All posts by csb10.top

Three days of exciting cricket and all of them belonged to India.What else could one have asked for? It was the rare case of theIndian batting and bowling complementing each other.At 15 for one, things may not have looked bright for thetourists, but Rahul Dravid’s class and Sanjay Bangar’sdetermination saw the pair put on a record second wicket standagainst England in England. This provided the right platform forSachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to change gears and achievethe record score of 628/ 8 declared.Hats off to the team and Ganguly, especially, for sticking to hisdecision to play Bangar and also the two spinners – Anil Kumbleand Harbhajan Singh. For once, the bowlers, Kumble and Harbhajanincluded, also did their job and at the end of the third day, theEnglishmen were reeling at 264/9, facing a follow-on and mostlikely a defeat at the hands of their till then unfancied IndianopponentsI have never before witnessed such solidarity in an Indian team,both on and off the field. Dravid’s second consecutive century ofthe series and Sachin’s special effort – his 30th century whichsaw him go past the Don in the list of century-makers in Tests -could not have come at a more appropriate time. It then is hightime that the critics find something positive to write aboutthese players rather than trying to find faults which seldomexist.Ganguly, the as he is fondly called, tooneeds to be praised whole-heartedly, as he led from the frontshowing calmness and extraordinary concentration to carve out awell-made century.The most incandescent moments of the Sachin-Ganguly partnershipcame when they refused the umpires offer of light to them andproceeded to massacre the English bowling. It rained fours andsixes and 89 runs were scored of eight overs.The contrastingcenturies from the Indian trinity on a pitch which was tipped byobserves, yours truly included, to favour the English bowlers,put the home team on the back foot for the first time in theseries. A rousing display from the Indian bowlers followed andthis has firmly tilted the match in India’s favour with Englandstill trailing by 364 runs with two days to play.Talking about the team, the Indians are gradually making peoplerealise that they can play well in the longer version of the gametoo. It has been a rare case of focused cricket over 21 hoursspread over 9 sessions. This is what Test cricket is all about,winning session after session, thereby throttling the opposition.Ganguly’s men have indeed worked hard and put on a display thatwill rank as probably their best in an away Test in recenttimes. Now it is up to them to continue their good work and crowntheir unstinting efforts with victory. Should India go on to win,it will definitely be one of their most famous wins and breathelife back into what was threatening to turn into a dead series.

Cricket Wellington is attempt to rebuild its women’s cricket to the levels reached during the late-1980s and early-1990s when it regularly vied with Canterbury for top honours in New Zealand.A women’s forum group was formed two years ago with the aim of trying to build the base of numbers playing the game, both at girls’ and women’s level.There are signs of developing momentum and Cricket Wellington is keen to rebuild its base of elite team to get them back into their rightful position at, or near the top of the tables in national competitions.Two recent additions to the TelstraClear White Ferns in Anna Corbin and Frances King from Wellington are a signal of the talent in Wellington.The Blaze this year are determined to challenge for a finals position in the National State League competition.A larger squad is training this year, and their will be strong competition for a number of places, a luxury we have not had for a number of years. The team still has a strong base of experienced players in Maia Lewis, King, Corbin, and promising youngsters in Amanda Green and Amanda Cooper.Several players who have been unavailable in recent seasons due to injury and other commitments have returned to the squad and will bring some valuable experience with them. Although we have lost Anna O’Leary who has retired, she will be ably replaced by the very talented international Fiona Fraser who returns to her home town of Wellington.In terms of club cricket, there will be a Senior and Senior Reserve and Super 8 Grade. Cricket Wellington are focusing this year on building up the number of club teams, particularly in the new Super 8 Grade.This may suit individuals or groups of friends, it is a purely social, participation-based grade based around everyone having fun and features the following:

• Eight players per team
• Mid-afternoon start
• Game time about three hours
• Everyone participates in all facets of the game
• Grade winner will win a night out – dinner and drinks for the team

These shorter version, more participation grades have also been introduced at primary school level. Recently a girls-only grade was introduced at Intermediate School level, and with the success of this, two further grades have been introduced, more at a participation, first time playing grades.These will be:

• Super 8 Intermediate Age Grade
• 16-over innings, soft ball, full participation – batting in pairs and bowling two overs each. This will also be introduced.

Cricket Wellington really want to build on the base of players this year and introduce girls and women to the game to show that participation in this team game is a lot of fun, and with changes in rules, the time commitment is less than the previous requirement.If you require further information on local clubs, please call Cricket Wellington on (04) 384 3171.

Virat Kohli, the captain of the India under-19s, and team-mates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava, have been awarded the Border-Gavaskar scholarship for 2008. The scholarship will enable them to train for six weeks at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.”It’s really good to receive the scholarship. I think my performance in the [U-19] World Cup has been taken into consideration for this” Sangwan told the . Sangwan, a left-arm seamer who is Kohli’s team-mate in Delhi’s Ranji squad, was one of the stand-out performers in India’s victorious U-19 World Cup campaign, taking eight wickets from six matches at 20.75.Meanwhile, Srivastava, who was the top-scorer in the tournament with 262 runs at 52.40, felt it was an “honour” to be a recipient of the scholarship. “This is the most sought-after scholarship and I am really lucky to get this. I am looking forward to further working on my skills and improving my game while we are trained in Australia.”Kohli also had a good run in the U-19 World Cup, scoring 235 runs to finish as the third-highest run-getter, and was one of only three batsmen to score a century in the tournament, which was held in Malaysia.The trio will be joined on their Australian stint by Mumbai seamer Dhawal Kulkarni, whose trip has been sponsored under the Dilip Sardesai Scholarship, which has been newly constituted by the Mumbai Cricket Association. They will leave for Brisbane on Saturday.

Wales have inflicted an eight-wicket defeat on England at Sophia Gardens in their one warm-up match before the NatWest triangular series. Set 190 to win, Wales reached the target with nine overs and three balls to spare.Wales coasted to victory after the Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft smashed 30 off just 26 balls as he opened the Welsh innings. He was particularly severe on Matthew Hoggard, who struggled for rhythm and ended with figures of nought for 63 off seven overs. Croft’s captain and opening partner Steve James batted throughout the innings, finishing on 83 not out.James Kirtley celebrated his return to England colours by bowling Croft, but James and David Hemp then added 122 for the second wicket to put England effectively out of the game. Hemp was bowled by Kirtley for 57, but Jacques Kallis then stayed with James until the job was done.England struggled to 189 for nine in their 50 overs after James put them in to bat, never fully recovering from the loss of their top four batsmen in the first 14 overs. Warwickshire left-hander Nick Knight fell in the seventh when he hit Kallis to Hemp at backward point.Marcus Trescothick, captaining England to allow Nasser Hussain a break, followed three overs later when he was caught by Steffan Jones at third man off Andrew Davies. Trescothick had made 38 from only 31 balls. Michael Vaughan followed two overs later, driving Darren Thomas’s second ball loosely to cover, where Croft took a fine catch. In his next over Thomas removed Graham Thorpe, cutting to Adrian Dale at point.Paul Collingwood, playing his first innings for a month after a knee injury, made a steady 22 off 47 balls, adding 32 runs with Ronnie Irani. But Collingwood was then yorked by Croft, whom Irani then drove straight to mid-on. Croft finished with the excellent figures of two for 36 from his 10 overs.Alec Stewart and Andrew Flintoff then shared a 58-run partnership which enabled a limited recovery. Scoring mainly in ones and twos, the pair were promising a more substantial revival when Flintoff holed out to Matthew Maynard at long-on off Jones for 29. Stewart (39) was then brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Hemp as he tried to regain his ground at the non-striker’s end.After Kirtley was run out for one, Jeremy Snape and Hoggard batted sensibly to add 23 runs for the last wicket and ensure that England used up their full quota of overs. But as Wales were shortly to prove, it was a far from adequate total.

Sorry FICA, but your awards and allocation of places on the International Hall of Fame have to be taken with a hefty helping of cynicism.And yes, it is a pure case of Kiwi whingeing.You award Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer the place in history award for four double century opening partnerships.Yet your assessors conveniently forget that Mr Langer was given not out leg before wicket in the second of those opening stands before he had scored a run. A decision for which, now elite panel umpire, Daryl Harper apologised for getting wrong.And yes, you did overlook New Zealander Nathan Astle in the same category.That’s the same Nathan Astle who scored 222 to obliterate the world record set by your international player of the year Adam Gilchrist a few weeks earlier.We’re talking about breaking a record by 59 balls here, not something insignificant.And that innings had an effect on the rest of the series because England were not prepared to let him loose on a reasonable fourth innings target in the second Test. That, of course, rebounded on them when New Zealand won the third Test to tie the series, with the aforementioned Astle playing two key roles, in batting and bowling.While we’re on about it, what more had Astle to do during the year not to be in the running for the international player of the year.Notwithstanding his world record there were other factors.Astle helped ensure New Zealand tied their home Test series with England by scoring vital runs on the dramatic fourth evening in the third Test, before producing a sustained bowling spell to create havoc in the England batting on the last day of the game.His feat in securing his 12th century in One-Day Internationals ensured New Zealand beat England in a one-day series.Then, of course, there was Astle’s share of the four New Zealand centuries scored at Perth in the third Test of the series in which New Zealand was only denied victory by more umpiring controversy.You appointed former England captain Mike Atherton to your Hall of Fame. Nice chap, fine batsman, but worthy of a place ahead of many other claimants?Sorry again. Must disagree.First up, where, for goodness sake is Victor Trumper? Atherton v Trumper.Sorry, can’t agree.Then there’s Doug Walters. Atherton v Walters.Nah, sorry, doesn’t add up.What must poor old Mark Taylor be thinking. How many times did Taylor preside over Atherton’s demise?You’ve got it wrong chaps.And just to make a point for a Kiwi.I wonder if your assessors bothered to contact some of the players on your list still alive whether they might say Bert Sutcliffe might warrant inclusion on that list. If it came down to a choice between Sutcliffe and Atherton, the outcome of a vote would be interesting.But no comparison as far as we are concerned.While we are at, and to show how magnanimous New Zealanders can be, a certain fellow by the name of Clarrie Grimmett doesn’t seem to appear on your list.Yes I know, it is more Kiwi whingeing, after all he was born in New Zealand. But I do think our Australian friends might feel a degree of empathy with us on this point.Or for that matter, were Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh all really that much better than Wes Hall?Dear old Alan Davidson must also wonder when his name is going to be called up.Would it be too much to expect that these players mentioned might make it before Alec Stewart is ushered in? Or is that my cynicism getting the better of me?But then for a list which reveals 23 Englishmen, 14 West Indians, 11 Australians, three Indians, Pakistanis and South Africans and one New Zealander, you would have to think that England had dominated world cricket.Cynicism would seem acceptable on that count.Do you really think your list truly reflects the history of the game?That is what a Hall of Fame should do.

In the recent past, two former greats have criticisedthe current cricketing set-ups of their respective countries.Coincidentally enough, those very two teams are set to clash inthe not-too-distant future.Alvin Kallicharran, in an interview to a cricket website, calledRoger Harper, the coach of the West Indian team, a “mediocrecricketer” and added rhetorically, “What has he achieved?” Therewas not so much as a whisper of protest against the remarks ofthe elegant left-handed batsman of yesteryear. Kapil Dev thenfollowed suit with more scathing criticism, suggesting that starslike Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly appeared to lackcommitment. This time, though, the reaction around the countrywas instantaneous – an almost unequivocal condemnation of KapilDev’s statements. The reason for the disparity in reactions issimple: Kallicharran was right and, with all due respect, Kapilwas not.If someone had suggested even one year ago that Ganguly would besetting an example for Kapil Dev in acting with grace anddignity, he would have been summarily dismissed as a lunatic. Butby choosing to not react to Kapil Dev’s allegations, Ganguly hasshown that there is perhaps a leader in him yet. Much hated bythe foreign media for what is seen as an arrogant attitude, andeven dubbed “Lord Snooty” by one particularly caustic journalist,Ganguly has now shown that he has it in him to act sensibly, evenin the heat of the moment.Tendulkar, of course, is a different case altogether. To questionthe man’s commitment is to test the elasticity of the imaginationto ridiculous limits, and even a man of Kapil Dev’s staturecannot really take anything away from Tendulkar. The respect hehas earned since that first bloody battle against arch-rivalsPakistan as a callow 16-year old cannot be diminished by a fewoff-the-cuff remarks. After all, as the saying goes, if you takea glass of water out of the ocean, it does not make the ocean anysmaller. With his deafening silence, the little Mumbaikar hasgiven Kapil Dev’s words all the attention they deserve – none.India have just departed for the Caribbean one man short, withGanguly joining the team two days late on account of a domesticdelay. Whispers have begun to do the rounds again. “Is therereally a problem, or is he meeting up with another starletgirlfriend of his?” churn the rumour mills. “Why are theredifferent rules for Ganguly and for the rest?” question thedetractors. Really, just when are the media and public going totire of asking the same old questions?Just before Steve Waugh’s Australians landed in India to breachtheir “final frontier,” a veteran Indian journalist pulled measide and raised a rather interesting point. Have you noticed howwell Steve Waugh runs Australian cricket, he asked, referring tothe Aussie press as almost an arm of the cricket team when heremarked, “How carefully they plan and attack one cricketer withstories and theories in the build-up to a tour.” Ganguly shoulddo the same, he suggested – call a meeting of the press, reachout to them and work as a team.One hopes that things have not come to such a pass yet, wherereporters pit themselves against each other as keenly as theteams that slug it out in the middle. But whether you agree withhis views or not, you have to admit that the media has never beenas powerful as it is today, especially with respect to Indiancricket. The proliferation of televisions and the fact that onlyone commentator is not a former Test cricketer make it impossiblefor the players to ignore what is being said about them.And so the familiar tunes are being strummed out as India get setto take on the Windies. Before a ball has been bowled, people arekeen to see to it that Ganguly does not get his due. The team,accordingly, also comes under more pressure to perform. WillIndia be triumphant away from home? To stick one’s neck out whenit comes to Indian cricket is about as safe as betting that anunseeded Croat will win Wimbledon.But hang on a sec. Goran Ivanisevic did just that, didn’t he?Perhaps that is why one is tempted to think that West Indies 2002will be the series that forever changes the way Ganguly isperceived. Sure, nothing will take away the magic of SunilGavaskar and 1971. Things have changed a lot since, and Gangulyand his troops look all set to collect a coveted silver to place upon the relatively bare shelf that houses thegoodies from India’s efforts overseas. Rahul Dravid said,somewhat unimaginatively, “If we do play to our potential andplay as a team, we have a good chance.” Surely the Indian vicecaptain meant, “This is our best chance of a series win away, andI have a sneaking feeling that this will be it.”

New Zealand’s cricketers who returned home after the Karachi bomb blast 10 days ago got together in Christchurch on Saturday.New Zealand Cricket’s sports psychologist Gilbert Enoka contacted the players who toured Sri Lanka when the 1992 bomb blast occurred outside their Colombo hotel and asked those players what they appreciated when they returned home.Some of the players remained on tour while five players and the coach returned home after the blast.The advice Enoka received was that the 1992 players would have liked to be able to get together as a group to talk about what happened.New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said that it had been a good idea by NZC to follow up on the last bomb blast and talk to the players who had been exposed to terrorism before.Getting back together as a group was what they said, he said.Those players felt the split that occurred in the team in 1992 had hampered the recovery process.”We had a lot of time to discuss what happened and we shared the experience as a group, and it was good of NZC to offer this service.Counsellors spoke with players and their partners who wanted to talk with them on Saturday in Christchurch, Fleming said.Now the side was focusing firmly on the West Indies tour. The side for that tour, which will be split into 15 for the five One-Day Internationals and 14 for the two Test matches, will be named in Christchurch on Thursday.Meanwhile, Fleming refuted comments that he had been taking video camera shots of the carnage in the aftermath of the bomb blast in Karachi.He said the team has quite a good camera and he took two photos of the structural damage caused by the blast, and took nothing gory.”It was for the players’ personal files.”I don’t have a video camera,” Fleming said.The side process any shots they want for their own files from the group camera.The report was rubbish, he said.

Indian coach John Wright said on Sunday that ace leg spinner Anil Kumble has to ‘fight’ to come back into the Indian cricket team. Wright was talking to reporters in Bangalore after the commencement of the six-day training camp, ahead of the hectic 51-day Zimbabwe tour, that began at the Chinnaswamy stadium.Kumble who recently returned from Johannesburg after undergoing a surgery for his injured shoulder was seen practising at the camp, though he is not among the probables. Medium pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who had not been picked for the camp, was also seen practicing along with Kumble. Both the players said they would attend the camp on all days and would avail the training benefits.

Easily the most severe industrial crisis to hit New Zealand sport has resulted from the stalemate reached today in the pay dispute between New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association.New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden admitted tonight that the last scheduled negotiations today had been unsuccessful and that even with the assistance of a mediator the sides had not been able to move any further ahead.”It is now time to reflect and I will talk with our bargaining team about where we go from here.”There are various options available to us that we will have to consider,” Snedden said.Any further negotiations have been left unscheduled.When starting their action the Players’ Association withdrew the services of the players for the month of October.There has been no indication from the Association about what further action may be taken although they had said they will be on strike until further notice.They had told the NZC team that they will give them an update of their position after the weekend.However, it does seem more likely that the scheduled opening event of the New Zealand summer, the now annual State Max weekend, scheduled for November 16-17, will be in jeopardy.The first game in the four-day State Championship is scheduled to start the next weekend at Wanganui between Central Districts and Otago.A full round of games is scheduled for the following weekend while the Indian tour of New Zealand is scheduled to open with a Super Max game at Jade Stadium on December 4.

Deccan Chargers will remain terminated after the Bombay High Court on Thursday overruled the arbitrator’s decision to impose a status quo on their expulsion from the IPL. The BCCI had terminated the franchise after it had failed to meet the deadline stipulated to raise the Rs 100-crore bank guarantee ($19 million). The Chargers immediately approached CK Thakkar, the court-appointed arbitrator, who put a stay on the termination order passed by the High Court. However, it was quashed on Thursday by Justice RD Dhanuka.”The arbitrator had no jurisdiction to grant a status quo,” Justice Dhanuka said. “On the same day (October 12), the high court had denied extension of time to DCHL to furnish Rs 100 crore bank guarantee as directed by the court on October 1.”In another petition filed by DCHL, the court refused an interim stay on the termination of the franchise.”DCHL has still not furnished a bank guarantee. Hence there is no change in the circumstances to grant relief to DCHL. No case is made out for interim relief for granting stay on termination. The application seeking stay is a gross abuse of law,” Justice Dhanuka said.The only avenue left open to the Chargers now is to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s order. The franchise stands terminated, unless the arbitrator finds the grounds of termination were not valid and can prove that.