All posts by n8rngtd.top

ESPNcricinfo previews the Netherlands’ chances in the 2011 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan14-Feb-2011For a country with the limited cricket resources of the Netherlands, making their fourth World Cup is an impressive effort. They are the least likely to cause an upset, especially with Ireland being the other minnow in their group, but they certainly won’t suffer from a lack of desire and determination.You only have to ask England about that. Remember Lord’s in 2009? It may have been Twenty20 and not 50-over cricket, but Netherlands’ final-ball victory in the opening match of the tournament was one of the biggest shocks in cricket history. And, in a neat fluke of scheduling, their first match in the World Cup is against Andrew Strauss’s team. Only one team has anything to lose in that one.However, as with the likes of Ireland, Kenya and Canada – not to mention the Associates who narrowly missed out, such as Afghanistan – this is looking like a last hurrah at this major global event. With ten teams slated for the 2015 tournament, even though TV rights say there have to be the same number of matches, the smaller nations are being pushed aside. Netherlands will be desperate not to go out with a whimper.The batting is reasonably strong – Ryan ten Doeschate is their main man; Tom Cooper plays for South Australia and Alexi Kervezee has impressed for Worcestershire – but in subcontinent conditions against the clumping bats of the major nations, the bowlers could come in for some harsh treatment. They’ll all be hoping not to go the same way as Daan van Bunge at the 2007 World Cup, when Herschelle Gibbs took him for six sixes in an over at St Kitts.World Cup PedigreeHave appeared at the 1996, 2003 and 2007 World Cups but have just two victories, against Namibia and Scotland, to show for their efforts, while the defeats have been by huge margins. Their best effort was probably against India in 2003, at Paarl, when they managed to bowl out a star-stubbed batting line-up for 204. Time de Leede took 4 for 35.Form guideThey haven’t played a one-day international since August when they lost two matches against Ireland, which doesn’t bode well for their meeting in this tournament. However, before that they upset Bangladesh with six-wicket victory, so they’ll harbour hopes that a major scalp isn’t beyond their reach.Where they are likely to finishThey won’t get out of the group, but their aim should be to cause some of the big teams uncomfortable moments. Their World Cup comes when they face Ireland on March 18 in their final group match.WatchabilityThe batting has some fine stroke-makers, led by Ryan ten Doeschate of Essex, and if he gets going, he likes to deal in boundaries. When the bowlers come up against the likes of Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, it could be a time to cover your eyes and wish them the best.Players in focusRyan ten Doeschate has established himself as a fine Twenty20 cricketer, so much so that he put his name into the IPL auction and was signed by Tasmania for Australia’s Big Bash. But he is more than a hit-and-hope batsman and has the ability to build long innings. His ODI average is a Bevan-esque 68.55 and his strike-rate a powerful 87. Against his Associate peers has sometimes looks a class above, so this global stage is the perfect chance for him to show he can perform against the best. Netherlands will need all the runs he can manage. His medium-pace bowling is also useful and his experience under pressure in the professional game will be vital.There are more than 15 Australian cricketers at this World Cup. Tom Cooper is part of South Australia’s squad but by virtue of his Dutch mother is plying his trade for Netherlands when opportunities arise. He brings solidity, and a bit of Aussie toughness, to the top order and will be important in seeing off any early movement from the new ball. Has good memories of facing some of the West Indian bowlers he’ll come up against after making 160 for the Prime Minister’s XI at Canberra in 2009-10.If you listen to some watchers of county cricket, Alexei Kervezee will have a career with England. His first-class average is only 37, but that’s rising after he made 1190 Championship runs in 2010. At ODI level for Netherlands he has still to fulfil his talent, with an average of 26.56 and a top score of 92. If he really harbours ambitions of an international career above Associate level, the next month is the ideal shop window.

A round-up of the matches from the third match-day of the Faysal Bank One Day National Cup Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2011

Group A

Danish Kaneria took four wickets in HBL’s big win•Associated Press

Habib Bank Limited maintained their perfect start with their second successive win, a 155-run thumping of Karachi Dolphins in Rawalpindi. The match started badly for them as opener Imran Farhat fell for 1, but solid contributions from the rest of the top order and half-centuries from Aftab Alam and Hasan Raza pushed them to what looked a competitive 262. It proved much more than sufficient as Dolphins collapsed to 107 all out. Medium-pacer Fahad Masood did the early damage, taking three top-order wickets, before legspinner Danish Kaneria ripped out four wickets for 28 to confirm a big victory.In another one-sided match, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines crushed Islamabad Leopards by 109 runs at the Diamond Club ground in Islamabad. Opener Sohail Ahmed’s half-century guided SNGPL to a solid start but a slew of wickets left them wobbling at 157 for 5. The experienced Saleem Mughal stabilised the innings with a 55 that took them to 271. In response, Islamabad’s batsmen flopped with only opener Zeeshan Ali making it past 16. He went on to make 63, but hardly had any support as Islamabad subsided to 162 all out.The most competitive match in the group was the one between the table-toppers and the team at the bottom. Pakistan International Airlines kept a spotless record by picking up their third win in three matches, beating Rawalpindi Rams by 45 runs in Islamabad. Faisal Iqbal’s century was the centerpiece of PIA’s innings, with support from opener Agha Sabir’s 53 before a flurry of late hitting lifted PIA to 290. They seemed set for a huge victory when Rawalpindi slid to 61 for 4 but Rawalpindi’s middle-order put up some resistance, with Zahid Mansoor and Jamal Anwar helping them to 245 limiting the margin of defeat.

Group B

It was a match that was decided by the how the lower orders batted. Water and Power Development Authority‘s bowlers added some crucial runs while Multan Tigers‘ last five wickets collapsed for six runs to hand WAPDA a comfortable 77-run win at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Both innings had followed a similar pattern after Multan opted to field. WAPDA were struggling at 52 for 4 but Sohaib Maqsood launched a counter-attack, smashing 77 at more than a run-a-ball. After Maqsood fell caught behind, each of WAPDA’s last four batsmen made more than 10 to carry their side well past 200. Multan began poorly as well in their chase of 224, Kashif Raza ripping through the top order to leave them tottering at 39 for 3. Waqas Sharif did what Maqsood had done earlier, slamming eight fours in his 61 as Multan fought back. But Zulfiqar Babar nipped the recovery with three wickets, including that of Sharif. And Raza returned to clean up the tail as Multan were dismissed for 147 after having been 141 for 5 at one stage.Majid Jahangir’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Sialkot Stallions from losing to National Bank of Pakistan by 46 runs at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Jahangir and Shehzad Malik (67) had lifted Sialkot from a precarious position, almost doubling the score after they had slumped to 113 for 5 chasing a stiff 312. But their dismissals took the wind out of Sialkot’s sails, and they were soon bowled out for 265. National Bank’s Uzair-ul-Haq was the best bowler on both sides, taking 4 for 46. Half-centuries from Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed and Qaiser Abbas had earlier set up National Bank’s huge total. After opener Jamshed (75) had provided a solid platform, Azam (76 off 54) and Abbas (56 off 34) took the score beyond 300 in an unbeaten 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Shahid Yousuf and left-arm spinner Raza Hasan’s four wickets took Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited to an emphatic 81-run victory against Faisalabad Wolves at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The 158-run stand between 16-year old Azam (78) and Yousuf (76) formed the bulk of ZTBL’s score after they were inserted by Faisalabad. ZTBL were 219 for 2 at one stage, but left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood took his best List A figures of 5 for 40 to restrict them to 269. It was young Raza’s turn to respond, and he grabbed 4 for 46 as Faisalabad lost regular wickets. All but two Faisalabad batsmen made double-digit scores, but none more than 33 as they limped to 188.

As they approach the end of the group stage, Australia are looking to dispatch opponents as efficiently as they can. Canada are hoping for a final World Cup hurrah

The Preview by Sriram Veera in Bangalore15-Mar-2011

Match Facts</pMarch 16, Bangalore

Start time 14:30 (09.00 GMT)
John Davison could open in his last match for Canada•AFP

The Big Picture

As Ricky Ponting was leaving the press conference, a scribe offered a friendly bit of advice: “Please bowl first, mate.” Ponting turned, smiled and said, “Ha! Bowl first eh?” before gliding out of view. Despite Ireland’s commendable performance, and two honourable fights by Canada and Kenya, Australia taking on an Associate still makes people wonder how long the game will last. A tired journalist’s view is, “Canada bat first, get bowled out for a paltry score, let the chase be done with and let’s hit the pub”. It’s a view that might be shared by Australian fans too, though they might want to see the spinners do a better job, and Ricky Ponting hit form with a big innings. The underdog fan might want a minor miracle. What about the players?Ashish Bagai, Canada’s captain, was asked a direct question about it: Will Canada try to play 50 overs and be satisfied with the honor earned in doing that? If he found it condescending, or realistic, Bagai didn’t show it. He just laughed a laugh that was open to interpretation before saying, “This is our last game. We will like to end it with a win. We will try doing that”.For his part, Ponting said, “The time for experiments is over. We have three games in a week’s time before the quarters and we want to be playing at our best. We are looking to win tomorrow’s game comfortably.”For Canada this is as big as it gets. It is their final appearance on this stage before they disappear for four more years, and maybe more, depending on the ICC’s designs for 2015. It is also John Davison’s last game and Canada are thinking about the possibility of sending him to open. It will also be the last sighting of Bagai, a fabulous wicketkeeper, and Balaji Rao, a legspinner who has dared to flight, drift, and turn, something uncommon in the bigger teams.Australia’s 33-match unbeaten run in World Cups is unlikely to end tomorrow but they have to iron out a few wrinkles. Ponting’s form hasn’t been too flash and he knows it. “I would have liked to score more runs in the game against Zimbabwe but was run out. The other games too were the same. Getting 30 or 40 is not what you are after; you have to make big scores. Since we have not played too many games, we are out of touch.” The spinners haven’t set the world on fire as Ponting said the other day. Their batsmen will also be tested by Rao.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Australia: WWWWW
Canada: LWLLL

Watch out for…

Bagai’s wicketkeeping: MS Dhoni is the best at stumpings and Kumar Sangakkara is solid all round but Bagai has looked the most fluent and natural keeper in the competition. He is quick on his feet, uses soft hands, has a wonderful anticipation, and oozes confidence when he stands up to the medium-pacers. Of course Canada rarely get close to winning, and so we will never know how good Bagai is in pressure situations, but there is enough skill to make you watch him keep.After Shahid Afridi, Balaji Rao has to be the one of the best legspinners out there. While Afridi snares his victims with sliders and variations in pace, Rao tries to treat your senses. The slow amble to the crease, the ripping release, the courage to flight, the ability to get it to drift, and the turn he can extract, makes him a neat package to watch.When Brad Haddin is at his best, he reminds you of Damien Martyn, especially when he unfurls that silky drive through extra cover. The problem is he suddenly changes into Shane Watson. For a man who can time the ball so well, he often goes hard at the ball and tries to crash it up and over the field. Perhaps he still sees himself as a wicket keeper-batsman, whose job is to score quick runs, rather than a top-class batsman. Ponting urged him to convert his starts and that’s a sign that the captain wants Haddin to have higher ambitions.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is the same one on which Australia played Kenya. So it is bound to get slower and aid turn. It will be interesting to see how the Australian batsmen fare against the spinners.

Team news

Considering the workload in playing three games in quick succession, Australia are likely to rest Shaun Tait and give John Hastings a go.Australia (probable): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Steven Smith, 8 John Hastings, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason KrejzaCanada (probable): 1 Hiral Patel, 2 John Davison, 3 Zubin Surkari, 4 Ashish Bagai (wk), 5 Jimmy Hansra, 6 Rizwan Cheema, 7 Ruvindu Gunasekara/Parth Desai, 8 Harvir Baidwan, 9 Khurram Chohan, 10 Henry Osinde, 11 Balaji Rao

Stats and trivia

• Ricky Ponting is only player to have scored 1000 World-cup runs as a captain. He is the second after Tendulkar to score over 1600 runs in World Cups.
• Ashish Bagai is third captain-wicketkeeper to score fifty on two or more occasions in the World Cup. Kumar Sangakkara and Alec Stewart are other two.

Quotes

“We don’t have any time to worry about experimentation and getting our skills right. It’s about going full steam and playing the brand of cricket that holds good in bigger games”
“Balaji Rao has done really well for us in this tournament, right from the warm-up games. He brings great value in the dressing room too and mentors the other young spinners.”

Australia and India were culpable in collusion “contrary to the spirit of cricket” in the 2008 Sydney Test “racism” incident, according to ICC appeals commissioner John Hansen, who heard the case in January 2008

Daniel Brettig07-Apr-2011Australia and India were culpable in collusion “contrary to the spirit of cricket” in the 2008 Sydney Test “racism” incident, according to ICC appeals commissioner and New Zealand justice John Hansen, who heard the case at Adelaide’s Federal Court building in January 2008. Hansen has been quoted by former ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed in his memoirs describing what he called “behind the scenes” discussions by the two boards in the incident that involved Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds and Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh.Speed gives the affair his own legal-minded reading in , released in Australia this week, including private correspondence sent to him by Hansen in the aftermath.Hansen went as far as to say that both boards contravened the spirit of the game, in eerie echo of Indian captain Anil Kumble’s comments after the final day of the Sydney Test that started it all.”Although both boards would deny it, BCCI and CA were having discussions behind the scenes to resolve matters,” Hansen wrote. “Indeed, they presented me with an agreed statement of facts and a consent order that they expected me to rubber-stamp. In my view the consequences of such a course of action would have been disastrous for cricket.”In any event, their actions undermined the independence of the Code of Conduct Commissioner, were unbecoming, and in my view, contrary to the spirit of cricket … Given [that] the procedure arises from a voluntary code with input and agreement of all member associations, I consider the behaviour was improper … having agreed to it, they ought to have confidence in it and respect it.”When contacted, a CA official said: “We are not about to trawl over old ground or make any further comment on the matter other than to say that CA did not at any stage agree to any lesser charge and, on the contrary, ensured that the agreed set of facts was noted in order to ensure the judge could independently assess that matter in accordance with appropriate judicial procedures.”The BCCI said that the contents of Speed’s books had no bearing on the board. “In any case he has been a critic of the Indian board in the past, too,” an official said.Harbhajan was found guilty of racist abuse of Symonds – now his Mumbai Indians team-mate in the IPL – during the Sydney Test and handed a three-Test ban by match referee Mike Procter. The charge was leveled by the on-field umpires, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson, on a complaint from Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain that Harbhajan had called Symonds a monkey. Harbhajan’s appeal was heard three weeks later by Hansen, who found the racism charge to be not proven. Harbhajan was instead charged with a Level 2.8 offence – abuse and insult not amounting to racism – to which he pleaded guilty and was fined 50 per cent of his match fees.Reiterating his mortification that Harbhajan escaped a ban due to a colossal bungle by ICC legal counsel, who failed to lodge all the Indian spinner’s past offences with Hansen, Speed nonetheless cites the meddling of CA and the BCCI as a highly unsavoury element of the saga.”The process had been put in place precisely to manage the conduct of players and officials but the Australia and India Boards seemed happy enough to try to ignore it when it suited their ends,” Speed wrote.”Cricket Australia had faced a difficult decision. A major plank of their business was at risk. India exerted enormous pressure. CA sought a solution that would preserve their relationship with India and ultimately achieved it, protecting the ongoing tour as well.”Hansen’s rebuke also hits hard at the BCCI. It was a graphic example of the power of India over the modern game and the willingness of its administrators to use their financial muscle when national pride is at stake.”Speed also insists that the decision to remove Bucknor from umpiring duties for the remainder of the series, following his poor match in Sydney, had been made independently of any Indian pressure.”Much has since been written about this decision, and the general consensus is that I reacted to pressure from India to remove Bucknor. To that I can say one word: No,” he wrote.”My rationale was simple pragmatism. In the days after the Test, I received one call from India, from former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra, who asked me to stand down Bucknor in the interests of the game and relations between the two countries and the ICC.”It was quite a short discussion and a very well-reasoned argument. There were no threats, no histrionics, no drama and no pressure. I assured Bindra that I would think about it. I then spoke to James Sutherland and asked for CA’s view. He advised that CA did not have a view either way: if I thought it was necessary to stand him down, they could live with that. Conversely, if he umpired in Perth, they would raise no objection.”If Benson had been scheduled to umpire in Perth, he would have been stood down too.”In Speed’s eyes, the whole episode might have played out differently had Procter, the match referee, pursued a harder line when he had the chance during the first Test of the series in Melbourne, when Yuvraj Singh was charged with dissent after lingering at the crease.”I was at that match and was shocked by Procter’s finding,” Speed wrote. “I met him in Melbourne and pointed out the provisions of the Code, specifically drafted by (ICC general manager Dave) Richardson to aid referees that stated it was an offence to hang around after being dismissed, whether as a show of dissent or disappointment. Procter had forgotten about this part of the Code.”This incident had been a chance to draw a line in the sand in the first match of what was almost certain to be a tense series, and to show the players of both sides that dissent would not be tolerated.”The chance had been missed, the line of what was acceptable and what was not had been blurred, and with high stakes on offer, as is inevitable in a series between two leading and well-matched sides, it was hardly what was needed at that point in time.”

Andrew Gale hit a century as Yorkshire got off the mark in Clydesdale Bank 40 Group A with a resounding 93-run victory over Kent in Canterbury

08-May-2011
ScorecardAndrew Gale set up Yorkshire’s healthy total with a fine hundred•PA Photos

Andrew Gale hit a century as Yorkshire got off the mark in Clydesdale Bank 40 Group A with a resounding 93-run victory over Kent in Canterbury. Gale’s superb 112 from 114 balls proved the mainstay of his side’s excellent total of 254 for 7.After a flying start Gale went on to lay great foundations for a big total with an innings that included 11 fours and two sixes that left the Spitfires with a mountain to climb. I In reply, the hosts could only muster 161 as Adil Rashid picked up 3 for 30.Having won the toss and elected to bat, Yorkshire had 73 on the board after 10 overs. Jonny Bairstow set the visitors on their way with a quickfire 26, which included a pulled six off a free-hit from Azhar Mahmood.Adam Ball struck twice in as many deliveries either side of a maiden from Mahmood. The fifth over ended with Darren Stevens pulling off a spectacular catch to see the back of Bairstow then Adam Lyth was caught behind first ball to make it 40 for 2.Gale and Joe Root’s third-wicket partnership of 124 in 21 overs set a platform that allowed Yorkshire’s middle order to throw the bat. Gale deposited a Matt Coles free-hit over mid-wicket for six then the Yorkshire captain clubbed James Tredwell’s second delivery of the day back over the bowler’s head for another maximum. He brought his fifty up, off 61 balls, with a four straight down the ground off Stevens in the 19th over.Gale went on to score his second hundred in one-day cricket, which came off 105 balls, when he pulled Coles to the straight mid-wicket boundary although though not before an ill-judged reverse sweep ended Root’s responsible innings of 43.Had they not lost four wickets in the closing overs and Rich Pyrah, who retired hurt after being struck on the right knee by Coles, Yorkshire could have put the game totally beyond Kent’s reach. After Gerard Brophy fell leg before for 28 and Tim Bresnan was bowled trying to lift Coles over mid-on, Gale eventually perished attempting a third run to Ball at deep square leg.Needing 255, Kent were soon in trouble, losing Sam Northeast and Martin van Jaarsveld to successive deliveries in the third over. Northeast went caught behind and van Jaarsveld handed Ryan Sidebottom a second scalp when he cut the former England fast bowler high to third man.Seven overs later, Rob Key looped a catch to mid-wicket. Alex Blake was the next to go, caught behind reaching for a ball from Rashid. Shortly after sweeping David Wainwright for six, Stevens charged Rashid and was bowled for 39 to leave the Spitfires on 101 for 5.Two balls after Kent took the batting powerplay, Bresnan sent Geraint Jones’ off stump cartwheeling. In the very next over, the hosts’ fading hopes of victory expired with the departure of Mahmood, who holed out to deep midwicket.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Pune Warriors and Deccan Chargers in Navi Mumbai

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit15-May-2011

Match facts

Monday, May 16, Navi Mumbai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Can Pune keep their slender hopes alive?•AFP

Big Picture

Kolkata Knight Riders’ loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore has kept Pune Warriors’ wafer-thin chances of making the play-offs alive. They would need a host of results to go in their favour, apart from having to win their three remaining games by big margins to get their net run-rate up. That would seem an uphill task for a side that managed to lose seven consecutive matches earlier this season, but Pune have begun a semblance of a turnaround with two wins on the trot.Pune’s bowling attack has been responsible for these victories, keeping the opposition to modest totals which the batting has had no problems in chasing. Deccan Chargers bore the brunt of Mitchell Marsh’s four-wicket haul the last time these two sides met, in Hyderabad, but their surprise victory over Mumbai Indians would have given them some much-needed confidence. Deccan are already out of the reckoning for the play-offs. Can they spoil Pune’s chances in Kumar Sangakkara’s last IPL game this season?

Form guide (most recent first)

Pune Warriors: WWLLL (eighth on points table)
Deccan Chargers: WLLLL (ninth on points table)

Team talk

Pune made only one change to their XI in the previous game, with Sourav Ganguly finally coming in. There shouldn’t be any further changes tomorrow, and their four seamers should enjoy the bounce at the DY Patil Stadium.Deccan brought in Michael Lumb in place of Dale Steyn against Mumbai, and continued to persist with Daniel Christian, who made 18 off 23 deliveries. IPL debutant Anand Rajan was given the last over against Mumbai ahead of Christian. It’s a question that has been repeated throughout this season; will Sangakkara stick with Christian? Steyn should ideally return in his place.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

Manish Pandey has been mostly solid so far but has struggled to get away the big hits, with a strike-rate of 106.15 in seven matches. He showed some glimpses of his much-talked about potential with his 49 against Deccan in Hyderabad. Can he continue to provide starts for Pune along with Jesse Ryder?Amit Mishra was the reason why Deccan shocked Mumbai. Mishra hit Munaf Patel for four consecutive boundaries in the last over of Deccan’s innings before giving only 18 in his four overs for the wicket of Andrew Symonds. Pune would be wary of Deccan’s leading wicket-taker.

Prime numbers

• Pune are the only team without any batsman having scored 300 or more runs in this season
• Yuvraj Singh has hit 17 sixes, the fourth-most in this IPL

The chatter

“This is the first time I have seen Amit from up close keeping to him. He’s got all the tricks the legspinner should have. At the same time what is important for a leggie is that he’s got a huge heart, very strong character.”

Jamie Siddons has been confirmed as the new coach of Wellington after signing a three-year deal

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2011Jamie Siddons has been confirmed as the new coach of Wellington after signing a three-year deal. Siddons, who coached Bangladesh from October 2007 until his departure in April this year, will take over the position vacated by his fellow Australian Anthony Stuart, who is now in charge at New South Wales.”Jamie is a world-class coach and his international experience will be an invaluable addition to our professional and high performance cricket environment in Wellington,” Cricket Wellington’s chief executive Gavin Larsen said. “Jamie is passionate about the game and he will bring a fresh perspective to the Wellington Firebirds, and we look forward to him leading us forward into a new era of success.”Siddons, 47, will take up the role in July and faces a challenge to turn Wellington into a winning outfit. The side hasn’t finished higher than fifth in any format in the past two summers, and Siddons believes one of the keys to improving Wellington’s results will be to find more runs from the batsmen.”I looked at all the players and their averages, and even the senior players are not in the 40s with the bat,” Siddons told the when he applied for the job. “So one thing is to turn that around and turn their performances around.”Prior to taking on the Bangladesh coaching job, Siddons was an assistant under John Buchanan with Australia’s national side. Buchanan, who is now the director of cricket with New Zealand Cricket, was part of the panel that appointed Siddons, who beat Matthew Maynard and the Wellington assistant coach Shane Deitz for the role.

Lancashire revived their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 with a convincing 26-run win against Durham at Old Trafford

01-Jul-2011
ScorecardLancashire revived their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 with a convincing 26-run win against Durham at Old Trafford.Batting first, Lancashire made 161 for 5 , with stand-in captain Steven Croft and Karl Brown each scoring 51 off 36 balls, and the home side then restricted Durham to 135 for 9 in reply. The victory saw Lancashire move to within a point of fourth-placed Durham in the North Group and gain some revenge for their trouncing at Chester-le-Street a week ago.Durham’s bid to overhaul Lancashire’s total got off to a poor start as they lost both Phil Mustard and Ian Blackwell inside three overs with just 22 on the board. Junaid Khan then bowled Paul Collingwood round his legs for 3 and the visitors’ fortunes declined further as Stephen Parry and Gary Keedy took two wickets apiece to leave Durham floundering on 68 for seven in the 12th over.Scott Borthwick and Liam Plunkett mounted a revival with a 46-run eighth-wicket stand, and Lancashire were starting to count the cost of long-on Tom Smith dropping Borthwick off Parry when the left-hander had made 20.Durham needed 50 runs off the final three overs, but Khan ran out Borthwick for 30 and, despite Plunkett clubbing Mahmood for two sixes in the 19th over, the visitors finished short. Plunkett was run out for 41 off the penultimate ball of the innings.Keedy finished with an impressive 2 for 17 and Parry 2 for 27, but it was Khan who was the pick of the attack as he took 2 for 20 on his Old Trafford debut.Lancashire’s innings had got off to a poor start when opener Stephen Moore played on to Mitchell Claydon for 7. However, Tom Smith and Croft staged a recovery with a careful second-wicket partnership of 37 in 31 balls before Smith was caught by his namesake Will Smith at long-on off Gareth Breese for 22.Lancashire then moved up through the gears as Brown and Croft shared a thrilling 78-run partnership in 8.2 overs. Durham’s bowling and fielding became ragged and Brown and Croft capitalised on any errors, both batsmen hitting two sixes.Croft eventually perished when he miscued Collingwood to Breese at cover, but Brown, who had benefited from a missed stumping by Mustard when on seven, carried on to complete a maiden Twenty20 half-century before he was run out.Sajid Mahmood and Farveez Maharoof took 14 runs off the last over bowled by Claydon to help Lancashire set what would prove to be a winning total.

A round-up of the fifth day of matches at the Sri Lanka Cricket Inter-Provincial Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2011An unbeaten half-century from Jeevantha Kulatunga fashioned Basnahira‘s 34-run win against Ruhuna at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Basnahira’s top-order was solid, after Ruhuna put them in to bat. While Kulatunga, batting at No. 3, struck 69 off 47 with six fours and four sixes, the other batsmen in the top four contributed well to carry Basnahira to 166 for 3. The Ruhuna chase, apart from a short burst from opener Mahela Udawatte, lacked momentum. The batsmen failed to build on starts, and a mini-collapse halfway through the innings meant they stumbled from 74 for 3 to 78 for 6, putting Basnahira firmly in charge. Chathura Peiris and Tillakaratne Dilshan did most of the damage for Basnahira, claiming three wickets each in tight spells, as Ruhuna folded for 132 in the 19th over. The win puts Basnahira at the top of the points table.After three losses, Combined Provinces turned out an improved performance, to beat Wayamba comprehensively in the second game of the day. Chasing 156, Combined Provinces eased past their target with seven wickets and nine balls to spare. The chase was built around a rapid 52 from Ashan Priyanjan, and cameos of 33 apiece from Dhanushka Gunathilleke and Jeevan Mendis. Earlier, after choosing to bat, Wayamba’s line-up failed to build on starts – the only sizeable contribution was 41 from Chamara Silva. Chaminda Vidanapathirana, Ajantha Mendis and Sachith Pathirana combined to keep Wayamba to 155 for 7, claiming two wickets each while conceding just over a run a ball.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare

The Preview by Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2011Match facts
August 16, Harare
Start time 0930 (0730 GMT)Vusi Sibanda has been solid at the top of the order for Zimbabwe•Associated Press

The Big Picture

Zimbabwe are within sniffing distance of ending their drought of five years without an ODI series win over a Test-playing nation. They have beaten Ireland and Kenya in recent times, but their previous series win against a Test playing-country was in August 2006 when they beat Bangladesh 3-2 at home. Much has changed since then, and should Zimbabwe pull off this victory it would underline their notion that this is indeed a new era for their cricket.So far they have outplayed their opposition convincingly, bowling with aggression and batting with composure. They have all the ingredients to cook up a successful summer – a new-ball bowler, Brian Vitori, who looks better and better with every match, back-up seamers like Elton Chigumbura, who play a supporting role but can also take wickets, a top order that can play seam and spin with equal conviction, and, as they showed in the last match, a middle order that can finish the job.It all looks a little too easy for Zimbabwe at the moment and they may want to challenge themselves by trying to defend a total rather than chase one down, especially since their middle order has not spent enough time at the crease. Perhaps those ideas will be left to Bulawayo, if the series has been won by then, and there is room for experimentation before welcoming Pakistan and New Zealand.For Bangladesh, disaster looms, according to Shakib Al Hasan, who called his team situation a crisis. Their mistakes have become more glaring as the series has progressed and are now in urgent need of attention.The top order appears to need superglue stuck to their spikes so that they will stay at the crease and avoid forcing the middle and lower orders to fix their mistakes. The top four have failed – their execution has been poor and their application non-existent. Although they are fronting up against a good attack, they are also been given a pitch and conditions conducive to batting, and if Bangladesh are to come back into this series, they are going to have to learn patience very quickly.The Bangladesh bowlers have not been given much to work with but they have also not shown much perseverance and have tended to give up after getting an early breakthrough. The left-arm spinners have not threatened and it will be up to the offspinners and seamers, who showed that they can extract some reverse swing, to take wickets. A more determined effort is required from Bangladesh if they are to go to Bulawayo with any thoughts of restoring respectability.

Form guide (most recent first)

Zimbabwe WWWLL
Bangladesh LLLLL

In the spotlight

He has been out cheaply in both matches so far and even though he leads a winning team, Brendan Taylor will want to produce with the bat as well. Taylor’s perennial problem has been a lack of footwork and after being bowled by his opposite number in the first match and edging while playing away from his body in the second, it may be an issue he wants to address as the summer continues.Nasir Hossain rescued a tattered Bangladesh innings on debut in the previous game and immediately impressed with his handling of the short ball. On first glance, there is something distinctly different about Nasir when compared to other Bangladesh batsmen. Rather than mistiming his pull shot or being hurried into it, he plays it with skill and grace and his maturity at the crease was evident in his well-paced 63. He was only given two overs with the ball, but it will be interesting to see how he performs in that department as well.

Team news

With a series win just a match away, Zimbabwe are unlikely to tinker with a successful XI. Kyle Jarvis is still waiting for his opportunity, but may have to hang on until Bulawayo to get it, even though Chris Mpofu struggled a little in the second match. Regis Chakabva will also have to bide his time before getting a look in.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Brendan Taylor (capt), 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Forster Mutizwa, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 Brian Vitori, 11 Chris MpofuA continually failing top order should call for some change and Bangladesh may have no choice but to finally bring Junaid Siddique in. One of Tamim Iqbal or Imrul Kayes should pay the price for their poor showings so far. However, the selectors have been hesitant to drop either and Siddique may slot into the middle order ahead of Shahriar Nafees or Mohammad Ashraful. Abdur Razzak is likely to keep his place, more for his batting than his left-arm spin, meaning that Suhrawadi Shuvo will have to sit out again.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes / Junaid Siddique, 3 Shahriar Nafees, 4 Mohammad Ashraful, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Nasir Hossain, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel Hossain Pitch and conditions
The surface should remain good for batting, as it has done through the one-off Test and previous two ODIs, with all the strips on the square known for being flat. The first hour has had something for the bowlers though, with just a little bit of extra bounce and movement on offer. Later in the day, the pitch has slowed down, but there is not a lot of turn. Batting should be a reasonably easy task and the bowlers will have to stick to good lines and lengths and bowl wicket-to-wicket to get results.

Stats and trivia

• The team chasing has won 50% of the time at Harare Sports Club in its 19-year history as an international ground. However, in the last two years, the team fielding first has won 64.2% of the time and in the last year, that increases to 80%.
• Imrul Kayes’ batting average in day matches, 27.41, is almost 10 runs fewer than it is in day-night matches, 37.09.

Quotes

“We have to do what we have done so far and be hungry on the day.”
“We should put on 260 every time we bat but our top order is not scoring runs, I would love to see those top order guys scoring some runs for the team.”