All posts by h716a5.icu

Already without pace spearhead Dale Steyn, Russell Domingo could find also himself minus both Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who picked up injuries in Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda18-Jul-2013Russell Domingo’s first assignment as South Africa’s head coach has just become tougher. Already without pace spearhead Dale Steyn, Domingo could find also himself minus both Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who picked up injuries in Sri Lanka.Morkel bowled only three overs in the warm-up match against the Sri Lankan Board President’s XI on Wednesday before leaving the field with a quad niggle. He was assessed today and was still experiencing tightness. He will have to be relooked at on Friday in order to determine his availability for Saturday’s first ODI.The concern over Morkel is that the injury has occurred in the same quad which was affected during the Champions Trophy last month. Morkel was ruled out of the tournament after South Africa’s first match against India, in which he did not bowl his full quota of overs, and sent home for a three-week rehabilitation program. On the team’s departure last Sunday, Mohammed Moosajee, the team doctor and manager, said Morkel had made a full recovery.Tsotsobe’s worry appears to be more serious. He did not play in the warm-up and CSA officials in South Africa confirmed he suffered a recurrence of the ankle impingement syndrome that plagued him last season. They said he was receiving treatment in Sri Lanka. They would not confirm whether a report in a local newspaper, which revealed Tsotsobe had traveled unfit, was true.Instead, CSA only said, “all players have to be signed off by the medical committee.” reported that Tsotsobe was given the green light even though he failed a fitness test conducted pre-tour. Signs of Tsotsobe struggling were evident during the Champions Trophy. Although he played in all South Africa’s games, he only bowled five overs in the semi-final against England.Tsotsobe’s franchise coach at the Lions, Geoffrey Toyana, confirmed to ESPNCricinfo that the left-armer was “in good shape” before the tournament. He was training at the Wanderers, bowling well and at full fitness. He has not had communication with Tsotsobe since then.Should Tsotsobe only become available to play later in the tour, as suggested, Domingo’s options for the opening exchanges will be limited. He will have to choose from a largely inexperienced pack with Rory Kleinveldt, Chris Morris and Ryan McLaren as the only seam options.With the first match on Saturday, there will be no time to fly in a replacement. If one is needed as the tour goes on, South Africa’s choices are also not as vast as they would like them to be. Wayne Parnell, who is part of the T20 squad, is recovering from a groin niggle and will have to be re-evaluated before he leaves for Sri Lanka. It is unlikely he will be available for the ODIs.Marchant de Lange and Kyle Abbott are involved with the South African A side that will play first-class matches against Australia A. Ostensibly, either of them could be pulled out and sent to Sri Lanka but de Lange is also in the final stages of complete recovery from stress fractures and Abbott’s inexperience may only add to the existing worries.Conditions may help ease the concern with South Africa likely to consider two specialist spinners in the starting XI. That would mean both Robin Peterson and Aaron Phangiso will play. JP Duminy also provides a slower bowling option.

Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer struck a half-century on the third day as Northamptonshire’s Championship match against Hampshire at Wantage Road meandered towards a draw

31-May-2013
ScorecardScotland captain Kyle Coetzer struck a half-century on the third day as Northamptonshire’s Championship match against Hampshire at Wantage Road meandered towards a draw.Hampshire were bowled out for 206 before lunch, losing their last five wickets for only 27 runs, with Liam Dawson top-scoring with a composed 76 off 214 balls. Coetzer then made 59 off 142 deliveries as Division Two leaders Northants closed on 159 for 5, with the visitors’ attack sharing the spoils between them.Hampshire began the day on 149 for 5 with Dawson resuming his innings on 57 and Mike Roberts on 2. Roberts, however, only moved on to 12 before he was trapped lbw to give Mohammad Azharullah his first wicket on his Championship debut in the 74th over. Having batted so diligently, Dawson then threw his wicket away in the following over when he thrashed former South Africa allrounder Andrew Hall straight to David Sales at mid-on.The visitors then dropped a third wicket in just 14 deliveries when David Balcombe, who faced 11 balls without scoring, was taken by Sales at third slip off Azharullah. The Pakistani seamer then claimed his third victim when Chris Wood edged to Hall at first slip before David Willey finished off Hampshire’s innings by bowling Danny Briggs for 10.Northants lost Matthew Spriegel in the seventh over of their reply when he was pinned lbw by James Tomlinson after making just 3. Sales then walked for 15 when he edged Sean Ervine’s delivery down the leg side and was terrifically taken by Hampshire wicketkeeper Adam Wheater diving low to his left.James Vince was brought into the attack in the 32nd over and removed Northants captain Alex Wakely (7) four balls later when he was caught at first slip by former Zimbabwe international Ervine. Coetzer, however, completed his first half-century in the Championship this season off 102 balls as Northants reached tea on 88 for 3.But Coetzer was to perish after a hard-earned 59 when he nudged Briggs to Wheater to become the first victim of spin in the match. Rob Newton struggled to 21 before he succumbed to allow Wood into the act when he was easily taken by Briggs at gully after the ball looped off the shoulder of his bat.

Kolkata Knight Riders used the comfort of their home territory to register only their fourth win in the competition as they edged past Rajasthan Royals with an effortless eight-wicket win

The Report by Devashish Fuloria03-May-2013
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson was left clueless by Sunil Narine’s variations•BCCIKolkata Knight Riders used the comfort of their home territory to register only their fourth win in the competition, effortlessly beating Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets. Both teams had stuffed their teams with spinners as though it was a fifth day Kanpur pitch, but it was Knight Riders’ spinners who strangled Royals’ batsmen before Yusuf Pathan and Jacques Kallis pushed the team over the line with 16 balls to spare.The victory has kept Knight Riders’ chances of making it to the playoffs alive, but the task ahead remains extremely difficult; five wins in five matches required from here. Royals, on the other hand, maintained their hold on the third spot on the points table.At the mid-innings break, Sanju Samson, the top scorer for Royals, had said that he was confident the 132-run total was defendable on a pitch that was slow and afforded turn to the spinners, but Royals’ slow bowlers were not able to have the same impact as their counterparts from Knight Riders, with Brad Hogg guilty of dishing out plenty of full tosses. Manvinder Bisla and Gautam Gambhir raced away at the start, adding 41 runs in no time, the highlight of their stay not being the runs they scored, but Bisla’s heated exchange with Rahul Dravid. Although both openers were dismissed within 10 balls of each other, Yusuf and Kallis quickly shot down any hopes that might have cropped up for Royals with some lusty hits. Yusuf remained unbeaten on 49, his best score for Knight Riders in his three-year long association with the team.Royals have an untarnished home record this season, but they have been a shadow of themselves playing away. As they chose to bat, a heavy dose of spin was expected. But Gambhir made a surprise move, opening the bowling with medium pacer Sumit Narwal, but handed the ball to Sachithra Senanayake soon after. Senanayake extracted the juice that was available for the spinners and drew a mistake from Ajinkya Rahane. The batsman stretched out to play an inside out lofted drive, missed the ball as it turned sharply through the gap between bat and pad, and saw the keeper whipping the bails off.Dravid tried to unsettle Knight Riders’ plans by sending James Faulkner at No. 3, but the move yielded just one run. Sanju Samson, the impressive 18-year-old, joined Shane Watson and added 41 runs for the third wicket during which neither batsmen appeared in any trouble. The two picked up singles off the spinners for a couple of overs, before Samson unleashed a meaty punch through extra cover that oozed class off the second ball bowled by Jacques Kallis. He got more adventurous in the next over, smashing a short delivery by Iqbal Abdulla over cow corner, deep into the crowd.Royals had patiently moved to 71 for 2 after 10 overs when Gambhir introduced Sunil Narine. The bowler’s repertoire of variations was all thrown at Watson in the first over, and the batsman, struggling to pick the changes, bowed out of the battle after just five balls. Samson continued to dazzle and looked set for another half-century, but fell in the 18th over trying to clear the long-on boundary. He had a reprieve five balls before when Bisla, the wicketkeeper, got under a leading edge around cover point, but dropped the easiest of chances off Narine. Dravid held himself back till the end and came in at No. 8 to play just three balls, but none of the batsmen who came before him had much of an impact.Royals’ total proved too tiny to pose any problems for Knight Riders, who rounded off their final league match at Eden Gardens with a resounding victory.

Some late hitting from Ragheb Aga and three wickets each from Collins Obuya and Elijah Oteino helped Kenya win the second T20 against Canada in Dubai to share the series 1-1

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRagheb Aga’s knock of 31 took Kenya to a respectable score of 139•ICC/Zainab MalubhaiSome late hitting from Ragheb Aga and three wickets each from Collins Obuya and Elijah Oteino helped Kenya win the second T20 against Canada in Dubai and share the series 1-1. Having scored 139 after electing to bat, Kenya dismissed Canada for 118 with seven balls to spare.The top five Kenya batsmen reached double-figures but couldn’t score more than 20 as they lost wickets regularly and were 76 for 5, primarily due to two wickets from left-arm spinner Hiral Patel. Rakep Patel and Aga then put on 57 off 37 for the sixth wicket which helped them reach 139.After Canada lost Rizwan Cheema in the second over, Hiral and Ruvindu Gunasekera kept them in the hunt, scoring 45 together. But Obuya and Otieno took six of the remaining nine wickets as Canada lost their last seven for 35 runs. Only one other batsman, apart from Hiral and Gunasekera, Usman Limbada reached double figures with a 12-ball 21 but Canada fell short by 21 runs.

South Africa moved a step closer to a series whitewash with a six-wicket victory at Stellenbosch but their run chase was given a generous donation by the Duckworth-Lewis method.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2013
ScorecardSouth Africa moved a step closer to a series whitewash with a six-wicket victory at Stellenbosch but their run chase was given a generous donation by the Duckworth-Lewis method.The game’s second interruption for rain came as South Africa required 84 to win in 90 balls with seven wickets remaining. They were on course for victory, if needing to raise their run-rate by a significant margin. But the revised target made the task very straightforward as they resumed with 33 to win from 30 balls – a target that proved no issue as they won with eight balls to spare.Victory may have come anyway as Clyde Fortuin was marshalling the innings well. He and Jason Smith added 56 as the chase made good progress. But had Fortuin been dismissed with plenty of work left to do – as would have been the case without rain – England could have got home.As it was their middle-order blow out cost them. Having elected to bat they would have wanted to set a more challenging score. Callum Jackson and Kishen Velani put together a stand of 133 but progress was slow and, as new batsman tried to accelerate in the last 10 overs, wickets tumbled six wickets fell in as many overs and only Gavin Griffiths at No. 10 made another double figure score.Nqazibini Sigwili’s left-arm seamers did the damage with 4 for 34 as South Africa went on to knock off the target, aided by the Duckworth-Lewis system.

The writing appears to be on the wall for Worcestershire at the end of a day in which their opening pair applied themselves with admirable diligence to overhaul Durham’s first innings lead of 114

Les Smith at Chester-le-Street22-Aug-2012
ScorecardPhillip Hughes continued his good form in a Worcestershire shirt but his team-mates could not match his contribution•Getty ImagesThe writing appears to be on the wall for Worcestershire at the end of a day in which their opening pair applied themselves with admirable diligence to overhaul Durham’s first innings lead of 114, and then some, only for the remaining nine wickets to fall for the addition of only 116. They were undone by the contrasting bowling partnership of Callum Thorp and Scott Borthwick and, in several cases, by their own recklessness.On either side of the lunch interval the game was dominated by Phillip Hughes. The young Australian, playing with all the off-side dash and flair that first brought him to notice in his homeland and led to selection in 17 Test matches so far, dominated a redemptive opening partnership with Daryl Mitchell.He struck 18 boundaries in scoring his second first-class century for Worcestershire this summer but flashed at a wide one shortly afterwards and top edged to Phil Mustard behind the stumps. That is Phil Hughes: his approach makes him a delight to watch, but nothing ever quite feels permanent about him. He had also been dropped in the covers by Ben Stokes off Graham Onions when on 68.When Hughes departed with the score on 148 he had scored 70% of his side’s runs and the onus was on his team-mates to build on the start he had given them, but once Thorp and Borthwick were in harness the game tipped back in Durham’s favour. The pair are separated by 15 years in age and by their bowling styles – medium pace and legspin – but they looked like a natural partnership as they chipped away at Worcestershire’s middle and lower order during the afternoon and evening.It was Stokes who removed both openers but from then on it was the Thorp and Borthwick show. Thorp ran in athletically from the Finchale End and exploited what movement still remained in a pitch that attracted the attention of pitch liaison officer Jack Birkenshaw on Tuesday. His first two wickets came in the space of two balls, the first when Vikram Solanki top-edged a pull shot which, in the context of the game, was somewhat reckless and the second when Joe Leach edged to slip.Neil Pinner played neither forward or back to a straight ball and was trapped in front of his stumps, Scott had his off stump comprehensively removed and the innings ended when Alan Richardson whacked a ball high over mid-on to give Mark Stoneman an excellent third catch of the innings, though it was not his best.Meanwhile Borthwick was wheeling out his nagging legspin at the Lumley End. Matthew Pardoe, who had top scored in Worcestershire’s first innings, survived a sharp chance to Will Smith at third slip off Stokes before he had scored, but then continued in the unfussy manner which had brought dividends. When he had reached 21, however, he became the first of two batsmen to fall to the combination of Borthwick’s spin and Stoneman’s accomplished hands.The second instance was the stand out moment of the day. Moeen Ali, who had scored 19 accomplished runs, turned a ball from in front of his pad and Stoneman swooped brilliantly to grab the ball with his left hand inches from the turf. Borthwick’s third victim was Gareth Andrew, who might reflect that while the ball did hurry on to him and into his pads, his selection of a pull shot to a straight delivery so early in his innings was not the wisest.Durham had four potentially tricky overs to negotiate at the end of the day, as they began what looked to be a comfortable pursuit of 151 to win. The day came to a conclusion when Smith, attempting to leave a ball from Chris Russell, played on for 2.Worcestershire will have to manage something special on Thursday to give themselves hope for the rest of the Championship season, however. If they are to go on and avoid relegation it will be without the assistance of James Cameron, who played his last game for the club against Lancashire at New Road last week. The 26-year-old Zimbabwean has decided to leave the professional game to pursue a career in financial services.

Brad Haddin is back in pre-season training with New South Wales and is available for Australian selection during the home summer

Daniel Brettig02-Aug-2012Brad Haddin is back in pre-season training with New South Wales and is available for national selection during the home summer, starting with the first Test against South Africa at the Gabba in November.Following a difficult off-season in which Haddin flew home abruptly from the West Indies in order to be with his seriously ill daughter, Mia, the wicketkeeper and sometime Australian Test vice-captain has turned his attention back to cricket and been a welcome addition to the Blues’ preparations for the new season following their own summer of discontent in 2011-12.While the Victorian gloveman Matthew Wade acquitted himself ably in the Caribbean Tests that Haddin was absent from, he struggled in the subsequent ODI series against England in the UK, having difficulty with the ball moving after it passed the bat and also battling to cope with the high standard of the home bowling attack.These reverses have added weight to Haddin’s case for inclusion in the Test side at the start of the home summer, provided he can prove his readiness with a string of good performances for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield fixtures that will serve as a precursor to the South Africa Tests.It was also felt that Australia missed Haddin’s presence in the dressing room, as a doughty campaigner and leader with a strong record of individual success against England over the past two Ashes series, even if the team stumbled to defeats in each case. Michael Clarke, the Test captain, remains a vocal supporter of Haddin, and even suggested in the West Indies that Wade may be considered as a specialist batsman to accommodate the senior man’s return.Haddin retained his Cricket Australia contract when the slimmed-down list was released in June, and in July it was announced that he had re-signed with the Sydney Sixers in the BBL. His presence around the Blues squad is another reminder that he is on the way back, with an eye on lining up at the Gabba.

The BCB has sold various sponsorship rights for $14 million for four years to Aamby Valley, an affiliate of Sahara India Parivar, and Axiom Technologies

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2012The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sold various sponsorship rights for $14 million for four years to Aamby Valley, an affiliate of Sahara India Parivar, and Axiom Technologies. It is the biggest sponsorship deal in Bangladesh cricket.Sahara’s winning bid ended Grameenphone’s eight-year association between 2003 and 2011 as Bangladesh’s sponsors. They bid approximately $9.4 million, substantially more than the $ 3.4 million from Grameenphone and $4 million from Robi, another telecom company. Sahara won branding rights for the national team and the national cricket academy, and title sponsorship and in-stadia sponsorship for 2012-13, among other rights.Apart from the national team sponsorship, Sahara was the only company to bid for the sponsorship rights of the academy at a price of $130,000 per year.Axiom was awarded title sponsorship and in-stadia sponsorship for 2014 and 2015, and beverage and ticketing rights from 2012 to 2015.

Luke Pomersbach, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman, has been detained by Delhi police following allegations that he assaulted a US national and her fiance

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2012The IPL career of Luke Pomersbach, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman, has been placed in the balance after he was detained by the Delhi police on Friday and charged with assault on a woman and her fiance. Pomersbach was produced in a Delhi court, where he was granted interim bail, and was also suspended by the IPL franchise for the rest of this tournament.The case was filed by a US national, who alleged that Pomersbach assaulted her and her fiance in their room at the team hotel on Thursday night after the match against Delhi Daredevils.”A US national, staying at Hotel Maurya, was molested by Luke Pomersbach, an Australian player of RCB, when they were partying in her room,” the Delhi police said in a statement. “When her fiancé Sahil intervened he too was boxed by Luke. A case under Sections 354, 323, 454 and 511 IPC [Indian Penal Code] registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.”Vijay Mallya, the owner of Royal Challengers, said the franchise would co-operate fully with the authorities. “Royal Challengers Bangalore regrets the incident involving Luke Pomersbach. We will ensure full co-operation with the concerned authorities so that a fair investigation takes place and the issue is disposed off in accordance with law,” Vijay Mallya said in Delhi. “Pending disposal of this matter Luke Pomersbach will not take the field for the team.”The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the league was “not responsible” for the alleged incident. “There was no official party hosted by the IPL. It’s the behaviour of an individual, let the police handle it. We will wait for the report from the police and then react.”The couple alleging the assault were reportedly injured and have been admitted to a local hospital. Pomersbach, who has not played a game for Royal Challengers this season, was reportedly taken to hospital for a medical test and was later seen with his arm in a sling.By Sharda UgraIt’s been a crazy week for the IPL. A sting operation by a TV channel that led to the suspension of five cricketers was followed by verbal fisticuffs between Shah Rukh Khan and officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association and an IPL player, Luke Pomersbach, being detained by the Delhi police on charges of having assaulted a guest at the team hotel.There is much about the IPL that is worthy of criticism and scrutiny. To believe that the SRK-MCA bust-up and the charges against Pomersbach, though, are the lone by-products of the IPL is to believe in a world where hunger strikes are rational 21st century responses. Yes, had there been no IPL, the skirmish at the Wankhede and Pomersbach’s own indiscretions may never have happened. Yet there are no guarantees either that any of the protagonists in Mumbai and Delhi would not have acted in this manner elsewhere – at another time and in another place.The IPL is not the only sports league in the world offering insane salaries and party lifestyles. European football, the NFL and the NBA, to name a few, are full of stories of the kind the IPL has produced this week. These leagues are decades old but the IPL, into its fifth year, is just beginning to identify its conflict zones. It is what happens when money, power, alcohol and entertainment meet entitlement.The IPL won’t go away because a few hundred people don’t like its cricket or its trappings. It is a part of cricket’s business, the players love it and the public laps it up. The Wankhede ban against Shah Rukh is cricket closing ranks and, similarly, Kirti Azad’s rousing promise in Parliament that he would go on a hunger strike if the IPL were not stopped is empty theatrics. What we must accept is that there could be more such incidents over the next few years of the IPL – what it needs now is for its governors to be mature, proactive and decisive. The IPL is growing up; it needs to be handled, but it can’t be run or dictated to by children.

Auckland Aces took home the HRV Cup with a resounding win over Canterbury at Colin Maiden Park

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2012
Scorecard
Auckland Aces captain Gareth Hopkins holds aloft the HRV Cup•Getty ImagesAuckland Aces took home the HRV Cup with a resounding win over Canterbury at Colin Maiden Park. Prior to the final, Auckland had been the most successful team in the competition with seven wins from 10 games and they put in a dominating performance in the summit clash, winning by 44 runs. The win also gave Auckland a ticket to the Champions League T20.Their highest run-getter in this competition, Martin Guptill, led the charge, delivering an attacking start and laying the stage for a big total. He smashed four sixes and four fours in his 70 off 41 balls, first adding 71 with fellow opener Azhar Mahmood and then putting together just as many with Anaru Kitchen. At 142 for 2 in the 16th over, when Guptill fell, the stage was laid for a surge at the death with plenty of wickets in hand. The last 3.2 overs yielded 47 runs. Colin de Grandhomme made a quick 24 and captain Gareth Hopkins made a nine-ball 17. Auckland finished with 196 for 5, and cashed in most on the bowling of Mitchell Claydon, who was taken for 44 in his four overs.The Canterbury chase suffered a blow as early as the second over when Rob Nicol was bowled by Michael Bates. George Worker and Peter Fulton got starts but were unable to press on, and the Auckland bowlers struck regularly to reduce Canterbury to 75 for 6 in the 13th over. Canterbury were way behind on the required rate and only a miracle could help them catch up, but that wasn’t to be. Brendon Diamanti made a quick 22 and Andrew Ellis went further, smacking the ball around for 41 runs, to lend some respectability to the Canterbury innings. They were eventually bowled out for 152.Auckland’s bowlers put in a collective effort. Andre Adams picked up three wickets, so did Bates, Kyle Mills chipped in with two and Ronnie Hira and Bruce Martin nipped out one each.