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After five days of skills training, Sri Lanka embark on a tour of India which they feel is about as difficult a limited-overs assignment as a team could undertake.

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-2014Victory is almost always the goal in sporting endeavour, but missing key players, and pulled in for a surprise series out of the cold, this Sri Lanka team says they have instead set their sights on the “bigger picture”.The team had been focusing on fitness and strength work since mid-September, with a view to being ready for cricket by November 26, when the ODIs against England are scheduled to begin. But their board jumped in to fill a newly-vacant gap in India’s calendar, and the players had little choice but to follow the suits’ directives. After five days of skills training, they embark on a tour of India which they feel is about as difficult a limited-overs assignment as a team could undertake.”A tour of India is a major challenge for any team and for any captain,” coach Marvan Atapattu said. “To put huge pressure on ourselves to win is not that wise, at this stage. We know that if everyone is fit, that our World Cup team will be different. So with that in mind, we’ll be thinking about who can be a part of the team going forward, and what individual players can get out of it.”We play every game to win, but with that, we’re also looking at the bigger picture. Like what can we expect from the players who are taking part? What is their ability? We have about 20 matches between now and the World Cup. That’s about the number of ODI games some teams plays in a year. The challenge is to peak at the right time. Because we have 20 matches to go, we shouldn’t become too concerned just yet.”Sri Lanka’s frontline bowlers are the major absentees from this tour. Lasith Malinga is recovering from ankle surgery. Rangana Herath, who has had a phenomenal workload this year, is being rested to safeguard his troublesome knees. Ajantha Mendis is being hidden from view, to preserve what remains of his mystery and Sachithra Senanayake is attempting to fight his way back from a ban.The likes of Suraj Randiv, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lahiru Gamage and Chaturanga de Silva now have the chance to make a World Cup case in their absence, and it is these fringe players who have the most to gain from the series, Atapattu says.”We’re missing our two best bowlers in Rangana and Lasith, but it’s a good opportunity to see what the others can do. Not just for the bowlers but the batsmen as well – it’s a chance for a lot of them to nail down a permanent place in the team.”Among the batsmen who are in competition for World Cup places are Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga. Both have been tried in the opening position, opposite Tillakaratne Dilshan, this year, without either making a strong claim. Angelo Mathews said the team was looking to firm up a top-order combination this year, and that Perera and Tharanga would be under the microscope.”The opening slot is something we’ll definitely look at. That’s why we’re taking three openers on this tour. We need to look at Upul and Kusal. The preparation is not 100%, but we’ll try and get our combinations right. That’s what we are looking to get out of this tour. There are a few young players, so we will give them opportunities.”

Mushfiqur Rahim has said he regrets his hasty resignation from the Bangladesh captaincy

Mohammad Isam12-May-2013Mushfiqur Rahim has said he regrets his hasty resignation from the Bangladesh captaincy, although he is effectively out of the job until the BCB decides whether to reappoint him.After the third ODI on May 8, which Bangladesh lost, Mushfiqur told his team-mates and announced to the media that he would quit after the Zimbabwe tour. But following Sunday’s 34-run win over the home side in Bulawayo, Mushfiqur admitted that it was a mistake on his part to have announced his resignation with two matches still remaining in the tour. He has also denied that he quit because he felt there was a lack of teamwork, as widely reported in Bangladesh.”After resigning I have realised that I should have discussed the matter with the BCB, who have made me the captain,” Mushfiqur said. “It was my mistake. People from the BCB have told me that we will hold discussions when I am back. I have let them know my decision, now it’s for them to decide.”It is not about teamwork. I have taken the decision emotionally. It was a wrong decision on my part. No player should back out in such a time. I should have been encouraging everyone, but I ended up doing just the opposite. I have now realised my mistake. Losing to them didn’t go down well with me. My team-mates have backed me, and I hope this is how it remains in the future.”Bangladesh lost the first Test by 335 runs, their biggest defeat to Zimbabwe by margin of runs, and later lost the ODI series after taking a 1-0 lead. The win in the second T20 helped them draw the series. Overall they lost four games and won three across the three formats, which wasn’t the result they would have expected coming to Zimbabwe four weeks ago.”We are upset, because we had expected a much better result,” Mushfiqur said. “A few things didn’t go our way, plus we made some mistakes. We should have won the last [ODI], which was disappointing. We should have conducted ourselves better in the field, cooler heads were missing. There’s a lot to learn from tours like this.”Bangladesh’s next international assignment is in October but the BCB is likely to hold talks with Mushfiqur soon to resolve the controversy surrounding his swift resignation and even swifter repentance.

Alan Hamer, Glamorgan’s chief executive, has admitted that Cardiff’s role as one of the host venues for the Champions Trophy “raises the stakes” for county and country

Alan Gardner07-Apr-2013Alan Hamer, Glamorgan’s chief executive, has admitted that Cardiff’s role as one of the host venues for the Champions Trophy “raises the stakes” for county and country and that their success or otherwise will have a direct impact on the SWALEC Stadium’s prospects as a venue for international cricket in Wales.Cardiff is up against Birmingham and London as one of three grounds hosting the June 6-23 event. While three of the five games at each of The Oval and Edgbaston sold out in the first round of ticketing, only one of Cardiff’s – the opening fixture between India and South Africa – did so, with sales in the other matches, which include England’s group game against New Zealand, described as average. A second, limited batch of tickets for all Champions Trophy matches, including India v Pakistan at Edgbaston, will go on sale on Monday morning at 10.30am BST (09.30 GMT).With the next four-year cycle of international match allocations in England to include the World Cup and Ashes in 2019, as well as the proposed World Test Championship in 2017, Hamer believes an impressive Champions Trophy showing will help state Cardiff’s case. While not a ground as storied as the likes of Lord’s or Headingley, Hamer emphasised the importance of continuing to create that history and wants a “sports hungry” Welsh public to play their part, with the eyes of the cricket world watching. Welsh cricket is on a charm offensive.”This is the first time we’ve had a global event here so it raises the stakes, not just for us but for the country as a whole because the TV audience isn’t just UK-based, it’s worldwide,” Hamer said. “And it gives an opportunity for people overseas to understand a bit more about Wales and Welsh cricket. It is important to us because if this tournament goes well then it puts us in a strong position when it comes to staging future global events.”We’re still a relatively new ground in terms of history of international matches. The only way we’re going to increase our ‘database’ is by staging more games. Other grounds have a lot more history and a lot more games than us. We’ve only got one Test match in the current four-year cycle, the 2015 Ashes, which is probably right, and at the end of the cycle we’ll be in a far stronger position in terms of support base.”

“Passion for the English summer game may be harder to discern than daffodils in this bitterest of springs. But walking along the river towards the SWALEC Stadium, although the trees are bare, it is possible to make out a faint, pointillist constellation of yellow. In a couple of months, with the rugby and football seasons finished and cricket out of hibernation once more, the cricketing world will be introduced to the ECB’s silent W.” Alan Gardner investigates the urge to retain international cricket in Wales

While Cardiff may well be judged in comparison with attendances in London and Birmingham when measuring success, Hamer said that any rivalry was friendly. “All the venues are trying to work together to support their respective matches, so as well as us doing well here, we need The Oval and Edgbaston to do well as well. It’s good competition,” he said.Tickets for the Champions Trophy – which is being held for the final time – are priced as low as £20 for adults sitting in the family sections, with the most expensive being the £60 “Gold” seats for the final at Edgbaston. Strategies for Cardiff include targeting the city’s student population and invoking the successful sporting events held in Wales in recent years, from the Ryder Cup to multiple FA Cup finals and the 2009 Ashes Test.Although there is the perennial competition from rugby and football for attention, there is a sense that the impending arrival of the world’s best cricketers in Wales will catch the public’s imagination. The tournament will open in Cardiff, with a ceremony at the medieval castle in the city centre, while teams preparing between matches will be based in nearby Newport, using local facilities.Glamorgan will hand over control of their SWALEC Stadium – which will be rebranded as the Cardiff Wales Stadium – to the ICC for the duration of the tournament, meaning ticket revenue goes back to the governing body, but thronging crowds are likely to increase the “secondary spend” on food and drink, to go with the venue hire fee. “It is very much financially in our interest to do well,” Hamer said. “We’re incentivised to get as many bums on seats as possible.”

This was one of New Zealand’s greatest days of Test cricket in recent times as they outplayed one of the strongest Test teams in the world from start to finish

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin07-Mar-2013Was this really the team bowled out for 45 two Tests ago? Was it really the team who sacked their captain in such a way that he took time away from the game? Was it really the team whose off-field exploits make as many headlines as those on it? Was this really the team whose management and executive structure do not appear to see eye-to-eye?What this was, without doubt, was one of New Zealand’s greatest days of Test cricket in recent times. This was not dominating against a lowly Zimbabwe or Bangladesh side. They outplayed one of the strongest Test teams in the world from start to finish. There was an air of disbelief from those who have followed New Zealand cricket’s recent woes.”We’re in the position that every team can dream of at the moment,” Neil Wagner said, and even that sounded like an understatement.It was Wagner who sparked New Zealand’s incredible day. In his first over, with his second and third deliveries, he removed England captain Alastair Cook and trapped Kevin Pietersen lbw first ball. England’s top order looked a little vulnerable coming into the match due to the lack of match practice and the home side made it count.Wagner had been bullish in Queenstown after roughing up England’s batsmen, including removing Pietersen, and highlighted keeping him short of runs. He said New Zealand would try to “hammer” on his confidence. He was as good as his word today and, when asked about England’s performance, did not produce a dead-bat answer.”They were under a bit of pressure and thought they might take lower-risk shots but at the end of the day, that’s the way they play,” he said. “There’s days when it doesn’t come off and days when it comes off and on those days you don’t want to be the opposition and they can hurt you badly. Other days it doesn’t come off and it was just one of those days when it didn’t work for them.”The standout feature of New Zealand’s day, of which there were many, was that the key individuals – Wagner, Bruce Martin and Hamish Rutherford – could, in slightly different circumstances, have been playing in the Ford Trophy one-day tournament rather than a Test match.Wagner was only included in the squad after impressing for the New Zealand XI in Queenstown. Initially, Mark Gillespie was tipped to be the likely option to bolster the pace resources, but Wagner’s six wickets last week tipped the balance back his way. He may still have missed the final cut, though, if Doug Bracewell had not decided to clean up his house, in the process stepping on a piece of glass. In this case, Wagner’s glass was certainly half full.However, his first three Tests had brought five wickets at 68.80 and it was already being suggested that he was another player unable to transfer dominant domestic form to the top level. One good day does not mean he has cracked it, but the relief from him was palpable. “I needed it and I was just glad to get it under the belt I guess,” he said.Wagner shared eight wickets with Martin, but the 32-year-old left-arm spinner was not a certain starter in this match just the day before. Four quicks were being seriously considered by Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson. It’s difficult to say Martin bowled for his wickets (caught point, deep square-leg and short fine-leg) but his presence ensured England’s batsmen could not settle in against four medium-fast bowlers.Martin also made it clear before the series that he was not too interested in being a defensive bowler and “would look to take a few poles and bowl to some attacking fields” if he got his chance. McCullum, a captain out of the same aggressive mindset, supported him with men around the bat and also gave him the ball straight after lunch when logic might have suggested resuming with two seamers. When Matt Prior began to open his shoulders, McCullum did not withdraw Martin to the safety of the outfield and the following over he claimed the wicket.Then there is Rutherford, like Wagner, an Otago cricketer playing on his home ground. Of all the problem areas in the New Zealand team over recent times, the opening partnership has been one of most vexing.Rutherford did not look remotely out of place, resisting England’s attempts to disturb him with the short ball and driving more confidently than during the one-day series. His opening stand with Peter Fulton, currently worth 131, is New Zealand’s best since Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming added 163 against England, at Trent Bridge, in 2004.A compact left-hander from the same school as McCullum, Rutherford was picked on the basis of strong domestic form but was not the most prolific option available.  There is also the likelihood that if Martin Guptill had not been injured during the one-day series, he would have been given another chance alongside Peter Fulton.  It was a day for a host of accidental heroes.

Bangladesh overpowered Zimbabwe in the second ODI that saw the fortunes of both teams seesawing and consolidated their lead in the five-match series

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Chittagong23-Nov-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBangladesh overpowered Zimbabwe in the second ODI that saw the fortunes of both teams seesawing and consolidated their lead in the five-match series. Mashrafe Mortaza’s three early wickets were followed by a grinding battle which continued till the 42nd over when the home side made the finishing move.Zimbabwe weren’t letting go of the chase until that point, particularly with Elton Chigumbura starting to open up with a flurry of boundaries. At that point, Sabbir Rahman’s direct hit caught the Zimbabwe captain short of the crease, effectively ending their chances of a final assault at the 252-run target. They were eventually bowled out for 183 runs in 44.5 overs, the match ending with Arafat Sunny taking three wickets in one over.Bangladesh appeared to be on shaky ground at the innings break after a collapse from 158 for no loss to 204 for 6 in the space of 10.2 overs. Every fall of wicket was immediately followed by another. Tamim Iqbals’s was the first wicket to fall in the 34th over, ending Bangladesh’s second-highest opening partnership in ODIs and it was followed by the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan off the next delivery. Shakib missed a straight one from Vusi Sibanda to collect his fourth golden duck in ODIs.Anamul Haque was the third batsman to fall, superbly caught by Sibanda at point, after he had made 80 off 110 balls. Two deliveries later, Sabbir Rahman was out for a second-ball duck after being caught at fine-leg off a top-edged pull. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim added 31 runs quickly before falling off consecutive deliveries to Tafadzwa Kamungozi.Mahmudullah chipped the ball to long-off, while Mushfiqur failed to connect a reverse sweep and was out lbw. Bangladesh eventually made 251, thanks to Mominul Haque providing a late flourish.Anamul Haque scored 80 and his 158-run stand with Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a solid platform•BCBThe Zimbabwe openers could not replicate their opposite numbers, however. Hamilton Masakadza inside edged Mashrafe’s slower offcutter before Vusi Sibanda, in a rush to play shots, was similarly castled by a quicker offcutter. Sikandar Raza was his third scalp, top edging a shortish delivery with Mahmudullah running back from cover to complete the catch.Zimbabwe slipped to 50 for 4 in the 14th over when Brendan Taylor’s attempted reverse sweep took his glove, on to Mushfiqur’s shoulder before Mahmudullah took another good catch, this time at slip. Further slide was prevented by Regis Chakabva, who made 32 off 53 balls, and newcomer Solomon Mire. The pair added 65 runs for the fifth wicket in 14.2 overs, keeping them in the vicinity of the required run-rate at the stage. Mire reached his maiden ODI fifty soon after, off 78 balls with two boundaries, but he fell next ball – caught well by Arafat Sunny at point off Shakib.A game of cat and mouse started with Shakib bowling a maiden and giving away one run in the Powerplay but Chigumbura hammering 18 off a Mashrafe over in between. Zimbabwe needed 77 off the last ten overs, but Sunny came back and gave away just a single and soon, Chigumbura fell to a run-out as the run-rate pressure mounted. The innings ended soon after, with the next three wickets only adding six runs.Bangladesh’s six-wicket collapse hardly did justice to Tamim and Anamul, who had provided a strong platform – Bangladesh’s third 150-plus opening stand and the second-highest after the 170-run partnership between Shahriar Hossain and Mehrab Hossain in 1999, also against Zimbabwe.The pair reached 50 runs in 13.1 overs to bring up Bangladesh’s first 50-plus opening stand since March this year. Twelve overs later, they added Bangladesh’s ninth century opening stand. They added 77 in the first 20 overs but settled down and pushed up the scoring rate, and the next 10 overs produced 57 runs. Bangladesh took the Powerplay in the 29th over and finished the five-over period with 42 runs for one wicket.Tamim played some excellent shots in his 76 off 98 balls, between periods of play when he stalled and waited for the bad balls. There were a couple of edged boundaries but he peppered the cover and point boundaries and brought up his fifty with a straight six over long-on.Anamul took his time to settle down. He miscued a few to the boundary but soon found his way and ensured Tamim had the bulk of the strike. He drove through cover to bring up his 50 off 83 balls and then lofted the ball through the same area for a six. His half-century also made it the ninth occasion when both Bangladesh openers had scored fifties.The home side ultimately prevailed, despite the batting collapse and Zimbabwe threatening give a real go at the chase.

Darren Sammy singled out West Indies’ determination to fight to the finish as the key factor in helping them win their first world championship since the World Cup of 1979

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2012The West Indies celebrations after the final wicket were interrupted only by the post-match presentation, during which the captain Darren Sammy singled out his team’s determination to fight to the finish as the key factor in helping them win their first world championship since the World Cup of 1979.”For the last two years we’ve shown the never-say-die attitude, but we haven’t had the results,” Sammy said. “This moment we’re going to live forever. The team has been through a lot in the last two years, for the last ten years. The mission was to win the T20 World Cup, the belief we left the Caribbean with has pulled us through. Today we were down and out but our never-say-die attitude came out.”Thank you to everyone who supported us. The tournament is for the fans. The love we felt from the Sri Lankan people is tremendous and we want to thank them for that. This hopefully will be the beginning of things to come. Hopefully this team will go on.”Sammy played an important role in the 36-run win the final, scoring quick runs at the death during West Indies’ innings to push the total to a competitive 137. But it was Marlon Samuels who played the decisive knock, reviving his team with a counter-attacking 78 off 56 balls, which not only boosted what was a crawling run-rate, but made possible a score his bowlers could ultimately defend. The feature of Samuels’ innings was five sixes off Lasith Malinga.”Put in a lot of hard work. To Jamaica, to the West Indies. Can’t explain how much it means to me,” Samuels, who had lost two years to a ban related to links with an Indian bookmaker, said after being named Man of the Match. “They beat us twice, I tell Chris [Gayle] we can’t lose thrice. The wicket was a bit slow, today was a different mindset, I decided to attack Malinga, their best bowler and it paid off. We are working together as a unit. Future-wise I think West Indies are going to do well, even in Test cricket. Test cricket is the best cricket.”The game ended in despair for Sri Lanka, the hosts, who dominated the first half of the West Indies innings. Mahela Jayawardene kept his team on track in the first half of the chase, but there was no recovering from a collapse that began with the fall of his partner Kumar Sangakkara in the 10th over. They ended up losing nine for 53.”I think the first ten overs were fantastic, they knew they had to go for it. A couple of mistakes on the field and three-four bad overs shifted the momentum,” Jayawardene, who resigned as T20 captain after the defeat, said. “We’re disappointed, a full house. A couple of overs they went after us, against our best bowlers. I backed my No. 1 bowler to deliver but Marlon batted very well.”They bowled really well, we just needed to keep the pressure on which we didn’t. We need to sit down, have a good chat, and move on.”

Michael Hussey has no intention of calling time on his international career at the end of a triumphant series against India, and believes the next generation of batsmen are still to earn the chance to snatch the No. 6 berth from him at a time when Austral

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide22-Jan-2012Michael Hussey has no intention of calling time on his international career at the end of a triumphant series against India, and believes the next generation of batsmen are still to earn the chance to snatch the No. 6 berth from him at a time when Australia’s resurgence is giving him plenty of reasons to stay on.The last Test of the home summer is commonly a time for ruminations on the future, and many had expected one of Hussey, Ricky Ponting or Brad Haddin to venture into life beyond the Australian dressing room at the end of the India series. However Hussey said neither he nor any of the other senior members of the team had given any indication of marking a finish line, and that Australia’s return to the winning habit had only added to their sense of vitality.”Throughout the whole summer I have just tried to set myself for this series but my body feels good, I still feel I’m playing well, and mentally I’m still keen to turn up to training and mentally keen for the battle out in the middle,” Hussey said. “From that point of view I am definitely thinking of continuing on. I’d love to go to the West Indies.”I just watch the guys and how they go about their training and you can still see the hunger is there, so I would be very surprised if the other guys wanted to move on. I certainly see them playing well enough, I still see them doing the work and I still see them wanting to part of the team. I haven’t picked up any hints that they’re going to leave the game.”Any enthusiasm among the national selectors to usher in another young batsman has been dampened this summer by a lack of stand-out performances from those who might have been considered contenders for middle order positions. Usman Khawaja has endured a difficult summer with the bat and needs to improve his fielding and broader team contributions, while Callum Ferguson seems likely to lose his Cricket Australia contract after a summer of meagre returns. Phillip Hughes’ technical problems, meanwhile, have been documented in detail.”The culture I was brought up in is that the next generation has to earn their right to play for Australia,” Hussey said. “It took me over ten years of first-class cricket to just get one game so I don’t feel the responsibility to pass the baton on.”I still feel I’ve got a big role to play in the team with experience to help some of the younger members of the team but I still feel I can contribute to Australia working their way back to where they want to be which is to be the No.1 team in the world. I still feel I have a role to play in that journey.”Hussey’s journey, should he choose to take it, will include a tour of the West Indies in March and April, ODIs in England in June, and the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September. Beyond that tournament are home Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka, before the team embarks on the vexing task of touring India then England in 2013.”I will sit down and have a think about that after this series, I basically tried to set all my energies towards this Indian series, that’s what I really wanted to be a part of and part of a winning team, and probably re-assess after that,” Hussey said. “But certainly the Twenty20 World Cup there’s a bit of a carrot dangling there, and I’d love to be a part of the World Cup again, and there’s some big cricket still to come.”I didn’t perform as well as I’d have liked in the West Indies last time I toured there [in 2008] for a Test tour, so that’s something I’d really like to go on and play well at. One-day cricket in England is always a fantastic tour to be a part of. But I just really want to be part of Australia’s success, being part of helping Australia get back to being No.1.”I was lucky enough to come into the team when we were possibly the best team I’ve ever played for, to then go through some more turbulent and difficult times, and I’d love to be part of the team that can work our way back up, that’d be a fantastic international journey.”

Round-up of all matches in the Plunket Shield that finished on December 7, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2013
ScorecardMichael Papps’ unbeaten 183 went in vain•Getty ImagesAn unbeaten 183 from Michael Papps – his 25th first-class ton – took Wellington close to overhauling 470 for a famous win, but the team fell ten runs short against Canterbury in Rangiora.Chasing a mammoth total, Wellington were propelled by a 139-run stand for the fifth wicket between Papps and Luke Woodcock, who made 51. Woodcock departed in the 77th over, but Papps, who struck 26 fours during his innings, carried the innings to 459 with the tail. Papps and Brent Arnel were the last two batsmen at the crease and, having added 37, they seemed to be heading towards an unlikely victory. However, Arnel was bowled by Hamish Bennett, giving Canterbury their second win of the season. Bennett had made a contribution with the ball in the first innings as well, finishing with 4 for 45 to bowl Wellington out for 130 and secure Canterbury a first-innings lead of 93.The reason Wellington had to chase such a big total was due to a century from the Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis in the second innings. His 109 had helped the team to 376 after they had been reduced to 187 for 6. It was a substantial improvement on Canterbury’s first innings, when they were bundled out for 223, with Tom Latham’s 92 being the only big score of note.
ScorecardRain washed out the first two days in Auckland, consigning their game against Central Districts to a draw. The visitors took five points from the contest, while Auckland earned four.Central Districts, who were put in to bat, began their innings on the third day and produced a strong performance. Four of their top five batsmen made half-centuries, with Will Young and Greg Hay making 87 and 83, the top scores of the innings. They declared only on the fourth day, having scored 402 for 7 in 108.5 overs. Michael Bates was the best bowler for Auckland, taking 3 for 61.Auckland’s reply was also strong: their top three made half-centuries. Jeet Raval and Martin Guptill ad a century opening stand, and Anaru Kitchen made 59 at No. 3. Auckland had progressed to 253 for 4 when the game ended in a draw.
ScorecardNorthern Districts and Otago played out a draw in a low-scoring encounter in Whangarei that was marred by rain completely washing out play in the first two days. Northern Districts needed 154 to win, but their chase was stalled by wickets at regular intervals from James Neesham, who finished with 5 for 65. In the end, the team finished at 124 for 7, 30 runs shy of what would have been their second victory of the campaign.Despite the rain delay, Northern Districts will feel that this was a game they perhaps should’ve won, after securing a first-innings lead of 130, thanks to fifties from the openers Brad Wilson and Daniel Flynn, which lifted them to 223. This had followed after Otago, put in to bat, declared at 93 for 6 on the third day, with their top order all making starts, but failing to push on for bigger scores.Otago however fared much better in the second innings, posting 288 thanks to a 92-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Nathan McCullum and Jesse Ryder, who top-scored with 80. Graeme Aldridge was the pick of the bowlers for Northern Districts, finishing with 4 for 50.

The curtain came down on Sachin Tendulkar’s storied Test career with one of India’s most comprehensive victories as a hapless West Indies crumbled on the third morning

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran16-Nov-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The curtain came down on Sachin Tendulkar’s storied Test career with one of India’s most comprehensive victories, as a hapless West Indies crumbled on the third morning in Mumbai. Tendulkar walked off the field with a tear in his eye and to a fluid guard of honour from his team-mates, soaking in the cheers of the Wankhede crowd one last time.Pragyan Ojha took his second five-for of the match, and Ashwin finished with seven in the match, but the only spin bowling Indian fans wanted to see was the all-sorts of Tendulkar. Ten minutes before the scheduled close of the first session, by when West Indies had lost eight wickets in another inept batting performance, Tendulkar was brought into the attack. Though the crowd was desperate for a wicket, Tendulkar’s final two overs produced no breakthrough. MS Dhoni brought back his main bowlers and within a handful of overs, the Test was brought to an end with Mohammed Shami flattening the middle stump of the West Indies No. 11 Shannon Gabriel.Sachin Tendulkar was given a lap of honour on the shoulders of his team-mates•BCCIWest Indies’ batsmen hadn’t shown much aptitude for a fight earlier in the day either, as the spinners enjoyed the bounce and turn on offer. In the sixth over of the morning, Marlon Samuels charged out to Ojha, was nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was yards out of the crease when Dhoni took the bails off. Soon after, another player who has had a rough series, Chris Gayle, was caught-behind for 35 off Ojha and West Indies were five down. With those two big wickets, the question was whether West Indies would last the session.The man brought in to strengthen the batting in this Test, Narsingh Deonarine, fell for a duck, bringing in another player whose critics will only get louder after this game. Darren Sammy had played an atrocious shot in the first innings to bag a duck and he nearly fell first ball this time, a leading edge just landing short of mid-off. The relief for Sammy didn’t last long, though, as after an over in which he was tormented by Ojha, he missed an arm ball to be trapped lbw.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only West Indies batsman to have shown the wherewithal to grit it out consistently this series, resisted with 41, and Denesh Ramdin went on to a half-century but given the mammoth lead India had, it was only a matter of time. Chanderpaul was the man to depart, with Ashwin getting him lbw and running off in celebration.West Indies may have come into the series on the back of six victories, but the pitiful challenge they put up shows that they have regressed in the last two years. In those two years, the Indian team has undergone a major overhaul, and while the verdict on their performance will have to wait till they are tested overseas, they have done enough to send off Tendulkar with a record six Test wins.

Mark Boucher has retired from international cricket after undergoing surgery on the severe eye injury he sustained on the opening day against Somerset

Firdose Moonda in Taunton10-Jul-2012Mark Boucher has retired from international cricket after undergoing surgery on the severe eye injury he sustained on the opening day against Somerset. Boucher admitted he faces an “uncertain recovery” after his three-hour operation on Monday evening.Boucher had to leave the field at the end of the 46th over of Somerset’s innings on Monday when a googly from Imran Tahir hit the stumps and a dislodged bail struck Boucher in the left eye. He was diagnosed with a lacerated eyeball and he will return to South Africa as soon as he is able to travel.In a statement read out by Graeme Smith, Boucher said: “It is with sadness, and in some pain, that I make this announcement. Due to the severity of my eye injury, I will not be able to play international cricket again.”I had prepared for this UK tour as well, if not better than I have prepared for any tour in my career. I had never anticipated announcing my retirement now, but circumstances have dictated differently. I have a number of thank you’s to make to people who have made significant contributions during my International career, which I will do in due course.”For now I would like to thank the huge number of people, many of whom are strangers, for their heartfelt support during the past 24 hours. I am deeply touched by all the well wishes. I wish the team well in the UK, as I head home and onto a road of uncertain recovery.”Smith also spoke on behalf of the team: “Bouch, we have walked a long road together, and we are saddened to part under these circumstances,” he said. “For the 14 years of your international career, you have been a true Proteas warrior, a patriotic South African, a fighter who asks nothing and gives everything. You have been a 100 percenter for this team.”You have been more than a performer, you have been a motivator, an inspirer, an energizer… and a good friend to many. You leave us today with sad hearts, but also with a deep gratitude for your contributions to our team, and to us as people. The fighting spirit you brought to team remains with us. We wish you a good as possible recovery from your injury. As we bid you a farewell as an International cricketer and wish you well for your future, we keep you as a friend and respected Proteas warrior.”This tour to England was set to be his final duty for South Africa and the Lord’s Test would have been his 150th appearance. Boucher will end on 998 international dismissals, including 555 from 147 Tests, which is a record. He also took a catch in the field against West Indies when AB de Villiers was keeping.”The extent of the eye injury can be described as severe. The eyeball (globe of the eye) was repaired during the operation,” Mohammed Moosajee, the South Africa manager, told ESPNcricinfo earlier on Tuesday. “The long-term prognosis at this stage remains unknown. He will return home as soon as able to travel and the selectors will announce a replacement shortly.”The South Africa selectors will name a replacement for Boucher on Wednesday. Thami Tsolekile, earmarked as the successor to Boucher and nationally contracted from April 1, is the likeliest candidate to be called up. However, the coach Gary Kirsten said AB de Villiers would take the gloves for the first Test at The Oval.Tsolekile recently played for the South Africa A side in the two unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A and has also been named in the squad to travel to Ireland to shadow the senior side from the third Test. He last played for South Africa in 2004 when he represented the country in three Tests including one against England at Port Elizabeth.