Category Uncategorized

Match abandoned
Scorecard A persistent drizzle in Durban resulted in India’s opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 being abandoned without a ball being bowled. Both India and Scotland got a point apiece, and it left India in a situation where they had to avoid a heavy defeat against Pakistan on Friday to make it through to the Super Eights. Scotland finished their engagements with a point after the 51-run defeat to Pakistan in their opening game.Ryan Watson won the toss and decided to send India in to bat at Kingsmead, but the rain came down again long before the players could take the field. For India, who have played just one Twenty20 game, it meant a day-long wait to give a largely new-look side a hit.Names synonymous with Indian cricket over the past decade and more – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly – were missing, and for the prodigal sons like Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan, it was an opportunity to revive stalled careers. They’ll now be back in the fray for one of the tournament’s marquee clashes, against Pakistan – assuming the inclement weather makes way for some sunshine.

Australia 5 for 141 (Rolton 71*) tied with New Zealand 7 for 141 (Fahey 43, Rolls 41). Australia won the bowl-off 2-1
Scorecard

Australia won a thrilling women’s Twenty20 international against New Zealand in a bowl-off after the match had finished in a tie.Karen Rolton was Australia’s hero with the bat, cracking 71 off 59 balls. With Australia needing three to win from the final delivery, she smacked the ball to deep midwicket but could only manage to run two.In the bowl-off, both sides missed with their first two attempts before Australia’s Sarah Andrews hit the stumps in the third round, only for Nicola Browne to level things up immediately. Julie Hayes, who took 2 for 19 during the New Zealand innings, secured Australia’s victory when she hit with the fifth and final ball.Twelve past Test players from Queensland were presented with baggy green caps during the day as part of Cricket Australia’s attempts to recognise all their male and female representatives. Five one-day internationals also received a commemorative lapel pin with their player number.Joyce Brewer, a 91-year-old who appeared in the first women’s Test in Brisbane in 1934, was honoured alongside players including Katherine Raymont, Julia Price and Joanne Broadbent.

Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, has praised the bowlers, Irfan Pathan in particular, for an impressive performance that gave India victory by an innings and 90 runs against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Bulawayo.”We bowled well in the second innings. It is a good sign that Irfan [Pathan] got a few wickets with the new ball while they were playing our spinners well. Pathan clicked, Laxman was best, Dravid played well and Harbhajan’s performances were the main highlights to be noted here.” Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.”The pressure was always going to be there as I have not played well for the last 6-7 months, plus expectations were there from me,” Ganguly added when asked about his century under pressure.Tatenda Taibu, the Zimbabwe captain, commended his team’s performance in the first innings. “Our guys delivered better in the first innings but a score of 300 plus would have been better,” said Taibu. “It was a different story today. Our guys played spin well but the ball was swinging a lot and that did the damage to our side.”Irfan Pathan, the Man of the Match with nine wickets and a half century, was happy with his performance. “The ball was swinging well and I could get a few wickets. It seems it is going to be pretty well from here onwards,” said Pathan. “I’ve got some experience to swing the ball here. I was not bowling badly but a bit short, I realised that and changed it [the length] and got the wickets. It could have been a better performance as I am working hard. I am working hard on batting and will definitely improve.”

Let’s go back to the Test series in Sri Lanka. Scoring two centuries in three matches must have been heartening after a lean patch?
It wasn’t a lean patch, I just hadn’t made a hundred and that kept harping on me. So it was good to perform and see the team win the series. It was good playing the best bowler of spin [Muttiah Muralitharan], and it was a great team effort. Basically we used our feet well against him and the others and that paid off. That series has boosted our confidence and we know we are in for some tough conditions [in India].It has been more than a decade since your international debut. Can you talk about the various important phases in your career?
You change, your batting changes and your mindset changes. You feel much more comfortable at 32 than when you were 21 playing at this level; you are more experienced, you know how to prepare, how to go about your career. Your batting just evolves – it becomes tighter, you play the conditions better, you are just a smarter batsman. When you are young I don’t think you understand that at all.You are a stylish batsman, but not extravagant. How did you hone this fine art as you were growing up?
It’s just natural. All of us just bat in a different way and as a kid you bat in a certain way and bowl in a certain way, and you are stuck with that for the rest of your life. You hone the basic technique of getting the foot to the ball, playing with a straight bat and then your natural stuff comes in and from there you develop your own game.At heart are you an aggressive batsman?
All of us in Australian cricket want to be aggressive and score in a certain way, but it depends on conditions. I mean, like in India, it’s very hard to sometimes bat that way. It just depends on how the game goes, and you adjust accordingly.Which have been your best knocks?
My hundreds in Sri Lanka were one of the best because batting in those tough conditions and playing Murali is always hard.How do you handle the pressure when you go out to bat?
It is very hard to exactly talk about the mental process, but the most important one is stay out there as long as possible and put as much pressure on the opposition as possible.Who have been important people who have stayed by you all along?
Too many people, but my family is the biggest thing. They have always supported me from a young age, and whether I am making hundreds or not they always present.

SS Das has been chosen as captain of the India A team for their forthcoming tour of England. Hemang Badani – who scored a heroic century against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final – will be the vice-captain, while Sandeep Patil will accompany the team as coach.The line-up includes plenty of players who performed well in the domestic season. Wasim Jaffer, who scored two half-centuries in the final, gets another chance to prove himself in seaming conditions after a disappointing tour of England with the senior team last year. Apart from Das and Jaffer, the team includes two more openers – Gautam Gambhir from Delhi and Satyajit Parab from Baroda.Sridharan Sriram, who averaged 58 in the Ranji Trophy in 2002-03, was rewarded with a ticket to the squad, as were Ambati Rayudu and Rohan Gavaskar. VVS Laxman, who had captained the A team to the West Indies, wasn’t considered as he had made himself unavailable for selection.Most of the bowlers who went to the West Indies for the A tour retained their places – Avishkar Salvi, L Balaji, Murali Kartik and Amit Mishra were all included in the line-up. Tinu Yohannan and Rakesh Patel missed out, though, and were replaced by seamers Amit Bhandari and Irfan Pathan (jr).The squad will undergo an 18-day training session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, where John Wright, coach of the Indian team, will assist them. The tour starts with a one-day match against British Universities on June 25. Also on the itinerary is a three-day match against the South African national team, who will be touring England for a five-Test series.Squad
SS Das (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir, Satyajit Parab, Hemang Badani, Sridharan Sriram, Ambati Rayudu, Rohan Gavaskar, Vijay Bharadwaj, Parthiv Patel (wk), L Balaji, Avishkar Salvi, Amit Bhandari, Irfan Pathan (jr), Murali Kartik, Amit Mishra.

Following their marathon batting performance in the quarter-finalclash against MRF, New Zealand ‘A’ failed abysmally in their semifinal encounter against Indian Railways at the MA Chidambaram Stadiumin Chennai. On winning the toss and electing to bat, New Zealand ‘A’were shot out for 129 in 57 overs by the spin duo of Sanjay Satpathyand Murli Kartik. In response, Indian Railways are a healthy 114/4 andin sight of the crucial first innings lead.It was Mark Richardson, dismissed in the first over every timepreviously in this series who gave the innings a semblance ofrespectability. Carrying the bat with a patient 59, Richardson watchedin dismay as his partners all failed to reach double figures when theluncheon interval was taken. New Zealand ‘A’ were teetering at thebrink at 77/7. A late in the order ‘recovery’ from the last twobatsmen, Shane Bond (14) and Paul Wiseman (10) saw New Zealand ‘A’limp to 129 all out.The heroes on the day for Indian Railways were without a shadow ofdoubt their spinners. Former India left arm spinner Murali Kartikscalped 3/34 from 18 overs and knocked the top order out. Once heopened the flood gates, off spinner Sanjay Satpathy took over, gettingrid of the last six wickets. Satpathy’s 6/55 off 21 overs was easilythe highlight of the day.In response, Indian Railways lost three quick wickets and were in aspot of bother at 23/3. Murali Kartik however, underlined hisimportance to the Railways team, spanking an unbeaten 54 that included8 fours and 2 sixes. Yere Goud, unbeaten on 34 (97 balls, 6 fours)helped Railways get within striking distance of the New Zealand ‘A’first innings total.* CAB recover after early blowsHalf-centuries from three middle-order batsmen enabled CricketAssociation of Bengal (CAB) to post a healthy 273 for eightafter winning the toss and electing to bat against Jolly Roversat the end of day one of their three-day MRF Buchi Babusemi-final at the IIT-Chemplast grounds in Chennai on Friday.Saikat Mukherjee, Sanjib Sanyal and Utpal Chatterjee were the men whohelped CAB, 52 for four at one stage, to recover.Bengal had lost their captain and last match centurion Rohan Gavaskarfor no score at that stage. But first, Mukherjee and Sanyal, put on 104runs, the best partnership of the day. Then Chatterjee, more known forhis left-arm spin, played a patient knock of 57 not out to help CABreach a competitive score. Chatterjee’s ninth-wicket partnership withSaurashish Lahiri (21), which has already yielded 39 runs, was thenext best partnership.Mukherjee made an aggressive 66 off 76 balls with four fours whileSanyal made 59 off 120 balls. For Rovers, left-arm spinner R Ramkumar,who claimed three wickets each, was the most successful bowler.Opening bolwer L Balaji climed two wickets.When play resumes on Saturday, the first thing CAB will be hoping foris to see Chatterjee guiding them beyond the psychological 300-runmark.

There was never any chance of play on the second day of the South Zoneunder-22 match between Kerala and Andhra at Kakinada on Friday.Cyclonic rains caused damage to the wicket and the outfield andumpires KG Lakshminarayan and S Balachandran, after severalinspections, called off play. Rain had ruled out play on the openingday on Thursday.

Corey Anderson celebrated his return to the national side with an 87-ball 88, but his effort was not enough to help Northern Districts chase down 279 against Auckland in Hamilton.ND began shakily in the chase, losing Dean Brownlie for a five-ball duck. Daniel Flynn and Daryl Mitchell then laid a strong base, adding 76, before Anderson took over. He struck six fours and two sixes, and was aided by contributions from BJ Watling and Tim Seifert. However, fast bowler Lachie Ferguson dismissed Anderson in the 46th over to tilt the contest in Auckland’s favour. ND ran out of fuel, losing their last four wickets for 21 runs.The match was set up for Auckland, thanks to fifties from Brad Cachopa and Robert O’ Donnell, after they were reduced to 109 for 4 in 20.2 overs. The pair repaired the early damage and then lifted the innings with a 130-run partnership off 142 balls. The stand ended when Scott Kuggeleijn got rid of Cachopa for 93, but O’Donnell ensured that his side passed 250 and eventually finished with 278, which proved 11 more for ND.Peter Fulton’s half-century, followed by a collective bowling effort, led Canterbury to their second successive win in the competition, after beating Otago by 65 runs in Alexandra.Having been inserted, Canterbury lost their openers cheaply before Fulton revived the innings with his 36th List A fifty, which contained 10 fours and one six. Each of the middle-order batsmen had starts but failed to build on it, with allrounder Sam Wells claiming three wickets. However, it was enough to haul Canterbury to 228.Otago’s chase had begun on a poor note with both the openers falling for ducks. It was a sign of things to come with Otago sliding to 163 all out within 40 overs. Hamish Rutherford and James Neesham mounted some resistance with a 45-run fourth-wicket partnership, before No.9 Neil Wagner swung his way to an unbeaten 37. Todd Astle, one of the three bowlers to pick up two wickets, put the seal on Canterbury’s win when he bowled Warren Barnes for a duck.George Worker’s century trumped Luke Woodcock’s, helping defending champions Central Districts to a 32-run win against Wellington at the Basin Reserve.After Ben Smith was dismissed by Dane Hutchinson for 4, Worker and Jesse Ryder added 126 together at a rapid pace only for the middle order to fumble. From 139 for 1, Central Districts slumped to 199 for 6 and Worker soon followed for 114 off 120 balls. Marty Kain’s (22) cameo lower down the order meant that Central Districts were pushed to 241.Woodcock followed three wickets with a counterattacking century, his first in List A cricket, and helped Wellington close to the target from a shambolic 35 for 5. The collapse seeped into the lower order as well as the hosts were skittled for 209. Woodcock hit two fours and six sixes before he was the last man dismissed. Central Districts’ new-ball bowlers – Seth Rance and Bevan Small – claimed combined figures of 17-3-65-7 to trip up the chase.

The Irish Cricket Union have announced a squad of 12 for their opening game against Scotland in the InterContinental Cup. Ireland, the holders, begin the defence of their trophy with a home tie at Stormont in Belfast from August 9-12.Boyd Rankin is again absent from the squad, but the Irish are boosted by the availability of their star batsman Eoin Morgan, and wicketkeeper Niall O’ Brien. There is also a place in the 12 for leg spinner Greg Thompson, who has been in action for Ireland A against the MCC in Malahide this week.Irish coach Phil Simmons said of his squad: “Unfortunately Boyd hasn’t fully recovered. He bowled last week, but experienced a little bit of pain. Greg Thompson has impressed me greatly with his legspin. He turns the ball a lot away from the bat, and he’s a wicket-taker, which is exactly what we need.”Tom Hayes, the chief executive of Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking said: “I’d like to wish the Irish team every success as they begin their quest to win the trophy for a third successive time. It’s been a marvellous year for Irish cricket, and as official team sponsor, Bank of Ireland is proud to be part of it.”Squad Trent Johnston (Railway Union, capt), Andre Botha (North County), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), Thinus Fourie (Merrion), Dave Langford-Smith (Phoenix), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Kyle McCallan (Waringstown), Kevin O’ Brien (Railway Union), Niall O’ Brien (Northants), Greg Thompson (Lisburn), William Porterfield (Rush), Andrew White (Instonians)

India Under-19 reduced their Pakistani counterparts, who required 446 for victory, to 63 for 5 in their second innings on the third day of the first four-day match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.India declared their second innings at 303 for 6 after resuming on 42 without loss, setting Pakistan, already 142 runs in arrears on the first innings, a daunting victory target. Opener Cheteshwar Pujara hit 85 in the second innings while spinner Imad Wasim took three wickets for Pakistan.In the Pakistan second innings, the Indian fast bowler Vijakumar Yo Mahesh claimed three wickets and Piyush Chawla got two victims with his legbreaks.