All posts by h716a5.icu

Rajasthan are missing key players but their captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar believes the Irani Cup contest against a strong Rest of India side is not “uneven.”

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Sep-2012Aakash Chopra, Pankaj Singh and Rituraj Singh, three men who contributed to Rajasthan’s successful Ranji Trophy campaign last season, are absent from the squad but their captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar believes the Irani Cup contest against a strong Rest of India side is not “uneven.”Chopra, one Rajasthan’s three professionals and their third highest run-scorer, moved to Himachal Pradesh. Pankaj, the third highest wicket-taker in the 2011-12 tournament with 34 victims, is recovering from an injury. Rituraj, a the star performer with the ball during the knockouts, is touring New Zealand on India A duty. These three players, along with Robin Bist, Vineet Saxena and Sumit Mathur, were pillars of Rajasthan’s success last year. At one stage during the league phase Rajasthan, who were defending their maiden title won in 2010-11, were in the danger of being relegated to the Plate League, but they finished winners instead.Kanitkar, however, said the belief that Rajasthan could challenge Rest of India came from their hard work in the last two years. “We are a state team and they are representing the rest of the country. So on paper, it definitely looks off balance,” he said. “But we have a combination that has done well and we will stick to it and then who knows what will happen.”When told the last team to beat Rest of India to win the Irani Cup was Railways in 2000, Kanitkar said his team was capable of doing the same. “A couple of seasons back, Rajasthan had never won the Ranji for 76 years. So this record is not that imposing, it is just 10 years old. Hopefully, we will be able to win it this time.”One reason for Kanitkar’s belief is that he can draw on the experience of two coaches: Meyrick Pringle, the former South African fast bowler, and Chandrakant Pandit, the former India wicketkeeper and a successful domestic coach. Pringle, who was brought in as a consultant for the second half of the previous season, was given a formal contract by the Rajasthan Cricket Association last month. Pringle, according to the players, was one of the architects behind Rajasthan’s fast bowlers bouncing back during the end of the season.Pandit, who formerly coached various Ranji Trophy sides including Mumbai and Maharashtra, was signed by RCA late last season as the director of cricket. He also doubles up as the coach of the senior team and is expected to renew bonds with Kanitkar, who was the Maharasthra captain when Pandit was coach.With the curator having left some grass on the pitch, both Cheteshwar Pujara, the Rest of India captain, and Kanitkar said they would play at least three seamers. In the absence of Pankaj and Rituraj, Kanitkar said it was a good oportunity for Deepak Chahar, who made headlines with his record performance against Hyderabad in a Plate group Ranji match, to prove his talent once again. “Rituraj Singh came in when Deepak Chahar missed a lot of action in the last season due to jaundice. Deepak had done well a couple of seasons back. Rituraj had grabbed that opportunity. When Rituraj is not there, Deepak has come back. This match is a big stage and hope Deepak will make use of it,” Kanitkar said. Chahar is likely to share the new ball with the left-right combination of Ankit Choudhary and Sumit Mathur.

After grinding out 412 in the better part of two days, New Zealand tightened their control of the second Test with an incisive spell by their seamers to nip out three wickets – the fulcrum of the top order – before stumps on the second day

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran26-Nov-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRangana Herath took 6 for 103 to keep New Zealand to 412•Associated PressAfter grinding out 412 in the better part of two days, New Zealand tightened their control of the second Test with an incisive spell by their seamers to nip out three wickets – the fulcrum of the top order – before stumps on the second day. A combination of poor shots and a probing line by Tim Southee and Trent Boult left Sri Lanka at 12 for 3 by the sixth over. New Zealand were just as penetrative in Galle, but the difference here was that bowlers had the cushion of runs to work with. Earlier, Rangana Herath picked up another five-wicket haul – his sixth in 2012 – to give Sri Lanka something to shout about after a tough opening day.The New Zealand seamers managed more swing with the new ball than the hosts, but it was the straighter one that consumed Tillakaratne Dilshan. After crashing his first ball past cover, he played down the wrong line to Southee and was bowled through the gate. Two balls later, Kumar Sangakkara was surprised by a short one but went through with the hook, only to find fine leg. Mahela Jayawardene played and missed at Trent Boult, and after edging a boundary past the slips, fished at one that moved away and drove straight to Kane Williamson at gully. With the three big guns going cheaply, New Zealand couldn’t have asked for a more ideal start.After a one-sided opening day, Sri Lanka redressed the balance just when New Zealand would have entertained thoughts of posting a total in excess of 500, given the solid foundation provided by the overnight pair of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, who had batted nearly 97 overs across four sessions. Williamson has been praised for his temperament and ability to play spin better than his more experienced colleagues in the batting line-up. His century on the second morning was his third in his two-year career and second in the subcontinent, including a debut ton against India.Sri Lanka’s seamers did pose some questions with the new ball, getting marginally more swing than on the first morning. What Sri Lanka lacked was variety. They needed a seamer to hit the deck hard and extract bounce with the new ball.Smart stats

Both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor scored centuries in New Zealand’s first innings. Overall, ten New Zealand batsmen have scored centuries in Sri Lanka.

This is the sixth occasion that two New Zealand batsmen have scored centuries in an innings against Sri Lanka. Three of these occasions have come in Tests in Sri Lanka.

New Zealand’s total of 412 is their fourth-highest in Tests in Sri Lanka. It is also the fifth-highest score by a visiting team in Tests at the P Sara Oval.

The 262-run stand between Williamson and Taylor is the second-best for New Zealand against Sri Lanka. The highest is 467 between Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones in 1991.

The partnership is also the second-highest for a visiting team in Tests in Sri Lanka. The best is 287 between Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez at the SSC earlier this year. It is also New Zealand’s second-highest third-wicket stand.

In 18 innings since the start of December 2011, Kumar Sangakkara has been dismissed below ten on nine occasions. Five of his nine career ducks have come in this period.

Williamson, overnight on 95, remained watchful. He brought up his century with an outside edge that went for four to third man, the first boundary of the morning. The pair, in the process passed the New Zealand record for the highest third-wicket stand away from home, beating the 224 between John F Reid and Martin Crowe in Brisbane.With the pitch not taking turn, only a mistake from the batsman could have yielded a wicket. Taylor moved across his stumps to sweep Herath but was caught in front of the leg stump, ending the 262-run stand. Williamson too perished in similar manner to the same bowler and Sri Lanka removed the centurions in quick succession. There was room for another breakthrough when Kruger van Wyk missed a straight one from Tillakaratne Dilshan, with the score on 291 for 5. A score of 400 seemed a long way off, but Daniel Flynn put them on that path.After lunch, Herath struck again when he trapped the debutant Todd Astle lbw padding up to an arm ball. There was turn and bounce on the second-day pitch, but Flynn and Doug Bracewell ensured New Zealand didn’t get rolled over quickly. Flynn was solid in defense, played the ball late and pushed the singles.Jayawardene tried creating chances by placing several close fielders. Herath bowled round the wicket to Flynn with a short leg, backward short leg, short midwicket and short mid-on waiting for the chipped shot on the on side. Flynn was careful with the sweep and focused on blocking out the spin with his defense.Bracewell was positive using his feet against the spinners but perished after holing out to deep midwicket for 24. Flynn was happy to push the singles and give the strike to the lower order, who hung around to annoy the hosts as they looked to keep New Zealand under 400. Flynn brought up his half-century by paddling a full toss shortly before the tea break. Herath wrapped up the innings shortly after tea, trapping Flynn on the backfoot and then bowling Boult, taking him one short of equaling Graeme Swann, who leads the wicket charts for 2012 with 53.With the early burst of wickets, Sri Lanka’s thoughts had turned to passing the follow on target, which is still 170 away. The other worry for Sri Lanka was that Thilan Samaraweera had injured his finger while attempting a catch at slip and didn’t come out to bat.

Two days shy of his 38th birthday, Brad Hodge put on a batting master-class to help the Melbourne Stars to a crucial win over the Adelaide Strikers

The Report by Alex Malcolm27-Dec-2012
ScorecardBrad Hodge’s aggressive half-century set up a match-winning total for the Stars•Getty ImagesThey speak of Twenty20 as a young man’s game, but the evergreen Brad Hodge, like Ricky Ponting, continues to dispel popular opinion. Two days shy of his 38th birthday Hodge put on a batting master-class, at one of his favourite and most prolific venues, the Adelaide Oval, to help the Melbourne Stars to a crucial win over the Adelaide Strikers.Hodge’s 88 from 58 balls featured ten fours and three sixes, but it was the purity of his timing, the stillness of his head, and the artistry of his placement which made it so much more. He spoke in a pre-game interview of the importance of a 360-degree range of stroke-play for modern batsmen in T20 cricket, and sure enough, like the old pro he is, he walked out and delivered what he spoke about.First he swept Johan Botha to the boundary. Then he uppercut Shaun Tait fine of third man before glancing him wide of fine-leg for consecutive fours in the third over. He drove elegantly through cover and lofted powerfully over long-on. He hit Botha miles into the stands to bring up 50 from just 39 balls.The following over he cut Tait twice, once through backward point, the other through cover, both hitting the fence before the bowler had completed his short follow-through.Hodge eventually fell to a full toss from Matt Johnston, which he drilled straight to deep midwicket, but he had already taken ten from the over with a delicate steer past short third man and a third six crushed into the construction site at long-on.Hodge was supported by small cameos all the way down the star-studded order, to set an imposing total of 8 for 175 after stand-in captain Cameron White chose to bat first.The Strikers were always just out of arms reach in the run chase. Tim Ludeman continued his exceptional form and Callum Ferguson played well but neither could convert their starts, both undone by clever slower-balls from James Faulkner. Clint McKay, Lasith Malinga, and Faulkner bowled tightly through the middle overs to strangle the Strikers. The use of slower-balls was the most damaging tactic. Faulkner’s fourth over, the 16th of the chase, cost just five runs and claimed the vital scalp of Ferguson. McKay followed that with an over comprised of three dot balls, two singles, and a leg bye to leave the Strikers needing 58 from the last 18 deliveries.The only danger was Kieron Pollard. He had scored just 27 runs, from 30 balls faced, when the 18th over began. He took 13 from John Hastings first four balls, before Johnston added two twos, making it 41 required from 12.Malinga then delivered one of his most expensive overs of the tournament. Fourteen runs were scored from seven balls, the extra ball cost three wides, as Pollard shelved his power-hitting for a delicate paddle sweep to find the rope.White had gambled by bowling out his big guns to ensure the Strikers had too many score off the last over. Unfortunately Pollard had put it within reach, with 27 runs required from six balls.Left-arm orthodox spinner Clive Rose, on T20 debut in the absence of Shane Warne, was asked by his stand-in captain to close it out. Pollard and Johnston managed singles from each of the first two balls to mean only a tie was possible. Pollard miscued short of the point rope to ensure the game was beyond his reach. Never has a man been more furious when hitting two sixes in excess of 100 metres off the last three balls of a match than Pollard was, when his team fell eight runs short despite his 65 not out.The Stars recorded their fourth consecutive win. The Strikers’ next assignment is against the only unbeaten team of the tournament – the Melbourne Renegades.

Lions prevailed over Titans, scoring a six-wicket win in their Sunfoil Series match in Benoni

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLions prevailed over Titans, scoring a six-wicket win in their Sunfoil Series match in Benoni. Chasing 181 runs for victory, Lions, who began at an overnight score of 69 for 0, wrapped up proceedings in the first session of play, with a day to spare. The win puts Lions at the top of the points table in the series.Much of the credit for this win rests with fast bowler Hardus Viljoen and batsman Neil McKenzie. Viljoen’s finished the match with figures of 9 for 81, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings that was instrumental in dismissing Titans for 187.McKenzie’s knock of 70 in the first innings helped Lions gain a slender seven run-lead as they scored 202 in response to Titans’ innings of 195. McKenzie, who has played 58 Tests and 64 ODIs for South Africa, then put on 56 runs for the third wicket with Temba Bavuma to seal the match for Lions.

R Ashwin troubled the top order, but Australia were rescued by their captain Michael Clarke and their debutant Moises Henriques, who shared a 151-run stand

The Report by Daniel Brettig22-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Clarke began his tour of India with a century in Chennai•BCCINot a single observer on the opening day of India’s series against Australia was surprised by the sight of Michael Clarke conjuring his side’s spinal innings. And not one of them would have been game to predict that Clarke’s partner for a rousing stand of 151, after some major early stutters on a parched pitch, would be the debutant Moises Henriques.Arriving at the wicket soon after lunch, his team floundering at 153 for 5, Henriques showed enormous composure and exemplary technique to construct a supporting innings in the company of his captain, fulfilling the potential first evident when he starred for Australia’s Under-19 World Cup team when only 16 years old a decade ago. Clarke’s century, which took him past Sir Donald Bradman on the nation’s list of Test aggregates, was less of a surprise but no less an achievement, his pacing and poise only briefly interrupted at a critical moment shortly before tea.India’s outstanding bowler R Ashwin appealed vehemently for a bat-pad catch, and replays showed a fat inside edge. Seldom have India cursed the lack of DRS given their opposition to its vagaries, but they were left to gnash their teeth this time. A wicket then would have opened up Australia’s tail to a ball that was reverse swinging and spinning. Instead Clarke and Henriques were not separated until the final half-hour, the allrounder missing a sweep at Ashwin before Ravindra Jadeja skidded one past Mitchell Starc.Clarke had showed rare glee at winning the toss on a surface more clay court than cricket pitch, and the visitors made a rapid start before stuttering twice. First when Ed Cowan’s intemperate charge down the wicket was followed by the swift exit of a vulnerable Phillip Hughes, and again when Shane Watson, David Warner and Matthew Wade fell swiftly after lunch.Smart stats

Michael Clarke’s hundred takes him to joint-second position on the list of Australian batsmen with the most centuries against India. Ricky Ponting is on top with eight centuries.

Since the beginning of the series in South Africa in 2011, Clarke has scored 2136 runs in 18 Tests at an average of 82.15. His prolific run has included eight centuries (two away).

Among Test captains who have played at least 20 matches, Clarke’s average of 72.57 is the second-highest after Don Bradman’s 101.51. In 37 innings as captain, Clarke has scored nine centuries and five half-centuries.

Clarke’s average is his highest since the end of his sixth Test when he averaged 60.88. The century is his sixth against India and the third in last four Tests against India.

R Ashwin picked up each of the first six wickets to fall on the first day. The five-wicket haul is his first against Australia and sixth overall. All six five-fors have come in home Tests.

Chennai holds the record for the most five-fors picked up by spinners in the first innings in Tests since 1970. Galle is second, with seven five-fors.

The century stand between Clarke and Moises Henriques is the third-highest stand for the sixth wicket for Australia in Tests in India. The highest sixth-wicket stand for Australia in India is 197 between Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden in Mumbai in 2001.

Henriques’ 68 is the sixth-highest score by an Australian No. 7 batsman on Test debut. The highest is 108 by Greg Chappell against England in Perth in 1970.

Ashwin gained spin, dip and bounce while harvesting six wickets, but the rest tended to pitch too short and gave the Australians room to manoeuvre the ball around the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Ishant Sharma and the debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar appeared peripheral members of the attack; the omitted Pragyan Ojha can feel justly aggrieved.Cowan and Warner made a cheery start, swatting the ball around with ease against Kumar and Ishant. Warner was the scratchier of the two, having batted properly in the nets for only a few days before the match due to his rehab from a fractured thumb. Twice Ashwin beat Warner outside off stump, first drawing an edge that an incredulous Virender Sehwag contrived to spill at slip, then creating a difficult stumping chance that MS Dhoni failed to complete due to the bounce extracted.Meanwhile Cowan looked serene, so much so that he advanced to loft Harbhajan down the ground for only the second six of his 14-Test career. If that stroke showed how good Cowan was feeling, his next aggressive measure was to smack of misplaced comfort. Trying to belt another six, he was beaten by Ashwin’s greater drop and bounce, and failed to get back to his crease before Dhoni tipped the bails off. On the first morning of the series, it was hard to imagine a more wasteful exit.Unlike Cowan, Hughes had failed to make a decent score in the warm-up, and his indecisiveness was evident in a stay that featured plenty of shuffling and ended with a horrid, half-hearted cut at Ashwin that dragged the ball onto leg stump. Watson found the middle of the bat from his first ball, and with Warner had formed the foundation of a potentially handsome union by lunch.However the interval disrupted their rhythm, and moments after resumption Watson was pinned lbw on the crease by a quicker, straighter delivery that skidded. Warner fell in similar fashion, fooled by Ashwin’s change in trajectory and struck in front on the back foot when he might have leaned forward.Wade fought to get himself established but on 12 was too imprecise with placement of bat and pad and was ruled lbw to an offbreak that pitched on middle and straightened. After their rapid start Australia were sinking fast.Henriques walked to the middle in this dire scenario, but showed the good sense of a maturing cricketer, and the skills of one raised on Sydney’s often slow and turning pitches. He helped Clarke in manning the pumps, then setting a steady course, and was not unduly troubled despite the pitch’s tendency to offer the odd ball that jumped and fizzed or scuttled through low.Ashwin was absent for most of this phase, inconvenienced by a jammed finger. His return to the crease should have brought an instant wicket in the shadows of the tea break, as Clarke squeezed off bat and pad to short leg. But the umpire Kumar Dharmasena was deaf to the appeals. Clarke’s mastery of body language was apparent, too, holding the bat up and re-marking his guard as though nothing had happened.Aware of how the afternoon began, Clarke and Henriques did not dally after tea, jumping on India’s bowlers with intent. Their attack soon had Dhoni reverting to the timid captaincy and modest field placings he has become increasingly reliant upon in recent times, and the hosts’ bowling and fielding lost much of their earlier vim.Clarke appeared handicapped by a sore right shoulder at times, but was otherwise in control. Henriques, his confidence growing by the ball, did not look like getting out until he aimed a sweep at Ashwin in the 89th over of play, Marais Erasmus handing a line-ball verdict to the hosts. Starc’s swift exit provided a reminder of what may have unfolded had the tail been exposed earlier, but Clarke was still there at the close, going to his hundred with a lofted drive. With Henriques’ help, he had given Australia a chance.

Few Australian batsmen are more qualified to give advice on scoring runs in India than Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke, and the two men were locked in intense discussions out on the field after the end of the Hyderabad Test

Brydon Coverdale05-Mar-2013Few Australian batsmen are more qualified to give advice on scoring runs in India than Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke, and the two men were locked in intense discussions out on the field after the end of the Hyderabad Test. Following the Chennai defeat, Clarke enlisted the help of Shane Warne to speak to the spin-bowling group and a similar scenario played out with Hayden in Hyderabad, as the Australians practised at a time when the second session should have been under way.A makeshift net was set up around the Test-match pitch and the batsmen rotated through a centre-wicket batting session against the spinners and the two left-arm fast bowlers, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc. While the coach Mickey Arthur and his assistant Steve Rixon watched from behind the batsman, Hayden, the batting coach Michael di Venuto and a padded-up Clarke stood to the side. They spoke between themselves and to whichever batsmen weren’t in at the time, Hayden demonstrating stances and footwork during his hour-long stay.Hayden is the only Australian who has scored more Test runs in India than Clarke’s 954; his 1027 runs came at an average of 51.35 across three tours from 2001 to 2008. He entered the first tour desperately in need of some big scores to secure his place as a Test opener and he responded with 119, 28 not out, 97, 67, 203 and 35. Much of his success against spin came because he employed the sweep shot to great effect.England’s batsmen also swept well during their series victory in India late last year, but when David Warner and Phillip Hughes tried the shot against R Ashwin coming over the wicket on the third day in Hyderabad, both were bowled around their legs. Hayden, who is in India commentating on the series, said on Star Sports before the fourth day’s play that Warner had fallen into the trap of sweeping a ball that was too full, meaning his stumps were vulnerable.”The line was good to sweep. The length, though, was questionable,” Hayden said. “We saw with Davey Warner that was a very full length and even though I loved to sweep the very first instinct I had in my mind was actually about whether the ball was full or not. In fact I’m sure bat-pad thought I was crazy, because as soon as I saw any width I’d yell out the word ‘full’ and that would get my feet moving into that position.”The ball that we saw Hughes get out on was actually the perfect length to sweep. But what is the perfect length? Because if you’re short or tall, your perfect lengths vary. That’s a very personal thing. And for me the whole bat-pad routine, you’re not really worried about a bat-pad if you’re looking to play aggressively. They only come into play when you’re feeling a little tentative or your footwork is slow and the ball is turning. You need the aggressive options.”That’s exactly why you want to either get the ball on the full to cover the spin, and also sweep on line and when the offspinner is coming around the wicket, you can’t be out lbw. It’s always got to be outside the line of leg stump.”The Australians batted for more than an hour and a half on the Hyderabad pitch after their innings defeat, trying out different strategies and shots. Hughes advanced to a few deliveries, which he had been reluctant to against Ashwin during the two Tests, but there remained plenty of work for all of the batsmen ahead of the third Test, which starts in Mohali on Thursday next week.

Lancashire have agreed what is believed to be the largest commercial deal in the history of county cricket by selling the naming rights to its Old Trafford home

George Dobell28-Feb-2013Lancashire have agreed what is believed to be the largest commercial deal in the history of county cricket by selling the naming rights to their Old Trafford home. The 10-year deal, thought to be worth up to £10m, will see the ground renamed Emirates Old Trafford and the Emirates brand appear on the front of the team’s Friends Life t20 playing kits.Lancashire have endured great financial strain in recent years. A lengthy planning battle over the £32m redevelopment of the ground saw the club declare losses of £2m in 2010 and almost £4m in 2011. Further losses are also anticipated when the 2012 figures are declared in the next few weeks.Now, however, the club can start to look to the future with greater confidence. The ground redevelopment is expected to be completed in May, the square, having been turned to avoid problems with the sun shining in batsmen’s eyes, is operational once again and commercial deals with Emirates and Tesco, who have covered around two-thirds of the cost of the development, would appear to have put the club back on an even keel. Tickets for the Ashes Test in August have also sold well – the first four days have sold out – leading the club to predict a return to profit in 2013.Of the regular international-hosting counties, Surrey, Hampshire, Durham, Glamorgan and Yorkshire have all previously sold naming rights to their grounds. Warwickshire are also hopeful of selling naming rights to their Edgbaston home in the coming months. Surrey’s five-year deal with Kia – thought to be worth around £3.5m – is believed to have been the largest commercial county deal until now. Emirates also won the naming rights to Durham’s ground, meaning the third and fourth Tests of this summer’s Ashes series will be played at grounds bearing the company’s name.”This announcement represents another major step in the redevelopment of Old Trafford,” Michael Cairns, chairman of Lancashire CCC, said. “The financial benefits of this deal are a core component of our long-term strategy for commercial sustainability. The partnership will support our intention to be regarded as one of the top County Cricket Clubs in the country and undisputed as a Category A Test Match venue. We remain committed to providing the very best facilities for our members, players and spectators.”Cairns, who made the initial contact with Emirates, was keen to stress the progress the club has made over recent years. From a situation where their crumbling ground was overlooked for a 2009 Ashes Test, they are emerging as one of the clubs best equipped to cope with the new competitive realties facing all international-hosting venues.”I can’t get to grips at times with what we have achieved,” Cairns told the . “I came on board 11 years ago when the business was struggling a little.”Then, we sat down and drew up a list of everything we wanted to achieve. And, believe it or not, we have now done 90 per cent of that list, which is amazing. We have been courageous with some of our decisions. We went £10m into debt to build The Point, but we knew it would drive the future of the business.”We turned the square, which was always going to be a difficult procedure. But in the end we knew we just had to do it. In this financial climate we have been able to raise close to £30m in cash for the redevelopment, secured £10m to build The Point and now we have signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with a leading global brand in Emirates. What we have done is fabulous.””Some aspects of commercialism don’t sit well with what members want,” Lancashire’s commercial director Geoff Durbin told the . “But equally if you don’t have a commercial approach then you don’t have a club. It is a question of balance.”Keeping Old Trafford in the name was crucial to everyone at the club. In the process of researching the marketplace there were some organisations who would have insisted on the words Old Trafford going as part of any agreement, and that was a deal breaker for us.”Our members know a lot about our club and, commercially, we want to make sure they have a club which is sustainable and which is going to be here for a long, long time to come. There are members at other clubs who don’t have that certainty right now and they would swap very, very quickly.”

Danish Kaneria has lost his ECB disciplinary appeal against two corruption convictions, although he could still have the length of his life ban from cricket reduced

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2013Danish Kaneria has lost his ECB disciplinary appeal against two corruption convictions, although he could still have the length of his life ban from cricket reduced. The Pakistan legspinner was found guilty last year of inducing his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield to take part in spot-fixing and bringing the game into disrepute.The ECB announced that Kaneria’s case had been rejected, although a further appeal against the sanction and costs will be heard at a later date. As well as a lifetime suspension, costs of £100,000 were imposed on Kaneria. His lawyer Farogh Naseem said they would continue to pursue an appeal through the High Court in London, once they had received the panel’s written decision.”The decision is disappointing, we are just waiting for the reasons behind it,” Kaneria told Sky Sports. “As soon as we know the reasons, we will take further steps.”Westfield, who was compelled to give evidence on behalf of the ECB, will also have an appeal against the length of his five-year ban assessed when the panel reconvenes, according to availability.In a statement, the ECB’s chief executive David Collier, said: “I welcome wholeheartedly the independent panel’s decision to dismiss Mr Kaneria’s appeal and uphold the earlier decision made by the cricket discipline commission last summer. I should like to thank the appeal panel for their time and diligence in hearing this case and I congratulate the ACCESS unit for its work in support of the successful prosecution of this corrupt activity. Corruption has no place in sport and ECB will continue to be vigilant and adopt a zero tolerance approach in this area.”Kaneria has continued to dispute his involvement in the episode, which saw Westfield jailed in February 2012 after pleading guilty to a charge of accepting or obtaining corrupt payments. He admitted to agreeing to concede a set number of runs from an over in a 2009 Pro40 match for Essex against Durham and named Kaneria, who is Pakistan’s most successful spinner in Tests, as the facilitator.As well as serving time in prison, Westfield was given a five-year suspension from the game, although he can play club cricket after three. He has, however, complained about his lack of support and initially refused to appear as a witness for the ECB at Kaneria’s appeal. Westfield’s absence could have undermined the ECB’s case – with Kaneria’s legal team threatening to pursue damages – and he was eventually forced to comply after a high-court order.Because of an agreement between boards affiliated to the ICC, the ECB ban is effective throughout world cricket and the PCB previously agreed to uphold it.

The fans at the Sawai Man Singh stadium were treated to one of the joys of the IPL, watching journeymen cricketers take their chance in the limelight as Royals brushed away their underdog tag

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran17-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ajinkya Rahane anchored the innings with an unbeaten 68•BCCIThis match was billed as a clash of the legends, with three of cricket’s greatest run-getters – Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar – featuring, and there was the added draw of Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh facing off days after Sreesanth’s barrage of tweets re-opened the Slapgate controversy from the first season of the IPL. To dash the dreams of the marketing men, the three legends played 12 deliveries in all, and Sreesanth was rested from the game as Rajasthan Royals wanted to ensure they didn’t overwork him soon after a long lay-off.Still, the fans at the Sawai Man Singh stadium were treated to one of the joys of the IPL, watching journeymen cricketers take their chance in the limelight as Royals brushed away their underdog tag to go top of the table after demolishing the high-profile Mumbai Indians. Dishant Yagnik made the most of being promoted to No. 3 to ensure the momentum wasn’t lost after Shane Watson’s high-octane start, the unheralded offspinner Ajit Chandila can tell his grandkids he’s the first bowler to have dismissed both Tendulkar and Ponting in the same match, and the under-rated Siddharth Trivedi virtually ended the chase by getting the dangerous Rohit Sharma in a wicket maiden.This was a night on which almost everything went right for Royals. Their Twenty20 superstar Watson took apart Mumbai’s main threat, Lasith Malinga, to lead Royals to 58 after six overs. The trouble for Royals has been that they have struggled to kick on once Watson departs – this time in the eight over – but Dravid decided to demote himself and gave Yagnik a go.Yagnik had shown in the limited chances he has got that he is not short on confidence, and loves to try unorthodox strokes. He began with a streaky four past the keeper, but then became far more assured as he thrashed Kieron Pollard over midwicket for six, and drilled several boundaries to point before falling for a 24-ball 34 while attempting a reverse-sweep.Ajinkya Rahane was at the other end when Watson and Yagnik were going ballistic, and though he too played some big hits in the Powerplay, he couldn’t find the boundary easily after that. He wisely decided to turn the strike over to the power-hitters, anchoring the innings with his typically orthodox strokes. He hit three fours in the final over after an extended dry spell in the second half of the innings, but the real acceleration came from Twenty20 expert Brad Hodge, who slammed a 15-ball 27.Mumbai had to chase 180 to win, and against the innocuous Chandila and left-arm spinner Ankeet Chavan, they lost Tendulkar and Ponting cheaply. Tendulkar top-edged a sweep and Ponting lobbed back a return catch, and when Trivedi had Rohit holing out to midwicket in the seventh over, Mumbai were virtually out of it. Pollard was promoted but he was done in by an inswinger from Stuart Binny in the eighth over, after which Mumbai were only looking to limit the margin of defeat. They didn’t do too well on that front either, slumping to their biggest loss in terms of runs.

With the very structure of the BCCI in danger, the board’s working committee will meet in Chennai at 2.30 pm on Sunday, the second such emergency meeting in a fortnight

Amol Karhadkar01-Jun-2013With the very structure of the BCCI in danger, the board’s working committee will meet in Chennai at 2.30 pm on Sunday, the second such emergency meeting in a fortnight, to discuss issues of the fallout of the corruption scandal in the IPL.One of the major points of interest in Sunday’s meeting is whether BCCI president N Srinivasan resigns, or steps aside temporarily until the commission appointed to look into his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, the top Chennai Super Kings official arrested on charges of betting, the Super Kings owners India Cements, and the owners of Rajasthan Royals, completes its inquiry.At the moment, it is more likely that Srinivasan will step aside temporarily, and if that is the case the working committee will have to nominate an acting president. “If the president steps aside for a limited period, the constitution doesn’t prohibit the working committee from nominating any BCCI member, irrespective of the zone he represents,” a BCCI source told ESPNcricinfo. Former board president Shashank Manohar and current vice-president Arun Jaitley are frontrunners for the post of acting president.There is a remote possibility of the working committee being presented with a request to convene a Special General Body or Extraordinary General Meeting of the BCCI, to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. Even though ten members may present their letters seeking impeachment procedure to be initiated, Srinivasan might not resign, and they will find it difficult to get the 3/4th majority required to remove the president. Perhaps considering such a possibility, most of the five vice-presidents who were considering resignation on Saturday morning, decided to delay their decision at least until the meeting on Sunday.There is also the possibility of the meeting being declared illegal, if any of the members object to the legality of the meeting, because as per regulations the working committee requires three days’ notice before it is convened.However, before Srinivasan’s future is decided, the working committee will have to reconstitute the commission that was going to probe Gurunath, India Cements and the owners of the Royals. On Friday night, BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale resigned his post because he was hurt by the developments in Indian cricket and also said he would not serve on the three-member commission, which included two High Court judges.With Justice T Jayaram Chouta, one of the two independent members on the commission, saying the inquiry could not be held because of Jagdale’s resignation, the working committee will have to name a replacement.Apart from Jagdale, the BCCI treasurer Ajay Shirke also resigned on Friday, leaving two of the top three offices in the board vacant. It will be up to Srinivasan to name their successors, since the BCCI constitution only gives the president the power to fill vacancies.The previous working committee meeting was held in Chennai on May 19, in the wake of spot-fixing allegations against the three arrested Rajasthan Royals players, and between then and now Gurunath was arrested on charges of betting and links with bookies. That created a misunderstanding between BCCI members, given Srinivasan’s close links to Gurunath in terms of franchise official and family member. However, instead of calling for a meeting and taking members into confidence, like he did when the Royals players were arrested, Srinivasan refused to resign his post and remained defiant despite outrage in the media and among the public. The deterioration of the situation culminated in Jagdale and Shirke’s resignations on Friday evening.The meeting in Chennai is an opportunity for Srinivasan to gauge the situation. While some representatives of BCCI’s affiliated units have asked for Srinivasan’s resignation while speaking to the media in personal capacity, no state board has made its official stance clear. Srinivasan is likely to appeal to the members to keep the “board games” aside, with the credibility of Indian cricket at stake because of the corruption issues in the IPL.