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Sri Lanka continued to maintain a vice-like grip on the Galle Test on the third day, but instead of pushing for the kill after bowling out Pakistan for 100, they inexplicably decided to bat again

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran24-Jun-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Suraj Randiv picked up 4 for 13 in the first innings•AFPSri Lanka continued to maintain a vice-like grip on the Galle Test on the third day, but instead of pushing for the kill after bowling out Pakistan for 100, they inexplicably decided to bat again. Even a 372-run first-innings lead, the forecast for rains over the next couple of days and a relatively fresh bowling attack that had bowled for less than two sessions were not enough to convince Mahela Jayawardene to enforce the follow-on.They eventually declared after batting more than three hours, stretching the advantage beyond 500. Then, in the hour or so they had at Pakistan’s batting in the second innings, they made big strides towards victory by removing three top-order batsmen.The other major talking point was the umpiring. In a week when the ICC will yet again discuss the Decision Review System, the Galle Test provided more evidence for making the system mandatory for all international matches. There had been a handful of wrong umpiring decisions in the first two days, and another one early on Sunday undermined Pakistan’s already slim chances of mounting a fightback, as Younis Khan was adjudged lbw even though he inside-edged the ball. Later in the day, Tillakaratne Dilshan was incorrectly declared not-out after gloving a ball to the wicketkeeper, and then given lbw when the ball was going over the stumps.The umpiring was poor, but Pakistan can’t hide behind that for their abject performance in this match. Pakistan had been given a taste of the challenge ahead in the opening over of the day as Nuwan Kulasekara first found Younis’ inside-edge and then the outside-edge. The spinners kept testing the batsmen with turn and bounce, and once Younis fell to Rangana Herath in the 10th over of the day it seemed Pakistan would be bowled out quickly.Mohammad Ayub, Pakistan’s oldest debutant since 1956, however, showed remarkable composure against the spinners, defending solidly and using the sweep regularly. He wasn’t flustered by the pace of Nuwan Pradeep, who was regularly near the 90mph, carving him for a couple of boundaries when provided the width.He was less composed when Adnan Akmal called him for a second after paddling the ball to fine leg. Akmal was going to the danger end, but Ayub started, hesitated and then turned back, and eventually both batsmen found themselves at the same end. Akmal was livid, shouting “My call, my call, I said ‘yes’,” at Ayub before departing in a huff. That exposed the Pakistan tail, and Sri Lanka’s spinners finished off the job at the stroke of lunch.After the break, to everyone’s surprise, it was the Sri Lanka openers who walked out, and the widely expected follow-on wasn’t to be. The decision would have pleased Tharanga Paranavitana, who got a no-pressure second chance to audition for a permanent place at the top of the order. He swiped a couple of sixes (after having hit only two in his other 51 Test innings) but for the second time in the game, he was made to look foolish by Saeed Ajmal, as he missed the doosra by a foot to be lbw.Junaid Khan was the other player happy with the Sri Lankan move to bat again. This is his first big game after four months out with a knee injury, and he had looked listless in the first innings, but was more of a threat second time around. He found some rhythm in the second innings, beating the bat on several occasions and picking up three wickets to boost his confidence .Of the Sri Lanka batsman, Dilshan enjoyed himself the most. He provided the early thrust as he drove, cut and swept the Pakistan bowling to bring up his second run-a-ball half-century of the match. He was dismissed by Junaid for 56, and walked off saluting the crowd. The other heavyweights in the line-up didn’t do much, but it didn’t matter as Sri Lanka were already in an exceedingly comfortable position.After the declaration came, Pakistan had to see out 16 overs before stumps but their batsmen blundered again. Mohammad Hafeez’s woeful tour continued as he was unsure how much movement Kulasekara was getting, and edged through to slip. Taufeeq Umar was lbw looking to shoulder arms in the first innings, and this time he was gone leaving a huge gap between bat and pad when looking to defend. Herath was menacing even with a new-ish ball, and had Azhar Ali pouched low at slip by Thilan Samaraweera.Pakistan were down to 25 for 3 and their only hope at stumps was for the Sri Lankan monsoon to strike and wash out major parts of the remaining two days’ play.

Derbyshire took another big stride towards promotion from Division Two with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Kent at Derby

05-Aug-2012
ScorecardDan Redfern shepherded the tail to secure Derbyshire victory•Getty ImagesDerbyshire took another big stride towards promotion from Division Two when eighth-wicket pair Dan Redfern and Tim Groenewald steered them to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Kent at Derby.Redfern struck the winning boundary off Mark Davies in the fourth over after lunch to complete his fifty and take them past their target of 295 following a dramatic morning in which Charlie Shreck threatened to win the match for Kent.Derbyshire went into the fourth day as favourites needing another 127 with eight wickets standing but Shreck took four wickets to reduce them to 236 for 7. But Redfern, who survived a difficult chance to skipper Rob Key when he had scored only one, was well supported by first Tony Palladino and then Groenewald who made 20 out of a stand of 41 to settle a pulsating contest.There was no hint of the drama to come when Usman Khawaja and Wes Durston calmly batted through the first 10 overs of the morning to take their third wicket partnership to 102. But Shreck was rewarded for a tireless spell from the City End of the County Ground when he had Khawaja caught behind for 56 from 137 balls off the last delivery of the 70th over and then removed Durston with his first ball of the 72nd.Durston had scored 55 from 123 balls but Shreck moved one back into him to trap him lbw and then Richard Johnson went for a drive and edged to second slip in Shreck’s next over. Shreck had now taken three wickets in nine balls and the momentum was shifting towards Kent when Matt Coles got one to lift sharply at David Wainwright, who was caught low down at third slip for 2.Jon Clare pulled Coles through midwicket for four but then got a leading edge off Shreck and was caught at mid-off for 12. Derbyshire were now rocking but Palladino, who had bowled so well in the game, helped steady their nerves by adding 21 with Redfern who was striking the right balance between aggression and caution.He cover drove Shreck for successive fours from an over that cost 13 and Groenewald edged the fast bowler to the vacant third man boundary in his next over.Lunch was delayed by four overs to try and finish the game but Derbyshire finally sealed a 19 points victory that takes them 26 points clear at the top of Division Two when Redfern drove Davies for his fifth boundary.

England discard Kevin Pietersen was out first ball playing for Surrey in their four-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 defeat by his old club Hampshire at West End

19-Aug-2012
ScorecardKevin Pietersen was bowled first ball by Liam Dawson•Getty ImagesEngland discard Kevin Pietersen was out first ball playing for Surrey in their four-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 defeat by his old club Hampshire at West End.Pietersen, left out of the side for the Third Test against South Africa, came in at 14 for 1 after Surrey had chosen to bat first. But he was at the crease for just a matter of seconds before pushing forward to a delivery from left-arm spinner Liam Dawson and having his off stump knocked back.Pietersen returned to the pavilion head bowed to the cheers of a 12,000 crowd who remembered how he quit Hampshire mid-way through the 2010 season because he said it was too far to commute from his London home.Surrey struggled from that stage, making an inadequate 175 for 9 from their 40 overs which Hampshire surpassed from the first ball of the 38th over.With Pietersen sat on the dressing room balcony, Surrey slumped to 38 for 4 with the fall of Steve Davies’ wicket. But then came an innings-saving stand of 94 in 22 overs between Matt Spriegel and Zander de Bruyn.Danny Briggs broke the partnership when he had Spriegel caught in the deep for 47 and when de Bruyn’s bright 57 came to an end at 173, Surrey fell away, losing their last four wickets for one run.Pace bowler David Griffiths returned to dismiss de Bruyn and Zafar Ansari, then ran out Murali Kartik before Chris Wood bowled Gareth Batty.James Vince was run out in the fourth over when Hampshire responded but the Group B table-toppers were always in control. Opener Michael Carberry, restored to the team after injury, made 54 from 94 balls before being lbw to Kartik and Hampshire nerves were tested when Dawson was out to make them 150 for 6.Michael Bates and Sean Ervine came together with 26 needed from just under five overs and progress was slow against Ansari and Jade Dernbach. But Bates lifted Ansari for six in the 38th over and the rest was a formality as Hampshire breezed to their seventh competition victory.Pietersen spent most of the Hampshire innings, hands behind his back at mid-on and in the gully but was not called on to bowl.It was the second time this season he had been out first ball against Hampshire this season, the same fate befalling him in a rain-hit Friends Life t20 at The Oval with Dawson again the bowler.

Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, has been banned for 12 weeks by the ECB after testing positive for the recreational drug cannabis during his stint with Somerset

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2012Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, has been banned for 12 weeks by the ECB under its anti-doping rules after testing positive for the recreational drug cannabis during his stint with Somerset in the English domestic season. The penalty is binding on all countries signed up to the World Anti-Doping Code.Rehman will be suspended until midnight of December 21. He has already been withdrawn from the Sialkot Stallions squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on October 9 in South Africa.The sample that tested positive for cannabis was provided by Rehman on August 8, during the County Championship match between Somerset and Nottinghamshire. “I apologise to my family, the PCB, the ECB, Somerset County Cricket Club, my team-mates and my fans,” Rehman said. “It was an error of judgement on my part that will cost me dearly and I would like it to be a lesson to all others in sports elsewhere.”I will do my best to stay fit and focussed during my suspension, and, god-willing, will be available for selection for the India series should the PCB see it fit.”Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender said the club supported the ECB’s decision. “The club does not condone the use of illegal drugs in any circumstances and all Somerset players are made fully aware of this policy on a regular basis.”Rehman played four Championship matches for Somerset and took 27 wickets, which included 9 for 65 against Worcestershire. He had established himself as a key player for Pakistan over the past year and caused England plenty of problems during the Test series in UAE, where he claimed 19 wickets in three matches. Overall he has 81 wickets in 17 Tests at 28.40 apiece.

Having won both their previous Test series in Bangladesh, West Indies have plenty of reasons to be confident

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2012Darren Sammy may have only led West Indies to four Test victories in his two years as captain, though with two of those wins having come in his last two matches, the visitors have plenty of confidence coming into the series in Bangladesh. Sammy’s Test place has frequently been questioned by critics but the recent upswing in the team fortunes should keep them at bay for a while.”My plan is always simple, I want to perform,” Sammy said in the pre-match press conference in Mirpur on Monday. “I make sure that the players are in the right frame of mind and perform for the Caribbean people. But I think it is always a team effort [which is needed], like when we won the T20 World Cup. We just want to go ahead and do our best for our country and our particular regions.”Every team member knows what their role is and we just have to be ready to perform that particular role. All the spinners and part-timers have a crucial role to play. We are a developing team, we still got to find the ways of winning Test matches against higher oppositions.”Sammy now returns to the place where he won his first Test as captain, a country where West Indies have generally faced little competition, having taken the Test series on both the previous occasions they toured. The pitches too haven’t troubled the side as they have been similar to some of the tracks back in the Caribbean.”I think our team is quite balanced. Whatever combination we come up with, we believe the bowlers can take 20 wickets and that will help us win the Test match.”Our best fast bowler [Kemar Roach] got injured, but we have Fidel [Edwards] who did well last time in Bangladesh. My record [as a bowler] against Bangladesh isn’t too bad either. We just have to go out there and play good cricket. At the end of the day if we don’t execute on the pitch, it won’t matter.”

A wrap of the third day of the eighth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2012
ScorecardMedium-pacer Sandeep Warrier skittled Jharkhand’s top-order with a six-wicket haul in two matches to help Kerala register an innings win in Mallapuram. Jharkhand, after conceding a 205-run lead in the first innings, made steady progress on the third morning to get to 85 for 2. But Warrier removed Sunny Gupta and Saurabh Tiwary off consecutive balls and later, added two more wickets to leave Jharkhand reeling on 134 for 6. There wasn’t much resistance after that as Chovvakkaran Shahid ran through the tail. No. 3 Ishank Jaggi watched the wickets tumble from the other end and was the last batsman to be out – to Warrier – as Kerala collected seven points for the big win and drew level with Jharkhand on the points table.
ScorecardResilient half-centuries by Parvez Rasool and Ram Dayal turned a dire situation for Jammu and Kashmir at the start of the day into a position of advantage against Himachal Pradesh. J&K were effectively 5 for 3, but Rassool stitched two important partnerships – 73 for the fourth wicket and 61 for the sixth – to push the team ahead. In what has been a low-scoring match till now, the two fifties by Rasool and Dayal were also the highest scores by any batsmen and took J&K to 248, setting Himachal a target of 238. When Himachal came into bat towards the end of the day, Dayal made immediate impact, removing Himachal’s top-scorer from the first innings, Aatish Bhalaik, in his second over. The game is set nicely with Himachal needing another 203 runs to win, and J&K nine wickets away from what would be their third win.
ScorecardAssam took a healthy first-innings lead against Andhra after Tarjinder Singh scored his second century of the season. Assam had started the day 83 runs behind Assam’s total and with eight wickets in hand, they were set to take the lead. However, Assam were given a brief hope when they picked up the two overnight batsmen in the third and fourth over of the morning. It turned out be a mirage as they had to wait 66 overs for their next wicket. By that time, Assam were ahead by 95 runs and they declared after adding another 50. Andhra’s batsmen safely negotiated the remaining eight overs.
ScorecardTripura bagged four Goa wickets towards the end of the day after adding 108 runs to their overnight and set sights on a first-innings lead. Nirupam Sen Chowdhary scored a half-century to take the team total to 278 after Abhijit Dey, unbeaten on 75 at the end of the second day, scored only a run this morning before edging the ball to the wicketkeeper. Chowdhary found support in the lower order and with Bunti Roy, who scored 39, he added 58 runs for the ninth wicket.In response, Goa lost Swapnil Asnodkar and Manvinder Bisla to Manisankar Murasingh with only 12 runs on the board. Their situation was further compounded by the loss of two more wickets by the end of the day, still 214 runs behind.

Round-up of the Quaid-e-Azam matches that ended on January 28

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2013Abbottabad held on for a draw against Group II leaders Rawalpindi in Swabi, despite having been bowled out in their first innings with a 352-run deficit. Having lead by 493 overnight, Rawalpindi chose to bat on, reaching 289 for 8 before declaring. That left Abbottabad with an unlikely target of 642 for victory but despite slipping to 80 for 5, they were only required to bat for 37 overs to secure the draw.Rawalpindi’s dominance was built on a career-best 183 by Umar Waheed, as they racked up 498 in the first innings. Saad Altaf and Hammad Azam then claimed four wickets apiece as Abbottabad were dismissed for 146 but, rather than enforce the follow-on, Rawalpindi chose to bat again. Umar Amin, Mohammad Nawaz and Adnan Mufti all made half-centuries, while Abbottabad’s Aziz-ur-Rehman picked up five wickets but in the end there was not time to force a result.Neither Bahawalpur or Karachi Whites could force a result in Multan, although the three points collected by Bahawalpur was enough to move them off the bottom of Group II. After making 362, largely thanks to Kamran Hussain’s 139, Bahawalpur secured a slender first-innings lead by dismissing Karachi for 351, wicketkeeper Owais Rehmani making an unbeaten 146.Four wickets for Faraz Ahmed left Bahawalpur’s second innings in trouble at 109 for 6 but Kamran struck his second century of the match, to help haul the total up towards 250. With eight wickets down, Bahawalpur declared to set Karachi 257 to win and although they set off at a decent scoring rate, the chase was called off after 12 overs. The draw meant second-placed Karachi lost ground on Rawalpindi.In Mirpur, Hyderabad condemned Faisalabad to their third defeat in five matches in a low-scoring encounter. Set 210 to win, Faisalabad were five down at the close of day three and could only muster another 32 runs to be dismissed for 122 and lose by 87 runs. Slow left-armer Nauman Ali claimed 4 for 31, while three other bowlers shared six wickets between them.After being asked to bat first, Hyderabad made the highest score of the match, Sharjeel Khan and Lal Kumar making 63 and 64 respectively in a total of 254. Faisalabad then made 187, after being 18 for 4 early on, but they were given a chance by Asad Ali’s 6 for 53 – to go with five wickets in the first innings – as Hyderabad could muster only 142. But that turned out to be more than enough.In Group I, Karachi Blues extended their lead at the top despite failing to chase a target of 86 against Lahore Ravi. The match at the Gaddafi Stadium ended in a draw with Karachi 69 for 5 from 10 overs, as time ran out. Adnan Akmal’s unbeaten 108 in Lahore’s second innings helped his team to 305 all out, with Saadullah Ghauri absent injured, but it was a crucial ninth-wicket partnership of 64 that helped eat up enough time to deny Karachi victory.After Imran Farhat’s century had underpinned Lahore’s 261, Karachi piled on the runs to build a lead of 220. Akbar-ur-Rehman was largely responsible for that advantage, compiling 225 – only his third first-class century and his highest score – but a second-innings half-century from Farhat and Adnan’s rearguard with Asif Ashfaq staved off the possibility of defeat.There was another draw across the city at the Lahore Cricket Association, as Quetta closed on 193 for 3 in pursuit of 270 to beat Sialkot. Again a stubborn lower-order partnership proved pivotal, as Mohammad Ayub (94 not out) added 52 runs with last man Mohammad Abbas. Fifties from Bismillah Khan, Ali Asad and Qaiser Abbas were not enough for Quetta, whose chase was abandoned after 54 overs.Their target to win would have been the highest score of the match, after both teams failed to pass 250 in the first innings. Sialkot took the three points, having made 232 with half-centuries from Faisal Khan and captain Shoaib Malik, as Quetta subsided to 225 after a century opening stand between Bismillah and Mohibullah.These results mean, with the group stage winding down, Karachi Blues, Karachi Whites, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore Shalimar have already qualified for the Super Eights stage of the tournament. While only Karachi Blues have confirmed their place in Super Eights from Group I, the results in Group II in the final rounds will have no bearing on who progresses with Rawalpindi, Karachi Whites, Lahore Shalimar and Hyderabad securing all four spots from the group in that order.

MS Dhoni, the India captain, will not play the Irani Cup, scheduled to begin on February 6

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2013MS Dhoni, the India captain, will not play the Irani Cup, scheduled to begin on February 6. This year’s Irani match is much-anticipated because all of India’s cricketers will be free to represent Rest of India against, in all likelihood, a strong Mumbai side, which has taken a healthy lead in the Ranji Trophy final. It is also being looked at as an important match in terms of selection ahead of Australia’s Test series in India, which begins on February 22, but Dhoni said he needed some rest.”No [I will not be available for the Irani Cup], as of now. We have some time before the Test series [against Australia] and I would like to make the most of it,” Dhoni said after the final ODI against England in Dharamsala on Sunday.Following India’s 2-1 Test loss to England in December – which was their first Test series defeat at home in eight years – Dhoni’s captaincy had come under greater scrutiny than it have ever been during India’s poor 18 months in Test cricket, which included away series whitewashes in England and Australia.Dhoni has not played a domestic first-class game since the Irani Cup in September 2008, when he kept wicket for Rest of India against Delhi. And previous to that, the semi-final of the Ranji Plate League 2004-05 tournament was his last domestic first-class appearance.

South Africa’s current dominance of the Test scene is highlighted by the updated player rankings which give them the No. 1 batsmen, bowler and allrounder in the format

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2013South Africa’s current dominance of the Test scene is highlighted by the updated player rankings which give them the No. 1 batsmen, bowler and allrounder in the format.Hashim Amla, who is also the No. 1 ODI batsman, jumped above Michael Clarke after the Johannesburg Test to complete the trio. Dale Steyn, who was Man of the Match after a career-best 11 wickets, and Jacques Kallis consolidated their respective No. 1 positions.Amla made 37 and an unbeaten 74 at the Wanderers to move eight points above Clarke. Kallis had a solid all-round match, scoring a first-innings fifty then chipped in with three wickets.”I am surprised and happy with my position as the No.1 ranked Test batsman. However, I’m also mindful that rankings change quite regularly,” Amla said. “It’s been a great year for our squad, and to be honest I still don’t think that I am the best batsman in our team.”What has been most pleasing though for us has been the all-round contribution from everyone in the squad that has been the main reason for our success over the last few years.”Needless to say, it is always easier to be at the top of your game and successful when you are part of a winning team. Dale and Jacques have been tireless workhorses for the Proteas and continue to consistently put in quality performances for our team, it is no wonder that they are at the top of the bowling and all-rounder rankings.”Steyn’s outstanding match, to follow a productive series against New Zealand, has given him a new career-best ranking of 908 to put him comfortably ahead of Vernon Philander in second position. There are almost 100 points between Steyn and the third-ranked bowler, Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath.

A round-up of matches of the Campus Cricket World Final 2012-13 played on April 4

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2013 DAV Chandigarh and University of Moratuwa will play the first semi-final on Friday, while Great Britain Combined University Team will take on the University of Karachi in other knockout clash, after all four teams secured their progress on day three of Campus Cricket World Final.University of Moratuwa defeated Bangladesh’s University of Liberal Arts by 15 runs to place them three points ahead of Liberal Arts, who would need to win their final match to qualify for the semi-finals. Moratuwa’s win was propelled by sturdy contributions from the middle order, with Randika Perera the most impressive of the three batsmen who breached 30, hitting his 37 not out from 17 balls, to help his side to 146 for 6.Liberal Arts began with a 30-run partnership, but continued to lose wickets too regularly to mount a meaningful challenge to Moratuwa’s total. They were dismissed in the 19th over, for 131, with Vihangun Ariyaratne taking 3 wickets for 23 from his three overs.University of New South Wales had their first win of the tournament – one which almost got them into the semi-finals – when they defeated University of Karachi by five wickets, in a match shortened to 14-overs a side. New South Wales asked the opposition to bat first, and ensured Karachi could not launch a rapid start, through opening bowler Phil Hartig-Franc, who dismissed both openers and only conceded four runs an over. Karachi’s middle order stabilised the innings, before No. 5 Abdul Khan hit 30 from 16, to help propel his side to 123 for 8.New South Wales began more slowly than they might have wished, and at the end of the eighth over, needed 60 runs from six overs. A 34 to James McNeil and 33 from 10 balls to Hugh Campbell helped them achieve their target however, and a better net-run rate than Karachi gave them hope of reaching the semi-finals.Great Britain Combined University Team denied University of Liberal Arts a place in the semi-finals, with a five-wicket, final-over victory in the evening. Liberal arts made 133 for 8 after being put in to bat, with Mahmudur Rahman and Eftekhar Ahmed, the chief contributors to that score. Rahman, who held the innings together with his 41, could not score at a run-a-ball however, as James Saddington, Ben Wylie and Robert Woolley took two wickets apiece.Great Britain Combined began poorly in their chase, stumbling to 47 for 5 by the 11th over, but an unbeaten 87-run partnership between Jay O’ Nien, who made 34 from 25 and wicketkeeper batsman Alex Martin, who made 47 from 29, helped their side home with four balls to spare.DAV Chandigarh lost their first match of the tournament, as University of Karachi forced their way into the semi-finals with a four-wicket victory in a high-scoring encounter. Gurinder Singh motored Chandigarh to the biggest total of the tournament with a 56-ball unbeaten 101, that was also the tournament’s first century. He had support from opening batsman Jaskaran Singh, who contributed 57 from 39, but found little help from the middle order, after their 96-run second-wicket partnership was broken.Karachi began poorly, losing two wickets for 23 in the fourth over, but launched something of a recovery through Abdul Khan and Ramiz Aziz, who put on 60 together, before No.7 Nabeel Khalid played a stunning innings to bring his side back into the tournament from the brink. His unbeaten 51 from 18 balls featured six sixes and two fours, and Khalid’s heroics helped Karachi reel Chandigarh in with five balls to spare.