All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ireland wrapped up victory without too much alarm on the final day against of their Intercontinental Cup game against Namibia at Stormont

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIreland wrapped up victory without too much alarm on the final day against of their Intercontinental Cup game against Namibia at Stormont.Entering the day with just 38 to get and six wickets in hand it would have taken something remarkable for the visitors to cause an upset. First-innings centurion Andrew White cracked a boundary in the first over and another in the second which meant that by the time Kevin O’Brien nicked to second slip there was no concern at all for Ireland.The match, which had been tightly fought over the first two days, ended slightly underwhelming with Pikky Ya France slipping four byes down the leg side.Ireland are next in action on September 13 when they host Canada at Rathmines. There is one change to the Ireland squad with batsman James Shannon replacing Stuart Thompson, who is unavailable due to university commitments.

Afghanistan batsman Mohammad Nabi believes the blooding of new talent during Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament stands the team in good stead

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2011Afghanistan have targeted a place at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next year, and batsman Mohammad Nabi believes the blooding of new talent during Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament stands the team in good stead.”We are preparing for the World Twenty20 qualifiers next year and for a series of matches in the United Arab Emirates, so it was very good to come here and play,” said Nabi, who was stand-in captain at the Faysal Bank T20 cup, with Regular captain Nawroz Mangal and several senior players having missed the trip in order to prepare for next month’s matches in the UAE.”We brought some youngsters here while the seniors were in the UAE, so we have a good back-up and youngsters get the chance to learn something, and I am happy that they learnt a lot,” said Nabi.Nabi added that he hoped new coach Aftab Habib would continue the progress set in motion by former coach Rashid Latif. “We learnt a lot from Rashid Latif and now we have former England player Habib as coach, so we hope he carries on the good work,” said Nabi.In order for Afghanistan to make a second appearance at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next September, they will have to finish in the top two in the World Twenty20 qualifiers scheduled in the UAE from March 13-24, 2012.

A round-up of the action from the first day of the second round of Division One matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2011Faisalabad continued their poor start to this season’s competition by being bowled out for 217 on the first day against Water and Power Development Authority in Sargodha. Fast bowlers Imran Khan and Kashif Raza shared the first six wickets to fall, reducing Faisalabad to 106 for 6. Veteran Naved Latif, who missed the opening game of the campaign, was the only batsman to cross 30, remaining unbeaten on a brisk 59. Faisalabad did fight back, though, through their bowlers. Abdul Rauf, who has only bowled once before in his ten-match first-class career, was given the new ball and he struck twice early, as WAPDA finished the day on 33 for 3.Abbottabad were headed towards a middling total against Habib Bank Limited despite a century from their captain Rameez Ahmed and a 91 from Nadeem Akhtar at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. With five of the top eight making single-digit figures, the wickets tumbled either side of a 172-run stand between Ahmed and Akhtar. The pair rescued Abbottabad from a troublesome 48 for 4, but the dismissal of Akhtar set off a phase where four wickets went down for 28 runs. Ahmed was still unbeaten on 105 as Abbottabad reached 252 for 8 by stumps. Fast bowler Sarmad Anwar was the most effective of the HBL bowlers, finishing with four scalps.A batting failure meant Islamabad mustered only 198 against National Bank of Pakistan at the Diamond Club Ground. Four of the Islamabad batsmen made it to 30 but none of them could push on to a half-century, and the longest innings came from the opener Umair Khan who battled for 105 minutes to make only 13. Islamabad seemed headed for an even smaller total when they slumped to 117 for 6 but a 63-run eighth-wicket stand between Naeem Anjum and Imad Wasim lifted them. Kamran Akmal, who hasn’t played for Pakistan since the World Cup, took five catches in the innings. NBP had batting trouble of their own, losing three early wickets to end at 25 for 3.Opener Shahzaib Hasan’s century and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Khalil’s strikes meant Karachi Blues and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited shared the opening day honours at the National Stadium. Shahzaib made more than half of Karachi’s runs, shepherding the side to 251 for 5 despite a lack of support from the rest of the top order. Despite Shahzaib’s solidity, Karachi found themselves at a troublesome 79 for 4 as Khalil sliced through the batting. Wicketkeeper Javed Mansoor then provided the back-up Shahzaib needed, the pair adding 166 for the fifth wicket before Shahzaib was dismissed for 144.Seventies from Rameez Aziz and Gulraiz Sadaf helped State Bank of Pakistan recover from a top-order failure to reach 249 for 7 against Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium. Mohammad Abbas took three wickets early to push SBP to a spot of bother. From 93 for 5, Aziz and Sadaf dragged SBP to some respectability with a 152-run stand, before a double-strike from fast bowler Prince Abbas meant Sialkot edged the day. Prince and Mohammad Abbas ended with three wickets apiece.There was another top-order failure at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where Pakistan International Airlines lost four cheap wickets before recovering to end the day at 259 for 4 against Rawalpindi. A century from Fahad Iqbal and an unbeaten 70 from the experienced Shoaib Khan lifted PIA from 69 for 4. It was Iqbal’s fifth first-class century, an innings in which he hit 13 fours and a six. Shoaib came to the crease at nearly the same time as Iqbal but he was far more circumspect, striking at below 40, but played an important role in stabilising the innings.

Jesse Ryder, who strained his calf during New Zealand’s recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe, has said his leg is on the mend and he hopes to be fully fit in time for the Australia tour in December

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Jesse Ryder, who strained his calf during New Zealand’s recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe, has said his leg is on the mend and he hopes to be fully fit in time for the tour of Australia in December. He is not keen on giving up his part-time bowling duties to prolong his career, as was suggested by his captain Ross Taylor.”The calf is good,” Ryder said at a New Zealand Cricket event in Auckland. “I have just spent two-and-a-half days up in Napier, with the Firebirds [Wellington’s first-class team] physio, trying to get it right. At the moment I’m pretty happy with where it is at, and hopefully I get to play next week in the Plunket Shield.”It will be good to have a bat. I’m definitely keen to get a hit out there before hopefully getting selected for the Aussie tour.” New Zealand are scheduled to play two Tests in Australia in the first half of December.”I’m definitely keen to bowl,” Ryder, who bowls medium pace, said. “It’s just that, through a few injuries, I haven’t really had the strength to bowl.”He had picked up the calf injury while bowling during New Zealand’s practice game ahead of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe. “I hadn’t bowled for five months so it probably wasn’t my best idea to take the ball, I shouldn’t have been bowling in the first place. So I won’t be bowling [again] till I’m fully fit and strong.”Ryder has been prone to injury. He had missed the ODI leg of the India tour in November 2010 as well after straining his calf muscle. Before that, he had picked up injuries to his elbow, groin and abductor muscle. During the latest injury break, he worked on his overall fitness too, at Billy Graham’s boxing academy gym in Naenae.”I went down there most of the winter and learnt a few boxing skills,” Ryder said. “I’m feeling pretty good at the moment. It was something I wanted to do myself.”I’m always going to be looked at as being overweight. Fair enough, that’s just people’s opinions. But I know I’m fit enough to play cricket, spend a day in the field, bat for a day … It’s the bowling that has got me in trouble a bit, just with my [lack of the required] strength.”

It is fitting that a player whose story and technique are steeped in the history of the SCG will lead Australia in the 100th Test at the venue

Daniel Brettig02-Jan-2012Michael Clarke once said he would play cricket every day of the year if he could do so at the SCG. Though he did not make the all-time Australian XI compiled to mark the SCG’s 100th Test, Clarke’s story and technique are steeped in the history of the ground. His feet dance in accordance with the assistance on offer to the best spin bowlers, and his use of the crease both forward and back was fostered by the variety of fast and slow men who tried their luck on a surface with more subcontinental echoes than any other in Australia.With this in mind, it is fitting that Clarke will lead Australia in the second Test against India, on a ground where he made his name and then enhanced it with strong showings as both a batsman and an occasional left-arm orthodox bowler. Intriguingly Clarke’s record in Tests is curiously muted, having made only one century, against South Africa in 2009. But his love of the place is clear.”I know we love playing here, I know I love playing here,” Clarke said. “It’s a great ground, it’s my favourite to play and we’ve had a lot of success here at the SCG, so we’re confident walking out onto that ground. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but we’re playing in front of our home crowd, for a lot of the guys it’s their home ground as New South Welshmen and we’re excited about this second Test match, it’s a great time of year as well obviously to be playing Test cricket.”It’s nice to be playing at my home ground I guess and obviously the chance to captain Australia is very special in the 100th Test match here as well, so I think that will sink in over the next 24 hours. It’s been quite a busy period from Melbourne, coming back here we’ve had a lot of stuff on, a lot of training, but over the next 24 hours I think the nerves will certainly kick in in regards to playing in another Test match at the SCG in front of my family and friends and now having the chance to captain here is certainly an honour and a privilege.”In his time at the SCG, Clarke has witnessed its character change from that of the slow turners of the 1990s into the more rounded, classical surface engineered by the curator Tom Parker in recent seasons. Those characteristics are in line with those loved by players of the 1950s and ’60s, offering help to batsmen, quicks and spin bowlers in far more equal measure than when Clarke first visited.

SCG all-time XIs

Australia: Victor Trumper (NSW), David Boon (Tas), Don Bradman (NSW/SA), Ricky Ponting (Tas), Greg Chappell (SA/Qld), Keith Miller (NSW/Vic), Adam Gilchrist (WA/NSW), Shane Warne (Vic), Ray Lindwall (NSW/Qld), CTB Turner (NSW), Glenn McGrath (NSW). Fred Spofforth (NSW) 12th man. Coach: Bill O’Reilly. Coach: Richie Benaud.
World: Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng), Jack Hobbs (Eng), VVS Laxman (India), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Wally Hammond (Eng), Garfield Sobers (WI), Richard Hadlee (NZ), Alan Knott (Eng), Anil Kumble (India), George Lohmann (Eng), SF Barnes (Eng). Harold Larwood (Eng) 12th man. Coach: WG Grace.

“Conditions have probably changed a little bit over the last few years, no doubt the way I was brought up on this wicket it was spin conducive wasn’t it,” Clarke said. “I faced a lot of spin as a kid, I’d seen a fair bit of reverse swing at a young age and generally this wicket is a little bit slower than say Perth and Brisbane and what we’ve just seen in Melbourne.”It encouraged me to move down the wicket to the spinners, no doubt, mainly because the ball spun so much and I wanted to get as close to it as I could before it spun too much. It’s probably helped the way I play spin bowling, I’ve got to pay credit to the SCG.”But the last couple of years it’s quickened up a bit, there’s been enough there for the bowlers, swing and seam and you need to try and adapt to that, but I think it certainly feels like my home ground. The way I play I guess is very similar to the conditions I’ve faced, from an 18-year-old boy until only until the last couple of years it’s probably changed.”A panel comprising Jim Maxwell, Mike Coward, Phil Derriman, Gideon Haigh, Phil Wilkins, Malcolm Conn, Warwick Franks, Andrew Leeming, Malcolm Knox, and the SCG Trust chairman Rodney Cavalier, selected Australia and World teams from those who have graced the ground over its 100 Tests. Three men about to play in this match, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, were chosen in the teams.

There will be no live cricket on free-to-view television for at least the next four years following the ECB’s announcement that it has renewed its exclusive deal with Sky TV

David Hopps31-Jan-2012There will be no live cricket on free-to-view television until at least 2017 following the ECB’s announcement today that it has renewed its exclusive deal with Sky TV.Emphasis has remained determinedly focused on securing maximum revenue to protect the financially stricken first-class game, in defiance of the protests of a vociferous free-to-air lobby. The ECB will claim that this has been achieved after securing a deal that is thought to be comparable to the previous agreement, which industry sources estimated at £280m over four years.Sky Sports, the only serious bidder, has won the rights to show live domestic and international cricket in England and Wales from 2014-17 as part of a package that includes all England’s home Tests, ODIs and T20I series, selected England Lions and England women fixtures, plus 60 days of domestic cricket every season.The deal also includes an option to extend for a further two years, which would encompass tours by India in 2018 and Australia in 2019 and would, presumably, neatly sidestep any potential government legislation that might be introduced to give the Ashes series “crown jewels” status and so demand it was available free of charge.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, who led the talks alongside the commercial director John Perera, made no apologies for the deal. “No-one should be in any doubt that our partnership with Sky has been of immense benefit to the wider game,” he said. “World-class support structures for our successful England teams, major ground improvements at county level, a flourishing coach education programme and a 5% increase in participation at our ‘Focus’ clubs are all by-products of this relationship.”The ECB has also announced a new deal with Channel 5 for England highlights, with an early evening slot for transmission going some way to appeasing critics.Thanks to the announcement last week of a new six-year deal with BBC Radio, the ECB is able to claim that “broadcasting agreements for the next contractual cycle will deliver an overall increase in revenues compared with the previous four-year period”. It is a marginal claim at best.The awarding of TV rights followed an open tender process in which all broadcasters were invited to bid for a variety of packages, which included the rights to individual Test matches, series or competitions, and a mixture of live and highlights programming.In a major economic downturn, the ECB will be satisfied with maintaining the status quo. It is certainly aware of the art of timing. It negotiated the last deal just before the banking crash and it has rushed through this deal to try to capitalise on England’s No. 1 Test ranking – just before the cricketing crash, some might say, after England’s horrendous defeats in the first two Tests against Pakistan.Millions of cricket lovers, unwilling or unable to contemplate pay TV, will not be appeased, whatever the benefits. The images of England’s 2005 Ashes win and the open-top bus ride through London still resonate and many put that down to the fact that the Test series was available for all to watch.In 2009 a review led by David Davies, a former executive director of the Football Association, recommended that England’s home Ashes Tests should return to the “crown jewels” list of protected free-to-air events. The ECB dubbed the conclusions “deeply flawed” and warned of mass cutbacks if the proposals were accepted.The previous Labour government suggested it was of a mind to accept Davies’ recommendations but the 2010 general election brought a change of government and an announcement by the incoming sports minister, Hugh Robertson, that any decision would be delayed until 2013 – time enough for Ashes series up to and including 2019 to be secured by pay TV.

Brendon McCullum helped Otago finish off their HRV Cup engagements on a high with a dominating victory over the Northern Districts by nine wickets at Seddon Park in Hamilton

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2012
ScorecardBrendon McCullum helped Otago finish off their HRV Cup engagements on a high with a dominating victory over the Northern Districts by nine wickets at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The contest was inconsequential since Auckland and Canterbury have already qualified for the final on January 22.ND got off to a poor start after opting to bat, with both the openers dismissed with just 9 runs on the board. Debutant JA Duffy took three wickets to shatter the ND top order, before the middle order took charge to rescue the innings. Hamish Marshall bashed four sixes and eight fours for his 45-ball 86 while Scott Syris anchored proceedngs with his 45 off 24. They shared a 93-run stand for the fifth wicket to power the total to 187 for 5.Otago’s chase was dented early with the run-out of Hamish Rutherford for nought in the first over, but Neil Broom and McCullum rapidly took the game out of ND’s grasp. Their unbroken 188-run stand spanned just 98 balls of blistering hitting, including 12 sixes and 15 fours. McCullum hammered 103 off 54 balls, making Broom’s 79 off 50 seem almost sedate. Otago roared home with 16 balls remaining – their third win of the season.

It would have seemed scarcely believable only a couple of weeks ago but England go into the fourth ODI in Dubai on Tuesday with an excellent chance of securing a 4-0 whitewash over Pakistan

George Dobell in Dubai20-Feb-2012It would have seemed scarcely believable only a couple of weeks ago but England go into the fourth ODI in Dubai on Tuesday with an excellent chance of securing a 4-0 whitewash over Pakistan.It would complete a remarkable turnaround from a side that, coming into the series, were all but written off by most observers. After all, England’s failure to adapt to conditions in the UAE had just condemned them to a 3-0 Test series loss and they had a poor record in ODIs outside the UK and in Asia in particular. Their subsequent success has been quite unexpected.It has not been undeserved, though. While Pakistan, back to their mercurial best and worst, have offered surprising little resistance, the nucleus of an England side is emerging that offers some hope that, after many years of disappointments, they may have some hope of sustaining a realistic challenge in the next World Cup.They are still a work in progress. While it may prove devilishly tough for anyone outside the current squad to force themselves into the bowling attack, there are still a couple of batting positions that could become vacant. The England management remain keen to see Jos Buttler in ODI action, while Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder who has missed the tour due to a finger injury, is another of whom much is expected.The formula is beginning to come together, however. Alastair Cook’s emergence as a quality ODI opener is now disputed by few, while Kevin Pietersen’s return to form provided a reminder of what a dangerous player he can be for England.Amid all the encouraging signs, it would have been easy to overlook Eoin Morgan’s elevation to No. 3 in the batting order in the third ODI in Dubai. It is a position that has been occupied for some time and with some success by Jonathan Trott, but Morgan’s promotion signifies a rethink. England now intend to utilise Morgan as their ODI No. 3 if Cook is the first man out in order to retain a left-hand, right-hand combination of batsmen at the crease. Where that leaves Trott is open to debate. He has endured a quiet tour by his standards but an ODI average of 49.21 and a strike-rate of 78.18 cannot be lightly dismissed.Despite the number of runs, there are those who have continued to question Trott’s presence in the side. They claim, despite quite a lot of statistical support to the contrary, that he is one-paced as a batsman and that he will not help England to the large totals in excess of 300 that, it is anticipated, will be necessary to win the 2015 World Cup. Somewhat incongruously, England’s most successful 50-over player of the last couple of years is often blamed for England’s failings as an ODI side.The problem for Trott is, if he does not bat in the top three, where does he bat? He is not the most obvious choice to come in with only a few overs remaining and, with the likes of Ravi Bopara, Morgan and Samit Patel offering slightly different options to the team, Trott’s position is coming under scrutiny. If England are keen to utilise the final ODI of the series against Pakistan to have a look at Buttler, it is possible he could displace Trott. Tim Bresnan could also come in from James Anderson.”I’ve had my pads on to bat at three for the first three ODIs because we like the right-hand/left-hand combination, especially when there are two spinners on,” Morgan said. “It’s been the same throughout the series. It’s just been that Cook has been in unbelievable form and I haven’t got a bat. The fact we’ve got off to good starts has helped. I come in and move it on. My strengths come into play and that’s where we use it.”Morgan has experienced a poor tour to date. He averaged just 13.66 in the Test series and was particularly troubled by the spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman. Since then, and partly due to Cook’s excellence, he has enjoyed little opportunity in the three ODIs. He admits it has left his place in the Test side in doubt.”It’s been hard work,” he said. “The Test series was very tricky. The skills levels on our behalf – and mine as well – weren’t up to scratch. We struggled.”I haven’t felt out of form. I’ve been out of form before and there are times I’ve not seen where my next run is coming. Here I just haven’t got the runs I wanted. I know where I want to score. I think the fashion in which I’ve played – running down and hitting over the top, hitting from the crease – show I’m still in reasonable touch as opposed to not knowing where my next run would come from.”Ajmal has been in a fantastic run of form of late and again, having not played in four or five months caught up with us – me in particular. I’ve been off for quite a well. Even though I spent some time in India before Christmas it doesn’t replicate what you’re up against. It was hard work.”I don’t worry about my Test place. I always put myself under a lot of pressure, particularly in the longer format of the game. But I haven’t scored enough runs to justify being number one in the side. The pressure I put myself under is enough.”Morgan took comfort in England’s improved ODI form, but provided a timely reminder that the side have a long way to go before they can be considered realistic World Cup contenders.”In our last summer we’ve come a long way,” Morgan said, referring to the series wins over India and Sri Lanka achieved in England in 2011. “But the stint we did in India – when I wasn’t there – pegged us back a long way. So we were starting from scratch in terms of playing in this part of the world.”We’ve got off to a fantastic start. But it comes back to a case of not getting carried away with where we are or where we want to be. Where we are is number six [now No. 5 after winning the first three ODIs against Pakistan] in the world; where we want to be is number one in the world by the World Cup in 2015.”

The final of Pakistan’s One Day National Cup was a no-contest as UBL skittled KRL for 96 in their chase and ended up winners by a huge margin

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2012
ScorecardWhen United Bank Limited and Khan Research Laboratories met in the group phase the match was abandoned. When they met in the final, it was again a no-contest, this time because UBL skittled KRL for 96 in their chase and ended up winners by a huge margin. Fast bowler Tahir Mughal did the early damage, dismissing KRL’s openers, and the wickets kept falling. Left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti took two wickets before offspinner Misbah Khan ran through the lower order and finished with 4 for 18.UBL had been put in and built a strong total thanks to Adnan Baig’s 79. Baig came in after the fall of the first wicket in the tenth over and stayed till the 42nd, while Saeed Mutabar and Mohammad Sami junior made contributions. Bhatti made 28 quick runs at the end but that was superfluous as KRL got nowhere close to the total of 262.

Mahela Jayawardene has insisted that Sri Lanka will shelve all notion of playing for a draw in the second Test against England at the P Sara Oval even though that is all they need to secure their first series victory since 2009.

Sa'adi Thawfeeq02-Apr-2012Mahela Jayawardene has insisted that Sri Lanka will shelve all notion of playing for a draw in the second Test against England at the P Sara Oval even though that is all they need to secure their first series victory since 2009.”We’ll try and win the series 2-0 as that’s when we play our best cricket,” he said. “When you are playing a team like England you have to be aggressive, play to win from ball one and look to get in front of them. That’s what we will try to do.”As a team we need to be consistent. It is important for us to have a really good Test match and we’ll play to win. To do that we need to do a lot of hard work like we did in Galle. We were put under pressure in certain situations and we came up strong.”Since they beat New Zealand 2-0 in 2009 Sri Lanka have lost five and drawn two Test series. They inflicted England’s fourth straight defeat with their 75-run victory in Galle and can knock them off the top of the world rankings with a series victory. Jayawardene believes they remain a huge threat and said the difficulties they have had in Asia is like a team from the subcontinent struggling overseas.”In the last few years they beat Australia in Australia and they played very good cricket in South Africa as well. They play really well in English conditions,” he said. “There are five or six teams in the world who are playing some really good cricket and on any given day in different conditions they can beat each other. That’s good for the game.”England have set standards in the last two years. It’s been difficult for them away from home in the subcontinent but for us it’s about challenging them and moving on. When we play in conditions which are tougher for us, it’s up to us to try and go and challenge ourselves and be consistent. That’s a good balance to have.”Jayawardene expected the pitch at the P Sara Oval, which is staging its first Test since 2010, to offer something for batsmen and bowlers. The day before the game cracks were appearing as the surface dried out and they could provide some inconsistent bounce as the match wears on.”For batsmen it gives good value for shots with a fast outfield,” he said. “Most of our tracks have been result-oriented in the last six or seven years.”Sri Lanka will make two changes to their side with Angelo Mathews and Dhammika Prasad replacing Dinesh Chandimal and the injured Chanaka Welegedara. Jayawardene said Mathews would most likely to be played as a specialist batsman but had been bowling in the nets and added he would “see how he felt”.When Mathews was ruled out of the first Test the chairman of selectors, Ashantha de Mel, said his bowling days could be over although with seven wickets at 71.57 that would not be a major loss. A Test average of 39.85 after 22 Tests, with a career-best 105 not out against Australia is a solid base from which to build a career as a specialist batsman. Although he has replaced Chandimal for this Test, they are the future of Sri Lanka’s middle order.