Where the match was won
Ermmm…maybe before the match began? Islamabad, whose six-match winning streak meant they were guaranteed top spot before Friday’s double-header, were especially conservative with their team selection, leaving out key performers in Luke Ronchi, Samit Patel and Mohammad Sami. A drop in intensity may have played its part; this was, after all, a game with nothing riding on it for the 2016 champions, while for Karachi, it was a virtual eliminator.There was no question they wanted it more, and from the start, they played like it. Islamabad were slightly sluggish all evening, almost as if saving some energy for the upcoming playoffs. Islamabad never quite got going, while Karachi never let up. It’s certain to be a different story in two days’ time.The men that won it
Batting partnerships are often raved about, with bowling partnerships not nearly getting the same kind of credit. Karachi’s fast bowlers teamed up like a band of brothers, closing in on the batsmen together, and stifling them over by over, body blow by body blow. The wickets might mainly have fallen to Usman, but if ever wickets could be granted assists in the way goals in football are, Friday would be a good day to begin.Mohammad Amir built up the pressure while Tymal Mills intimidated the batsmen. The looming threat of elimination had united the Karachi side, and it wasn’t wickets or personal glory that concerned them as much as putting two points on the board and going to the sharp end of the competition. Having stuttered in recent games, their vaunted bowling attack came together in devastating fashion. These performances aren’t easy to reproduce, but Karachi fans will be salivating at the prospect of their side reaching the final and treating them to a similar spectacle.The T20 specialist, the bygone maestro
Islamabad’s good form has managed to keep it under wraps somewhat, but even causal observers of the PSL would have noticed how peripheral to his team’s successes Misbah-ul-Haq has been. There may still be very few questions of his astuteness – or even modernity – as a captain. But he is self-aware enough to realise that he may not be best-placed when it comes to meeting the demands of contemporary T20 batting. Having slipped further down the order throughout the season, he came in at No. 4, with Islamabad looking like they needed a rebuilding job.But Tymal Mills, the wiliest of fast bowlers in this format, had cottoned on to Misbah’s vulnerability, and, off his first five balls, pegged him back with sharp, nasty bouncers. Two of them found inventive routes to hammer into to Misbah’s gloves. It was hard to watch after a point. His dismissal, if anything, was even further evidence of his waning powers; Afridi lobbed one up that Misbah used to hit for six in his sleep. He was deceived in the flight, and ended up having an ungainly hoick at the ball. He missed, and the ball, perhaps mercifully, crashed into his leg stump.Where they stand
With the group stage now over, Islamabad have finished top, and will take on second-placed Karachi Kings in the first playoff. Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi will play in an eliminator on Tuesday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, while Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars bow out.

Late strikes dent Bangladesh's standing

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

A hectic last half-hour when Bangladesh lost three wickets in six overs has hurt their standing in the Wellington Test against New Zealand

The Report by Alagappan Muthu15-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:15

Isam: New Zealand back in it courtesy injuries and collapse

Bangladesh claimed a lead of 56 by bowling New Zealand out for 539 and swelled it to 122 by stumps on the fourth day, but not without casualties. The biggest of them was Imrul Kayes, who was stretchered off the field with what looked like an injury to his upper left thigh. He had kept wicket for 148.2 overs, substituting for the injured Mushfiqur Rahim and the strain of returning immediately to open the batting caught up with him while attempting a quick single in the last half hour of play. He had to dive into the crease, landed awkwardly and just lay there motionless. When the physio made his way out and tried to rouse Kayes up to his feet, he basically buckled. He just could not support his weight on his legs.New Zealand were able to send back three more Bangladesh batsmen in the last half hour to set up a final day for which entry is free at Basin Reserve. They had begun bowling thinking the draw was the only result. With two innings left to pack into a day and bit’s play, not many would fault them for that assumption. But with each wicket, they began planting close catchers and benefited from the opposition batsmen making bad choices.Tamim Iqbal was caught napping by the first instance of sharp turn. A ball spat out of the footmarks in Mitchell Santner’s fourth over and bowled him as he tried playing a cut. Then Mahmudullah tickled a harmless short ball – rare considering it came from Neil Wagner – to BJ Watling behind the stumps. And finally the nightwatchman Mehedi Hasan ran himself out looking for a second run off what became the last ball of the day.The good thing for Bangladesh though was Mushfiqur was seen padded up and they also have first-innings double-centurion Shakib Al Hasan in the shed, who should give them the stability they need when play resumes at 10:30 am on Monday.

Imrul Kayes’ record

  • 177 Tom Latham’s score, his highest in Tests. This is the second-highest score by an opener in Wellington. The only higher score by an opener here was Jackie Mcglew’s unbeaten 255 in 1953. Latham’s 177 is also the fourth-highest score for a New Zealand opener at home, and the fourth-highest for New Zealand against Bangladesh in Tests.

  • 5 Number of catches taken by Imrul Kayes – the most by a substitute wicketkeeper in one innings of a Test. Previously the record was Majid Khan’s four catches against West Indies in Kingston.

  • 3 Number of instances where Bangladesh have taken the lead against New Zealand in 12 Tests. This is the first time they have got the lead in New Zealand. The other two instances came in Chittagong in 2008 and 2013.

Nevertheless, it was a disappointing end to the day for the visitors, particularly considering the discipline they showed with the ball. Kamrul Islam Rabbi and his accurate bouncers off his slingy action were particularly hard to deal with. He struck Wagner on the shoulder once, then on the grille, which shifted back to bruise his chin and the back of his neck as well. The batsman required medical attention from the physio multiple times but refused to go off the field until he top-edged a pull to the wicketkeeper. It was Kayes’ fifth catch of the match, the best haul by a substitute gloveman in Test cricket.While everyone knew that wicket was coming, part-timer Mahmudullah’s scalps were huge surprises. He often bowls in limited-overs cricket, especially at home, on slow, turning pitches. But Basin Reserve was nothing like that. The healthy grass cover on the surface made sure it held together well enough that even on the fourth day there was little spin. The bounce and pace was true and the ball kept coming onto the bat, so a spinner had to deceive batsmen in the air.So naturally it was a silly old short ball down the leg that made things happen. Watling, on 49, wound up, trying to pull it to the fine-leg boundary, but all he could do was feather an edge through to Kayes, who had run three feet or so to his left, desperate to stop byes against his name. He had his eyes turned away from the ball when it settled snugly in his gloves.This sequence of pure comedy was so baffling that umpire Paul Reiffel didn’t spot the edge. Shakib, taking over leadership duties briefly with vice-captain Tamim off the field at the time, opted for a review and when confirmation of the nick came the entire team erupted in laughter. Four balls later Tim Southee was trapped lbw by Mahmudullah and Bangladesh were in splits.There was one person who was decidedly stormy at that turn of events. Tom Latham. He was in the middle for 329 balls to make his highest Test score of 177. Since his first-class debut in 2010, only twice had he and the batting crease spent more time together. In 2013, he lasted 423 balls for an unbeaten 241 and in 2014 when a 383-ball investment gave him 261 runs. He fell attempting a shot that contributes a lot to him being an all-conditions batsman – the sweep.Latham misjudged the line as Shakib tossed the ball up on middle and off. There was no room to work with, and it was a tad too full as well, sneaking under his bat to hit his front pad in front of middle stump. His 177 made it to the top 10 scores by an opener in New Zealand and he walked off to warm applause from the Sunday crowd, who at one point might have been wondering if play would begin on time.Steady rain was forecast and it remained overcast in the morning – misty, even. But the umpires thought conditions were still good enough to start play on time at 10.30 am. That had to be pushed back by three minutes considering the New Zealand team was only just getting to the ground.The home fans must have been chuffed with Santner though, who despite being ruffled by a short-ball barrage from the Bangladesh quicks, showed a willingness to fight it out. He took a blow to the helmet from Taskin Ahmed and nearly gloved Rabbi to the wicketkeeper but persevered through troubling times and began smacking the ball around in the final session – his cuts and pulls vicious – until he was last man out for 73 with six fours and three sixes. Bangladesh beat New Zealand to 10 Test wickets in an innings on this tour. Who would have bet on that?While Santner has impressed ever since he was drafted into the Test team in Australia in 2015, Henry Nicholls has been the opposite. The selectors clearly trust his talent; they’ve kept persisting with him at No. 5 despite an average below 30. He had the chance to repay their faith on a flat pitch but, having worked hard to make 53, he tickled a drifter from Shakib heading down leg stump to a gleeful Mehedi at leg-gully. It was like catching practice.Colin de Grandhomme hammered a four and six and then inside edged Subashis Roy to Kayes to give the debutant his first Test wicket.

Parnell 99 powers Cobras win

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Opening the batting, Wayne Parnell blitzed 99 – his first T20 fifty – to help Cobras hunt down 154 against Lions at Johanessburg

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Wayne Parnell cracked nine fours and five sixes•AFP

Opening the batting, Wayne Parnell blitzed 99 – his first T20 fifty – to help Cape Cobras hunt down 154 against Lions with six wickets to spare in Johannesburg. The win took Cobras to second place with 20 points, eight behind Titans.Parnell struck back-to-back fours off Dwaine Pretorius early in his innings before tucking into the spinners. He brought up his fifty off 32 balls after the fall of Andrew Puttick but the wicket did not hamper him. Eddie Leie was swept over midwicket, Hardus Viljoen was hit over the covers and long-on. Parnell then moved from 87 to 99 with a brace of sixes but missed the century as he skewered one to backward point. He fell with his side eight runs away from the target but Rory Kleinveldt put the seal on the win with a six over midwicket.Earlier Kleinveldt had bowled a tidy spell, backing up Justin Kemp, despite some late blows from Pretorius and Thami Tsolekile, who added an unbroken 53 for the sixth wicket in 4.3 overs. The top order, though, did not convert starts – opener Devon Conway’s 37 off 36 balls was the highest score. Alviro Petersen managed 20 but eventually the total of 153 turned out to be inadequate.

Mawoyo patience provides example

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Tino Mawoyo will not play against Bangladesh due to injury but the openers should heed his approach as they look to secure the series 2-0

Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2013Tino Mawoyo remembers when people used to laugh at him just because he was practising patience.”I was in the nets with the bowling machine practising [against] away swingers. Most of the balls were too good. I think I hit three out of 45 and left the rest of them,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Ian Kemp, who was the groundsman at Harare Sports Club at the time, came and told me that some people were making fun of me because I was leaving so many balls. I just said I was practising [leaving] good balls, so if they want to laugh that’s fine.”Zimbabwe may need someone of his patience at the top of the order if they get the pitch Brendan Taylor is hoping for in the second Test against Bangladesh, which starts on Thursday. “Exactly the same as the one we had for the first Test would be great,” Taylor said. That would mean assistance for the bowlers and a tricky time for batsmen, which may not play into the hosts’ hands entirely.As much as Bangladesh struggled on the surface, Zimbabwe’s top-order also battled against pace and movement. Their opening pair was under particular scrutiny against Robiul Islam, and they are on even closer watch now that Bangladesh have called in bowling reinforcements.”They were at the ground early this morning and [have done] an hour of extra practice themselves for the last two days, and they also put in time on Sunday after the match,” Taylor said. “They are very determined and take their batting seriously. They’re definitely due some runs and they deserve to get some.”With Zimbabwe set to field an unchanged XI, the opening pair of Vusi Sibanda and Timycen Maruma will be followed by Hamilton Masakadza, and all three have shown the technique and temperament required at this level. Taylor is hopeful Sibanda and Masakadza’s experience will come through, while interim coach Stephen Mangongo expects big things of Maruma who, he said, “deserves his chance”.Maruma is not an opener by trade, having usually batted in the middle-order, and may not have played had Mawoyo been fit. A groin injury, sustained in late December and exacerbated in the West Indies, has ruled Mawoyo out for up to six weeks after he has surgery.He hopes to go under the knife this week and recover in time to play club cricket in the UK to stake a claim for a comeback. Mawoyo is due to turn out for Wickford in Essex, where he hopes to play second-team cricket for the county.His main mission abroad is to get the kind of experience Zimbabwe lack in the batting department: the ability to adjust to conditions overseas. Mawoyo was part of the group that were humiliated on their last two away tours and admitted he found it “hurtful” to suffer so many dramatic batting collapses.”The Test matches were very tough for us and I hope we learnt lessons. I want to play on different surfaces and in foreign conditions. We had the New Zealand tour, which we struggled in, and the West Indies, where I had never been before, so it will be good for me to go to the UK, with the ball swinging around a bit, and get used to it and try to further myself.”Mawoyo is aiming for a comeback for the series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He also wants to play a part in keeping the game going in his home town of Mutare, where the Mountaineers franchise he captains are based.”We are struggling a little bit for numbers in the league there. We had four teams, but we had to cut them down to three because we had a lot of schoolboys and so on,” he said. “But one of the positives was that the team which won the league, West Side, is where Tendai Chatara plays, and he has emerged with real promise.”Chatara was left out of the first Test against Bangladesh in favour of Shingi Masakadza, but remains part of the squad. Mawoyo is certain his “enthusiasm” will continue to create competition among the pace pack. When Mawoyo returns to match readiness, he hopes his presence will have an impact on the tussle for Test spots for the batsmen.For now, he is happy to admire the progress. “We made a bit of a difference in the first Test and it showed that we can put into practice what we learn,” he said. “Now, we need to repeat it in the second. The batters have to look at Brendan and the way he constructed his innings. He gave himself a fair chance. It’s good to see the captain lead from the front and for someone like Malcolm Waller to follow. Those are the guys that reap the rewards for the hard work.”Zimbabwe’s efforts have put them on the brink of their first series win, other than one-off Tests, since 2000-01 when they beat Bangladesh 2-0 at home. If they win the second Test, it will be the first time in 12 years they have triumphed in consecutive matches, which would be a massive feat for a side that has struggled in the longest format since then.Taylor knows how important that is for their development, and was carefully mixing caution with anticipation in the lead-up. “We don’t want to look too far ahead, and we expect Bangladesh to bounce back strongly,” he said. “There will be some nerves, but [everyone] understands [their] roles.” If the opening batsmen can turn that understanding into application, Zimbabwe could prove tough to beat at home.

Rajasthan consign Deccan to third defeat

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Not even eight days rest, their best efforts with the bat and Amit Mishra’s three wickets were enough to earn Deccan Chargers a first win in IPL 2012

The Report by Firdose Moonda17-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Brad Hodge’s 48 came at a strike rate of 228.57, and that was perhaps the difference between the two sides•AFP

Not even eight days rest, their best efforts with the bat and Amit Mishra’s three wickets were enough to earn Deccan Chargers a first win in IPL 2012. After Kumar Sangakkara and Shikhar Dhawan put on the highest first-wicket partnership of the season, and JP Duminy and Daniel Christian blasted 77 off the last five overs, Chargers piled on a hefty score for Rajasthan Royals to chase, but they were unable to defend it on a flat pitch with small boundaries.Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane did the groundwork and Brad Hodge finished off fiercely. Almost everything Chargers did, Royals did better. Although Dravid and Rahane shared a stand of only 62, compared to Sangakkara and Dhawan’s 94 , the Royals pair scored at a faster rate. They went at 10.62 runs to the over compared to Sangakkara and Dhawan’s 8.81. Chargers had amassed 119 for 2 after 15 overs, Royals had the same score after 13. Duminy’s 58 came at a strike rate of 223.07, Brad Hodge’s 48 came at a strike rate of 228.57, and that was perhaps the difference between the two sides.With a tall task ahead of them, Royals approached it aggressively. Rahul Dravid tore into an out-of-sorts Dale Steyn in the second over, using the pace to club him for three fours. With the in-form Rahane on the other end, Daniel Christian and birthday-boy Anand Rajan also took a pasting and Royals raced to the fastest fifty in this season’s tournament, off 4.5 overs.Dravid seemed set for a much longer stay at the crease but was foxed by a Christian slower ball that was aimed at his legs. He did not get inside the line and the ball cannoned into the pads and onto the stumps. The wicket brought a short-lived calm to the crease as Rahane and Ashok Menaria consolidated.Unlike Chargers, who suffered a lapse in the mid-section of their innings and scored 23 runs between overs 13 and 16, Royals kept their slump to just two overs. The 8th and 9h overs yielded only eight runs in total but Rahane soon had the wheels turning again with a six over long-off after charging down the track to Mishra.Menaria was not expected to bat at No. 3, given the match situation which needed quick runs, but Royals stuck to their original line-up and he did not let them down. He freed his arms and found the boundary and seemed a worthy partner to Rahane until he pulled straight to short midwicket. Rahane holed out two overs later to cause jitters in the Royals camp. Those nerves would have grown when Shah was dropped by Steyn at long-on when he was on 10 and then caught two balls later at deep midwicket.Hodge did not waste time taking over and ensured the advantage was back with Royals when he clubbed Steyn for four consecutive fours. Hodge cut the short ball, turned the full toss to square leg, lofted another short one over third man and carved a half-volley through the covers to ensure Steyn had the most expensive return of the Chargers’ bowlers.With the anxiety shifting to Chargers, they dropped another catch, putting Johan Botha down and found themselves with only 11 to defend off the last over. Dishant Yagnik, little-known on the international stage, was the unlikely hero. Steyn offered him a touch of width and he found the gap on the off side and followed it up by slapping the ball through the covers to hand Royals victory.This is the second match of in the tournament that Chargers have lost from a seemingly winnable position. Last Monday, they let Mumbai Indians canter to a five-wicket win after having them under their thumb at 95 for 4, chasing 139, in the 17th over. Chargers’ three losses keeps them at the bottom of the points table.

I made the right decision, insists Ervine

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Hampshire allrounder Sean Ervine insists he made the right decision in opting to continue his county career rather than attempt an international comeback with Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2011Hampshire allrounder Sean Ervine insists he made the right decision in opting to continue his county career rather than attempt an international comeback with Zimbabwe. Ervine had been named in both the preliminary and finalised squads for Zimbabwe’s World Cup campaign but pulled out weeks before the event and committed to Hampshire.Ervine, who was initially confident that a return to Zimbabwe was the right choice, suggested that the change of heart came after his consideration of the financial problems that remain in Zimbabwean cricket and the added security provided by a county contract.”Zimbabwe told me they wanted me to go back out there and play,” Ervine told . “We went through a few negotiations and talks but I wanted to speak to Rod (Bransgrove) and Chalky (Giles White) personally before anything went ahead. But Zimbabwe went ahead and just announced I would be in the World Cup squad. When I got to the Caribbean, I was probably 100 percent confident I would go with Zimbabwe. But then there were a few issues and I knew it would be a wrong decision if I made it.”It was either me going to play for Zimbabwe, which is a risk, or carry on playing for Hampshire, which is a security thing. It was hard but it was pretty clear in the end. Watching the guys play in the World Cup, I was a bit disappointed I wasn’t there but I knew that afterwards some of the problems would start.”While Zimbabwe Cricket has made positive strides in recent years, most notably with the return of Alistair Campbell, Heath Streak and Grant Flower to coaching and administrative positions, the contracting of Alan Butcher as national coach, and the return of several players to a revamped domestic system, Ervine suggested that certain problems continued and that he may have had “a lucky escape” in his decision to forego an international comeback.”All of the players are being cut 60 percent of their salary because Zimbabwe Cricket have got no money – that’s a big thing. My brother Craig was on £1,500 a month before that, not including match fees, but it goes to show you what it’s like. It was always the case that time would tell with Zimbabwe and it is showing already. There weren’t even any fixtures organised.”There were supposed to be games against Bangladesh in April or May and then Pakistan and New Zealand in August – now they have been canned and put back to later in the year. Everyone talks about it being back on track and in a lot of ways it has improved but it’s more about the ICC putting in their money and which direction this money is going.”Maybe I’ve had a lucky escape. Every cricketer is trying to achieve the goal of playing international cricket but they need to sort out a lot of things on the administration side.”

Disclosures were for greater clarity on ownership – Modi

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

In his first public appearance since the controversy over the Kochi franchise ownership, IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he disclosed the consortium’s shareholding pattern because of the general confusion over those details

Cricinfo staff14-Apr-2010In his first public statement since the controversy over the Kochi franchise ownership, IPL chairman Lalit Modi has said he disclosed the consortium’s shareholding pattern because of the general confusion over those details. His comments came on a day Sunanda Pushkar, one of those Modi had listed as a Kochi shareholder, denied she was acting as a proxy and said the franchise had given her equity as payment for her marketing expertise and her help in putting the bid together.In Mumbai, Modi explained the reason for his revelations, through Twitter, of the Kochi ownership details. “The only reason we did it (disclose the identities) was that even those who presented the bid documents did not know who the owners were,” Modi said in Mumbai . “In regard to all the franchises bought earlier, everyone knows who they are… in regard to Kochi, we have some question marks in regard to who they are. Even the shareholders don’t know who they are.”Modi was speaking at a press conference called to announce details of the IPL awards and questions on the Kochi controversy were officially off the agenda but he eventually answered a few. “We will deal with Kochi after the IPL is over,” he said. “It is not a big issue but an issue nevertheless. We will call a governing council meeting to present my facts.”In a separate interview to PTI, Modi said it was his job as IPL chairman to seek details and authenticate the shareholding of every franchise. “How otherwise would I know where the money is coming from,” he asked.Sunanda Pushkar, whom Modi revealed to hold free equity in the Kochi consortium, said she was approached last year by Rendezvous “inviting me to associate myself with them as a consultant in their various sporting activities and particularly in their potential bid to acquire the franchise of an IPL team.”In view of my extensive international experience as a business executive, marketing manager and entrepreneur, I was invited to assist Rendezvous in the areas of fund-raising, networking, elsewhere; event management; and brand building. Because this is a start-up, I was told that in lieu of a salary they would grant me minor equity in Rendezvous in return for my efforts. I have accepted no salary or expenses and am conscious that the equity remains only on paper for the foreseeable future.”Pushkar is a close associate of Indian federal minister Shashi Tharoor’s; the minister has been criticised for not revealing the link earlier, on the contrary stressing he had no personal stake in the Kochi bid. In her statement on Wednesday, she denied acting as a proxy for Tharoor.”My own business interests and assets are substantial, and efforts to besmirch Tharoor by presenting me as a proxy for him are personally insulting for me as a woman and as a friend.”