All posts by csb10.top

The ICC has published its report on the investigations into the incidents that marred the finish of the World Cricket Division League Five game between Nepal and USA in Kirtipur. It has found no evidence to support Singapore Cricket Association’s (SCA’s) claim that Nepal had earned a back-door entry into Division Four following a crowd disturbance, due to the technical committee’s revised target that helped them edge ahead of Singapore on net run-rate.The match was disrupted in the closing stages by the unruly home crowd, with USA set for a facile win that would have brought Nepal below Singapore in the league standings. As it transpired, the 45-minute delay caused by the crowd disturbance meant the target was revised significantly enough to lift Nepal’s net run-rate above Singapore’s by a slender margin, giving the home side a fortuitous entry into Division Four.The SCA demanded that ICC looked into the issue, specifically the decision of the technical committee that revised USA’s target from 163 off 50 overs, to 157 off 46.The inquiry, conducted by top ICC officials Dave Richardson, David Becker and Ravi Sawani, ruled against SCA’s claims today. However, it made recommendations that the proposed mandatory safety standards being introduced by the ICC security task force considers including sanctions against the home board when the home crowd interrupts a match, particularly when it benefits the home team. The investigation covered all aspects of the controversy including the net run-rate calculations, the reactions of the match officials and the nature of the security-related issues which arose during the match.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, thanked the inquiry panel for their investigations and expressed his sympathy for Singapore, but said that promoting them retrospectively would set a bad precedent. “I am grateful to the inquiry panel for the thorough investigation conducted and it is reassuring to note that the correct processes and playing rules were applied by the event technical committee and match officials.”It is a most unfortunate outcome for Singapore and there was a suggestion that they should be promoted alongside USA and Nepal. While everyone agrees that this was a regrettable incident and one which we do not want to see repeated, there is no justifiable basis to promote Singapore and such temptation would create a dangerous precedent to the integrity of competition and the playing regulations,” Lorgat said.The Cricket Association of Nepal has already accepted a directive to not host further international cricket at the venue until remedial measures were carried out, including the reconstruction of the boundary wall that was damaged by stone-throwers looking for projectiles to hurl into the ground.

ScorecardAdil Rashid had success with bat and ball as Yorkshire fought back at The Rose Bowl•PA Photos

Hampshire bounced back from an indifferent opening day to peg Yorkshire back on day two of the County Championship match at the Rose Bowl. Resuming on 300 for 3, Yorkshire seemed set for a mammoth total on a decent batting track with skipper Andrew Gale and former captain Anthony McGrath at the wicket.But Hampshire, in contrast to some insipid bowling yesterday, kept things tight from the off and were rewarded in the 10th over of the day when McGrath nicked James Tomlinson through to Nic Pothas behind the stumps for 64. Gale followed quickly after to a rejuvenated Dominic Cork for a well-constructed 56 to leave Yorkshire on 333 for 5, with new batsmen Adil Rashid and Jonathan Bairstow both at the crease on nought.An excellent morning session looked to be complete for the home side when wicketkeeper Bairstow edged Tomlinson to give Pothas has third victim of the day. But just as the initiative looked to be swinging back Hampshire’s way, so some inspired attacking cricket from Rashid restored parity, the talented allrounder racing to 46 not out at lunch.He and Richard Pyrah moved Yorkshire onto 393 for 6 after lunch, before Pyrah edged David Balcombe to first slip, sparking a mini collapse. First Rashid went for a neat 51, before tailenders Tino Best and Oliver Hannon-Dalby were quickly polished off as Yorkshire’s innings – which had earlier promised a score nearer 500 – limped to 415 all out.Hampshire’s reply got off to a solid if unspectacular start, England cap Michael Carberry and opening partner Jimmy Adams prodding and nudging the score to 49 without loss. But just as the pair began to find the boundary, Yorkshire struck twice in quick succession to tilt the initiative back in their favour.First Carberry went attempting to advance down the track to Rashid, succeeding only in clipping the ball straight back to him where the leg-spinner took a neat return catch. Michael Lumb, restored to Hampshire ranks after a visit to Downing Street with his fellow World Twenty20 colleagues, followed for a duck just moments later when he top-edged a pull off Rashid safely into the hands of first slip Jacques Rudolph.The wicket brought the experienced and in-form Neil McKenzie to the wicket, who combined with Adams to calmly move Hampshire out of trouble to the relative calm of 143 for 2. However, with the light fading, Adams fell to seamer Hannon-Dalby for 82, leaving England prospect James Vince to see out the remaining overs with McKenzie, and leave the game in the balance at the halfway stage.

Junaid Siddique, the Bangladesh opener, has been ruled out of the unofficial four-day Test series against South Africa after injuring his hand while fielding on day two in Mirpur. Junaid, captaining Bangladesh A, hurt himself while fielding in the slips and faces at least a ten-day lay-off.”He had three stitches in his right hand and needs at least 10 to 12 days to recover from it. There is no chance for him to play the second four-dayer also,” said the Bangladesh chief selector Rafiqul Alam.The second unofficial Test begins April 28. Bangladesh will then host a one-day tournament against South Africa A and West Indies A. They will then play two four-day games against West Indies A.

Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi have lodged appeals against the penalties imposed on them by the PCB in the aftermath of a disastrous tour of Australia.Afridi, who was named Pakistan’s captain for the World Twenty20, was fined Rs 3 million (US$35,000) for his ball-biting incident in Perth, for which he was also banned for two Twenty20 matches by the ICC. Younis and Yousuf, meanwhile, were accused by the PCB of being a bad influence on the Pakistan team due to “their infighting” and “attitude”.”Yes I have sent a notice to the Chief Operating Officer of the board Wasim Bari, asking him on what grounds have I been fined by the board,” Afridi was quoted as saying by PTI. “I have taken the plea that when the board chairman Ijaz Butt himself has said on record that the PCB would not punish me twice for the same offence how can they fine me now for ball tampering.”Ahmed Qayyum, the lawyer for Younis, said he had sent a letter to the board asking them to explain on what grounds the indefinite ban was imposed on his client. “The chargesheet they have sent to Younis contains no proper evidence or explanation to back up the indefinite ban, there is no reasoning given for the ban,” he said. “We have basically asked the board to provide us with solid evidence that Younis was involved in infighting with Yousuf and that they disrupted the team’s dressing room atmosphere.”We want this issue to be settled amicably and the ban to be ended but if that does not happen then we will go to the court.”The duo were among seven players penalised for various reasons. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis were banned indefinitely by the PCB, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for a year while Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined and placed on probation for six months. Malik and Naved, too, reports have suggested, are preparing to lodge an appeal. The penalties were imposed on March 10, and the players have 30 days to appeal against them.The PCB last week appointed two retired Supreme Court judges – Muneer Sheikh and Jamshed Ali Shah – and a former High Court judge, Irfan Qadir, to deal with the appeals.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jacques Kallis supported Ashwell Prince with a half-century in Warriors’ title win•Gallo Images

Half-centuries from Ashwell Prince and Jacques Kallis, and a combined bowling effort, helped a star-studded Warriors team inflict a crushing defeat over Lions in Port Elizabeth and take home the Pro20 title.The Lions began as underdogs – sporting just two South African internationals as opposed to seven – and ran into an attacking opening stand of 129 between Prince and Kallis, off 97 balls. Prince struck nine fours and two sixes in his 52-ball 69, and Kallis, just a hint slower, smashed six fours and a six in his 55, off 47 balls. Colin Ingram and Mark Boucher provided the big hits at the death to take the Warriors, in front of close to 17,000 supporters at St George’s Park, to a challenging 186 for 2.The Lions never looked like scaling down the target, as they lost wickets at frequent intervals to surrender meekly. Makhaya Nitni, Johan Botha, Nicky Boje and Juan ‘Rusty’ Theron, who has been signed up by Kings XI Punjab for the IPL and picked in the South African squad of 30 for the World Twenty20, bagged two wickets each. The top score in the Lions effort was just 15, and they ended up falling 82 short in a one-sided encounter.”We kept looking for the perfect game and I think we had it tonight,” Warriors captain Davy Jacobs said. “Ashwell and Jacques were fantastic. The early wickets we took in the power play were important. This is the result of several years of hard work and we are now seeing the results.”The victory was the Warriors’ second title-win in the domestic season, for they had previously won the MTN40 final as well. Both teams, having made it to the final, ensured qualification for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament to be held in India later in the year.

Wellington‘s poor run continued as they failed to defend 299 against Canterbury in Christchurch. Shanan Stewart blazed 101 off 78 balls and his stand of 169 with Dean Brownlie (86*) took the game away from Wellington. The Wellington top order came good with Michael Pollard and Stewart Rhodes hitting fifties to lead a strong start. They added 96 for the first wicket at a fast clip before Cameron Merchant and Neal Parlane added 53 for the third. Parlane helped himself to a fifty, as did Luke Woodcock, whose 53 off 29 balls gave the innings a surge towards the end. Carl Frauenstein, the right-arm seamer, was the most effective bowler with 3 for 44. Canterbury didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing two wickets for 25. But Rob Nicol and Johann Myburgh gave the chase some direction with a stand of 75 and that partnership laid the platform for Stewart and Brownlie to press the pedal. With this win, Canterbury are now in third place.It was a closer finish in Whangarei , where Northern Districts, led by Kane Williamson’s 81, completed a three-wicket win over tournament leaders Auckland. Chasing 240, Williamson piloted the innings with stands of 119 and 79 with Hamish Marshall and Joseph Yovich respectively. However, a double strike by Pieter Erasmus in one over added a late twist before the eighth-wicket pair guided Northerns to the target. Marshall hit a brisk 66 off 52 balls while Williamson played a more patient knock, facing 139 balls for his 81. His innings overshadowed Ravi Bopara’s 89 for Auckland. Despite the defeat, Auckland retained their position at the top.Pukekura Park in New Plymouth was host to the most thrilling game of the day as Otago scraped home by two wickets against Central Districts. Chasing 254, Otago were struggling at 200 for 8 but Anthony Bullick and Greg Todd hit quick 30s to steer them through the tense final moments. It was a game to remember for Bullick, the right-arm fast bowler, who earlier took 4 for 60. Bevan Griggs and Brendon Diamanti hit half-centuries to lead Central’s charge. Diamanti and Ewen Thompson gave the innings a late surge with a stand of 69 in just under seven overs. Darren Broom’s 73 put Otago on track but the loss of three wickets for 24 runs gave Central’s hope. When the eighth wicket fell at 200, it looked to be slipping away from Otago but Bullick and Todd put on a fearless, match-turning stand.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is eyeing the possibility of playing international matches in the USA. PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and chief operating officer Wasim Bari met officials from the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) led by CEO Don Lockerbie on the sidelines of an ICC meeting on Wednesday where they held discussions”Ijaz Butt and Wasim Bari held a meeting with USACA officials to discuss organising a match series in the USA in 2010,” said a PCB media release. “The matches will feature the defending World Twenty20 champions. While the two boards are still finalising the dates and the types of match competitions- assurances were made by both parties that a long-term agreement to play in the USA will begin with a match series later in 2010.”The dual benefits which may result from such a move include getting a foothold in the game’s expanding market in the USA, as well as boosting Pakistan’s chances of staging international cricket in the near future, given the fragile security situation in the country. The officials also hoped a Twenty20 series will attract huge interest from Pakistanis and Indians living in the USA, as well as a global audience.It has been a busy couple of days in Dubai for Lockerbie who is clearly keen to push the USA’s place on the world stage after he also held meetings with Lailt Modi, the IPL commissioner, over the possibility of bring matches to the USA.Butt said the Pakistan series would help cricket grow in the country. “Pakistan playing as a Full Member in the USA is in line with the ICC policy to grow the sport in countries such as the USA and as the negotiations continue we hope a series will be played later this year,” Butt said.The board’s concept of having neutral venues for ‘home’ matches is not new. While Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates have hosted series involving Pakistan previously, the Test series against Australia scheduled later this year will be played in England.Pakistan’s last ‘home’ series on foreign soil was against New Zealand in the UAE. While they lost the ODI series 1-2, they won both the Twenty20 internationals that followed.

Regardless of the result in the final Test at the Wanderers, England will leave South Africa with more international victories than defeats. If anyone had offered that outcome two months ago they would have been greeted with bemused looks. However, such are the strides England have made on these shores that a drawn Test series would now be classed as a disappointment. That is almost extraordinary.Two more wickets for South Africa and they would be the team unable to lose the series and if Centurion had gone their way it’s difficult to imagine that England could have gained a foothold. But don’t diminish the visitors’ achievements here by suggesting South Africa have been unlucky – which are the vibes coming out of the home camp. As Australia found during the Ashes, looking the better team on paper doesn’t give you a divine right to win.They had 141 overs to bowl England out at Newlands and had them five down before the second new ball. Yet they couldn’t close out the contest. Yes, they got very close as England faltered in the closing stages, but close doesn’t win Test series. South Africa will baulk at the suggestion, but the choker tag is hovering again.England have stood toe-to-toe with an opposition that likes to think they can bully teams at home and when South Africa dropped their guard at Durban they surged through. This England team is not packed with flair, especially with Kevin Pietersen struggling to recapture his form, but they more than make up for that in perseverance and tenacity. However, the depths of their resolve, highlighted by Graham Onions’ repeated defiance, will have surprised even the most patriotic of supporters. The question is, have they used up their ‘get of jail cards’?Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower knew England’s best chance in this series was to hang in and be ready to strike if the opportunity came. Thus the decision to play six batsmen, greeted with cries of defensiveness in some quarters, has paid off handsomely so far. It ensured a massive lead at Kingsmead, which set up the chance ambush South Africa, and then saved the third Test.In those two games the sixth batsman, Ian Bell, has contributed 266 runs and England are on the verge of going through a series of four or more Tests with an unchanged team for the first time since 1885. However, although a long batting order has worked, only one of three first innings – the 574 for 9 in Durban – has been a commanding performance. Test matches can be saved in the last innings, but they are won in the first.Although a draw at the Wanderers is unlikely unless it rains – which could also benefit England by making them play for victory – this could still be a series won through one dramatic collapse. England were on the receiving end of such a result last year in West Indies when Jerome Taylor and Sulieman Benn skittled them for 51 in Jamaica. West Indies spent the next three Tests hanging on, but hang on they did.With England taking the lead in the second Test it left South Africa needing back-to-back wins to claim the series and that chance disappeared when Onions survived Morne Morkel’s final over in Cape Town. A drawn series would now be a relief for Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur, but even that shouldn’t paper over the cracks. The team has gone backwards and there are also signs of confusion within the set-up with the messy situation surrounding Imran Tahir’s failed call-up.South Africa are carrying two batsmen, Ashwell Prince and JP Duminy, have struggled to find a first-change bowler and the frontline spinner can’t consistently pitch the ball. There may be only one change for Johannesburg with Wayne Parnell, the talented left-arm seamer, replacing the injured Friedel de Wet, but others will be nervous ahead of the India tour next month. There are concerns that Parnell isn’t ready, but now is as good a time as any to find out. He swings the ball at pace and this is a Test to win not draw.Looking at the bigger picture, which it is always wise to do in the current climate, this series has done much for Test cricket as has the concurrent contest between Australia and Pakistan. There is a lesson here for administrators. Pitch the best teams against each other and the cricket will look after itself. The recent matches in Sydney and Cape Town needed no gimmicks to spice them up.Compare that to the soporific triangular one-day tournament going on in Bangladesh where the action has been monotonously dull. Whenever a game in this series has threatened to head towards the more mundane something has sparked into life whether it be a spell of bowling, a piece of fielding or a smidgen of controversy.The crowds have also been good, which is no small matter in this part of the world. The Wanderers will struggle to match those numbers, people in Gauteng have been overdosed in cricket in recent months, but hopefully they have saved some rand for this match. It’s the last international of the South African home season. It shouldn’t let anyone down.

Scorecard
It wasn’t a comeback to remember for Younis, who managed only 7•AFP

Karachi Blues snatched the upper hand on an action-filled first day at the National Stadium in which 17 wickets went down. Habib Bank Limited seemed to have taken the initiative after rolling over Karachi for 215, but lost seven wickets cheaply to fritter the advantage.After choosing to bat, Karachi opener Shahzaib Hasan blasted 15 fours in a near run-a-ball 67. He was the only batsman to cross 40 on the day. The only other resistance from Karachi came from a 51-run fifth-wicket stand between Asim Kamal and Wajihuddin. The rest had little clue against HBL’s most successful bowler of the season, left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman, who took out four wickets to restrict Karachi.It was another in-form bowler, medium-pacer Tanvir Ahmed, that did the damage when it was HBL’s turn to bat. Tanvir ripped through the top-order to collect his eighth five-wicket haul of the season. HBL had moved to 58 for 1 before suffering a collapse, losing six for 28. As during the Karachi innings, it was an opener who defied the bowling -Taufeeq Umar remaining unbeaten on 36.Younis Khan’s return to competitive cricket, a month after walking away from the Pakistan captaincy, had grabbed most of the headlines in the lead-up to the match. However, he could do little to arrest the HBL slide, being dismissed lbw for a 14-ball 7. There was also plenty of interest in Karachi fast bowler Mohammad Sami’s form after he was handed a shock recall to the national side last week. He did little of note and his figures (10-1-35-0) make particularly poor reading given that the HBL had slid to 95 for 7 in 27 overs.

Group A

R Ashwin’s sixth five-wicket haul hastened Punjab’s defeat•Sivaraman Kitta/K Sivaraman

Scorecard
Tamil Nadu jumped into top spot by completing a convincing victory over Punjab in Amritsar. Punjab were in deep trouble at the start of play, needing to bat most of the day with only five wickets remaining to save the match. There was to be no escape for Punjab, with three wickets falling in the space of 16 deliveries – including those of Pankaj Dharmani and Gaurav Gambhir – in the morning. Their final pair of batsmen fought on for nearly 20 overs before Sarabjit Ladda became R Ashwin’s fifth victim of the innings. All five wickets that went down on the final day were to the offspinning pair of Ashwin and Suresh Kumar, who struck twice.
Scorecard
Mumbai completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Himachal Pradesh to move to joint-second in their group. Himachal Pradesh started the day needing 248 runs to win, with all their wickets in hand, but fell short by 85. None of their specialist batsmen were particularly aggressive, but after 41 overs in the day, they had made progressed to 78 for 3. Medium-pacer Harmeet Singh then put Mumbai on course to victory by sparking a middle-order collapse; he took three of the four to fall for the addition of nine runs and Himachal were down to 87 for 7. Sarandeep Singh and Abhinav Bali resisted with 30s, but Iqbal Abdulla got both of them to hand Mumbai their first win of the season.
Scorecard
As expected, it was a tame draw at Bhubaneswar in the bottom-of-the-table clash between Orissa and Railways. There was little likelihood of any other result after rain barely allowed play on the previous two days. On Friday, when a full day’s play was possible, there was little exciting cricket. In the morning, Railways added 10 runs before losing their final two wickets, with Krishnakant Upadhyay left stranded on 49. Orissa’s batsmen then crawled to 132 in 79 overs; highlighted by Pravanjan Mullick’s innings – though he hit a four and a six, he needed 76 balls to compile 14 runs. Both teams got a point each for their efforts.
Scorecard
In another rain-affected match, Rujul Bhatt’s maiden century – which he nearly converted into a double – powered Gujarat to a massive 300-run lead before they were bowled out by Hyderabad just before stumps. Hyderabad were looking forward to some batting practice after they nipped out three quick wickets to reduce Gujarat to 305 for 7. Bhatt, though, found a solid partner in Ashraf Makda, with whom he added 128 for the eighth wicket. Even after Makda’s dismissal, there was to be more toil in the field for Hyderabad; Bhatt scored almost all the runs as Gujarat piled on 103 runs for the last two wickets – his partners only contributing only nine runs between them.Group B

Scorecard
Karnataka increased their lead at the top to four points after taking the first-innings honours in a draw against Bengal in Mysore. Karnataka declared on their overnight 523 for 9, an advantage of 199 runs, leaving Bengal an entire day to bat out to save the game. Two of their senior batsmen, Deep Dasgupta and Manoj Tiwary, responded to the challenge, making half-centuries to deny Karnataka any chance of an outright win. The biggest partnership Bengal put together was of 64 runs, between the openers, but they rarely lost two wickets in quick succession. With 27 overs to go Bengal had lost half their side, but Tiwary remained unbeaten to calm his side’s nerves and shepherd them to safety.
ScorecardA solo effort from Kedar Jadhav, who made nearly 70% of Maharashtra’s second innings runs, helped force a draw against Saurashtra in Rajkot. Saurashtra polished off the final three wickets of Maharashtra’s first innings in less than 15 overs to gain a big lead of 255. The wickets continued to tumble in the second innings, Maharashtra were 8 for 2 after four overs and Saurashtra were eying a victory. That second wicket brought in Jadhav, who defied Saurashtra with 18 fours and a six on his way to an unbeaten 111 – the next highest score was 17. Maharashtra lost only three wickets in the final 65 overs, which meant Saurashtra had to be content with three points.
Scorecard
After the battle or first-innings points had been thrillingly settled on the third day, it was a dull finale to the game between Baroda and Uttar Pradesh at Ghaziabad. Opener Connor Williams missed out on what would have been his 18th first-class century by four runs, but his efforts took Baroda to the safety of 250 for 6 after 55 overs on the final day. With an outright win out of the question, Yusuf Pathan blasted a 79-ball 78 to muscle Baroda past 300. Left-arm-spinner Praveen Gupta was the most successful of the UP bowlers, taking four wickets.