All posts by csb10.top

Glen Chapple was announced as Lancashire’s LBM Player of the Year in an award ceremony at Old Trafford last night. He was presented the award by Paul Beck, Managing Director of the Club’s Official Sponsor, LBM Solutions. Holding the trophy a delighted Chapple commented . Chapple’s award follows hot on the heels of his announcement as the Frizzell County Championship Player of the Month for August.Mark Chilton, Alec Swann, Chris Schofield and David Byas also received their county caps in a surprise announcement. The presentation was made by the Club President, Joe Blackledge and Cricket Committee Chairman, Geoff Ogden. This makes Byas the only player to have scored a century and be capped for both Lancashire and Yorkshire.Neil Fairbrother and Graham Lloyd were both honoured too in a presentation by the Lancashire Chairman, Jack Simmons, each player receiving a commemorative engraved silver plate from the Club in recognition of their services to the county.Young pace bowler, James Anderson also received honours when he was announced as LBM’s Player of the Month for August

Dissatisfied with information they received during the final stages of the decisive fifth Cable & Wireless One-Day International, New Zealand have filed a formal complaint to vent their feelings.The confusion surfaced over the number of overs fast bowler Paul Hitchcock had towards the end of the tense match on Sunday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field which West Indies won by four wickets off the final ball to clinch the series 3-1.The ‘Black Caps’ captain, Stephen Fleming, originally wanted Hitchcock to bowl the final over, but had to resort to Daryl Tuffey after it was belatedly discovered the count on Hitchcock’s tally of overs was not accurate.It has cost us the match and the series. Both umpires pretty much admitted that they made a mistake, a dejected Fleming said. The match referee agrees with me.According to Fleming, the on-field umpires told him Hitchcock had three overs remaining to complete his full quota of ten at the start of the 42nd over in which he struck a vital blow by removing West Indies skipper Carl Hooper.The New Zealand captain said the umpires told him about two or three overs later Hitchcock had only one over remaining.On at least four occasions, Fleming said he asked for a clarification on the number of overs bowled by Hitchcock and it became evident the information given by the official scorers and also posted on the scoreboard on the ground was not corresponding with information by scorers in the television and radio commentary booths.We had a meeting with the umpires in terms of our disgust at their performance. The match referee will deal with it accordingly and I think he shares the same view, Fleming said.The bottom-line is that it has hurt us and it has left more of a sad taste than what’s already there.Fleming said the defeat, the third for New Zealand in the five-match series in which the opening game was abandoned because of rain, had left them devastated.Amidst all the uncertainty, Fleming was asked if he considered stopping play to get the accurate position from the match referee.The umpires keep bowling lists, which they just tick off. It’s just a case of going up and getting that information, he saidThe information that we got was that Hitchcock had three (overs) to bowl, which was fine. He bowled his eighth – two to go – and then they came and said, no, he’s got one.Clarification came somewhere perhaps down the road that he only had one to go. You can’t argue with that on the spot.With Hitchcock not at New Zealand’s disposal, Fleming turned to Tuffey, a relatively inexperienced fast bowler who turned 24 last Tuesday.His control was sadly lacking and West Indies knocked off the 16 runs they needed from the final six balls.Hitchcock is the perfect finisher, but the information was such that we had to turn to Tuffey. He is the other man who is trained to do this job, Fleming said.We could have gone to Scottie Styris, but the medium-pacers we have found on these wickets are not ideal to finish the innings off.West Indies skipper Carl Hooper wasn’t too concerned over New Zealand’s problems.I suppose at the end of the day you can look back at a lot of `ifs’ and `buts’. Tuffey had to bowl the last over and Chanderpaul played well, Hooper said.He, however, recognises that scoreboards like the one at Arnos Vale can pose problems at times.It’s not an electronic scoreboard, so as a result, you probably might miss an over short from a bowler or something like that, he said.But, I think the way to do it is to keep in touch with the umpires just find out how many overs have gone, how many are left and which particular bowler. That is the way I do it.

It took 13 balls on the final morning of this Test for Nasser Hussain to reach his twelfth Test century, his fifth as England captain and his fourth against India as he led England’s resistance at Headingley. However, once he was out for 110, that resistance crumbled and India swept to a convincing win by an innings and 46 runs to level the series with one match to play.Hussain started on his way by driving the fifth ball of the day handsomely through the covers for four. He pulled a thunderous four to bring up the century partnership with Alec Stewart, and then nudged a two square on the leg side to reach a hundred off 184 balls with one six and 16 boundaries.At the other end, Stewart was looking far less certain, playing and missing and generally failing to locate the middle of the bat, but hanging on resolutely. As so often happens when one batsman is struggling, it is the other who falls first. Anil Kumble came on from the football stand end and, with his sixth ball, had Hussain pushing forward and edging to bat/pad where Virender Sehwag swooped for a very good one-handed catch.Stewart took a single off the second ball of Zaheer Khan’s next over, new batsman Andrew Flintoff got a no ball first up before edging the next to Rahul Dravid at slip. It was his fourth Test innings on this ground and his fourth nought. He has survived for a grand total of 11 balls.Stewart had faced 135 in this innings alone when Kumble spun one past his forward defensive push and the ball was edged to Dravid at slip. Stewart was out for 47, and England had lost three wickets for two runs in ten balls.Ashley Giles and Alex Tudor made a decent fist of defiance for nine overs and had even played some cultured strokes when self-inflicted disaster struck. Tudor pushed a ball from Harbhajan Singh just to Sourav Ganguly’s left at mid-on. For some reason known only to Giles himself and one that he will always regret, he set off for a single. Realising that Tudor was not interested, his attempt to turn and regain his ground was totally inadequate.Tudor himself followed eight runs later when he was taken at bat/pad by Sehwag, before Andrew Caddick edged Kumble to gully where Ganguly took the catch and India had completed their victory in only 153 balls on the final morning and, once Hussain had gone, only 78 minutes passed before the match was over and India were heading to The Oval at one-all in the series and their spirits sky high.

Canterbury were put through their paces today at Jade Stadium in fitness tests, in one of the few summer-like days of the season to date.A full programme over the next fortnight has been set up for the under-performing side of the last couple of seasons, and with the prospect of having international players available for the start of the summer, and perhaps later, coach Michael Sharpe is keen to have the side hitting the State Championship running and ready to take every opportunity they can.Early points may well be vital with so much international cricket on later in the summer.After their full training session today, the players were being given tomorrow off as it is a public holiday in Canterbury. They will have club cricket on Saturday and then a two-day trial match at Hagley Park on Sunday and Monday.Tuesday has been set aside for pool rehabilitation and peripheral activities with sports psychology and nutrition on the agenda.The selectors are looking to name their team on November 22.Sharpe said there is good all-round strength in the region this year and after the good first seasons last year for Wade Cornelius, Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart and Peter Fulton, he is looking for them to build on that and to benefit from having the international players for the first two matches of the year.”They always add something to the team and it is good for the young players to rub shoulders with them,” Sharpe said.”It is very, very good to have them for some of our play and when they move into the internationals it gives others chances.”The recent good form shown by Canterbury sides in the national age-group competitions was starting to bear fruit by strengthening up the next tier of the game.Players had enjoyed a lot of club cricket on grass so far this summer, especially when compared to other regions and it was a case of everyone getting into the groove and going forward together he said.

RAWALPINDI, April 23: Shoaib Akhtar returns to his hometown at the top of his bowling form as Pakistan aim to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead over an injury-plagued New Zealand in the second One-day International at Pindi Cricket Stadium Wednesday.Shoaib, who ripped the heart out of New Zealand batting with career-best six for 16 in Karachi Sunday in Pakistan’s 153-run victory, promised to further entertain his home crowd. “Obviously I am bowling well and would certainly like to repeat a similar performance before my home crowd,” he said Tuesday.”I think it’s the dream of every player to give his best in front of his local supporters. I am no different. I have nice memories of the venue and public that has backed me during my difficult period. I think it is the right time to give them back something,” he said, adding: “Although it doesn’t bother me but yes, it is great to return to my city as the world’s fastest bowler.”Shoaib, who has certainly left a lot of terror in New Zealand minds, has done excellently against the tourists. His previous best of five for 19 was also against the Black Caps at Auckland last year.”It gives one added encouragement when you play against a team against whom you have done well. My confidence is high. But the biggest thing in my mind is that Pakistan should win. There is no greater feeling than being part of a winning squad,” he said.New Zealand has problems of their own and the return to form of Shoaib must have left them uneasy. The visitors arrived here without Chris Cairns, Shane Bond, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori and now they have skipper Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Robbie Hart and Chris Nevin down with food poisoning and injuries.New Zealand manager Ross Dykes said that the decision to include them would not be taken before the start of the match.”We didn’t practice with Stephen and Robbie this morning as they are down with stomach bugs and feeling weak. Scott and Chris were there and looked all right. but the physiotherapist will assess their fitness tomorrow afternoon,” Dykes said.Fleming’s absence is a body blow to the tourists whose best batsman Nathan Astle has shown glimpses of brilliance but has yet to deliver the goods.Dykes admitted that Shoaib was quick and was at the peak of his form. But he stressed that his side lost the initiative in the first match on two occasions. “It’s a matter of taking the initiative and holding on to it. We had the initiative on two occasions and we gave it away. So we should concentrate on holding the advantage once we have it,” Dykes said. “Every game is different so we start from the scratch and hope the boys will come good,” he said.Pakistan are likely to field an unchanged side. And if that happens, it would be the sixth straight match with the same side, something very unusual in Pakistan cricket. “It’s a winning combination so I don’t think there will be any changes. Until we seal the series, we will try to restrain from making changes,” Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar said.If Pakistan can’t be more pleased with the winning streak and the consistency of Shoaib Akhtar, Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan, they would be worried with the repeated failures of Inzamam-ul-Haq. The burly batsman has scored only 254 runs from his last 12 matches with just one half century.Naturally pressure will once again be on Pakistan vice-captain. But with the amount of cricket he has played, he knows how to come out of a lean patch. “It is just a matter of getting one big score. I am timing the ball nicely but somehow lose the initiative. I have to hang in and runs will automatically come,” Inzamam hoped.The weather in the twin city is excellent as there is thick cloud cover and also it rained Monday evening and Tuesday morning. There was forecast for thunderstorm late Tuesday but MET office says it will be a fine on the match day.Teams:PAKISTAN (likely): Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis (captain), Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar. Reserves: Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat, Misbah-ul-Haq.NEW ZEALAND (from): Nathan Astle, Matthew Horne, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Stephen Fleming (captain), Chris Harris, Andre Adams, Ian Butler, Jacob Oram, Robbie Hart, Brooke Walker, Daryl Tuffey, Scott Styris, James Franklin.UMPIRES: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan).TV UMPIRE: Asad Rauf.RESERVE UMPIRE: Zafar Iqbal Pasha.Match referee: Mike Procter (South Africa).

On the back of their impressive six wicket victory over Hampshire at the County ground today in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, there was even more good news for Ian Blackwell and Matt Bulbeck, who have both been named in the short list of twenty for this coming winter’s Academy trip to Australia.Chief executive Peter Anderson told me: "This has been a very good day for Somerset, who have been further buoyed up by the news that Ian Blackwell and Matt Bulbeck have both been short listed for the English Academy to be held in Australia this coming winter."Twenty four year old Ian Blackwell, joined the Cidermen from Derbyshire for the 2000 season, and last year enjoyed his best ever season. During the winter he represented England in the Hong Kong Sixes, and earlier this season scored an impressive century against Yorkshire that was watched by England boss Duncan Fletcher.For twenty two year old Matt Bulbeck this will be very welcome recognition that he is now fully fit and back to the level of performance that he had reached before he was forced to miss much of the last two seasons because of a back injury.Earlier this evening `Blackie’ told me: "Kevin Shine told me about it just after I returned back to the dressing room today. I am very, very pleased because it is the next step in my career that will hopefully go further. I hope now that I will get picked and then I impress them when I go out to Australia."

Gloucestershire successfully began their defence of the Benson & Hedges Cup with a last-ball boundary from Chris Taylor snatching victory in a match where the scores finished level.The one-day masters, aiming for a fifth consecutive Lord’s final in two competitions, won their first group match by matching Warwickshire’s 213 for 9 and squeezed home by virtue of losing three fewer wickets.Though Taylor’s cover drive off Vasbert Drakes settled the issue, the previous ball proved to be the home side’s undoing. When Taylor was sent back, Drakes threw down the non-striker’s wicket and the ball ran away to give Reggie Williams the chance to scamper a single.Ian Harvey won the gold award for his competition-best 5 for 32 as Warwickshire lurched between extremes after being put in to bat. Harvey and Jon Lewis put them in trouble at 39 for four, but Dominic Ostler (77) and skipper Michael Powell (55) responded with a stand of 136 – a new fifth-wicket record for the county in the B & H Cup.Harvey then returned to take three more wickets and ease the task for his batsmen. Kim Barnett and Rob Cunliffe laid a good base, but Mo Sheikh almost turned the game with a stunning caught-and-bowled to remove Barnett.Cunliffe advanced to 75 before Warwickshire moved back into the ascendancy with wickets in successive balls from Dougie Brown and another for Mel Betts to remove Matt Windows for 42.Mark Alleyne brought the target down to ten from the last over but was bowled by a near-full toss from Drakes before Williams and Taylor tied the match.

Those who followed the advice of my colleague, Matt Finnegan, prior to the First Test will be happy with England’s victory inside three days of actual play. England are now 6/5 favourites for a quick repeat and a fifth successive Test Series win.It is difficult to see the Pakistanis getting into the Second Test in Manchester. They were woefully under-prepared (and cold) at Lord’s. With the younger players inexperienced at playing on English tracks, Pakistan would perhaps have stood a better chance in a Three or Five Test Series.Back England to win the second test at 6/5 – after checking the weather forecast first.The draw is as short as 5/4 due to doubts about the weather. Old Trafford is one of the wettest grounds in the country (something that usually counts against backing Lancashire for the Championship), and only one one-day game has taken place there so far this summer.Pakistan are 7/2 to win – which would normally be an insult to some quality performers. Younis Khan might represent some value at 4/1 to be their first innings top scorer. For England, Michael Vaughan is in the form of his life, and is priced at 5-1 to be top scorer in England’s first innings.Looking further aheadThe long-awaited Ashes Series draws ever nearer. Let’s hope poor weather doesn’t scupper a contest that could define this English summer.England have real momentum going into the Ashes – and can be backed to hold the mighty Australians 2-2 in the series – priced at 6/1.

Mark Lane, England Women’s head coach, is confident his side’s disappointment at losing the final of the Women’s World T20 will be short-lived, with the 50-over Women’s World Cup taking place in February and England looking to defend their title.England cruised through four matches in Sri Lanka before being beaten by the holders, Australia, but will head to India as favourites for a fourth World Cup. Outside of the “lottery” of T20, Lane enthused about his side’s ability to prove they are the best team – something he felt 50-over cricket rewards.”The best side is who can put runs on the board, defend those totals, and get people out. Rather than just deliver a short game plan, to be able to hold it for three hours when you’re bowling, three hours when you bat,” Lane told the ECB website. “T20 can be a bit of a lottery – I’m not saying that’s the reason we lost the final – but the best side will win the 50-over World Cup.”We’re going to talk about scoring hundreds, crafting a spell, concentration in the field, holding your catches. I like 50-over cricket and I know the girls like 50-over cricket because the best players can put more of an impact on the result.”Rather than getting quick twenties, our key batters can go on and score hundreds and we have scored quite a few hundreds in our last few ODIs. Our best bowlers can get five wickets instead of just two or three.”England won six of eight ODIs in 2012, including a 3-0 series win in New Zealand, during which Sarah Taylor and Charlotte Edwards scored hundreds. They also beat India in a five-match series at home, coming back from 2-0 down. England then hosted T20 series against Pakistan and West Indies in preparation for the World T20.But having reacclimatised to the British autumn, England can turn their focus to the 50-over World Cup, with no fixtures scheduled before the tournament begins in India in February.”I’ve got full confidence in the squad we’ve selected in preparation for our winter training,” Lane added. “We’ve got 10 weeks of solid preparation ready for the World Cup, so we’ll be fine. We’ll switch our plans and preparation to that 50-over stuff and make sure we’re ready to go.”England Women will also return to the Test arena next year for the first time since January 2011, with the one-off Ashes Test – the sole remaining Test in the Women’s calendar. “This has come round quite quickly and we’ve been ready for this big year, if you like,” Lane said. “We’ve got the Ashes next summer, so it’s all come at once, but that’s the best way for us. We’ve got multi-skilled cricketers who can play all three formats of the game, so we’re looking forward to that challenge.”

Sloppy batting by Northerns in their second innings on the third day of this vital Super Eight encounter saw the match swing towards Easterns, though the potential brittleness of their own batting means there are no guarantees on Sunday.By the close on Saturday, Northerns were 104 for seven in their second knock, a lead of just 141, with Allahudien Paleker on 10, made off 82 balls as he tried to hold the innings together, and Steve Elworthy on 14, including a six and a four.The continued contribution of the latter, who can destroy attacks when he’s in the mood, seems vital to Northerns’ prospects of fashioning a winning lead after only Martin van Jaarsveld (25) got beyond 20 on Saturday.The day had begun with Easterns opener Andre Seymore, unbeaten on 113 overnight, extending his tenure at the crease beyond eight hours as he made a superb 174, including 23 fours. Seymore was ably assisted by Ant Botha (33), with whom he shared a 64-run stand for the seventh wicket, and Albie Morkel, who made 15 out of a partnership of 31 for the eighth.Lanky schoolboy Brendan Reddy weighed in with 11 off 12 balls at number 11, before Seymore was last man out, leaving Easterns just 35 runs adrift of the Northerns first innings total of 415.Morkel (2/24), who was the best of the bowlers in a depleted Easterns attack, and Botha (2/12) continued to contribute as Easterns made rapid inroads into the home side’s batting line-up after a 25-run opening stand between first-innings centurion Jacques Rudolph, who made 18 before being first out, and Johan Myburgh, who fell two runs later for six.