All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ashes autopsy report close at hand

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Australian cricket’s reckoning for a disastrous Ashes series, and the decline from greatness to mediocrity that preceded it, is belatedly at hand

Daniel Brettig17-Aug-2011Australian cricket’s reckoning for a disastrous Ashes series, and the decline from greatness to mediocrity that preceded it, is belatedly at hand. The findings of the Australian team performance review will, as ESPNcricinfo reported in July, be tabled and discussed by the directors at the Cricket Australia board meeting to take place in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, nearly eight months after the Ashes were lost in an innings defeat at the MCG.Upon the conclusion of the meeting CA’s chairman Jack Clarke will face the cameras and microphones to run over whatever findings the board chooses to make public. Based on the submissions of a litany of players, coaches, administrators and other well-placed observers, they are expected to be blunt and wide-ranging.The review panel, chaired by Don Argus and including the former captains Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh plus the former CA chief executive Malcolm Speed, is likely to direct its harshest critiques towards the selection policies of the out of contract chairman, Andrew Hilditch, whose term lapsed at the end of the World Cup.Hilditch’s tenure began in 2006, and after enjoying a 5-0 Ashes sweep on England in the following summer he was fated to negotiate the retirements of a succession of great players, including Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn.He and his panel have been heavily criticised for numerous decisions across that time, most pointedly the revolving door for spin bowlers since the selectors’ planning was thrown out of balance by the sudden retirement of Stuart MacGill in 2008.More recently the removal of Simon Katich from the list of CA contracted players provided a window into the players’ discontent about the ways of the panel, something also highlighted by a formal submission to the review regarding selection by the Australian Cricketers Association.Rod Marsh, the former Australian wicketkeeper and highly-respected academy coach, has expressed his interest in becoming chairman of selectors, discussing the possibility with CA’s head of cricket operations, Michael Brown.Other matters at issue for the review panel include the shape of the Australian team’s support staff, with the place of the head coach Tim Nielsen in some question. Since the World Cup Nielsen’s support staff has been bolstered by the additions of Craig McDermott (bowling coach) and Steve Rixon (fielding coach), as the players desired greater guidance from mentors with international experience.Rixon’s arrival in particular has been met with great enthusiasm, and as the former coach of New Zealand and NSW his credentials far outweigh those of Nielsen, who was a distinguished assistant for South Australia and Australia but had never been a head coach until he replaced John Buchanan in 2007, like Hilditch at the outset of a difficult period of transition.Australia’s players and support staff currently on tour in Sri Lanka are expected to be briefed about the review findings on Friday morning in Colombo, before Clarke presents a summary of the findings to the public.The Australian team’s contract system, scheduling and preparation have also been matters for discussion, with the former chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns noting that a sleeker and more flexible contract system should be devised.It has also been pointed out that Test cricket in Australia would benefit from being the clear financial pinnacle of the game, with sufficient incentives for young players to devote themselves to its pursuit.The evolving role of the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane is considered a sore point in the development of players, as CA has sought to make it more of a finishing school for internationals rather than a bridge between junior cricket and the first-class arena.Further down the pathway, the standard of domestic cricket has been openly questioned by the likes of Ricky Ponting, who fervently believes that young cricketers need to be held to the same rigorous standards he had to reach before he was selected to play for Australia.Twenty20’s onset, and its attendant impact on the techniques and priorities of domestic players, is another factor, but CA are torn on this matter by competing desires to have the Test team successful while also growing the game’s revenue.There is little the review panel can do about the onset of the T20 Big Bash League and its heavy impact on the domestic schedule, meaning there will be plenty of hurdles ahead for the Australian team, whatever Argus and company recommend at the board meeting.

Sangakkara guides solid Sri Lanka

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There are few things Kumar Sangakkara has failed to achieve in Test cricket. As he walked off the SSC ground on the second afternoon of his 100th Test, he knew that one of those unfulfilled goals – playing in a win over Australia – was one step closer

The Report by Brydon Coverdale17-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey made his fourth Test hundred against Sri Lanka•AFP

Smart stats

  • Michael Hussey’s 118 is his fourth century in the subcontinent and brings him level third on the list of Australia batsmen with the most centuries in Asia. However, Hussey’s average of 61.38 is the highest among Australia batsmen with 1000-plus runs in the subcontinent.

  • Hussey became the 17th Australia batsman to score over 5000 runs in Tests. His average of 52.84 is fourth on the list of Australia batsmen with 5000-plus runs.

  • Hussey now has four centuries against Sri Lanka, the highest for an Australia batsman. His average of 111.50 is the highest among batsmen with 500-plus runs against Sri Lanka.

  • Shaminda Eranga’s 4 for 65 is the fifth-best bowling performance by a Sri Lanka bowler on debut. Upul Chandana’s six-wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999 remains the best debut bowling performance by a Sri Lanka.

  • Kumar Sangakkara is 39 runs away from becoming the seventh batsman to score a century in his 100th Test. No Sri Lanka player has achieved this feat so far.

  • Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene average 123.61 runs per partnership at the SSC, with five century stands in 14 innings, including their record stand of 624 against South Africa in 2006.

There are few things Kumar Sangakkara has failed to achieve in Test cricket. As he walked off the SSC ground on the second afternoon of his 100th Test, he would have felt that one of those unfulfilled goals – playing in a win over Australia – was one step closer. Sangakkara has tasted victory against every other Test nation, and while plenty of work remains in this match, it could be his best chance to complete the set.On a day that started with Michael Hussey’s 15th Test century and a four-wicket haul from the debutant Shaminda Eranga, Sri Lanka finished at a comfortable 166 for 2. They still trailed Australia by 150 runs, but with Sangakkara looking composed on 61 and Mahela Jayawardene on 31, Sri Lanka could certainly dream of building a first-innings lead.The pair had put on 68, but on a surface offering little for the bowlers, there was no reason that figure couldn’t expand significantly on the third day. Sangakkara brought up his half-century from his 86th delivery, with a slashing cut to the boundary off Mitchell Johnson, one ball after he sent a similarly short and wide ball to the rope.He and Jayawardene had come together after the loss of Tharanga Paranavitana, who on 46 drove Johnson off the meat of the bat, only to see Ricky Ponting at short cover take a terrific catch. Paranavitana had already survived one of the closest lbw reviews seen under the DRS, when on 14 he was given not out by Aleem Dar.Australia wanted the decision checked, and while Trent Copeland’s delivery had pitched in line and was striking off stump, a fraction less than half the ball was hitting the middle of the stump, saving the batsman. The only early breakthrough came when Peter Siddle, playing his first Test of the tour, sneaked through the defence of Lahiru Thirimanne.On 28, Thirimanne was beaten by a good fullish delivery that straightened off the pitch and rattled the stumps. It was a reward for consistently good bowling from Siddle, although the visitors had missed the injured Ryan Harris with the new ball.Australia wanted early wickets after they reached a competitive but far from imposing total of 316 in the first session, when Hussey continued his remarkable series by bringing up his second hundred of the series. Sri Lanka’s new fast bowler Eranga removed Hussey shortly before lunch to finish with four wickets on debut.Australia added 81 to their overnight score for the loss of their final five wickets, as Eranga and Chanaka Welegedara bowled well and found some swing. But the star of the session was Hussey, who at 36 is in the kind of form he displayed at the start of his Test career. The Man of the Match in the first two Tests, he also gave himself a strong chance of complete a clean-sweep.Hussey brought up his hundred with a single clipped off his pads off Rangana Herath from his 157th delivery, and it continued an incredible streak against Sri Lanka. In the five Tests he has played against the Sri Lankans, the only match in which Hussey has failed to post a century was the first Test of this series in Galle, where he made 95.He also became the fifth-fastest Australian to reach 5000 Test runs, getting there in his 107th innings, slower only than Don Bradman, Matthew Hayden, Neil Harvey and Greg Chappell. He reached that milestone with a pair of boundaries cut through point off Welegedara, but for a while it looked like Hussey was in danger of being stranded on 99.While Hussey waited for his hundred, he watched on as Johnson pushed tamely to point off Welegedara and Siddle edged to slip from the next ball. Fortunately for Hussey, Copeland survived the hat-trick ball and provided adequate support, at least, until Welegedara’s next over, when he was taken at slip by Mahela Jayawardene.But by then, Hussey had reached his century, and the goal was simply to push the total as high as possible with the final partnership with Nathan Lyon. Hussey lofted a six over long-on off Herath, before on 118 he was tricked by a slower ball and played on, completing a fine debut performance from Eranga, who finished with 4 for 65.Eranga had picked up the first wicket of the day when a very good outswinger was adjudged to have caught the edge of Brad Haddin’s bat when he was on 35. Haddin looked surprised by the decision and asked for a review, but there was a slight noise as the ball passed the bat and there was certainly no evidence to reprieve him.Haddin had struck six boundaries in his innings, but mixed in several plays and misses with his successes. In the end, he was simply outclassed by a fine delivery from Eranga. And if Australia’s bowlers are outclassed by Sangakkara and Jayawardene, a drawn series is a distinct possibility.

You don't always want a friendly series – Dhoni

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MS Dhoni reckons England might need to change their strategy of verbal intimidation considering it has not actually worked in their favour in the ongoing series

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2011MS Dhoni reckons England might need to change their strategy of verbal intimidation considering it has not actually worked in their favour in the ongoing series in which India have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead.On the eve of the Mohali one-dayer the England pair of Tim Bresnan and Samit Patel had stressed on the importance of unsettling their opponents with “a little bit of a word or a look or a stare”. The planned aggression cost Bresnan 7.5% of his Mohali match fee, after he was found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct by snatching his cap from umpire Sudhir Asnani at the end of the 18th over of the chase. Players from both teams have been involved in a few verbal confrontations and Dhoni said he did not mind a little bit of “chit-chat” as long as long as his players did not step over the line or make personal remarks.”A bit of chit-chat is fine because it makes things interesting. You don’t always want a friendly series. But I think they should change their strategy for the next two games,” Dhoni said after the five-wicket victory in Mohali.Dhoni also did not want to get carried away and term this series victory as “revenge” for the disastrous summer India had endured in England, where they lost the Test and one-day series and the solitary Twenty20 match. “I don’t think the word revenge should be used. On the one hand we talk about the spirit of cricket, and on the other hand there’s this talk of revenge, which I don’t think is right.”In Mohali, India were cruising in the chase before a few quick wickets left Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja 64 to get off 50 balls. Dhoni said he just wanted to bat till the end because he knew the bowlers would eventually feel the pressure. “You always want to stay till the end because you reach a stage where the bowlers and batsmen are under pressure, and then whoever executes better wins. We knew that if Jadeja and I are there in the end then even if we needed 20-25 runs off the last two overs, Twenty20 cricket has taught us that is possible.”Dhoni also pointed out that he would not like to disturb the winning combination and instead would persist with playing their young batsmen at the top of the order because they needed time in the middle. “The youngsters need to be batting 20-25 overs. Once they are more experienced, then we can experiment with batting them lower in the order. Nos. 6 and 7 are difficult places to bat because there’s only one or two batsmen behind you so it’s better players are only tried there when they have a few games under their belt.”After having been thumped in the first two matches, England gave a better account of themselves in Mohali, but their captain Alastair Cook said that did not make the loss any easier to bear. The match once again threw the spotlight on Jonathan Trott’s position in the one-day side. Though Trott scored 98 not out, he took 116 balls to get there and struggled to hit boundaries in the end overs. Cook, though, insisted Trott played his role perfectly.”Trott played the anchor role and did it nicely,” Cook said. “Fifty overs is quite a long time to bat and you need people to bat around him. Three hundred was a decent score and was defendable. Trott’s instructions are the same as everyone else’s: to play positively and try to get 300. Today we did that and he got 98 at a strike rate of 80-odd, so he did his role.”Cook again highlighted his side’s fielding as the most disappointing part of their performance but said the team would still battle in the last two games. “One of the toughest challenges in sport is to lift yourselves when you’ve already lost a series. But there’s still desperation to win.”

Hampshire give contracts to Terry, Rouse and Ravenscroft

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Hampshire has awarded development contracts to three players for 2012, including Sean Terry, Adam Rouse and Tim Ravenscroft

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Hampshire has awarded development contracts to three players for 2012, including Sean Terry, son of Hampshire stalwart Paul Terry. The other two are Adam Rouse and Tim Ravenscroft, who’ve had their contracts renewed from last summer.Terry, an opening batsman, had represented MCC Young Cricketers, scoring 313 runs in nine matches in the 2011 Second XI Championship. He also had a stint with the Hampshire Second XI. He was brought up in Perth, Australia, where he played for Western Australia junior teams. His father played two Tests for England, in 1984. He served Hampshire from 1978-1996, scoring over 16,000 runs and also coached the county.”Hampshire has been a big part of my life, particularly because my Dad had such a long career here, and to be given the chance to start my professional career at Hampshire means a lot,” Terry said. “I can’t wait to get started next season and be part of a young squad pushing to be back in the first division.”Ravenscroft, a batsman and occasional seamer, has also come through the Second XI ranks. He scored over 500 runs in the Second XI across all competitions.Rouse, the wicketkeeper, has an aggregate of 489 runs in the Second XI. He also took a catch as a substitute during the Rose Bowl Test between England and Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Ponting half-century steers Australia

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After nearly two years without a Test hundred, Ricky Ponting gave himself every chance of completing one on home soil with an assured half-century that provided a solid platform for Australia at the Gabba

The Report by Brydon Coverdale02-Dec-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ricky Ponting was unbeaten on 67 at stumps•Getty Images

After nearly two years without a Test hundred, Ricky Ponting gave himself every chance of completing one on home soil with an assured half-century that provided a solid platform for Australia at the Gabba. On an eventful day on which Daniel Vettori ran himself out on 96 and Michael Clarke was bowled off a no-ball, Australia finished in a reasonable position at 3 for 154, but New Zealand knew a couple of early wickets on the third morning would put them on top.New Zealand had done well to post a competitive 295, thanks largely to Vettori and Dean Brownlie, who in his second Test remained unbeaten on 77. But after Australia lost both their openers cheaply, including the debutant David Warner in the second over of the innings, their recovery was encouraging for the home fans, though it was not without its nervy moments.Ponting was nearly run out before he had scored when he was called through and then sent back by Usman Khawaja, who himself was caught short due in the first over after tea. Kane Williamson’s direct hit had Khawaja on his way for 38, a disappointing end to a promising innings, and it was hard to avoid thinking that Ponting’s call for the tight single was to blame, although a split-second hesitation from Khawaja also played a part.When the umpires called play off due to bad light at 4.40pm, a decision that in itself added to the drama of the day as conditions appeared fair, Ponting was on 67 and had played some fine strokes, 44 of his runs having come through boundaries. There was a lovely pull off Doug Bracewell and a confident drive through the off side against Tim Southee, and his fifty came up with a four driven through extra cover off Chris Martin.Ponting had survived a close lbw appeal against the part-time medium pace of Brownlie on 63, the not-out decision of the umpire upheld when New Zealand’s review showed “umpire’s call” for the impact on off stump and the ball clipping the top of the bails. Clarke, who went to stumps on 28, had also had a let-off, having played on to Bracewell on 23 only to have Asad Rauf check on a suspected no-ball, which was confirmed by the third official.Little mistakes like Bracewell’s overstep threatened to undo New Zealand’s strong start in the field. The Australians had to face two overs before lunch and in the second, Warner was cramped by a well-directed shorter delivery from Tim Southee that brushed the gloves on the way through to the wicketkeeper as the batsman tried to evade the ball.

Smart stats

  • Daniel Vettori became the fifth New Zealand batsman to be dismissed in the nineties in a Test against Australia. Jeremy Coney is the only New Zealand batsman to be dismissed twice in the nineties against Australia.

  • Vettori’s dismissal was the 40th instance of a batsman being run out in the nineties. Ken Barrington, Rohan Kanhai and Craig Wishart have all been dismissed in this fashion twice in the nineties.

  • The 158-run stand between Dean Brownlie and Vettori is the best sixth-wicket stand for New Zealand against Australia. Vettori was also involved in the previous highest of 126 in Wellington in 2010.

  • Vettori’s half-century is his 23rd in Tests and takes him to joint-third position on the list of New Zealand batsmen with the most half-centuries. Stephen Fleming (46) and Nathan Astle (24) are above Vettori on the list.

  • Nathan Lyon’s 4 for 69 is fifth on the list of best bowling performances by a spinner in the match first innings in Brisbane

  • Ricky Ponting went past 1000 runs in Tests against New Zealand. Of the six Australian batsmen who have crossed 1000 runs against New Zealand, his average of 61.41 is second only to Justin Langer’s 62.94.

Soon after the resumption, the other opener Phillip Hughes was squared up by Martin and edged to gully, where Martin Guptill took a fine catch low in front of him, and Australia were in trouble at 2 for 25. At that point, New Zealand’s 295 looked a long way off for the Australians, who had been frustrated by the Vettori-Brownlie partnership for much of the morning.Vettori and Brownlie added 158, a stand that ended when Vettori suffered a brain-fade approaching what looked like becoming his seventh Test century and his first against Australia. On 96, Vettori took off for a suicidal single to mid-off and even his full-stretch dive wasn’t enough to beat the direct hit of Michael Hussey.Vettori pulled well against the fast men and brought up his half-century from his 70th delivery, while Brownlie remained solid and made Australia pay for the chances he gave on the first day. He brought up his fifty from his 121st ball with an impressive on-drive for four off James Pattinson. Brownlie tried to lift his tempo once he began running out of partners, but had to settle for a solid half-century, his second in two Tests, instead of his maiden hundred.Nathan Lyon picked up four wickets and was the most consistently threatening of Australia’s bowlers, spinning the ball sharply and using flight and guile in his first match of any kind at the Gabba. He wrapped things up shortly before the scheduled lunch break when he turned a ball through the gate and bowled Martin for 1.Australia began to chip away at the lower order after Vettori ran himself out. The wicketkeeper Reece Young was caught at slip for 2 off Peter Siddle, Bracewell edged a Lyon topsinner to slip for a duck, and Southee, having slogged Mitchell Starc over the fence, was caught at long-on for 17 trying for another six off Lyon.Southee and Vettori joined the long list of New Zealand batsmen who contributed heavily to their own dismissals. Whether such lapses cost them remains to be seen.

Kaushik rips through Maharashtra

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A round-up of the second day’s play from the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy Elite League

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2012Dishant Yagnik scored his maiden first-class century to help Rajasthan reach 421 at Uppal•Sakshi Telugu Daily

J Kaushik ran through the Maharashtra middle and lower order on the second morning at Chepauk, and Tamil Nadu‘s top order then put their team in control by stumps. Kaushik, a 26-year-old medium-pacer in his debut season, had received praise from his captain L Balaji before the game, and showed why with a five-wicket haul that sent Maharashtra crashing from 204 for 4 overnight to 232 all out. Kaushik struck with the first ball of the morning, dismissing SD Atitkar caught-behind. His third over of the morning brought three wickets: Kedar Jadhav and Ajinkya Joshi were caught in the slips off consecutive balls, and then Akshay Darekar was dismissed in similar fashion off the last ball of the over.A few overs later, Kaushik completed his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket by bowling No. 11 Samad Fallah. After having set a base on the first day, Maharashtra had collapsed. Tamil Nadu’s batsmen took advantage. Abhinav Mukund, the second-highest run-getter in the Elite division this season, and M Vijay put together an opening stand of 173 to flatten the visitors. There was some respite as the two were dismissed in quick succession but S Badrinath settled in and finished the day on 35 not out with Tamil Nadu 259 for 3.Abhinav fell short of what would have been his third hundred of the season, getting trapped lbw by Ajinkya Joshi on 95, and Vijay fell to Akshay Darekar for 79. Despite those two wickets Maharashtra are staring at a big first-innings deficit unless they can affect a collapse on the third morning similar to the one Kaushik affected today.

Aakash Chopra and Dishant Yagnik completed centuries on the second day at Uppal to build an imposing total of 421 for Rajasthan. By the end of the day Hyderabad had slipped to 35 for 2. Chopra and Yagnik had begun a recovery act on the first day, rescuing their team from 129 for 5 to finish the day 220 for 5. On the second day, they seized control, extending the sixth-wicket stand to 185 runs. Chopra completed his second century of the tournament, and went on to get 142, an innings that took 450 balls and included just 42 runs from fours and sixes.Yagnik, Rajasthan’s wicketkeeper, got his maiden first-class century, also taking his time on the way to 101. Contributions from Vivek Yadav and Pankaj Singh down the order further frustrated Hyderabad, who were kept in the field for 167.1 overs. Debutant left-arm spinner Mehdi Hasan finished with 5 for 62 but the rest of the bowlers struggled to pick up wickets.Hyderabad’s batsmen then had to negotiate an awkward ten-over spell at the end of the day, and each of Rajasthan’s new-ball bowlers, Pankaj Singh and Sumit Mathur, found success. Akshath Reddy was dismissed by Pankaj for 12 and T Suman was bowled by Mathur for a nine-ball duck. Hyderabad now face an uphill climb on the final two days.

On another eventful day in Bangalore, which saw fifteen wickets fall, Karnataka won the first session, then gave away the middle one to Haryana, and just when it seemed like they had bounced back after tea lost their top order, giving the visitors a slight edge at the halfway stage of the quarter-final contest. Click here for the full report of the day’s action.

Kaustubh Pawar rescued Mumbai from a precarious position with a fiercely-determined century and along with the lower order, all but batted Madhya Pradesh out of the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai had begun the day 122 runs behind MP with only five wickets remaining, but Pawar showed tremendous character in grinding out his second hundred in his debut season at a time Mumbai desperately needed someone to bail them out. Click here for the full report of the day’s action.

Sri Lanka dismantled in Paarl

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South Africa’s season of outlandish results produced another jaw-dropper as Sri Lanka subsided to 43 all out, their lowest total in one-dayers

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran11-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Hashim Amla made his ninth ODI century in just 51 innings•Associated Press

South Africa’s season of outlandish results produced another jaw-dropper as Sri Lanka subsided to 43 all out, their lowest total in one-dayers. The shorter format was widely expected to make the one-day series a more even contest than the Tests, but Sri Lanka’s 258-run defeat in Paarl was the third largest in ODI history, giving AB de Villiers the perfect start to his captaincy.South Africa’s batsmen had earlier enjoyed themselves despite the scorching heat as they ran up 301 after winning the toss. Hashim Amla highlighted why he’s the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman with his ninth century, and was supported by the two other big guns of the batting – Jacques Kallis provided the early impetus before de Villiers produced the most fluent innings of the match to power South Africa on a pitch where both seam and spin proved elusive in the afternoon.Lasith Malinga underscored his value to Sri Lanka, with a five-for that reined in South Africa towards the end of the innings, but his sterling efforts proved moot as Sri Lanka lost five wickets in five overs to effectively end the contest.Two South African bowlers with points to prove were given the new balls and they snuffed out the resistance even before the main man Dale Steyn was called on. Morne Morkel, coming off an indifferent Test summer, started the collapse in the first over as Upul Tharanga attempted a leaden-footed slap which ended as a low catch at backward point. In the next over Lonwabo Tsotsobe, having lost his place as third seamer to Vernon Philander in the Tests, showed how potent he can be by getting the ball to jag in and rear at the batsman. That proved too much for Tillakaratne Dilshan, who also bagged a duck by gloving to the keeper.The alarm bells were truly ringing when Dinesh Chandimal struggled to get bat on ball, inside-edging an accurate Tsotsobe three times before nicking a loose drive onto the stumps. Morkel then virtually killed off the game in the fifth over: Kumar Sangakkara’s attempted upper cut gave de Villiers his second catch, and two balls later Angelo Mathews’ awkward fend at a short ball popped to midwicket.Mahela Jayawardene then made an unforced error in the eighth over, stabbing a wide ball to point as Sri Lanka slid to 13 for 6. The match was long gone, and the immediate concern was over avoiding the ignominy of the lowest score in one-day history.In that manic Test at Cape Town in November, Australia’s last pair had averted the lowest Test total, and this time Sri Lanka’s tail did the job. Not that it offered much consolation for Dilshan, who looked shell-shocked in the dressing-room as his team disintegrated. While the pitch certainly provided a bit more help to the bowlers under lights, it was nowhere near as dramatic as the scoreline suggested.When South Africa batted there had few of the troubles Sri Lanka faced. Malinga extended Graeme Smith’s poor run in one-dayers, but till the 40th over, the likeliest cause of a South African wicket was a run-out.Amla wasn’t at his assured best early on, outside-edging a few drives and mistiming some pulls. Kallis, though, batted like a man coming off a double century a week ago, routinely releasing the pressure after Sri Lanka’s bowlers put together a few disciplined overs – most strikingly when he thumped Malinga over long-on for an imperious six, ending a run that yielded only 2 runs in 15 deliveries.Both batsmen used the steer to third man and the clip to square leg efficiently to keep the singles coming. They had sauntered to 69 for 1 in 15 overs before opening up in the bowling Powerplay, off which they took 37 runs. With both batsmen looking good, South Africa opted for the batting Powerplay as early as the 27th over, but the 144-run stand was finally broken as Kallis was run out by a direct hit from Jayawardene at cover.If there were fears that would slow down South Africa, de Villiers brushed them away as he played another of those innings where he seemed instantly at ease on a track where most others take time to settle down. He had a streak of 19 successive singles with Amla before becoming more enterprising, unleashing a series of boundaries through cover and extra cover to get to his half-century in 36 balls. Amla, meanwhile, calmly moved on to his hundred, celebrating the achievement with a gentle wave of the bat and helmet.At 241 for 2 after 40 overs, South Africa seemed headed for at least 320. A Kulasekara yorker, though, removed the rampant de Villiers, before Malinga worked his magic to rip through the lower middle order.The South African batting and Malinga’s five-for were both completely overshadowed by what followed, in a one-dayer that is destined to be remembered as the ’43 all out’ game.

Michael Di Venuto to play for Italy in World T20 qualifiers

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Michael Di Venuto, the former Australia batsman, has been named in the Italy squad for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers to be held in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2012Michael Di Venuto, the former Australia batsman, has been named in the Italy squad for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers to be held in the UAE between March 13-24, 2012. The ICC has finalised all 16 squads for the tournament, from which the top two teams will qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7, 2012. The other notable inclusion is that of Geraint Jones, the former England wicketkeeper, in the Papua New Guinea squad.The Hobart-born Di Venuto, who is of Italian origin, played nine one-dayers for Australia in 1997. When he left the Australian domestic scene he was Tasmania’s leading one-day run-scorer, was second to Jamie Cox on the state’s lists of Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield appearances and runs scored, and owned the most half-centuries in Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield history. He was also a prolific scorer in county cricket, representing Derbyshire and Durham.Afghanistan will be defending the title they had won in 2010, when the qualifying tournament was an eight-team event. They had beaten Ireland in the final in Dubai by eight wickets, and both sides qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in the West Indies.Ed Joyce, the left-handed batsman who has played limited-overs matches for England, returns to the Ireland squad. The squad also features the uncapped fast bowler Max Sorensen.Notable omissions from the squads include Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate, who has opted out due to ‘other cricket commitments’, and Canada’s Ashish Bagai.Afghanistan – Nawroz Mangal (captain), Javed Ahmadi, Merwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Zamir Khan, Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Shabir Ahmed Noori, Karim Khan Sadeq, Samiullah Shinwari, Dollat Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Shapoor ZadranBermuda – David Hemp (captain), Jason Anderson, Lional Cann, Fiqre Crockwell, Terryne Fray, Joshua Gilbert, Stefan Kelly, Kamau Leverock, Stephen Outerbridge, Josclyn Pitcher, Samuel Robinson, Curt Stovell, Rodney Trott, Janeiro TuckerCanada – Jimmy Hansra (captain),Manninder Aulakh, Harvir Baidwan, Rustam Bhatti, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Zahid Hussain, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Raza Rehman, Junaid SiddiqiDenmark – Michael Pedersen (captain), Aftab Ahmed, Shehzad Ahmed, Sair Anjum, Bobby Chawla, Basit Javed, Frederik Klokker, Jacob Larsen, Kamran Mahmood, Rizwan Mahmood, James Moniz, Martin Pedersen, Bashir Shah, Hamid ShahHong Kong – James Atkinson (captain), Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Moner Ahmed, Nadeen Ahmed, Waqas Barkat, Babar Hayat, Asif Khan, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Mohammad Nizakat Khan, Courtney Kruger, Roy Lamsam, Kinchit Shah, Daljeet Singh, Maxwell TuckerIreland – William Porterfield (captain), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary WilsonItaly – Alessandro Bonora (captain), Gareth Berg, Damian Crowley, Gayashan Munasinghe, Luis Di Giglio, Michael Di Venuto, Dilan S. Fernando, Damian C. K. Fernando, Andrew Northcote, Hayden Patrizi, Dell’agnello, Vincenzo Pennazza, Peter Petricola, Stanly H. J. Samaraweera, Carl SandriKenya – Collins Obuya (captain), Ragheb Aga, Duncan Allan, Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Morris Ouma, Rakep Patel, Hiren VaraiyaNamibia – Craig Williams (captain), Sarel Burger, Merwe Erasmus, Hendrick Geldenhuys, Zhivago Groenwald, Louis Klazinga, Christiaan Opperman, Bernard Scholtz, Nicolaas Scholtz, Gerrie Snyman, Ewald Steenkamp, Louis Van Der Westhuizen, Raymond Van Schoor, Christoffel ViljoenNepal – Paras Khadka (captain), Pradeep Airee, Mahaboob Alam, Prithu Baskota, Amrit Bhattarai, Shakti Gauchan, Krishna Karki, Paresh Prasad Lohani, Gyanendra Malla, Anil Kumar Mandal, Basant Regmi, Sanjam Regmi, Chandra Sawad, Sharad VesawkarNetherlands – Peter Borren (captain), Wesley Barresi, Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom Cooper, Tom De Grooth, Tim Gruijters, Timm Van Der Gugten, Tom Heggelman, Alexei Kervezee, Ahsan Malik, Stephan Myburgh, Pieter Seelaar, Michael SwartOman – Hemal Mehta (captain), Sultan Ahmed, Qais Bin Khalid Al Said, Syed Amir Ali, Adnan Ilyas,Syed Aamir Kaleem, Awal Khan, Farhan Afzal Khan, Ajay Lalcheta, Sufyan Mehmood, Rajeshkumar Ranpura, Zeeshan Ahmed Siddiqi, Jatinder Singh, Vaibhav WategaonkarPapua New Guinea – Rarua Dikana (captain), Geraint Jones, Jack Vare-Kevere, Jason Kila, Willie Gavera, Chris Amini, John Boge Reva, Tony Ura, Assadollah Vala, Chris Kent, Mahuru Dai, Vani Vagi Morea, Joel Tom, Hitolo AreniScotland – Gordon Drummond (captain), Richard Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Joshua Davey, Ryan Flannigan, Gordon Goudie, Majid Haq, Calum Macleod, Preston Mommsen, Matthew Parker, Safayaan Sharif, Jan Stander, Craig Wallace, David WattsUganda – Davis Arinaitwe (captain), Arthur Kyobe, Brian Masaba, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Benjamin Musoke, Frank Nsubuga, Jonathan Sebanja, Asadu Seiga, Ronald Semanda, Laurence Sematimba, Henry Ssenyondo, Charles Waiswa, Arthur ZirabaUnited States of America – Sushil Nadkarni (captain), Orlando Baker, Adil Bhatti, Ryan Corns, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Asif Mehmood Khan, Aditya Mishra, Azrudeen Mohammed, Nauman Mustafa, Abhimanyu Rajp, Gowkaran Roopnarine, Usman Shuja, Steven Taylor

Steyn hunts with the pack

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Dale Steyn is prepared to share the bowling plaudits around as South Africa aim for a clean sweep in the ODI series against New Zealand

Firdose Moonda01-Mar-2012There was a time in South African cricket where the bowling spotlight was occupied entirely by Dale Steyn. It probably started when New Zealand toured South Africa in the summer of 2007 and Steyn made his big splash, first by remodelling Craig Cumming’s face – thanks to a fractured cheekbone – and then by taking 20 wickets in two Tests.From that season, Steyn was among the most talked-about bowlers in world cricket. He went on to take 10-wicket hauls in Melbourne in 2008 and Nagpur in 2010, and engaged in an enthralling battle with Sachin Tendulkar at Newlands the next January. Morne Morkel contributed to some of the glory and the two formed what became known as the most-fearsome new-ball pair in the world but it was obvious Steyn was the ringmaster and Morkel his trusty aide.Now Steyn has to share the sunshine with a clutch of his countrymen. Vernon Philander is his latest opening partner and has already hogged headlines in the home series; Morkel is coming into his own; Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s reliability is being recognised; and Marchant de Lange is the man batsmen may be hiding their faces from. Steyn is still the No. 1 Test bowler but he is 16th in the ODI rankings, behind Tsotsobe and Morkel, and is happy to share the success with them.”If Morne is picking up five wickets and Lopsy is picking up wickets, I’m not going to moan,” Steyn said. “I’m happy. I know if I just keep doing this somewhere along the line I will get a performance that comes my way.”Steyn joined up with the squad for the ODI leg of the tour and has played the first two matches of the series. His return in both was identical – 1 for 37 – and he has looked every bit as dangerous as always, although he said he is still finding his rhythm. He called his first ball of the tour, a late away-swinger at top speed a “jetlag delivery” but said he has been putting in some of his most focused preparation as he continues to spearhead the attack.”AB wants to me to strike all the time and that’s what’s I am doing. I am trying,” Steyn said. “I haven’t found the edge. I’ve gone past the bat countless number of times in the last two games. I’ve gone back and watched my performances and said where can I make it better? But when you are getting 1 for 37 in a one-day game, there’s not much to complain about. That doesn’t happen often for strike bowlers, they should be going at six [runs per over], attacking more and so on but I am quite happy with what’s happening.”Steyn is known to take a bit of time to find his best form but the scheduling of international cricket has meant that he cannot play every match. He was rested for the last two of the five ODIs against Sri Lanka, once the series had been won, and the three T20Is against New Zealand.South Africa’s management seem to be planning it so he will peak in the Tests but Steyn said is being careful not to think that far ahead. “My mind is firmly on the last one-day game,” he said. “It’s fair to say that as South Africans, in the past we’ve been known to wrap up series and then take our foot off the pedal for the last two games and that’s speaking quite critically of our team. We want to win three-nil.”The series has already been sealed in South Africa’s favour so the dead rubber match could hardly be described as crucial but Steyn said it will play a vital part in the context of the tour as a whole. “We’re looking at the future and it comes down to crunch games. This could be the type of game that could be a crunch game for us. Rather than letting the momentum slip away into the Test series, we want to make a proper dent.”With New Zealand already disappointed, even demoralised, South Africa have already made significant inroads into their hosts’ mindsets. The rest of the work remains to be done on the pitch. New Zealand have begun preparing more seamer friendly wickets for their four-pronged pace attack and Steyn said if that trend continues, the South Africans will be equally well accommodated. “The way the wickets have played here so far, there’s been a bit of pace and bounce in them and if the Test wickets are the same we could cause quite a stir,” Steyn said, before concluding with a little cheek. “Like we’ve done so far.”Edited by Alan Gardner

Surrey appoint new Oval groundsman

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Lee Fortis is to return to The Oval as head groundsman at the end of April

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2012Lee Fortis is to return to The Oval as head groundsman next week. Fortis, 30, was previously assistant head groundsman and, since leaving the club in 2006, has been in charge of tending the Honourable Artillery Company ground in the City of London.He will take charge at The Oval on Monday April 30, leading a team that will include former head groundsman Bill Gordon, who remains at the club in a consultancy role and has led the ground staff team in the interim period following the recent departure of Scott Patterson.”It will be good to return to The Oval and an honour to once again work at such an historic ground and be part of a successful Surrey,” Fortis said.Richard Gould, Surrey’s chief executive, added: “The job of head groundsman at The Oval is never an easy one, but in Lee Fortis I believe we have found a formidable candidate that will be able to provide consistently world-class wickets for many seasons to come.”The appointment comes at a time when groundsmen around the county circuit are having to deal with wet spring conditions that make preparing pitches increasingly difficult. Surrey batsman Mark Ramprakash has been a vocal complainant after the earliest start to the Championship in the competition’s history.