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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.

As South Africa crawled at a run rate of 1.88 in the 52 overs they faced on day two, Mahela Jayawardene issued a warning to the opposition: negativity would only play into Sri Lanka’s hands

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC25-Jul-2014Sri Lanka learned of the perils of defensive cricket earlier in the year in Sharjah, when they batted cautiously through the Test, as they aimed to preserve their 1-0 series lead. On that occasion, Pakistan blew them away on the final day, wiping out four days of Sri Lanka’s slow work.As South Africa crawled at a run rate of 1.88 in the 52 overs they faced on day two, Mahela Jayawardene issued a warning to the opposition: negativity would only play into Sri Lanka’s hands.”The way the South Africans batted today – in 50 overs they scored only 90 runs – that is encouraging for us,” he said. “That means our 400-plus looks like 550. I’m not sure how the wicket will play tomorrow evening and the fourth day, but we need to assess that and bat them out of the contest. But they’ve been pretty slow today, so as long as we can keep it nice and tight and create opportunities, we might not need that many runs.”Sri Lanka have fielded three spin bowlers in the match, with Kithuruwan Vithanage’s part-time legspin also available, but Jayawardene suggested breakthroughs may not come all that easy, despite the wearing pitch.”It’s going to be hard work, but we’ve got to be patient and make sure we hold on to our catches when they come our way. Our attitude and focus has to be on those sessions. It will be tough to score runs as well. It’s not coming on to the bat. The whole point of us playing three spinners was to try and see if we can get something out of it. Hopefully tomorrow morning we can put them under pressure. We’ve still got three days of cricket.”Jayawardene also defended the two young middle-order batsmen who had been dropped for this match, in favour of even fresher talents. Dinesh Chandimal had had three poor innings in Tests, in addition to a woeful run in limited-overs cricket, and now finds himself relegated to the Sri Lanka A team. Lahiru Thirimanne, meanwhile, has not seemed himself since becoming vice-captain ahead of the England tour, and was also left out at SSC.”You do feel a lot for them. With the amount of cricket that we’re playing these days, it’s just that it’s tough to try and be that consistent. We’ve all been through those bad periods. I think what the selectors are trying to do is give them a bit of a break. But they’re still playing cricket. Chandi’s in England now. There are a lot of opportunities coming up.”I think they just need to take a bit of time, refocus and come back. They’re still young. They’ve had good starts to their international careers. Everyone is trying to help them get through the tough times. Different players find their form in different ways and give them the right opportunities.”

A look at the four qualifying teams of the Champions League T20 2014

Alagappan Muthu12-Sep-20145:19

Agarkar: People don’t identify with most CLT20 teams

Mumbai IndiansOne of four teams who have claimed both their domestic Twenty20 and Champions Trophy titles, Mumbai Indians have been forced to earn their place in the main draw after a dismal IPL 2014. Their bid to remedy that has already taken a jolt with Rohit Sharma’s injuries. In addition to losing their captain, Rohit’s absence has left only seven batsmen to choose from. Among them only Kieron Pollard and to a lesser extent Corey Anderson have the strike rates to make the opposition fret. Pollard has been promoted to captain the side, and perhaps might be tempted to bat up the order. But Mumbai would rely as heavily on Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga, who had been the other contenders in that race.How they qualified: By adding to IPL’s penchant for unbelievable finishes. Their season began with five losses in the UAE, before a return to India rejuvenated them. Despite six victories in eight matches, Mumbai were left with a must-win game at their Wankhede fortress. They needed 190 in 87 balls and Anderson finally lived up to his high-profile billing as his 95 off 44 balls fuelled a thunderous batting performance. Rajasthan Royals scrambled to keep the scores level at the 87th delivery. But conditions allowed for one more ball. Aditya Tare, the new batsman, had to send it flying out of the ground and so he did to spark manic scenes.Strengths: Experience. Harbhajan could be trusted to be miserly, as he was with the sixth-best economy rate of 6.47 in 2013. Malinga’s threat was diminished when he faced Pakistan in August. His fitness kept the twitter abuzz and he wasn’t able to stun them into silence with those toe-crushers. Pollard is the other pillar the side stands on.Kieron Pollard, the new captain of the Mumbai Indians, will hope to add the Champions League title to his CPL trophy this season•LatinContent/Getty ImagesWeaknesses: Batting, especially the top order. Michael Hussey was a liability as opener at the start of the IPL. Tare might take his place and Ambati Rayudu would shoulder greater responsibility after two tours with the Indian ODI side. Anderson was suspect against spin, especially when met with it early.Watch out for: Lendl Simmons was brought in midway through the IPL as a quick-fix to their opening problems but his performances have tipped him as a long-term option. He finished as the top-scorer for Mumbai and those credentials have been bolstered by four fifties during the Caribbean Premier League, including a 60-ball 97 against St. Lucia Zouks. Mumbai’s batting would gain considerable security should he reprise his form.Northern DistrictsThey beat Otago, last year’s representatives from New Zealand, to make their first Champions League appearance. To acclimatise to Indian conditions, the squad had trained in Bangalore since the start of September. Inputs from the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kane Williamson would also come in handy. They were slow to embrace T20s, as five wins in their first three seasons suggest and were mostly stuck in mid-table tussles until their maiden HRV cup triumph in 2014.”We’ve got two quality swing bowers ranked in the top ten Test ratings, so we’re looking for that experience to make some inroads at the top of the innings,” said Daniel Flynn, their captain. “We’ve got a lot of experience in the batting as well with some international players who are accustomed to the conditions, so I think we’re a well rounded squad – we’ll certainly put up a good fight.” They might, however, miss Corey Anderson’s all-round abilities, having lost him to Mumbai Indians.How they qualified: By batting the opposition out. Six of their eight wins came about with the help of totals above 174, including a 40-run mauling of three-time champions Auckland. They had a rickety time chasing though, which had almost been exploited in the final. Though the target was 144, Northern Districts were 24 for 3 before Daryl Mitchell and Watling resurrected the chase.Strengths: Flynn, Mitchell and Daniel Harris were among the top-five run-getters and were key to the side’s average run rate being 8.14. Boult and Southee shoulder the responsibility of early wickets and curtailing late runs to add to the side’s balance.Weaknesses: Ish Sodhi is the only specialist spinner of note from the squad after Daniel Vettori had to pull out. In his stead comes uncapped 22-year old left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. Anton Devcich provides additional assistance, as does Trent’s brother Jono Boult. In conditions where slower bowlers tend to fare better, Northern Districts will want all their spinners performing at their best levels.Watch out for: Daryl Mitchell enjoyed a strike rate of 143.61 while ticking off 270 runs in 10 matches. He began the season with a face-saving 88 against Central Districts to turned 19 for 3 to 200 for 4. He provides the impetus in the middle order and will need to assist in his side bettering their record in chases.Southern ExpressSri Lankan teams have not fared well at the Champions League to date, perhaps partly because they are chosen in brief tournaments that are more cobbled together than organised. This year’s Super Fours tournament was shoehorned into one rain-hit July week, in between two international tours. Sri Lanka may be World T20 champions and the top-ranked T20 side, but Sri Lanka Cricket’s primary motive for sending a team to the Champions League appears to be to bank the $500,000 sum paid to participating sides.However, a four-team tournament does condense the talent in the country. They may not have much experience playing together as a side, but on paper Southern Express have the potential to be competitive. They are ably led by Jehan Mubarak, who has had an extraordinary year in domestic cricket, and the 15-man squad features seven international cricketers, and several youngsters who will likely be considered for Sri Lanka duty in coming years. Not much is expected of Express, but there is no reason they cannot spring a few surprises and earn a place in the tournament proper.How they qualified: Express’ route to the Champions League says plenty about how seriously SLC treat domestic T20 cricket. Express were scheduled to play three round-robin matches. They lost the first game, but managed to get a spot in the knockout stages when their next two matches were rained out. They then won the eliminator comfortably, and narrowly defeated a good Udarata Rulers side to earn the trip to India.Northern Districts won their first HRV trophy to qualify for the Champions League•Getty ImagesStrengths: Express’ strongest asset in their quest for qualification is their top-order, which will feature Kusal Perera, Test wicketkeeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella, and domestic performers like Mubarak and Angelo Perera. The squad also features good slow-bowling options in Seekkuge Prasanna, Dilruwan Perera and Sachith Pathirana. Tillakaratne Dilshan was expected to add further muscle to the side, but he had to pull out of the tournament due to family commitments.Weakness: With Lasith Malinga choosing to play for Mumbai Indians, Express will rely heavily on Maharoof to provide reliable overs towards the death. There are two other promising quicks in the squad, but they are light on experience.Watch out for: Niroshan Dickwella has so far only played Tests, but limited-overs cricket has been his stronger suit in domestic cricket. He was this year’s top-scorer in the List A tournament, and possesses an array of attacking shots, as well as the gall with which to pull them off.Lahore LionsLahore Lions have have won three titles and were runner-up in 2009, making them the second-most successful T20 team in Pakistan. They have a good blend of domestic performers along with the six international cricketers, with Mohammad Hafeez, the No.1-ranked allrounder, leading the side. Their participation had been uncertain over visa concerns, which were sorted out just days before the tournament began.How they qualified: Abbottabad Falcons were the only team to upset them in their final match of the group stage, but Lions lifted themselves in the knock-outs. They handed a 79-run drubbing to Islamabad Leopards in the semi-final and their batsmen clung on for a last-ball victory in the final. The early wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq dented Faisalabad Wolves and limited them to 130 but the equation reached a dicey 11 from 6 which Saad Nasim was able to manage.Strength: Four flamboyant players make up the nucleus of their batting – Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Nasir Jamshed and Umar Akmal. The pace battery is centred on the experience of Aizaz Cheema – who was the top wicket-taker in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup and Wahab Riaz, who had managed to tip over the 140-kph mark and showed good form in Sri Lanka.Weakness: The middle order lacks international experience, which could prove the difference.Watch out for: Adnan Rasool, the 33-year old offspinner, has spent 12 years on the domestic circuit and would hope to use the global impact of the Champions League and make a case for being one of the replacements for Saeed Ajmal.

Cricket boards around the world would do well to emulate the example of the English game in the fight against corruption, according to Angus Porter, the head of the players’ union in England.

George Dobell21-May-2014Cricket boards around the world would do well to emulate the example of the English game in the fight against corruption, according to Angus Porter, the head of the players’ union in England.While recent revelations relating to Lou Vincent might have painted an unflattering picture of the extent of corruption in county cricket, Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, remains confident that methods used to combat the issue in England should be used as a template in the rest of the world.”The Vincent revelations are largely historical,” Porter told ESPNcricinfo. “They may only have come into the public domain in the last few days, but the ECB and PCA had known about them for some time.”While they are a reminder that there is no room for complacency in the battle against corruption, we wouldn’t want people to use them to express outdated concerns about the English game. Much has been achieved in the last few years and the recent news relates largely to a period before many preventative measures had come into place.”There are, in Porter’s estimation, six elements to the fight against corruption. Crucially, given recent suggestions about the restructuring of the Anti-Corruption Unit, they require an independent investigative and disciplinary body, as well as national player associations and the full co-operation of the national cricket boards. That is not an environment offered in India and Pakistan, for example, who do not recognise player associations.Porter’s six-point plan:1) Unity with independence
“It is incredibly important that all stake-holders act together,” Porter says. “So in England we have seen the ECB and PCA work together to find the best way to educate those involved, but also investigate and act where necessary.” But at the same time it is, he says, “essential that the independence of the investigative, reporting and disciplinary processes is maintained.” So while the ECB may fund the ACU’s work, they should not limit, interfere or attempt to influence in its work. And, as Porter points out “we need to be certain that it must not just be independent, it must be perceived as independent.”2) A distinction between the educational and investigative
In England and Wales, the PCA take on the role of educating players about the dangers of corruption and what to do should they be approached. They are not directly involved in the investigative or disciplinary aspects. “This is a particular challenge in those countries that do not have a players’ association to help with the education function,” Porter says. “It is very hard to go from the classroom with a player to then investigating them.”3) Start young
The prevention process now starts long before players sign professional terms with a first-class county. Anti-corruption education is given to academy players and ingrained in them as they develop through the system. Ignorance cannot be an excuse.4) An amnesty
In 2012, an amnesty was declared in England in which players could report historic information. While little of significance came to light during that process, it did provide a last opportunity for those who might have been guilty to come clean and offered them no excuses should information come to light at a later date. “Other countries should follow the lead of the game in England and Wales and declare an amnesty,” Porter says. “While our amnesty did not reveal a huge amount of new information, it did clear the conscience of a few people and made it very clear that a line had been drawn. There could be no excuse if anything came to light after that date.”

“Confidence in the integrity of the game is paramount. We have achieved a great deal in the last few years and it would be wrong for people to judge the integrity of the English game on historic cases.”Angus Porter

5) Tie-in education with registration of players
It has become mandatory for players to have completed their anti-corruption training before they can be registered to play for a county. “Players cannot take the field of play until they have done so,” Porter explains. At times, with some overseas signings, this has only happened a couple of hours before a game, but there have been no exceptions. Not only does the process ensure that the players have been educated, it ensures they cannot use a defence of ignorance should they have been found to have engaged in corrupt practices.”Cricket in England is, we believe, the only sport in the world that has hard-wired education into registration in this way,” Porter says. “Again, I believe other countries would do well to follow this example.”6) Allow the prevention and investigation methods to be intelligence based
Over recent days, England players Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara have made comments in the media suggesting that preventative measures taken in county cricket were not as robust as those taken in international cricket. Notably, both called for the ban on communication devices – mobile phones and the like – in international cricket to be replicated in the domestic game. But, says, Porter that may not address the real issue.”While we are delighted to see the obvious desire of the England players to see that everything possible should be done to combat corruption, it is important we think these things through,” he says. “It may be that there is a place to restrict the use of communication devices in televised games, but while members of the public are still able to access dressing rooms during those games, it would seem to be pointless to introduce such a ban without taking other measures first.”The danger is that such action will give people a warm feeling of contentment that they are doing the right thing, but that it will actually be no use at all. The evidence we have is that fixing usually takes place away from the ground and not on match days.”Porter also points out that most players involved in the England squads were not party to the pre-season anti-corruption programmes at the counties and might not be fully aware of the extent of the help now offered at domestic level.”I think James Anderson was the only England player available for the pre-season education,” Porter explained. “But the England team’s anti-corruption runs parallel to the county teams’ so no-one slips through the net. Anderson would have seen Mervyn Westfield give some incredibly powerful testimony on the mistakes he made.”Confidence in the integrity of the game is paramount. We have achieved a great deal in the last few years and, while recent news reminds us that there is no room for complacency, it would be wrong for people to judge the integrity of the English game on historic cases.”

David Hussey will replace Dwayne Bravo in Chennai Super Kings’ squad for the rest of the 2014 IPL season

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2014Australia batsman David Hussey will replace Dwayne Bravo in the Chennai Super Kings’ squad for the rest of the 2014 IPL season. Super Kings announced it on their official Twitter account. They also retweeted Hussey saying, “Just recd some amazing news!!!!! Can’t wait until tomorrow…. Get in there!!!!”Incidentally, Hussey had been involved with the IPL as a television commentator for the host broadcaster. The 36-year-old, who has played 69 ODIs and 39 T20s for Australia, has plenty of IPL experience, having featured in 23 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders and 36 matches for Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons. In all, he has scored 1206 runs at an average of 25.65 and a strike rate of 122.93, with four half-centuries. His brother Michael Hussey was one of Super Kings’ finest overseas players, scoring 1691 runs in 46 games between 2008 to 2013.Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, was ruled out of the tournament after injuring his shoulder while fielding against Kings XI Punjab during Super Kings’ first match in 2014.

Robbie Frylinck defended 14 off the last over and seven off the last ball to give Dolphins their first trophy in seven seasons as they edged Cobras by two runs in the final

The Report by Firdose Moonda09-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Morne van Wyk laid the foundation for a strong total for Dolphins with a 45-ball 47•Getty ImagesRobbie Frylinck defended 14 off the last over and seven off the last ball to give Dolphins their first trophy in seven seasons as they edged Cobras by two runs in the final. This was Dolphins’ maiden victory in the 20-over tournament and their first individual cup since the franchise system started in 2004-05. Previously, the Durban-based team shared the first-class title on two occasions, but this is their first outright win in over a decade.Former captain Daryn Smit, who has been part of the Dolphins set-up throughout that time, could not hide his emotions after the win. “Eleven years in the changeroom without a hand on the trophy,” he said, through the tears. “This is just special.” Current captain Morne van Wyk also weighed in. “I am so proud of you guys” he said to this team-mates. “We started this journey together and look where we are now.”Van Wyk, who the Dolphins signed from the Knights at the start of the summer, proved his worth as he laid the foundation. He was not rattled by the early loss of Cameron Delport and took charge with a short-arm pull off Jacques Kallis – playing his first match for the Cobras in this tournament – which sailed for six.At the halfway stage, van Wyk and Smit took the Dolphins to 75 for 2 but Smit’s dismissal immediately after that threatened to peg them back. Van Wyk kept the scoreboard ticking almost alone before holing out off Sybrand Engelbrecht at long-off for 47.He left it to David Miller, whose 93-run blitz off 37 balls in the playoff put Dolphins in the final, to accelerate. He showed off one “out of the park” shot off Engelbrecht and put on 32 runs for the fifth-wicket with Khaya Zondo but Dolphins could not take off from there either.Kallis dismissed Zondo with the first ball of his second over, when Justin Kemp held one at long-on. He also accounted for Vaughn van Jaarsveld who pulled straight to midwicket without scoring in that over. Beuran Hendricks found the right length to bowl a tight penultimate over, which cost only two runs, and then Kallis returned to take another two wickets in the last over. Keshav Maharaj’s six pushed Dolphins over the 140 mark, but it was still thought they were about 10 runs short.By the end of the Cobras Powerplay, Dolphins would not have any such concerns. Mthokozisi Shezi, Frylinck and Kyle Abbott reduced them to 20 for 4, removing danger men Richard Levi and Jacques Kallis in single figures.Dolphins loosened the noose after those early strikes and Stiaan van Zyl and Engelbrecht fought Cobras way back in. They rotated the strike well and Engelbrecht was particularly aggressive, taking 17 runs off Smit’s third over. Their partnership grew to 91 as they took the team to 111 for 4 and ensured they required 36 runs from the last four overs.Van Zyl was run out as the 17th over began; Frylinck aiming at one stump from midwicket and hitting. With no boundaries off that over, Dolphins transferred pressure back to Cobras. Kemp eased it somewhat with a six off the second last ball of the 18th over but Dolphins wrested it back when van Zyl was caught at mid-off, trying to clear the inner ring.Dane Piedt’s four to end that over left Cobras needing 14 off the final six balls and with Kemp on strike it seemed possible. A four and a single off the first two put Piedt in the firing line and he was run out by Frylinck in his followthrough, trying to get Kemp back into position to hit the winning runs.Two full, straight balls conceded only singles and Kemp needed six off the final ball to send the match into a Super Over. Kemp cleared his frontfoot and went over deep mid-wicket but the ball bounced inside the boundary to put paid to the Cobras hopes of a third title in this format and give Dolphins their first.The cup is Lance Klusener’s first since taking over as head coach last season. Known for his stoic nature, Klusener gave away little throughout the match but at its conclusion, allowed himself a rare letting down of hair. He joined a team huddle and confessed he spent the three hours watching the match with many nerves.”My emotions were just for the guys,” he said. “My heart was just bleeding for them. They’ve worked so hard for this and they deserve it.” Dolphins will compete in their first Champions League T20 as a result of this win.They were due to compete in the inaugural event in 2008, which was cancelled because of the Mumbai terror attacks and have not managed to finish in the top two of South Africa’s domestic 20-over competition since. Safe to say they are swimming in unchartered territory now.

The West Indies head coach, Ottis Gibson and captains Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo have been added to the selection panel, as part of 19 recommendations approved by the board of directors of the WICB

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2014The West Indies head coach, Ottis Gibson and captains Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo have been added to the selection panel, as part of 19 recommendations approved by the board of directors of the West Indies Cricket Board to help improve the game in the region. The recommendations were presented by Richard Pybus, the WICB’s director of cricket.The 33-page Pybus Report follows a comprehensive three month, region-wide study which he conducted between November 2013 and January 2014. Pybus, who coached Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from a host of domestic teams around the world, took on his new position last October.Gibson will have voting rights in the selection panel while Sammy (Test and T20 captain) and Bravo (ODI captain) are in the panel as non-voting members. They will be added to the panel that includes Clyde Butts (chairman), Robert Haynes and Courtney Browne.Another significant recommendation was the restructuring of the first-class game in the region. There will be a structured year-round cricket programme with each team playing a minimum of ten matches per season with a home and away format, stretching the domestic season to six months. In a bid to further professionalise the game, annual contracts will be given to 15 players from each territorial board.There will be professional coaching staff for all first-class teams and all matches will be played at international standard grounds. The WICB will appoint a Coaching Manager to implement and oversee coaching programme throughout the region and implement the Elite Coaches Pathway programme which will identify current and former players for accelerated coaching training.There was a recommendation to downsize the number of first-class teams from seven to six to make the Regional Four Day more competitive, but the decision was deferred..

England’s batsmen will face retired international fast bowler Brett Lee one more time after he was named to captain the Prime Minister’s XI in January

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2013England’s batsmen will face retired international fast bowler Brett Lee one more time after he was named to captain the Prime Minister’s XI in January. England will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in a one-day match in Canberra on January 14, between the first and second one-day internationals, and while the rest of the side is yet to be named, Lee has been confirmed to lead it.Lee, 37, last played for Australia in July last year on the ODI tour of England, but he announced his retirement when he flew home from that tour with a calf injury. However, he has remained active in Twenty20 tournaments since then and has again signed for the Sydney Sixers in this summer’s BBL, meaning he will have played several games before taking on England.”It’s a great honour for me to be selected as captain of the Prime Minister’s XI to take on England,” Lee said. “I know first-hand how this important fixture on the Australian cricketing calendar can help propel the careers of young aspiring cricketers.”I first played in the Prime Minister’s XI against India in 1999. I was fortunate enough to take four wickets in that match, and less than three weeks later found myself on the biggest stage of all – playing at the MCG on Boxing Day in my first Test match for Australia. More than 14 years on, I’m proud to lead what I’m sure will be an emerging team of stars here next month at the magnificent Manuka Oval.”

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.

Chris Gayle, the captain of the Jamaica Tallawahs, has praised the contributions of Kumar Sangakkara and Andre Russell after the pair helped their side defeat Barbados Tridents by seven wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2013Chris Gayle, the captain of the Jamaica Tallawahs, has praised the contributions of Kumar Sangakkara and Andre Russell after the pair put on 35 in 11 balls for fourth wicket to help defeat Barbados Tridents by seven wickets and book Jamaica’s place in Saturday’s final against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.Sangakkara, who signed for Jamaica last week, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 50, and added a crucial 71 for the second wicket with Chadwick Walton to set the tone for Russell’s late onslaught, and Gayle believed his experience was vital in seeing Jamaica through.”He made a big impact and we’re happy for that. We all know what a class and key player he is, having done it worldwide, and we’re pleased that he took us over the line,” Gayle said. “Being a [former] captain, he knows what the situation requires. Hopefully he can do it again tomorrow, so that we can finish with a high and can celebrate.”Gayle said that despite facing an increasing run-rate, Jamaica were always confident of chasing down Barbados’ 148 so long as they had big-hitters like Russell to come.”Once he [Russell] gets going, it’s going to be difficult to stop him. He’s a dangerous player and played a big part by finishing it for us.”It was just clean hitting, especially the last ball that he finished the match with. You don’t see this often, batsmen playing shots like in baseball. We’re very pleased and hopefully this will give us some momentum.”Despite the positive feedback from Gayle, Sangakkara, who joined Jamaica last week, was a little more critical of his own batting, and was relieved that Russell’s late blitz took the team home. “I could’ve got a few more singles, especially at the back-end when I was trying to hit the ball hard and was losing shape and not getting off strike,” Sangakkara said. “We could’ve got into trouble, but the way Russell hit the ball, particularly the Roger Federer serve at the end, was great.”Russell, who is Jamaica’s second-highest run-getter in the tournament so far, with 170 at a strike-rate of 191.01, said that he had always backed his ability to produce the big hits.”I was just batting with a clear head. I don’t know when something like this (a 6-ball 29) will happen again, but I knew that I had the potential for making these whirlwind scores,” he said. “Well done to the guys who set the tone and made my job a bit more comfortable, to just come in and play my natural game.”Looking ahead to Saturday’s final against Guyana, Gayle said that his team would have to be at their very best if they were to prevail against the tournament favourites. “They are the only team to beat us twice and have been playing good all-round cricket. They have the best bowling attack in the competition so it’s going to be tough. But if we bat properly, we have a good chance.”