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Unless Zimbabwe put one across India on Sunday, this series may fade from memory faster than it normally would

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Jul-2013

Match facts

Sunday, July 28, 2013
Start time 0900 (0700 GMT)Zimbabwe need to win to stay alive in the series•Associated Press

Big Picture

When India sent an inexperienced side to Zimbabwe for the second time in three years, there must have been a glimmer of hope that the hosts would seal a win or two, just like they did in the tri-series in 2010. Two games later, the series has lacked the competitiveness the home fans were expecting, as India proved themselves equally adept at defending and chasing targets. The toss was a factor on Friday, as India limped to 65 for 4, but then Zimbabwe had themselves to blame, dropping catches which released the stranglehold on the batsmen. Better fielding would have kept the target to something more achievable than 295. Zimbabwe had their moments in both innings where they stretched India, but matches are rarely won by teams that fumble in the field.The biggest positive for India was that they managed to weather the storm after a top-order collapse. Shikhar Dhawan, dropped twice and caught off a no-ball, made the most of those lapses and had an equally positive partner in Dinesh Karthik to take India to a winning total. Batting first in seaming conditions – aided by two new balls – may not have been the worst thing to happen for India, for it was an education for the top order, which will face tougher examinations for prolonged periods in South Africa later on.The positive for Zimbabwe was that they batted out 50 overs, instead of surrendering meekly. At 133 for 6, a humiliation loomed, before Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya showed some resistance. Aside from the dropped catches, the no-show from the middle order was another concern. Zimbabwe are one defeat away from conceding the series. Unless they put one across India on Sunday, this series may fade from memory faster than it normally would, given its lack of context in a packed calendar.

Form guide

India WWWWW (most recent first, last five completed games)
Zimbabwe LLWWL

In the spotlight

Though Suresh Raina came in to bat with India moments from victory in the first game, he had an opportunity in the second to build an innings but failed to step up as the senior. He was caught tickling one down the leg side for 4, leaving India in trouble at 69 for 4. His ODI average outside the subcontinent is 25.82 with two fifties, a climbdown from his overall figures of 35.69. The seamers will look to target his weakness against the short ball.One of Vusi Sibanda‘s biggest problems has been his consistency, but in the last six games, he has delivered better, with a century and two fifties at an average of 66.60. Had he batted through the bulk of the innings on Friday, Zimbabwe would have been in with a fighting chance. His dismissal in the 21st over, caught at midwicket, was untimely.

Team news

Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohit Sharma and Parvez Rasool are yet to get a game, but it’s uncertain if India will change its winning combination yet.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed ShamiRay Price is in the squad and Zimbabwe could use his experience as the second spinner.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Brian Vitori, 10 and 11 Kyle Jarvis/Tendai Chatara/Ray Price

Stats and trivia

• India have recorded the most ODI wins (42) among all countries since the start of the 2011 World Cup. Zimbabwe have eight
• Rohit Sharma averages 56.20 in ODIs in Zimbabwe, with two centuries

Quotes

“What’s quite frustrating is we should be learning from the opposition. We look at guys like Kohli bat, they don’t play too many rash shots, they just keep it simple and we should be learning from that. We’re not, and we’ve got to start doing that, otherwise we’re going to find it difficult.”
“You need a lot of match practice – that’s what I feel. That way you learn how to take the pressure and how to play in different situations. I feel that works for us.”

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, is likely to miss the beginning of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League with a hairline fracture to his thumb, which puts him out of cricket for three to four weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2013Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, is likely to miss the beginning of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League with a hairline fracture to his thumb, which could put him out of cricket for three to four weeks.Shakib had met with the national coach Shane Jurgensen upon his return to Dhaka from his stint at the Caribbean Premier League, and was taken for X-rays after his thumb was bandaged. BCB physician Monirul Amin said Shakib had picked up the injury while training with the Barbados Tridents and will be sidelined until mid-September.The Dhaka Premier League, after several postponements, is scheduled to begin on September 3 and the first-of-its-kind “player by choice” auctions for the tournament took place last Friday, where Shakib was recruited by Kalabagan Krira Chakra.Shakib has been struggling with injury over the course of the last season. He had to bowl 97 overs during the Tests against West Indies in November, 52 of them coming in the same innings. The stress left him with exertional compartment syndrome to his shin and in February, he was ruled out of Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka to undergo surgery to his right calf muscle. After recovery, Shakib returned to international cricket, albeit as a batsman, for the Tests against Zimbabwe and eased into his role as a bowler for the limited-over series that followed.Shakib’s recovery is crucial not only for Kalabagan Krira Chakra, who finished ninth last season in the Dhaka Premier League, but also for Bangladesh as they will host New Zealand for two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 in October.

Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has, through his lawyer, denied the allegations made against him by Mumbai Police in its chargesheet on the IPL betting scandal

Umar Farooq27-Sep-2013Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has, through his lawyer, denied the allegations made against him by Mumbai Police in its chargesheet on the IPL betting scandal. Rauf’s counsel said though his client respected the Indian judicial system, he didn’t trust the Mumbai Police and would not travel to India to contest any trial.”All the allegations reported in media are baseless,” Rauf’s lawyer, Syed Ali Zafar, said in Lahore. “We don’t have any chargesheet and only have the press reports that have no legal value or importance at the moment.”So we think it is just a conspiracy by Mumbai Police to defame his [Rauf] and the country’s name. We think Mumbai Police is indulging in character assassination. He is a well-known, professional, competent Pakistani umpire. Whatever is being reported in press is all false and I strongly deny it on behalf of Asad Rauf.”Zafar said Rauf’s camp would respond to the allegations only if approached by the ICC or Pakistani authorities about the same. “Asad Rauf has full confidence in Indian courts but he has no faith in Mumbai Police and at the moment we are not confident going to India. For Asad Rauf the situation is not right in India – they could detain him, they can frame other charges. But if Mumbai Police goes to the ICC’s anti-corruption unit or approaches [the concerned] authorities in Pakistan, we will then provide witnesses and give our point of view.”Rauf, who was listed as a “wanted accused” in the chargesheet, was allegedly given gifts by bookies, passed on match-related information to them, and placed bets on matches himself while officiating in the tournament. The police made their case on the evidence of transcripts of recorded phone conversations that Rauf allegedly had with other people accused in the chargesheet, and a large portion of it concerns the period before and after Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players following their match against Mumbai Indians on May 15, which Rauf umpired.”Mumbai police has given general statement that Asad Rauf has done betting in collaboration with bookies,” Zafar, who was seated beside Rauf said. “First of all, Asad Rauf has not done any gambling in any sport ever. Mumbai police has not provided any specific incident in its chargesheet. There’s some conversation of Asad Rauf and there was some doubt. We don’t have tapes and we don’t know in which context the conversation was held, so I can’t comment on it.The chargesheet also contains details of alleged gifts Rauf may have received from bookies and evidence indicating he met with others accused in the case. Two bags according to the chargesheet reportedly were to be delivered to Asad Rauf were taken into custody from Air India cargo department at the Mumbai airport. The bags reportedly included gifted apparels, shoes and other accessories, shopping bills at Diesel showroom, Asad Rauf’s pass and bills in the name of Asad Rauf Malik.Rauf said the bags mostly contained religious items, and there was nothing wrong with “exchanging gifts”. “I challenge Mumbai Police, that they should open the bag in the court and produce lavish watches and gold and show it to the whole world,” he said. “There are some religious things in them, which are most important to me. I can confirm with full confidence that there wasn’t any expensive jewelry in my bags, they contained (cotton sheets) brought from different shrines from Baghdad and various other holy cities. We have written to the authorities to reclaim my stuff.”As far as exchanging gifts is concerned, it’s not a crime. Mumbai Police should have realised that the subcontinent has its culture and we give gifts. It’s a tradition in Pakistan and even in India. There are lots of instances when people do come from India [to Pakistan], go to shops and the shopkeepers don’t take the money from the guests.”Rauf also denied allegations that he left bags behind while “escaping” from India. “I had requested Vindoo Dara Singh [a Indian actor who was arrested in connection with the betting scandal] to send those bags to the Delhi airport, but due to some miscommunication I missed them.”Rauf said that the ICC had investigated the allegations and given him a clean-chit. “The ICC has investigated the whole thing, it also has its anti-corruption unit, it didn’t find me involved in any corruption,” he said. “I have provided all my bank accounts, my property details and my SIM card details to them.”Rauf was withdrawn, by the ICC, from officiating in the Champions Trophy in June following the media reports of him being investigated by the police. He was later dropped from the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires, though the governing body confirmed that had nothing to do with the allegations but was a decision taken after the umpire’s annual review.

Neeraj Kumar, the former Delhi Police commissioner, has been appointed as a consultant for the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit (ACU).

Amol Karhadkar20-Apr-2015Neeraj Kumar, the former Delhi Police commissioner, has been appointed as a consultant for the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit (ACU). Kumar was appointed by the IPL governing council, which met in New Delhi on Monday. Mumbai and Pune were also confirmed as venues for the first two IPL playoff games.”Neeraj Kumar has been appointed for one year as a consultant to the ACU. He will be involved in improving ACU’s operations and awareness programmes,” Rajiv Shukla, IPL governing council chairman, told ESPNcricinfo.

Working committee to discuss CLT20 on April 26

The fate of the Champions League Twenty20 will be decided by the BCCI’s working committee during its meeting on April 26.
The IPL governing council was expected to discuss the proposal of scrapping the tournament but the matter wasn’t taken up. Instead, the governing council members were told that the working committee will decide on whether to scrap the tournament or persist with it for another year.

While Shukla didn’t elaborate on Kumar’s role, it is understood that the former commissioner will set in motion an improved system to prevent players from being trapped by bookies. BCCI officials also believe that Kumar’s vast experience in cracking cricket corruption-related cases during his tenure with the police will aid the BCCI.Kumar had led the investigations during the 2013 IPL corruption scandal that saw the arrests of several players and bookies. He had also played a large role in the 2000 match-fixing investigation, the first major fixing scandal in the game. Kumar is expected to work closely with ACU chief Ravi Sawani, who was present at Monday’s meeting.During the 2013 corruption scandal investigation, Kumar had been dissatisfied with the BCCI’s vigilance against corruption. “They should maintain better vigil. Most of this stuff happens quite openly: people are seen sitting with undesirable people and people do come to know about some strangers meeting somebody. So they have the list of the suspects, they should go after them,” Kumar had said in an interview to ESPNcricinfo in July 2013. “It would not be fair to say corruption is a rule and honesty an exception. There are a few rotten eggs, which should be spotted and be weeded out.”Meanwhile, the Supreme Court approved the request of the RM Lodha committee to replace IPS officer BB Mishra with CBI officer Vivek Priyadarshi. The committee was formed by the Supreme Court to decide on punishment for Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan – both of whom were found guilty of match-fixing by the Supreme Court – and to make recommendations and suggest amendments to the procedures followed by the board.Shukla also confirmed that the governing council allotted two of the four IPL knockout matches to Mumbai Cricket Association and Maharashtra Cricket Association. “The decision over the venue for the first qualifier on May 19 will be taken later,” he said.It is understood that Kolkata and Dharamsala, home venues of BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary Anurag Thakur respectively, are frontrunners to stage the first qualifier. While the second qualifier will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 22, Pune will stage the eliminator on May 20. Eden Gardens in Kolkata has already been announced as the venue for the final, scheduled for May 24.

Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland batsman and former captain, has been added to the squad for the 2016 World T20 qualifier starting next month, following batsman Freddie Coleman’s withdrawal

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2015Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland batsman and former captain, has been added to the squad for the 2016 World T20 qualifier starting next month, following batsman Freddie Coleman’s withdrawal due to personal circumstances. Coetzer was not a part of the 15-member squad announced on Monday and, on Wednesday, Cricket Scotland sought to clarify his earlier omission, stating the board initially believed the decision was in the player’s “best interest”, to allow him to concentrate on securing his future in county cricket.According to Cricket Scotland, the board had spoken with Coetzer before the squad was submitted to the ICC last Friday. The board said that Coetzer believed he would be a part of the squad if he was unable to secure a county deal through July. Coetzer has scored 31 runs in three first-class matches for Northamptonshire this season in Division 2 of the County Championship.”The organisation initially believed it was acting in Kyle Coetzer’s best interest by not selecting him for the WT20Q and allowing him to concentrate on securing his future in county cricket,” Cricket Scotland said in a release. “This was based on a number of conversations that were had with the player before the squad was submitted to Dubai last Friday, as to meet the ICC deadline requirements.”Having since discussed this with the Kyle, he clearly believed that if he was unable to secure a county loan deal through July, he would be included in the squad for the competition. Cricket Scotland has met with Kyle in the last 24 hours and clarified the situation. Both parties will now move forward and wish to state that there is no rift between the player and the organisation.”Coetzer, 31, was part of the World Cup earlier this year and finished as Scotland’s leading run-scorer with 253 runs at 42.16 including 156 against Bangladesh in Nelson. In 20 T20Is he has scored 442 runs at 23.26 with a strike-rate of 101.14.The World T20 qualifier begins on July 9, with co-hosts Scotland scheduled to play their opening game against UAE in Edinburgh. The top six sides from the 14-team tournament will join the 10 Full Members for the 2016 World Twenty20, to be held in India from March 11 to April 3.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between England and New Zealand in a series where runs have come at an astonishing rate

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2015

Match facts

June 14, 2015
Start time 10.30am local (0930GMT)3:14

Can lightning strike three times in a row?

Big Picture

Two matches, 1369 runs at 7.72 an over, three hundreds – the slowest off 87 balls – and 42 sixes. Who’d be a bowler? Only one of them, Trent Boult, is currently going at under a run-a-ball after two ODIs of mayhem from the batsmen.The (expensive) bottom line is that the series is all square with three to play after New Zealand clung on to secure victory at The Oval in the third-highest scoring ODI of all time. For a while, as Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler added 96 in 10.3 overs, then Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett refused to yield before the rain, England were make a terrific fist of what would have been the second highest successful chase after the Johannesburg gluttony of 2006.Both batting line-ups, with just the occasional exception, have kept up the charge from the start to the end and almost damn the consequences. In many ways, given the records of trying to chase vast ODI totals, England’s pursuit in the second match was the most impressive of the four innings even though they fell short.If the contests are to return to something of an even balance – and those enjoying the entertainment may not be bothered in the slightest at the dominance of bat over ball – then the bowlers need to find some answers. Boult has been head-and-shoulders above the other quicks, although Steven Finn has had his moments. New Zealand’s attack is very different without the calming presence of Daniel Vettori while England’s inexperienced bowlers are learning the hard way. And, if the trend continues, it is unlikely to get any easier.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LWWLL
New Zealand WLLWW

In the spotlight

The bowlers are having it tough so they need as much help as they can get from the fielders. It does not matter how big the scores get, the odd boundary saved here or there, or the extra run out pulled off could be the difference. Boult and Tim Southee combined for a piece of brilliance on the boundary edge to remove Rashid which finally ended England’s charge; relay catches, palming the ball back from the boundary, are now a regular part of practice. Incidences like that show why.Whither the yorker? This is, of course, not a new debate, but two matches like we have just witnessed brings the debate firmly back into focus. It is a mighty difficult delivery to bowl accurately, a smidgen wrong either away and it is a half volley or a full toss – both of which go the distance these days. But what has a bowler got to lose by trying a few more? When Chris Jordan nailed one at The Oval he had Grant Elliott lbw; the flip side is that batsmen of the ilk of Buttler have perfected the scoop. Also, if a captain knows his bowler is trying for full and straight he can at least set a field accordingly.

Teams news

Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett have been ruled out of the series with side and thigh injury respectively. Craig Overton had been drafted into the squad early on Saturday, while David Willey and Mark Wood are the other seam-bowling options in the squad.* The batting order is likely to remain the same unless England decide to swap out Sam Billings for an additional bowling option.England (possible) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Billings, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey/Craig Overton, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Steven FinnWith Corey Anderson having been ruled out of the series – and no decision taken on a replacement – New Zealand’s options are a little restricted except for juggling their pace-bowling pack. Mitchell McClenaghan has gone at more than eight an over in the two matches and there may be a temptation to give a debut to fellow left-armer Ben Wheeler.New Zealand (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

Sorry, bowlers, but you are unlikely to get much relief at the Ageas Bowl. It has become a ground renowned for batting-friendly conditions in one-day cricket. However, the forecast is for a cloudy day which may offer the hope of some swing.

Stats and trivia

• Just in case in the batsmen needed any further confidence boosting, last time New Zealand played at this ground they racked up 359 for 3 with Martin Guptill making an unbeaten 189 which was his country’s individual record until he broke it himself with 237 not out in the World Cup quarter-final against West Indies.
• Among ODI venues in England and Wales (to have staged a decent sample size of matches), the Ageas Bowl has the second highest run rate – marginally behind Cardiff.
• New Zealand’s victory at The Oval was their 300th in ODIs. They are the eighth team to achieve this milestone. They’ve taken 684 games to get there, which is the most among these eight teams. South Africa got to 300 ODI wins the fastest – in only 483 matches, while Australia (519) and West Indies (540) are next.

Quotes

“We’re enjoying this brand of cricket and certainly having the guys in the changing room to play in that way naturally – not making it such a big deal.”
Eoin Morgan wants England to keep going with the flow“It’s been a difficult series for the bowlers so far, I think they’re looking forward to a pitch with a little bit more help at some stage. But it is something we need to keep working on, I think we made improvements from Edgbaston. England came very hard at us last night, harder than at Edgbaston but the boys got the job done.”
*9.10pmBST: the story was updated with news of Plunkett’s injury

Any England supporter with the vaguest sense of Ashes history would have felt mild trepidation as they defended a first-innings score of 430 on a sunny Cardiff day

The Report by David Hopps09-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAny England supporter with the vaguest sense of Ashes history would have felt mild trepidation as they defended a first-innings score of 430 on a sunny Cardiff day. The last time an Ashes Test ventured into Wales, England made pretty much the same score, only to concede 674 for 6 and need some heroic resistance from James Anderson and Monty Panesar to escape with a draw.That being so, England, even while believing the total was a par score, will have been relieved to prise out five Australian batsmen by the close of the second day with a largely disciplined bowling performance. They lead by 166 and will hope to cut deep into the tail with the second new ball, which is 10 overs away.Six years on, the Land of Song has produced another placid Ashes surface – when the ball goes soft, it is less Tom Jones’ Green, Green Grass of Home than the Manic Street Preachers’ Some Kind of Nothingness, slow enough on occasions to crush any happiness you know. That this first Investec Test has generally been so fascinating is testimony to the attacking resolve of both sides.The businesslike figure of Chris Rogers fashioned Australia’s response. A prolonged career in English county cricket before Australia finally came calling has made such slow, low pitches his natural habitat.His wicket carries slightly less kudos than some, outside a dressing room at any rate, but his 95 was the innings of a solid citizen, replete with watchful off-side drives: he pushed the ball into the covers as if emerging warily from a T-junction on the lookout for oncoming traffic. It sounds unfair to term him careful when he feels, with justification, that he is careering along, but his squat deflections and placements are shots of calculation.He fell five runs short of what would have been his fourth Ashes hundred, cutting a ball quite tight to him from Mark Wood and edging to Jos Buttler. From 180 for 3, gambolling along at more than four in over, in keeping with England’s progress, Australia dried, with James Anderson to the fore, and the rate slipped to three an over against a softening ball, for the loss of Michael Clarke and Adam Voges, before the close.Rogers did have a world record to ponder. His feat of seven successive Test fifties had been achieved only by Everton Weekes, Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kumar Sangakkara. Perhaps not surprisingly for a record that reveals consistency rather than grandeur, all of them, with the exception of Weekes, the domineering West Indian, have often been described in the same workmanlike terms befitting Rogers.That sequence was interrupted by the concussion that forced him out of a recent Test series in the West Indies and Stuart Broad might have exposed one or two leftover signs with the short ball. Rogers, though, did achieve his first Test six – a sort of coming of age in his 21st Test – when he hooked a bouncer to long leg, brushing the fingertips of the leaping Moeen Ali who crossed the line in a vain attempt to fashion a catch.Rogers also survived a review. There was swing initially for England’s new-ball attack and Broad came close to removing Rogers, on 2, only for England’s review – encouraged as ever by Broad, his ravenous desire for wickets colouring his conclusion – to be rejected as Rogers was saved by a thin inside edge.David Warner was the first Australian batsman to fall, driving Anderson on the up and well taken by Alastair Cook at first slip. It was Warner at his least aggressive (in Walkabout bar terms, 8pm at the latest) and he also needed to overturn an lbw decision on 13 when Anderson struck his back pad but replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump.As Australia hurtled ahead, England were grateful for the resilience of Moeen, who cut down Steven Smith and Clarke with their innings established. That Australia would target him was inevitable, just as they had targeted Graeme Swann so successfully on their own pitches two years earlier. Smith seemed to have his measure, one assertive over bringing three boundaries in four balls: stylish straight drive, dragged straight drive and a resounding dance down the pitch to loft him gloriously over mid-off.But Cook persisted with Moeen and he was rewarded with a prize wicket – a reward, too, for a carefully-plotted field position. Smith, on 33, advanced down the pitch, but Moeen floated the ball down leg, a little turn taking the ball further away from the batsman, who became entirely squared up and toppled over to the off side as he chipped the ball to short mid-on.Clarke also came down the wicket with intent and, if his shot was more balanced than Smith’s, the outcome was equally ill-fated as he drove back a firm return catch. Voges’ dismissal owed much to England’s ability to create pressure with the old ball, Ben Stokes being rewarded for one of his most disciplined England spells by having Voges caught at short extra as the ball took a puff of dust from the pitch.Moeen’s graceful batting, sprinkled with occasional fortune, had also been to the fore in the morning before England succumbed for 430, adding another 97 in only 14.1 overs. Moeen played with delightful freedom in extending his innings to 77 from 88 balls before he edged Mitchell Starc to Shane Watson at slip. He also edged Starc to the keeper on 34, but Australia, strangely introverted, did not appeal as they were fooled by the bat scraping the ground.Starc then bowled Anderson to return 5 for 114 but he has ankle trouble and, although he will hope to get through the Test unscathed, he must be doubtful for the second Test at Lord’s which follows so soon afterwards.As for Mitchell Johnson’s Reign of Terror, the first signs were that it may not be fit for export as he returned his worst Test figures. Johnson remained wicketless, he doffed his cap to the crowd as his bowler’s century was cheered ironically and he had the misfortune to have to pedal back at long-off in a futile attempt to try to catch a lofted drive from Moeen as he toe-ended Nathan Lyon’s offspin down the ground.Take Broad, add an Ashes series, and the result is invariably some hoo-ha or other. On this occasion he was the potential victim as Voges claimed a dubious catch at short leg. For the only time, Broad tried to stand tall to a bouncer from Johnson, squirmed the ball into the leg side and Voges was entangled between the batsman’s feet by the time he claimed the catch.The review showed that the ball dragged along the ground and boos predictably resounded, but Broad and Voges, former team-mates at Nottinghamshire, just had a quick chat and got on with it, Broad soon falling trying to slog sweep Lyon’s first ball.

Paul Stirling’s incisive spell was followed by a John Mooney hat-trick at the end of the first innings as Ireland quelled a Jersey threat in a seven-wicket win at Malahide

The Reprt by Peter Della Penna in Malahide19-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPaul Stirling’s incisive spell was followed by a John Mooney hat-trick at the end of the first innings as Ireland quelled a Jersey threat to seal their spot in the 2016 World T20. Ireland’s qualification was also helped by losses to Papua New Guinea and Namibia. PNG, Namibia and Hong Kong finished on seven points to confirm their place in the playoffs next week.Stirling claimed 3 for 16 before bashing a swift half-century in the chase, which was sealed with 20 balls to spare, while Jersey’s knockout stage hopes were extinguished with the loss.Jersey were 88 for 1 in 13 overs after being sent in as captain Peter Gough and Sussex academy batsman Jonty Jenner put on a 46-run stand before Stirling sparked the visitors’ slide with the wicket of Jenner. However, replays showed that Jenner was struck outside the line of off stump on his attempted sweep.Jersey were still in with a chance though at 102 for 2 in 15 overs with Gough still at the crease, but Stirling and Alex Cusack continued to keep Jersey off balance and the last eight wickets fell for just 16 runs. Stirling hadn’t bowled since the tournament opener against Namibia, but his spell shifted momentum back in favour of Ireland as he induced Cornelis Bodenstein to loft to long-off before another ill-advised sweep accounted for Anthony Kay.Cusack opened the bowling and was hit hard in his first two overs – going for 18 runs, but came back in the 17th to end Gough’s scratchy innings for 42 as he mistimed a slog over midwicket that was well taken by Stuart Poynter backpedaling from edge of the circle. He struck again four balls later, teaming up with Poynter at cover to get the right-handed Nat Watkins for 1 before snatching his third in the 19th over as Corey Bisson lofted to Stuart Thompson at long-off.Mooney reinforced his position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, moving to 14 in six games by wiping out the tail with a series of slower balls in the final over. Charles Perchard was done in by a yorker out of the back of the hand off an attempted paddle scoop. Kevin O’Brien claimed a skier on the next ball to remove Ben Kynman before George Dockrell settled at deep square leg to catch Ben Stevens and give Mooney his hat-trick.With Niall O’Brien still nursing a knee injury and unlikely to take any further part in the tournament, William Porterfield moved himself back up to open with Stirling for the first time in the tournament. The previous five opening partnerships – a mix of Stirling, O’Brien and Andy Balbirnie – amounted to a total of 27 runs, but the reunification of Ireland’s prolific opening duo from the last few years had its desired effect, adding 44 runs in just 4.5 overs.Jersey’s fielding, which had been impressive all tournament, let them down as Porterfield did survive a straightforward chance at slip in the first over. Stirling also could have been caught off a slash to third man on 35, but Nat Watkins opted to let the ball fall in front of him to prevent a boundary which left the bowler Kynman bemused.Porterfield added 17 to his tournament tally of 186, including a huge six that clanged off an oak tree beyond the deep square leg boundary but fell trying to repeat the shot off the following ball from Kay and was caught by Bodenstein running in from deep midwicket. Stirling added another 47 for the second wicket with Balbirnie and brought up his fifty off 34 balls, his first of the tournament, before being caught in the deep by Jenner off Stevens’ left-arm spin.The only other wicket to fall was Kevin O’Brien, leg before after missing a sweep to Stevens. Balbirnie and Gary Wilson took Ireland the rest of the way in an unbeaten 21-run stand. Balbirnie hit the winning single through the off side on the fourth ball of the 17th over to finish 32 not out while Wilson ended unbeaten on 11.

Mominul Haque will captain a 15-man Bangladesh A team, 14 of whom have played international cricket, on their tour of India later in September

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-20151:42

Isam: A-team tour a chance to prepare for Australia series

Mominul Haque will lead a strong Bangladesh A team for their tour to India later this month. The 15-member squad consists of 14 internationals including Al-Amin Hossain, who has been out of representative cricket since the World Cup.”Its my first tour abroad as a captain so looking ahead to make it memorable,” Mominul said. “It wont be easy considering we will be playing against the Indians at their own backyard but I am confident that we can put up a good show considering our strength. I think we have got an experienced squad and it will be good for our preparation ahead of the series against Australia.”Saqlain Sajib, the left-arm spinner, is the only uncapped player in the squad and it is learned that he was picked as cover for Taijul Islam, who has been given two weeks’ rest to recover from jaundice.

Bangladesh A tour of India

• Sept 16 – 1st one-dayer v India A, Bangalore

• Sept 18 – 2nd one-dayer v India A, Bangalore

• Sept 20 – 3rd one-dayer v India A, Bangalore

• Sept 22-24 – Three-day match v Karnataka, Mysore

• Sept 27-29 – Three day match v India A, Bangalore

Al-Amin, who was sent home from Australia in February after a disciplinary breach, is one of four seamers in the team. Taskin Ahmed has been passed fit and will likely play multi-day cricket for the first time in over two years when Bangladesh A meet India A and Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka in Bangalore and Mysore. Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam complete the quartet.Anamul Haque, who lost his place in the senior side after injuring his shoulder in the World Cup, has been included in the A team while Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman are some of the other upcoming batsmen who have played international cricket in this team.Nasir Hossain and Mominul are the senior batsmen in the side, and Shuvagata Hom, who last played the solitary Test against India, is one of the batting allrounders in the side.Bangladesh A squad: Anamul Haque, Rony Talukdar, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque (capt), Nasir Hossain, Saqlain Sajib, Arafat Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shuvagata Hom, Jubair Hossain.

Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar will captain opposing teams in a three-match T20 exhibition tour of the USA in November

Peter Della Penna06-Oct-20152:14

‘High ticket prices could keep fans away’

Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar will captain opposing teams in a three-match T20 exhibition tour of the USA next month. The matches will be played in New York, Houston and Los Angeles and the event, titled “Cricket All-Stars Series 2015″, will feature more than two dozen retired internationals from other Test nations.The matches will take place on November 7 at New York’s Citi Field, November 11 at Houston’s Minute Maid Park and November 14 at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. The first two games are slated to be played in the daytime while the final game at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to be played under the lights at the 56,000 capacity facility.”To make history in America playing these cricket games, myself and Sachin walking out and tossing the coin in New York at Citi Field, will be a pretty epic moment,” Warne told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Warne had said in June that Chicago’s Wrigley Field would also be a venue during the tour, but those plans were scrapped while an earlier proposal to play at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx had also been ditched in favor of Citi Field located in the New York City borough of Queens.

List of participating players

India – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Ajit Agarkar
Australia – Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath, Brad Haddin
South Africa – Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald
England – Graeme Swann, Michael Vaughan
West Indies – Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Carl Hooper
Sri Lanka– Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene
Pakistan– Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Moin Khan
New Zealand– Daniel Vettori

All three facilities are baseball stadiums – occupied by the NY Mets, Houston Astros and LA Dodgers – and according to sources, drop-in pitches will be used with the strips being laid from second base extending out toward the centre field wall.Apart from the captains whose teams are named “Sachin’s Blasters” and “Warne’s Warriors”, the event website lists 26 other players who are set to take part including Brian Lara and Wasim Akram. Besides Tendulkar, three former Indian team-mates join him on the exhibition roster: Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar. Four other Australians are also listed to join Warne: Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath and Brad Haddin.According to a list obtained by ESPNcricinfo, nine other players were also tentatively included to take part: Anil Kumble, Andy Flower, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi, Waqar Younis, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee and Michael Hussey. However, Younis will be coaching Pakistan against England in the UAE throughout November while Mahela Jayawardene, one of the players included in the main list of 26, is also in the UAE in a consultant role with England but is understood to be leaving after the first Test ends on October 17.This is the first attempt at a revenue-generating cricket foray in the USA since a pair of Twenty20 matches were played between West Indies and New Zealand in June 2012 at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. The 15,000 capacity facility is the only ICC ODI-certified cricket specific stadium in the USA, but will not be used for any of the T20 exhibition matches.