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Persistent rain rescued County Championship title challengers
Nottinghamshire from the possibility of a second straight defeat as their clash
with Essex was abandoned as a draw

01-Jun-2010
ScorecardPersistent rain rescued County Championship title challengers
Nottinghamshire from the possibility of a second straight defeat as their clash
with Essex was abandoned as a draw.Even with the fast-drying Trent Bridge outfield, the weather never allowed the
Notts groundstaff to remove the covers and the two captains agreed to a draw
shortly before 4pm. The result would have been frustrating for visitors Essex, who were in a decent
position overnight to push for their first win since their opening game of the
season after finishing day three on 152 for 2, a lead of 264.Instead they picked up nine points to move to sixth in Division One, while
Notts claimed seven – enough to move them back to the top of the table, level on
103 points with Yorkshire having played two games less.Notts skipper Chris Read said: “It wasn’t a great game as far as we were
concerned, and we felt we were outplayed in most departments. But a key indicator of a strong team is how they bounce back, and we go to Tunbridge Wells to play Kent on Friday knowing that a good performance will
leave us top ahead of the break for the Twenty 20.”It’s important that we finish the ‘first half’ of the Championship season on
a high, and being able to turn to Twenty20 knowing we were top of the table
would be a fantastic boost.”

Durham ended a five-match losing streak and dumped Worcestershire back on the bottom of the Friends Provident t20 North Group with a three-run victory at New Road

Cricinfo staff09-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Durham ended a five-match losing streak and dumped Worcestershire back on the bottom of the Friends Provident t20 North Group with a three-run victory at New Road. A second-wicket stand of 85 in 10 overs from Mark Stoneman and Ben Stokes formed the bulk of Durham’s total of 144 for 6.That looked in danger when Sanath Jayasuriya launched the Royals’ innings with 45 from 29 balls, but Gareth Breese took 3 for 14 as they fell just short on 141 for 8. Jayasuriya was in irresistible form, highlighted by his smiting of a four and two sixes from Albie Morkel’s first three deliveries.But Breese turned the game on its head with a stunning intervention. The unsung allrounder held a simple catch at cover from Phil Jaques and dismissed Jayasuriya and Moeen Ali in his first over.Breese followed up by removing Alexei Kervezee and the offspinner had figures of 3 for 8 until Vikram Solanki straight drove his last ball for six. Although Solanki kept up the chase with 25 after a four-week layoff with a pelvic injury, Worcestershire slipped out of contention when he was caught at deep cover off Ben Harmison.Eventually they needed 14 from the final over and fell tantalisingly short when Imran Arif could only manage four and two from the last two balls.Durham’s struggle to get to grips with the shorter game has been one of the mysteries of the season. It is now six games since any batsman made a half-century and they have failed to reach 150 in four of the last five games.Initially they promised more as Stokes made a competition-best 44 and Stoneman weighed in with 46 from 36 balls on his Twenty20 debut. Stokes, 19, went for his shots from the outset, hitting five fours and two sixes until Moeen held a shoulder-high catch as the left-hander narrowly failed to clear the fence at long-on.Stoneman went in the following over, easily stumped in a one-off over by the returning Solanki. Thereafter a cameo 24 from Morkel was the best Durham could offer as Arif, Shantry and Jayasuriya conceded only two boundaries in the last five overs.

Canada were no match for the Zimbabweans as they dished out yet another disappointing batting performance to crash to an innings defeat at the Maple Leaf North-West ground

Cricinfo staff04-Aug-2010Zimbabwe XI 351 (Ervine 177, Bhatti 6-98) beat Canada 129 (Cheema 46, Chatara 3-21) and 149 (Tariq 39, Chatara 3-18, Masakadza 5-58) by an innings and 73 runs

Scorecard
Canada were no match for the Zimbabweans as they dished out yet another disappointing batting performance to crash to an innings defeat at the Maple Leaf North-West ground. Shingirai Masakadza was the main wicket-taker with a five-wicket haul and he was supported by Tendai Chatara, who took three wickets.Resuming at 49 for 3, Canada lost Trevin Bastiampillai for the addition of 24 runs. Masakadza then claimed the other overnight batsman, Hemnarine Chattergoon before Chatara took out Usman Limbada. When the captain Rizwan Cheema fell soon after, Canada had lost three wickets for no runs. Masakadza claimed Henry Osinde to finish with 5 for 58, before Hamza Tariq’s run-out, for 39, brought the match to a conclusion early on the final day.

Suraj Randiv has been suspended for one match following the no-ball controversy that marred the finish of the match between India and Sri Lanka.

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2010Suraj Randiv has been suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket for one match following the no-ball controversy that denied Virender Sehwag a century during Monday’s match between India and Sri Lanka. In an extraordinary and unprecedented decision, he has also been docked his match fees for the game, as has Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was reported to have encouraged Randiv to bowl the no-ball. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has been advised to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.The decision, taken by a six-man committee set up by Sri Lanka Cricket, capped a day on which the issue – which involved a transgression not of any law but of the spirit of fair play – escalated beyond proportion. Upping the ante were statements issued by the ICC – which said it would wait for SLC to act – and the Indian board, which called for strict action. In Dambulla, on the eve of a crucial match against New Zealand, Sangakkara’s routine press conference was consumed almost entirely by questions relating to the issue.In a statement announcing the punishment, the SLC said the incident went against the spirit of the game. “Sri Lanka Cricket is extremely proud of its team and their achievements over the years. It is of paramount importance to maintain the discipline of the Gentlemen’s game, especially with Sri Lanka Cricket being winners of the ‘ICC Spirit of the Game’ award for two consecutive years,” it said.With Sehwag on 99 and India one run away from victory, Randiv bowled a big no-ball that denied the batsman a chance to get his century. Sehwag’s initial reaction was to shrug it off in typical manner but he later said Randiv had done it deliberately. Sehwag also speculated that Randiv was acting on orders from senior players in the side.Sangakkara denied playing any role in the incident and said he hoped it was not deliberate. Though Randiv later apologised to Sehwag, SLC instructed the team management to probe the incident. Following the enquiry, Dilshan’s role in the incident has come to light.ICC welcomed SLC’s swift and decisive action, and appreciated them for upholding the spirit of the game. “The spirit of cricket is a fundamental part of our great sport and it is pleasing to see our Members upholding it in such a decisive manner,” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.”This is a clear sign that the notion of fair play is still very important to those who love the game of cricket and we commend SLC on its commitment to that. As far as the ICC is concerned it was an unfortunate incident and the matter is now closed,” he said.

Sachin Tendulkar the batsman nearly made up for Sachin Tendulkar the captain, but a charged-up Lions side completed a feel-good underdog win in a tense finish to kick off the Champions League T20

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga10-Sep-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Jonathan Vandiar switched gears after the Powerplay to reach a match-winning, career-best score of 71•AFP

Sachin Tendulkar the batsman nearly made up for Sachin Tendulkar the captain, but a charged-up Lions side completed a feel-good underdog win in a tense finish to kick off the Champions League T20. Their young opener, Jonathan Vandiar, and the experienced Neil McKenzie gave the star-studded but sloppy Mumbai Indians a rough welcome to the Highveld before Lions’ enthusiastic bowlers and fielders did enough to keep the chase in check.Tendulkar’s 69 off 42, which was as good an innings as the fifties from Vandiar and McKenzie, left JP Duminy and Kieron Pollard 56 to get off 33. Shane Burger, gentle right-arm medium-pacer on the face of it, followed up the big wicket of Tendulkar with a pinpoint yorker to remove Pollard. What made that second wicket even more special was that it came at the end of an over in which Pollard smashed Burger all around his home ground. Thirty-one off the remaining three overs proved too much for Duminy.The second-last ball of the match summed up a night on which Mumbai got almost every strategy wrong. With two sixes required to force a tie, Ryan McLaren played one along the ground. Clearly Mumbai didn’t have much of a role for him as batsman, and they used him to bowl only the first over of the match that went for four runs and four leg-byes. The part-timers who were used instead went for 49 in four overs.That shouldn’t take away from the joy of the underdogs. At the heart of the Champions League is the charm of a low-key team giving an ensemble of millionaire superstars, bought in an auction, a hard time. The League’s second season couldn’t have asked for a better opener on that account.In front of a decent home crowd, the Lions came so ready they even erred on the side of over-enthusiasm; Mumbai were slow in the field, bizarre in the tactics, and inexplicably subdued, starting with McLaren and left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza, choosing not to attack a nervous-looking home side with Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga.As it turned out, Vandiar got over the nervous start, during which he ended up at the same end as his captain Alviro Petersen, but he beat his mate to the crease by a split frame to give himself a chance to make this his night. By the end of the innings, Mumbai would have wished Murtaza, the bowler who completed the run-out, had been slightly quicker in taking the bails off.Vandiar kept swinging wildly during the Powerplay, edging and slogging his way to 18 off 23, but he transformed the effort when the field spread, scoring 53 off his last 26, to reach his highest Twenty20 score. The seasoned McKenzie, though, didn’t need any crazy acceleration, starting his unbeaten 56 off 30 balls with a beautiful late-cut and finishing with brutal short-arm jabs.Richard Cameron, playing one shot too many, followed Petersen soon and Lions seemed to have lost their way at 39 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay. The seventh over proved to be a turning point of sorts. Harbhajan Singh slipped while trying to bowl his first delivery, and then slipped his second attempt in short and wide. That boundary perhaps told Vandiar he didn’t need to go across the line every time.In the next few overs, Vandiar danced down the pitch to Zaheer, and lofted Duminy over cow corner for six. He then targeted the gentle pace of R Sathish and Pollard. The unsure swings had now turned into assured shots into vacant areas. If the six to bring up his fifty, over long-off, was a treat to watch, the one over midwicket, off Malinga, was plain audacious.McKenzie was not indulging in anything audacious. He played smart, percentage cricket, letting Vandiar take charge. That didn’t mean he was slow. By the time Vandiar got out in the 17th over, he had helped himself to 28 off 18. Tendulkar’s inexplicable non-usage of McLaren continued, and McKenzie took full toll of Murtaza’s wayward 18th over. Mumbai’s fielders helped too, allowing two overthrows in the last three overs to let McKenzie retain strike. Thirty-nine came off those three overs.Asoka de Silva tried to be a villain in the fairytale when he denied fast bowler Ethan O’Reilly’s grandchildren the story of how grandpa got the greatest batsman of the day plumb lbw first ball. Tendulkar, on 6 at that point, went on to put on an exhibition, but his side was frustrated by a bubbly fielding effort. The excitement did get to Lions a bit as they conceded a few overthrows and dropped Tendulkar when on 34.Tendulkar was taking Mumbai home smoothly when bowled by Burger. Pollard was taking Mumbai home brutally when bowled by Burger. That was the final touch of the individual that Lions needed on a night of their collective brilliance.

Mangalore United won the Karnataka Premier League 2010-11 with a strong bowling performance in the final, their left-arm spinners helping them defend a low total against Bangalore Provident (Rural)

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2010Mangalore United won the Karnataka Premier League 2010-11 with a strong bowling performance in the final, their left-arm spinners helping them defend a low total against Bangalore Provident (Rural). Udit Patel and Karun Nair shared eight wickets between them for 24 runs to dismiss Provident for a paltry 68.Provident’s chase looked in control when Thilak Naidu and MK Manjunath added 32 runs in the first five overs. Medium-pacer S Aravind bowled Manjunath with the first ball of the sixth over for the initial breakthrough before the spinners came to the party. Patel sparked the collapse, having Amit Verma caught by Bharat Chipli in the seventh over. He then trapped B Akhil, the Provident captain, leg before in his next over. Provident lost a wicket for each of the next five overs to slump to 59 for 8 – eight of their batsmen failing to reach double-figures – and it was a matter of time before Daniel Sequeira trapped Abhishek Jagan leg before to spark celebrations in the Mangalore camp.Nair, named the Man of the Match, top-scored with 21 when Mangalore batted after losing the toss. They were off to a poor start when Rohit Sabharwal – the Mangalore captain who had smashed a 44-ball 78 in the semi-final against Davangere earlier in the day – was bowled in the third over by medium-pacer Abhishek Jagan. Mangalore lost wickets regularly thereafter, and Nidhuvan Kumar was the only other batsman apart from Nair to reach 20. Three late run-outs did not help them either, and they eventually finished with what seemed, at that point, an inadequate 112.

ESPNcricinfo previews the 2nd ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom

The Preview by Liam Brickhill 16-Oct-2010

Match Facts

Sunday October 17, Potchefstroom

Start time 10:00am (0800 GMT)Zimbabwe will continue to rely on Brendan Taylor’s good form as they strive to keep the one-day series alive•AFP

The Big Picture

This series is still alive, but unless Zimbabwe can pull together to fight in unison South Africa’s superior batting firepower will continue to prove the difference between two sides whose bowlers have collectively been made to toil hard on a succession of featherbeds. Where Zimbabwe have provided promise, South Africa have more often than not delivered on their potential and played more effectively as a team; their shots travelling that much further, their seamers’ lines that much tighter.That is to take nothing away from the quality of some of the individual efforts from the visitors. The past history of Zimbabwe cricket’s voyages south of the Limpopo is littered with a succession of one-sided whompings, and while the most recent excursion is still winless there has been far less embarrassment this time round.South Africa’s batting, in the absence of Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, is in a state of flux as a generational changing of the guard takes hold. But the results so far suggest good health – notwithstanding the disappointingly weak nature of the opposition’s attack – and that department’s future seems to be in good hands.The back-up bowlers have been less convincing, however, and the fielding is still carrying a tinge of early-season rustiness. Some hard work is no doubt being put in to rectify these issues, but conditions in Potchefstroom are likely to favour the batsmen once more and the hosts’ relatively inexperienced seam attack will continue to feel the pressure. South Africa’s bowlers remains a cut above Zimbabwe’s, however, and if their batsmen continue to dine on the visitors’ tame offerings then the series may well be decided on Sunday.

Form guide

South Africa WWWWW

Zimbabwe LLWWL

Watch out for…

In the midst of his defiant century at Bloemfontein, Brendan Taylor took his tally of international runs in the last 12 months past 1,000, across formats. That knock was his third ODI hundred in 24 games during that time – suggesting that Taylor is in a rich vein of form – and if he and one or two of Zimbabwe’s batsmen can perform in the same game then South Africa could face their sternest test of the series.Earmarked early in his career for his destructive potential, Albie Morkel has had a quiet time in international cricket of late. His last 10 ODIs have yielded just 147 runs – including 50 in one innings against Zimbabwe last November – and he shone only briefly in the midst of a disappointing South African campaign at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean earlier this year. However, his bowling in Bloemfontein was steady, if unspectacular, and if Morkel can settle at the crease his undoubted ability could lead to a demolition of Zimbabwe’s unproven seamers.

Pitch and conditions

Even this early in the season, a day game in Potchefstroom means just one thing: runs. The ground will also hold bad memories for Zimbabwe as the last time these two sides met here South Africa racked up an enormous 418 for 5, Mark Boucher spanking 10 sixes in an unbeaten 68-ball 147. It could also be a hot day in the field for both sides, with sunny, clear skies expected.

Team news

South Africa are likely to retain the same XI that won on Friday. The one change they may think about is bringing in fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe in place of Charl Langeveldt.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 JP Duminy, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Rusty Theron 11 Lonwabo TsotsobeSean Williams’ place could be under the scanner after his indifferent performance in the first ODI, with Craig Ervine a possible replacement. Ed Rainsford could also make the final XI, in place of Chris MpofuZimbabwe (possible) 1 Brendan Taylor, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Chamu Chibhabha, 4 Sean Williams/Craig Ervine, 5 Grant Flower, 6 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 7 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Shingirai Masakadza, 11 Chris Mpofu/Ed Rainsford

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never lost a ODIs at Potchefstroom. In six matches, the closest they came to a defeat was a tie against Australia in 2002.
• Grant Flower is Zimbabwe’s second highest ODI run-getter and is 237 runs short of his brother Andy’s tally.
• Hashim Amla’s one-day average of 56.96 is the second highest among all batsmen who have played a minimum of 20 innings
• In the last 12 months, Brendan Taylor has averaged 48.15 in one-day cricket, scoring 963 runs including three hundreds and six fifties.

Quotes

“At the moment we don’t have [Steyn and Morkel], but it’s an opportunity for guys to still get their skills right. When those guys are back and fit these guys will be looking to stake claims, so it’s important that they show their worth.”
“When we arrived here we wanted to be positive and take our cricket to the next level, and we’re moving in the right direction.”

British Eurosport has secured the UK rights to the Test series between Sri Lanka and West Indies which gets underway on Monday, November 15

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010British Eurosport has secured the UK rights to the Test series between Sri Lanka and West Indies which gets underway on Monday, November 15.In a deal with Zee Network Europe, British Eurosport will have live coverage of the three-Test series as well as five one-day internationals and a one-off Twenty20 match throughout November and December.The West Indies Tour of Sri Lanka follows the channel’s broadcast of the ongoing series between Pakistan and South Africa which saw Test cricket make its debut on Eurosport Television in the UK.The first Test starts on November 15 in Galle, with Colombo the venue for the second Test later this month from Tuesday, November 23. The third and final Test takes place in Kandy from Wednesday, December 1. Matches begin at 4.30am GMT.West Indies, led by newly appointed captain Darren Sammy, will aim to bounce back from their disappointing Test series against South Africa earlier this year while the Sri Lankans will be confident following their recent ODI series win in Australia. West Indies last played a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2005, losing it 0-2.Managing Director of Eurosport in the UK, David Kerr said: “Cricket is proving to be a real hit on British Eurosport and we are delighted to be able to offer our viewers yet another excellent international series in 2010. In addition, we hope it will bring new sports fans to the channel at the end of what has already been record year for our ratings in the UK.”Govind Shahi, Head of Business, Zee Network Europe, added, “I am delighted with British Eurosport and Zee’s on-going association and am confident that the coming cricket series will be pivotal in further popularising the appeal of cricket in the UK.”

Mark Cosgrove, the Tasmania batsman, will return to Glamorgan as their second overseas player for the Friends Provident t20 next seson

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2010Mark Cosgrove, the Tasmania batsman, will return to Glamorgan as their second overseas player for the Friends Provident t20 next season. He will join the new captain, South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen, at the club which has undergone major upheaval in recent weeks.Jamie Dalrymple was dumped as captain in favour of Petersen which then led to the resignation of Dalrymple from the club and the departure of coach Matthew Maynard.”Mark has been an exceptional player for the club and is a very popular player with our supporters and members,” said Alan Hamer, the Glamorgan chief executive. “We are delighted that Mark will be returning to us again in 2011 as our second overseas player.”Cosgrove, 26, scored 562 runs in the 2010 FP t20 and is looking forward to his return. “This will be my fourth season with Glamorgan and I’m delighted to be returning,” he said. “The club has a talented squad and I look forward to what I hope will be a successful Twenty20 campaign in 2011.”

Within three sessions of complete England dominance at the MCG, they moved to within touching distance of retaining the Ashes by dismissing Australia for 98 and passing their total with no wickets down

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG25-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ricky Ponting’s disappointing run of form continued when he was caught at slip for 10•Getty Images

It was meant to be Boxing Day, not Boxing Australia Around the Ears Day. Within three sessions of complete England dominance at the MCG, they moved to within touching distance of retaining the Ashes by dismissing Australia for 98 and passing their total with no wickets down, leaving Ricky Ponting requiring a late Christmas miracle to avoid leading Australia to three Ashes series failures.Chris Tremlett and James Anderson collected four wickets each, backing up Andrew Strauss’s decision to send the hosts in, before Strauss and Alastair Cook showed that with discipline, batting wasn’t that hard on a pitch with a little juice in it. The day could not possibly have gone better for England, who finished at 0 for 157 with Strauss on 64, Cook on 80, a hefty first-innings advantage in prospect and a 2-1 series lead on the horizon.For Australia, it was up there with the opening day at Headingley against Pakistan this year, in terms of disastrous cricketing dates. Back then they chose to bat and managed only 88, but this time there was one slight difference – their dismal performance will probably cost them the Ashes. Not since 1936 had they scored a lower Ashes total at home, and that was in the days of uncovered pitches.It took Tremlett, Anderson and Tim Bresnan less than two sessions to run through the order as they hit consistent lines and kept the runs tight. They also exposed Australia’s team-wide inability to handle seam movement and swing, which is no great revelation but could not be ignored in front of 84,345 fans on the biggest day in the Australian cricket calendar.Every batsman fell to an edge caught behind the wicket, six to the wicketkeeper Matt Prior, two to slips and two to gully. Too many men played with hard hands away from their bodies, and they struggled to work out which deliveries to leave and which ones to play. The questions that the batting coach Justin Langer must consider surround not only technique, but also judgment.England picked up four wickets before the first break and in one particularly impressive patch they collected 3 for 0, as Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson all failed to make solid contact with the face of the bat. A rain delay had extended lunch by nearly an hour, but even that wasn’t enough to help the Australians survive until the scheduled tea break.But England’s bowlers certainly earned their wickets, especially the early strikes. Shane Watson was dropped twice on 0, as Paul Collingwood at slip and Kevin Pietersen at gully denied Anderson an early breakthrough. It was a sign of things to come, and Watson had only made 5 when he was surprised by sharp bounce from Tremlett and fended a loopy catch to Pietersen.