Cricket Australia has officially postponed the Test tour of Bangladesh due to security concerns. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive officer, announced the decision late on Thursday evening

Brydon Coverdale01-Oct-20151:50

Coverdale: Not surprised CA not taking the risk

Cricket Australia has officially postponed its upcoming Test tour of Bangladesh due to security concerns. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive officer, announced the decision late on Thursday evening and said that CA had been left with no alternative after warnings from the Australian government of an increasing security risk for the Australian team in Bangladesh.”This has been a very difficult decision,” Sutherland said. “Following the most recent information from Australian government agencies and our own security advisors, we have decided that, regrettably, we have no alternative but to postpone the tour.”Over the last few days we have sought to obtain as much information as possible about the risks for Australians travelling to Bangladesh. We had hoped that the security concerns would fade, but unfortunately the advice we have received from government, our own security experts and independent security advisors has clearly indicated that there are now high risks to our people should they make the trip.”We have worked tirelessly to try to find a way for the tour to proceed, but in the end it was simply not possible. Given the situation, we have now advised the BCB and the International Cricket Council of our decision. We understand that this decision will be very disappointing for the cricket community in Bangladesh.”However, from an Australian perspective, the safety of our players and officials is our highest priority. We will work with the BCB to reschedule the tour as soon as possible.”Cricket Australia was approached by ASIO and DFAT last Friday, three days ahead of the squad’s scheduled departure for the two-Test tour, and were advised that potential security risks to Australian interests in Bangladesh had been identified. The departure of the players was postponed while Cricket Australia’s security team flew to Dhaka to assess the situation.CA’s head of security Sean Carroll met with the Bangladesh government, the BCB, the Australian High Commission and DFAT, and flew home on Tuesday to report back to the players and the CA board. The prospects of the tour going ahead were not helped by the shooting death of an Italian national in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday, for which ISIS reportedly claimed responsibility.”The decision by Cricket Australia to postpone the tour is the correct one in these difficult circumstances, particularly from a player safety and welfare point of view,” Alistair Nicholson, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive said. “The process for arriving at this decision was rigorous and we were in constant contact with CA, their security team, and the Australian players.”It was by no means a call made lightly; it was made based on the recommendations of experts from a variety of organisations, including DFAT, CA’s security team, and independent security assessors. Ultimately it was determined that the risk to the safety of players and support staff was too great for the tour to go ahead.”From the players’ point of view, they fully support the decision that’s been made, however, they were looking forward to facing off against a challenging Bangladesh side playing on their home turf. The circumstances that led to the decision to cancel the tour are bigger than the game of cricket, and it’s important to view the issue in this context. Where there are elements that are beyond our control – as there are in this case – the importance of player safety is brought sharply into focus, and this is absolutely paramount.”Friday’s warning from the Australian government was that there was “reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh”. Sutherland said that while the tour could not go ahead as scheduled in October, he was hopeful of working with the Bangladesh board to determine when the two teams could meet for a Test tour.”Bangladesh is clearly on the rise as a cricketing nation and our new-look Australian team was looking forward to the challenge of playing this series,” Sutherland said. “From the moment we raised our concerns with the BCB they have been cooperative and most understanding of the situation. Together with the Bangladeshi government, they left no stone unturned in trying to allay our concerns and we are most appreciative of that.”Cricket Australia and the BCB both exist to stage international cricket. It is therefore so disappointing that external influences have affected a tour that many Bangladeshis and Australians were looking forward to.”Australia’s Test players are now likely to be available for the Matador Cup one-day tournament that begins next week.

Mark Footitt, one of English cricket’s most sought-after close-season signings, has agreed a four-year contract with Surrey

David Hopps15-Oct-2015Mark Footitt, the left-arm quick who has been one of English cricket’s most sought-after close-season signings, has agreed a four-year contract with Surrey.Footitt, who trained with England ahead of the Ashes series without managing to make his Test debut, will add new potency to Surrey’s bowling resources as they return to Division One of the ChampionshipDerbyshire have released Footitt, who has a year left on his contract, with immediate effect after agreeing compensation with Surrey.Derbyshire had no wish to lose Footitt but they had to bow to the reality – now well established despite the resentment of a few battle-hardened traditionalists – that a struggling Second Division club can rarely hang on to its most ambitious players.Only a year ago, Footitt had insisted that he could win England honours at Derbyshire, but that view has shifted. It leaves Derbyshire with a 13-year gap since they last provided an England player – Dominic Cork at the end of his career – and with no immediate prospects of ending the run.Footitt said: “It was a difficult decision to leave, but I felt that at this stage in my career, now is the right time to move on and the opportunity to play First Division cricket at a Test ground whilst working with another strong coaching set-up is the ideal next step.”The impression was that England did not quite have the confidence that Footitt would prosper against high-quality opposition – even allowing for the fact that much of the series was played on bowler-friendly surfaces – and a move to the Kia Oval as part of a vibrant, young Surrey side gives the bowler a chance to challenge the notion.Simon Storey, the county’s chief executive, said: “We obviously regret that Mark has decided to move on. Having rejected a contract extension on improved terms, Mark and his agent made it clear he was keen to explore options elsewhere and in these situations, it is better for all parties to find a solution professionally.”Derbyshire have already strengthened their seam bowling resources by signing Andy Carter from neighbours Nottinghamshire and completing the signing of Tom Milnes, who was on loan last season, from Warwickshire, but Storey suggested that more money would be made available to Graeme Welch, their elite performance director.”It is now important that we support Graeme as he develops the current group of Derbyshire bowlers,” Storey said. “We will also be ensuring the finance is in place to augment our bowling line-up with potential replacements.”Derbyshire ar left to hide their frustration as best they can. Elite Performance Director, Graeme Welch commented: “Mark has made great progress since joining the Club and in particular over the last two seasons which got him the call-up to the England Ashes squad.”We of course would have liked him to stay, but we wish him well for the future and our attention is now on working with the promising crop of young fast bowlers at the club while continuing to look to strengthen our squad further.”Welch resists the label; of a struggling county for Derbyshire, who were expected to challenge strongly for promotion only to finish second bottom as well as suffer a lean time in limited-overs competitions.”We are totally focused on developing a side that will be capable of competing in all formats and pushing for silverware,” he said.

Josh Hazlewood and Doug Bracewell have won the final places in their respective attacks for the first Test in Brisbane, preferred over Peter Siddle and Matt Henry

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane04-Nov-2015Josh Hazlewood and Doug Bracewell have won the final places in their respective attacks for the first Test in Brisbane, preferred over Peter Siddle and Matt Henry. Siddle had replaced Hazlewood for the last Test of the Ashes this year and was impressive in collecting 6 for 67 in the match, but Australia’s selectors were swayed by the bounce and pace that a refreshed Hazlewood should offer at the Gabba.It was at this venue that Hazlewood made his Test debut last summer, and although he suffered whole-body cramps in the heat on day one, he finished with five wickets in the first innings. Hazlewood has had an excellent first year in Test cricket, with 40 wickets at 21.75 so far, and the Australians were keen to have him back in the side after a decent post-Ashes break.”I think we saw it last year against India, the way he could hit high on the bat and bring those keeper and slips into play I think this and the WACA will certainly suit him,” captain Steven Smith said. “He has come a long way. He has learnt a lot out of England and he bowled really well last week in the Shield game. He’s in a good place and hopefully he can have similar results to what he had out here last year.”The move means that Siddle again finds himself on the fringes of Australia’s Test team, having played only one of the home Tests against India last summer and one on this year’s Ashes tour. Siddle may be released from the squad to take part in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales, starting at the SCG on Friday.”Disappointing for him, he bowled extremely well in the last Test match at The Oval against England, but that’s the team we’ve gone with,” Smith said. “Josh Hazlewood had a lot of success out here last year against India. I think he’ll complement both the left-armers really well. There’s going to be a bit of extra pace and bounce on this wicket, like we’d normally expect.”New Zealand similarly had only one real decision to make at the selection table ahead of this Test: Henry or Bracewell. Henry picked up eight wickets at 42.50 during this year’s Test series in England; Bracewell took five in his last Test, against Sri Lanka in Wellington in January, and was the decisive player with nine wickets in the win over Australia last time the teams met, in Hobart in 2011.”They’re both very similar bowlers,” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said. “Matt Henry got an opportunity in England and did a pretty good job. The Test before we went to England, Doug Bracewell played and did a pretty good job for us as well. It’s a bit of a coin toss with them but we were comfortable either way. In the end we had to make a decision and we thought Doug was bowling just a touch better at this point in time.”

James Taylor produced an innings of class and style to help England to victory in a low-scoring ODI in Sharjah

The Report by George Dobell17-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Taylor produced an innings of class and style to help England to victory in a low-scoring ODI in Sharjah. Taylor, with an unbeaten 67, added 117 for the fifth-wicket with Jos Buttler to see their side to victory with nine overs and six wickets in hand, giving England a 2-1 lead in the series with only one match – in Dubai on Friday – left to play.The apparent comfort of that margin is somewhat deceptive, though. Not long after Taylor came to the middle, England were struggling on 93 for 4 and seemingly facing an uphill battle against spin bowling on a pitch that was beginning to turn sharply. Had Pakistan taken their chances, the result could well have been different.One of those chances was presented by Buttler. Moments after joining Taylor, he skipped down the pitch against the bowling of Shoaib Malik, yorked himself and should have been stumped by a distance.It was a moment that summed up a shoddy evening’s work from Pakistan. The excellence of their bowlers was undermined as chance after chance went down and the ground fielding sunk to a level some way below that required in modern international cricket. They also lost three batsmen to unusually dozy run outs.All England’s four highest scorers benefited from chances: Alex Hales was dropped on 7, a caught and bowled chance to the left hand of the impressive Mohammad Irfan; Eoin Morgan was dropped on 2, a much tougher caught and bowled chance back to debutant Zafar Gohar, playing in place of the injured Yasir Shah, and Taylor was missed, on 54, when Gohar appeared to lose the ball under lights and failed to lay a hand on the chance. While the chance given by Taylor probably came too late to change the result, any of the other three might have done.But this was still a fine performance by England. To win in these conditions – their nightmare conditions, really – to win despite losing a toss that should have proved disproportionately important and to win with young players providing the key contributions, was another step forward for a side that have progressed pleasingly since the debacle of the World Cup at the start of the year.Especially impressive was the contribution of Taylor. With a calm head, quick feet and an ability to scamper, manoeuvre and punish, he refused to allow the bowlers to settle and provided exactly the sort of dynamic, positive performance that England have been crying out for against spin bowling for many years.But England may be equally delighted with Buttler’s performance. It is no secret that he has lost form and confidence in recent times, so to register his highest international score in 21 innings (across all three formats) in such testing circumstances bodes well. If it proves to be the game that revived his confidence, it may prove highly significant.In truth, though, this was probably a game that Pakistan lost more than England won. In conditions that, for the first 50 overs of the match, offered no swing, no seam and precious little spin, Pakistan lost six for 29 in 12 overs and were only helped to a total above 200 by some uncomplicated thrashing by Wahab Riaz down the order.That is not to say that England did not bowl well. Chris Woakes, with a sharp short ball and decent yorker, claimed four wickets (three of them with that short ball), while Moeen Ali conceded just 30 from 10 overs of clever, well-controlled spin. But once Moeen and Adil Rashid, who came back from two early sixes courtesy of Mohammad Hafeez to concede just 20 from his final six overs, applied some pressure, Pakistan – clearly missing Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan – buckled surprisingly quickly.There was a moment, when Pakistan were 132 for 2 with more than 20 overs of their innings remaining, when it appeared a total approaching 270 was achievable. Yes, the pitch – used for the Test between these countries barely two weeks ago – was slow and the outfield slower, but there was, at that stage, no menace in it and England, without their key allrounder, had little in reserve should one of their bowlers experience a bad day.But Mohammad Hafzeez, attempting to turn an off cutter from David Willey around the corner, top-edged the ball to deep square leg and Sarfraz Ahmed skipped down the pitch in the next over and lofted a catch to deep mid-wicket. Iftikhar Ahmed pulled to deep square leg and Anwar Ali skied to mid on as he tried to thrash his way out of trouble.There was little rotation, little calm and little progress. For 11 overs in mid-innings – from the 26th to the 37th over – Pakistan’s most productive scoring shot was a single and, though there was a flurry of sixes in the final few overs, there were no fours after the 26th over and only three after the 16th.But it was the run outs that were particularly galling. Azhar Ali was dismissed when Hafeez, incorrectly presuming his chop into the off side would beat Taylor at point, called him for an unlikely single, before Mohammad Rizwan was turned back after setting off for another optimistic run. Then Malik, over committing while backing up, was beaten when attempting an impossible chance to Chris Jordan, the substitute fielder. They were basic, sloppy errors.But that should not obscure from the performance of Taylor. He has fought long and hard to win a recall to this England side but now, just a few weeks on, it is hard to see how he can be left out in any format.

Sri Lanka may appear the weaker team on paper, but the hosts remain wary of a seam attack that’s “underrated” and “world-class” senior batsmen in the opposition, Brendon McCullum said

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Dunedin09-Dec-20151:58

‘Our profile as a team has picked up worldwide’ – McCullum

Sri Lanka may appear the weaker team on paper, but the hosts remain wary of a seam attack that’s “underrated” and “world-class” senior batsmen in the opposition, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said.Of the visiting squad, only seven have played Tests in New Zealand before, but two medium-pace bowlers – Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep – had created problems for New Zealand previously. In January, the pair shared seven wickets for 134 at the Basin Reserve to help dismiss the hosts for 221. Pradeep had also made early breakthroughs in the second innings of that match before a series of dropped catches allowed New Zealand to overturn a 135-run, first-innings deficit.Both Pradeep and Lakmal are likely to share the new ball in Dunedin, while tearaway quick Dushmantha Chameera is expected to be the third seamer.”I think Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling stocks are pretty underrated to be honest,” McCullum said. “They’ve got some very high quality seam bowlers within their ranks – albeit inexperienced. They’ve gone through a lot of changes. When you lose guys like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, there’s going to be a period where they need to adjust and adapt to new guys starting their careers. We’re very respectful of the challenge that these guys will put to us.”Among others McCullum expected to pose a challenge to New Zealand are Sri Lanka’s two most senior batsmen – Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. Both men will be expected to fulfill secondary roles in the series, however, with Chandimal likely to take the gloves in Kusal Perera’s absence, and Mathews required to bowl in seam-friendly conditions.”Playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman is tough, but Chandimal’s a really, really good cricketer,” McCullum said. “He’s been around a long time now. He’s got a level head on his shoulders too, and he’s held positions of responsibility in the Sri Lankan setup. It can be tough, but sometimes having two strings to your bow can free up a player. I expect that he’s going to be one of the key wickets for us. With Angelo as well – who is a world-class player in that middle order – we’ve to make sure we’re on song when the opportunity arises.”They are a pretty young team, but I think they’ve got some really talented players within their ranks. Sri Lanka seem to have the knack of being able to unveil some really exciting prospects. We’re going to make sure we turn up and get the job done.”New Zealand have been encouraged by their surge through the back end of the Australia tour, where they were outclassed in Brisbane, but competed well in Perth and Adelaide. With the attack nearing its penetrative best, and the middle order also finding runs, McCullum said his team was well set up for the home summer.”We were off the pace in that first Test match, but how quickly we were able to warm to our task during that series shows how good a cricket team we have here. It was frustrating that we weren’t able to square the series in that last match, but it shows that the skillset and ability within this team – is capable of playing the best teams in the world away from home.”There’s different quirks and nuances of playing in New Zealand grounds, on these sorts of wickets, so we’ve got to make those adjustments. That’s what we’ve discussed as a group: take the learnings from Australia and make sure that we’re on song tactically and strategically.”Among New Zealand’s finds from that Australia tour was 23-year-old allrounder Mitchell Santner. With James Neesham and Corey Anderson both out through injury, Santner will play his second Test in Dunedin. McCullum predicted a bright future for him.”Mitchell’s going to bat at six again, and he might have a vital job to do with the ball too,” he said. ‘He’s an incredibly unflappable character for such a young guy, in terms of experience. He’s really fitted into this team quickly. I’m sure that over the next couple of years, we’ll see a guy who will develop into a world-class allrounder. It’s good for us with Neesh and Corey under some injury clouds – he’s going to get some opportunities over the next little while. When those guys are available for selection, we’ll have a good problem.”McCullum also reiterated his support for umpire Nigel Llong, who will be officiating in this series. Llong had made two substantial errors, which put New Zealand at a disadvantage during the series in Australia.”I’m 100% confident in Nigel Llong being involved in this series. I said it in Brisbane and I said it again after Adelaide – I think he’s a world-class umpire who made a couple of mistakes. Everyone in this game is trying to do their best, and they’re going to make occasional mistakes. Doesn’t change the fact that they’re good people and excellent umpires as well.”

South Africa will be confident that a first Test win in 10 attempts will fall their way on the final day of the fourth Test after grabbing three England wickets in the last 21 overs at Centurion

The Report by David Hopps25-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa will be confident that a first Test win in 10 attempts will fall their way on the final day of the fourth Test after grabbing three England wickets in the last 21 overs at Centurion. England, with the series already won, will seek to shrug away their disappointment, but salvaging something from this match looks unlikely even against a South Africa side that will have to count its fit and able on the morrow.Watchful batting followed by a late clatter of English wickets: a brief flurry of rain apart, South Africa’s day at Centurion could hardly have been any more satisfying.They first made the game safe with steadfast innings from Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma – Amla falling only four runs short of making two centuries in the match before they declared 381 runs ahead – then took giant strides towards winning it.The inroads were made by pace – two for Kagiso Rabada and one for Morne Morkel, but there was also enough purchase for the offspinner Dane Piedt to suggest that he can play an influential role. With the fitness of Kyle Abbott in serious doubt, he may have to. The odd thunderstorm is also lurking in the vicinity.Alex Hales’ was England’s first wicket to fall, his unhappy debut series continued to the end. Leg before to Rabada for a single, he finished with 136 runs at 17 with only one half-century on a Cape Town featherbed. Uneven bounce played a part in his latest dismissal – probably as much as a foot’s difference to strike him on the knee roll – but his aptitude for Test cricket remains unproven.His exciting potential in limited-overs cricket means that many observers look kindly upon him and for a while at least, until a contender demands the right to supplant him, they might as well.Alastair Cook must also wait until next summer to become the youngest batsman to 10,000 Test runs – he still needs 36 after Morkel plucked a return catch to his right. Nick Compton not only fell driving at Rabada, he wasted a review in a frivolous challenge.It could have been worse for England. Joe Root had two escapes against Piedt in the gloom, both on 10, Quinton de Kock missing a stumping when Piedt threaded one between bat and pad and then surviving a review as he was beaten on the sweep.South Africa’s Test cricket has long been based on discipline and sobriety. It was thus when they were No. 1 in the world and it was not about to change with that ranking about to be lost and with a run of nine winless Tests behind them. It was a method that spread into English cricket during the coaching reigns of Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower. It is in their blood.No side has ever successfully chased more than 251 in the fourth innings at Centurion, a feat achieved by England in 2000 with two wickets to spare: the infamous match-fixing declaration by Hansie Cronje. Rule out skulduggery and nobody has ever chased down more than 200.But a game so reliant on statistics does not trust them when it comes to declarations, especially a risk-averse side with its bowling resources under strain.South Africa made significant inroads with the new ball•Getty Images

Abbott, with his hamstring heavily strapped, attempted a few deliveries on the outfield before the start of play but his approach was so tentative and delivery so feeble his future involvement in the Test was cast into doubt; he looked in more danger of getting a late call up for the Masters Champions League.”He won’t bowl today,” came the advice from the South Africa camp when England batted. “He is on the field so he can bowl tomorrow.” But with England’s openers dismissed within seven overs, he could not resist an exploratory over off a short run. It was hardly venomous but neither did he fall in a heap. He will probably play a bit part at most.By the time rain five overs after tea hurried South Africa into a declaration, they had scored 206 in the day: four wickets lost and a run rate a shade above three an over. The centrepiece of that was a stand of 117 in 38 overs between Amla and Bavuma, assembled with great deliberation.Amla and Bavuma wore down England’s resistance in a wicketless afternoon in which neither player offered a glimmer of a chance. They met England’s three main pace bowlers with great concentration, adjusted calmly when the pitch occasionally misbehaved, and gladly accepted scoring opportunities as Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali were unable to sustain the pressure.If South Africa’s caution as tea approached began to feel excessive, their morning’s work was impressive. It was exemplified by Amla, whose painstaking progress was in sharp contrast to his blissful hundred in the first innings. On each occasion, he has summoned an innings perfectly suited to the situation and has been comfortably their leading batsman in the series.His second hundred went missing when he tried to abruptly shifted tempo after tea, surviving an England review as he swung lustily at the third ball, from Stuart Broad, skylarking at the fifth to be caught at the wicket. Bavuma’s outside hopes of a century also departed with the rain that forced the declaration – although to manufacture that end result would have been tactically unforgiveable.If Amla has given South Africa’s most batting sustenance in the series, AB de Villiers has had a torrid time since assuming the captaincy after Amla’s mid-series resignation. He has had three ducks in succession, facing only nine balls in the process, his latest failure coming second ball when James Anderson found a hooping inswinger to have him lbw.Considering that de Villiers had politely observed before the Test that England had some bowlers – essentially Anderson – who remained highly skilled but were down on pace – the dismissal came with a bit of invective attached. De Villiers reviewed: the batsman disconsolate, the bowler continuing to fume until he had his reward.Anderson took the first three wickets to fall. Dean Elgar had been snaffled the previous evening in a challenging session where South Africa did well to close at 42 for 1. Stephen Cook followed in the fifth over of the morning, a drive away from his body, a perceived weak spot.Anderson began South Africa’s second innings with only four wickets to his name, having missed the first Test in Durban because of injury, but whose pace and movement was greater than at any time in the series.At 49 for 3, the lead 182, South Africa had a few qualms. JP Duminy, batting high at No. 5, eased them, adding 57 with Amla before Ben Stokes drew him into a loose drive. Stokes, who had also struck Amla painfully on the thumb of his bottom hand the previous evening, was a handful. He reached his half century when Stokes spat one of a length at his face, the ball flew past short leg off his glove. Amla immediately signalled for an arm guard.As the ball aged and the skies cleared, batting problems lessened. The declaration came too slowly for some, but South Africa had chosen their tactics and fulfilled them rather well.

Saeed Ajmal, playing only his second T20 since November 2015, struck with his first ball and then produced a double-strike in his last over to help Islamabad United defend 132 against Karachi Kings in a last-ball thriller

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSharjeel Khan got Islamabad off to a good start with a 27-ball 28•PCB

Saeed Ajmal, playing only his second competitive match since November 2015, struck with his first ball and then produced a double-strike in his last over to help Islamabad United defend 132 against Karachi Kings in a last-ball thriller. With Karachi needing 16 off the last over, bowled by Shane Watson, Usama Mir was run-out off the first ball, which was called a wide. The next ball was sliced away for four by Mohammad Amir before Watson rebounded with a dot. The fourth ball of the over was bizarre: wicketkeeper Sam Billings hit the stumps, after Amir had backed away and failed to connect, but the bails refused to budge. Ravi Bopara then launched a six off the penultimate ball, but Watson held his nerve as Islamabad edged out Karachi.This meant that Islamabad secured their first points in the Pakistan Super League, after two straight losses. Chasing 133, Karachi lost their openers within four overs. Imad Wasim, who had batted at No.7 in his previous match, was promoted to No.3, and put Karachi back on track with six fours. Wasim’s dismissal, however, sparked a collapse as Karachi fell from 35 for 2 to 87 for 7.It was Ajmal who hastened the collapse with two wickets in three balls in the 15th over. He had Shakib Al Hasan holing out to deep square leg for 20 and then forced a leading edge off Saifullah Bangash. This left Karachi needing 46 off 30 balls with only three wickets in hand. Bopara, who had taken two wickets with his slow rollers and cutters, forced the pace with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 32 off 19 balls, but couldn’t get his side over the line.Earlier in the day, Islamabad had endured a collapse of their own. They gave away five wickets for only 19 runs. But impetus at the top, courtesy a 45-run partnership between Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, and late blows from Mohammad Sami pushed Islamabad to 132, which eventually proved just enough.

North Island breezed to victory in the Island of Origin T20, bowling out South Island for 126 and then chasing the target down with six wickets and seven overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2016
ScorecardMitchell McClenaghan returned after undergoing surgery for the facial fracture he suffered above his left eye•Getty Images

North Island breezed to victory in the Island of Origin T20, bowling out South Island for 126 and then chasing the target down with six wickets and seven overs to spare. While the North took away bragging rights without a doubt, most New Zealand cricket fans would be equally relieved to have Ross Taylor and Mitchell McClenaghan back in action with the World T20 around the corner. Both Taylor and McClenaghan had not played top-flight cricket due to injury since the limited-overs games against Pakistan over a month ago – Taylor had suffered a muscle tear in his left side, while McClenaghan was recovering after being struck on the face by a ball that burst through his helmet.South Island chose to bat in the one-off T20, and were given a sprightly start by Tom Latham and Dean Brownlie, getting to 35 in three and a half overs. That’s when the pair was separated, and from thereon, the South could not string together anything resembling a steady partnership. Fast man Adam Milne and seam-bowling allrounder Jimmy Neesham combined with the legspin of Ish Sodhi to knock over regular wickets as no partnership thereafter crossed 16. Even McClenaghan chipped in with a late wicket as the South were bowled out for 126 with four balls to spare.Tearaway Matt Henry, the most effective of the South’s bowlers, did strike an early blow – he had Anton Devcich caught for 6 – but a 63-run stand followed between George Worker (53) and Colin Munro to give the chase a solid base. The foundations of that base were severely rocked when Henry returned to have Munro and Grant Elliott (out for a duck) both caught behind in the ninth over, reducing the North to 87 for 4, but Taylor was at hand to steer them home. He struck 26 off 16 with three fours as the North romped home in 13 overs.

Former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, who is one of the directors on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has questioned the CARICOM cricket review panel’s suggestion of dissolving the WICB

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Apr-2016Former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, currently a director of the WICB, has questioned the CARICOM cricket review panel’s suggestion of dissolving the board and asking all its members to resign. Garner, who is also president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), wondered how some members of the WICB could suddenly be called “illegal” when they were formed according to the individual constitutions of the region’s countries.”My questions are: is the BCA, which was constituted by an act of parliament in 1933, an illegal entity and my selection as president of the BCA an illegal act?” Garner asked while speaking at the association’s quarterly meeting on Thursday. “So I have to ask the question: is the GCB [Guyana Cricket Board] an illegal entity? Is the Jamaica Cricket [Association] an illegal entity? Is the Leeward Islands Cricket Association an illegal entity? Is the Windward Islands Cricket Board an illegal entity? Is the TTCB [Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board] an illegal entity?”If they are so, they have all been established in countries in which the prime ministers are making noise, and they have to tell the public of the region, if these entities are illegal, how they were able to remain vibrant for so long.”The five-member CARICOM panel, comprising V. Eudine Barriteau, Sir Dennis Byron, Dwain Gill, Deryck Murray and Warren Smith, was appointed by the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket in response to the crisis that engulfed the WICB after the BCCI suspended bilateral ties and slapped $41.97 million as damages following the West Indies team’s decision to pull out midway through their India tour in 2014. The panel concluded its report in October last year.After extensive discussions and interviews with various stakeholders that included the management of the WICB , the CARICOM panel concluded that the governance structure of the board was obsolete. “There is an inherent and as yet unresolved tension between the evolution of the game of cricket into a powerful, professionally-driven entertainment and sporting industry and a system of governance predicated on an earlier, more simplified set of requirements,” the panel stated. “In this regard, the panel strongly recommends the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board and the appointment of an Interim Board whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven obsolete governance framework. These two key measures are absolutely necessary in order to transform and modernize the governance, management, administration and the playing of the game.”In its response, the WICB rejected the CARICOM panel’s report in January. According to WICB president Dave Cameron, the panel had not consulted either the six territorial boards – Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands – or its directors, clubs, representatives and, hence, the panel’s findings were not supported by facts.”This [lack of consultations] has caused or triggered findings and recommendations by the panel which are not supported by the facts. The panel made statements and conclusions related to the structure and governance of the WICB, while ignoring the sweeping structural and governance changes which have taken place at the WICB since 2002,” Cameron said.

Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum pillaged 85 off 51 balls in a chase of 164, helping Gujarat Lions romp to a seven-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants in Rajkot

The Report by Nikhil Kalro14-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch hit his second consecutive half-century of the season•BCCI

Another one-sided encounter, another win for the chasing team. This season’s IPL, it seems, is on repeat mode, after Gujarat Lions cruised to a seven-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants in Rajkot. After a strong start, Supergiants looked set for a score in excess of 180, but a superb display of defensive bowling towards the end turned the contest in Lions’ favour. Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum then effectively killed the game by pillaging 62 in the Powerplay, during their chase of 164.MS Dhoni had pulled back some momentum for Supergiants by contributing to a 20-run last over in the first innings, but his bowlers threw it all away. Loose deliveries stacked up, and the Lions openers duly dispatched them. Four fours and two sixes off the seamers, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, meant Dhoni turned to M Ashwin in the last over of the Powerplay, but Finch took the legspinner for four fours in a 19-run over.Finch then hit medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia for two sixes over long-on in the seventh over, but holed out to square leg in the ninth, for 50 – his second half-century of the season. By then, though, the damage had been done.McCullum continued to latch on to wayward bowling, as the spinners failed to extract much from the patchy surface. Supergiants’ day was summed up when Dhoni missed a routine stumping with McCullum well short of his crease after R Ashwin had yorked the batsman.After McCullum top-edged an attempted pull to cover off Ishant, the captain Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo produced cameos as Lions reached the target with two overs to spare.Supergiants’ batting was a tale of two halves. Faf du Plessis and Ajinkya Rahane continued from where they left off against Mumbai Indians, using exquisite timing to plunder five fours in the first 21 balls. After Pravin Tambe trapped Rahane lbw in the fourth over, Kevin Pietersen and du Plessis ensured a productive Powerplay with a bunch of boundaries.The pair added 30 off 13 balls to end the Powerplay at 57 for 1, with du Plessis being particularly aggressive down the ground. Even as the field spread, the boundary was found regularly and their stand stretched to 83.But just when Supergiants looked to accelerate, Bravo brought out his slower balls to stall the charge. He bowled four of them in succession in the 14th over, the last of which forced Pietersen to drag on. Suddenly, one wicket brought three as the spinners found their lengths. Ravindra Jadeja, who has played most of his domestic cricket at this ground, varied his pace effectively to concede just four off the 17th and 19th overs to finish with figures of 2 for 18.The situation may have been a lot worse had Dhoni not given Supergiants a late surge – he took Bravo for a six, two fours and three twos in the last over. In the end, Supergiants’ 163 was nowhere near enough as they tasted their first defeat in the IPL.