All posts by csb10.top

Zimbabwe Select 155 and 95 for 2 trail South Africa A 542 for 7 (Dippenaar 189, Amla 142, Ontong 70 ) by 292 runs
ScorecardPaul Harris’s five-wicket haul further compounded Zimbabwe Select’s misery on the third day at Bulawayo as they crumbled for 155 in reply to South Africa A’s 542 for 7. Following on, Zimbabwe reached 95 for 2, helped by Tatenda Taibu and the opener Hamilton Masakadza.Play resumed with Zimbabwe on 36 for 3 while Taibu and Timycen Maruma at the crease. Taibu could only add two runs to his overnight score of six before Andre Nel bowled him in the third over of the morning. Nel struck again when he trapped Maruma leg-before for eight.Stuart Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura strived to restore the home side’s innings but they could only put up 26 for the sixth wicket before Chigumbura fell to left-arm seamer Yusuf Abdullah, caught behind by Thami Tsolekile for 18.Harris got his first wicket of the day when he had Matsikenyeri caught at first slip by Andrew Hall for 26. Harris, the left-arm spinner, dismissed Keith Dabengwa for nine.Prosper Utseya and Gary Brent frustrated the South Africans with some resolute batting in an ninth-wicket stand of 59 as they fended off a hostile spell from Nel. Utseya fell for 32 when he skied a Harris delivery and Nel ran in from mid-on to take the catch.Second time around, the openers Masakadza and Brendan Taylor put up 24 before Taylor fell lbw for 13. Vusi Sibanda’s struggle with the bat continued when Hall bowled him for seven.Taibu and Masakadza defended well but at the same time punished the South African bowlers. Taibu dispatched the offspinner Imraan Khan for two sixes in a row as he changed to offensive mode.Zimbabwe Select could still escape with a draw – but their slim hopes rest on some firm resistance from Taibu and Masakadza.

Dav Whatmore, the former Bangladesh coach, is set to become the first director of operations of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.”I’ve agreed, but the announcement should come from the board … I don’t wish to break protocol,” Whatmore was quoted as saying by the , a Kolkata-based daily. “The contract is for three years and I’ll be in Bangalore by the end of this month.” Whatmore had been made the offer by Ravi Shastri, the NCA chairman.Looking ahead to the job at hand, Whatmore indicated that there were several plans for the NCA. “I’m excited and Ravi wants it to become a real finishing school. In fact, I’d like players from overseas too to graduate from there.”The specifics have to be worked out, but I expect the NCA to be operational for 8-10 months [in a year]. Eventually, one would like Indian coaches to impart all the training but, if needed, one may call specialists from overseas. However, one doesn’t have to cross that bridge right now.”Whatmore had been one of the leading contenders to replace Greg Chappell as India coach, but he wasn’t even called for the interview by a panel which included Shastri. Whatmore, though, said that didn’t affect his decision to take up the NCA offer.”I’d rather talk of the NCA,” he said. “It didn’t take me long to realise there’s value in being associated with it. Plus, I can give something. I know Ravi’s on the coach-appointing committee, but I didn’t bring up what happened in June. I’ve known Ravi for a number of years. We understand each other well and I’m looking forward to a formal association with him.”

Kerala ended the second day of their South Zone Ranji Trophy matchagainst Karnataka, trailing by 68 runs with seven wickets in hand inthe first innings at the Nehru stadium in Kochi on Thursday. Replyingto Karnataka’s first innings total of 236, Kerala were 168 for three.Resuming at 231 for seven, Karnataka were dismissed for the additionof only five runs. Medium pacer Tinu Yohannan bagged three wickets for61 whereas Sunil Oasis and Suresh Kumar picked up two each.Kerala scored at about two runs an over in making a confident replybefore play was called off an hour early due to bad light. PrashanthMenon was the top scorer with a steady 63. He faced 123 balls and hitseven fours and a six. Dodda Ganesh picked up two of the threewickets. Sunil Oasis (30), having been dropped twice, had Ajay Kudua(17) batting at the crease when play was halted.

Centuries from Nakul Verma and Soumya Ranjan Swain went in vain as Punjab won by three wickets in a thriller to secure their quarter-final berth. Services posted an imposing 323 for 7 courtesy a 186-run stand for the fifth wicket between Verma and Swain. But the knocks were consigned to being second-best on the day as Punjab rode Yuvraj Singh’s 83-ball 98 to chase down the steep target with six balls to spare.Jiwanjot Singh (41) and Pargat Singh (49) added 82 in just 10.1 overs to set up the chase that was then driven around Yuvraj’s knock, with Mandeep Singh (45) and Mayank Siddana (46) chipping in with vital contributions. The winning runs were hit by Harbhajan Singh, who finished 16 not out courtesy two fours and a six.Tamil Nadu bossed their way to a fifth win in six matches courtesy centuries from Dinesh Karthik and B Aparajith and a six-wicket haul from Rahil Shah. Rajasthan, who were chasing 385, were bundled out for 132 in 26.2 overs.Rajasthan’s decision to field backfired as Karthik (108) and Aparajith (137) added 199 for the second wicket to set the platform for a final onslaught. M Vijay, batting at No. 5, provided the final flourish by smashing six fours and three sixes in his 44-ball 74 as TN smashed 161 off the last 15 overs.Rajasthan lost the top three inside the third over, and from there on, it was simply a procession as Shah, the left-arm spinner, finished with 6 for 37, his best List A figures. Rajat Bhatia, who made 94 in Rajasthan’s thrilling win over Mumbai on Thursday, was the lone ranger with the bat. He was unbeaten on 29 when the last wicket fell. Rajasthan finished sixth in the group with three wins and as many losses.Mumbai cruised to a seven-wicket win over Hyderabad, but Punjab’s win meant they were eliminated from the knockouts despite winning four out of their six matches. Hyderabad’s 217 for 8, achieved largely on the back of Hanuma Vihari’s 95, was chased down quite easily in 44.2 overs, with Akhil Herwadkar (85) and Shreyas Iyer (84) hitting the high notes. Their 134-run stand flattened Hyderabad, even before Ajinkya Rahane made a sprightly unbeaten 31 to take Mumbai home by seven wickets.

The England selectors sprung a major surprise as they unveiled their squads for the forthcoming ODI and Test series in New Zealand. Though Andrew Strauss has been recalled to the Test squad as anticipated, the shock omission is that of the wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who has paid the price for one dropped catch too many in the Sri Lanka series.The uncapped Warwickshire wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose wins a place in both squads at the expense of Prior, while Kent’s offspinner James Tredwell has also been called up to the one-day squad for the first time. Strauss, who was dropped in October for the first time in his 43-Test career, will join up with the tour party in New Zealand after playing for Northern Knights in the State Shield and Twenty20 competitions.”Tim Ambrose fully deserves an opportunity at this level following impressive performances for the England Performance Squad in India before Christmas and for Warwickshire last season,” David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said. “Matt Prior performed well with the bat in Sri Lanka and it has been a difficult decision to leave him out of this tour. But the selectors feel that he needs to further improve his wicket-keeping in order to realise his full potential in international cricket.”Andrew Strauss needed a break from international cricket in our view and he will now be keen to re-establish himself in the Test side. His experience will be of benefit to the squad as a whole and his inclusion will also provide us with alternative options if required at the top of the batting order.”James Tredwell has performed well for Kent in the domestic one-day game and continued to impress in India with the Performance Squad. This is an excellent opportunity for him to show that he can step up to the next level.”Meanwhile, the Sussex batsman Michael Yardy has been named as captain of a 13-man England Lions squad which will compete in the Duleep Trophy in India later this month. Monty Panesar will tour India with the Lions prior to joining up with England’s Test squad in New Zealand.England Test squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Tim Ambrose (wk), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Phil Mustard, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann.England ODI squad Paul Collingwood (capt), Tim Ambrose (wk), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Phil Mustard, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.England Lions squad Michael Yardy (capt), Kabir Ali, Michael Carberry, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, James Hildreth, Ed Joyce, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Alan Richardson, Jonathan Trott.

Derbyshire’s push for new signings continues with the appointment of Andrew Brown, their former batsman, as assistant coach to John Morris.It is Brown’s fourth spell on the staff, having had two stints as a first-team player in the ’80s and early ’90s, and then he was the second XI captain/coach from 1997 to 2000.Morris was delighted with the signings and he said: “Andy has been coach of Suffolk in Minor Counties cricket for the last five years culminating in them winning the MCCA Trophy last season and I am delighted to have someone with local knowledge, bags of experience and lots of enthusiasm joining our staff.”Brown said: “It is a pleasure to be back after seven years away from the club. Working at Suffolk and at Chesterfield CC has been fantastic but this is the level of the game that I want to be involved in. Derbyshire is a club close to my heart and as soon as I got the call from John I knew that the County Ground is where I want to be.”

Tatenda Taibu’s return to the Zimbabwe cricket team is almost complete after he was included in a select side for two four-day matches against India A at home.Cricinfo revealed last month that Taibu’s comeback was imminent, although he was recently quoted saying his lawyers were still in negotiation with Zimbabwe Cricket, possibly over outstanding payments still owed to him by the board.The former captain however will now play under the current leader, Prosper Utseya.Wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor was also named in the side although he is yet to return from the Netherlands and may miss the first four-dayer at Harare Sports Club. Sean Williams, who is recovering from an injury which kept him out of training for six weeks, was also included.Allrounder Keith Dabengwa meanwhile misses out on selection, but will captain the A side on a tour of South Africa at the same time the Select will be facing India A. The batsmen Chamu Chibhabha has also been relegated to the A side, where the only other senior players are the pace bowler, Blessing Mahwire, and the former Zimbabwe A captain, Alester Maregwede.Zimbabwe Select Prosper Utseya (capt) Terry Duffin, Tatenda Taibu, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor (wk), Hamilton Masakadza, Sean Williams, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tino Mawoyo, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Ed Rainsford, Chris Mpofu, Gary Brent, Trevor Garwe, Tawanda Mupariwa.Zimbabwe A Keith Dabengwa (cpat) Chamu Chibhabha, Eric Chauluka, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Bornaparte Mujuru, Forster Mutizwa, Alester Maregwede, Regis Chakabva, Alois Tichana, Taurai Muzarabani, Prosper Tsvanhu, Timycen Maruma, Admire Manyumwa, Tendai Chisoro, Blessing Mahwire, Patient Charumbira.

ScorecardCharlie Shreck and Steve Kirby shared seven wickets as England Lions completed a 30-run victory against a Mumbai Cricket Association XI in a warm-up match. The pair, neither of whom were in the original touring party, ensured the MCA XI fell short of their 261-run target and allowed the Lions to head into their opening Duleep Trophy match in good spirits.The Lions began on 86 for 7 and extended their second innings to 114 before Jonathan Trott was last man out for 34 to hand Dhaval Kulkarni a five-wicket haul. Mumbai were soon in trouble as Liam Plunkett claimed his first wicket of the match and Shreck struck twice with the new ball to leave them tottering on 48 for 3.Hiken Shah (23) and Aditya Tare (39) began to repair the damage with a fourth-wicket stand of 55 before Kirby snared both in the space of five overs. Shreck worked away at the middle order and Adil Rashid, given his first bowl of the match ahead of Monty Panesar who sat out the second innings, collected Kulkarni as the Lions closed in.However, they were made to wait by a feisty last-wicket stand of 42 between 19-year-old Omkar Gurav and Usman Malvi. They chipped away at the target, but just as it was coming into view Kirby returned to remove Gurav for a battling 46.England now travel to Vadodara ahead of their opening Duleep Trophy match, against Central Zone, starting on February 3.

Scorecard

South Africa secured their place in the 2009 Women’s World Cup after overpowering Ireland by seven wickets. South Africa have been a cut above the other teams seen in the tournament and proved too powerful as they knocked off the target with more than 22 overs to spare.”We’re really relieved and very happy to have pulled it off,” captain Cri-Zelda Brits said. “The team haven’t let me down since I’ve taken over the captaincy and we’ve stuck at it and come to the party at this event with the bowling.”The victory was set-up by another impressive bowling performance. Ireland suffered an early setback when Isobel Joyce was caught behind for 0 and the innings never got off the ground. Sunette Loubser produced another miserly spell of offspin and claimed two middle-order scalps while sharp fielding engineered three run outs.Cecelia Joyce fought hard and carried her bat with a determined 43, however the fact it took 143 deliveries show how difficult it was for the Irish.Isobel Joyce caused a few early alarms in South Africa’s chase with two wickets but there wasn’t enough firepower to seriously trouble the home side. Olivia Anderson anchored the innings and the job was finished off in rapid fashion by Annelie Minnie’s breezy 27.Ireland captain Heather Whelan said: “I think everybody is absolutely gutted. We trained so hard for so long for this in order to try to go to the World Cup in Australia but it’s not going to be.”We’re not going to the World Cup but we will battle on and we’ll be here again in four years looking for a place in the World Cup and we expect to make it next time.”
Scorecard
A superb performance from Pakistan’s bowlers, dismissing Netherlands for just 68, handed their team a fine 94-run win and entry into the 2009 World Cup.Pakistan’s meagre total of 162 was set up by their openers, Tasqeen Qadeer and Bismah Maroof, who put on 79 for the opening wicket. But Netherlands’ bowlers hit back, prompting a collapse in which Pakistan lost 9 for 83 in 25 overs. Bismah Maroof top-scored with 45 from 77 balls but, after her and Tasqueen (27), only Sana Javed reached double figures as the lower-order capitulated to Lotte Egging’s medium-pacers.A target of 163, however, proved more than enough. Violet Wattenberg fell to the second ball of Netherlands’ chase, edging Asmavia Iqbal straight to slip, while Helmien Rambaldo was bowled by Qanita Jalil to leave them on 0 for 2. Annemarie Tanke cracked five fours in her brave 41 from 70 balls and Caroline de Fouw remained unbeaten on a defiant 11 (from 44 balls), but there was little else from Netherlands’ lower order who were skittled for 68 in the 32nd over.”It’s an absolutely awesome feeling. I can’t tell you how amazing it feels,” said Urooj Mumtaz, the Pakistan captain. “That was the task we came here to do and I think we pulled off a great win. We are very excited to be going to the World Cup.”Every single girl did their job on and off the field. In fielding, batting and bowling, everybody did their task – it was an absolutely brilliant performance.”Pakistan meet South Africa – who beat Ireland in the other semi-final today – for the tournament’s final on Sunday.5th place play-off semi-finals
In the battle for the remaining places, Scotland overcame Papua New Guinea by four wickets to move into the play-off final and Zimbabwe outclassed Bermuda, who have been embarrassingly out of their depth throughout the tournament, by 125 runs.

Despite Australia’s decision to postpone their tour to Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remains confident that future international commitments in the country will go ahead as scheduled.To fill the gap in the international calendar following the postponement, the PCB has invited Bangladesh to take part in a five-match ODI Series and a Twenty20 International in April. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has agreed in principle to the tour and the schedule will be announced shortly.Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said he was particularly disappointed Australia made the decision without sending a security team, as had been planned, to assess the situation. “Our consistent plea has been that at least the ground situation here should be assessed by Cricket Australia, but they said that they had made independent assessments and the decision was based on that,” Ashraf told .Hours before the decision was made, two suicide blasts rocked Lahore, killing at least 20 people. Once thought to be a safe venue – it was on the itinerary for the Australia series – this was the fourth attack in the city this year, highlighting how much the situation has deteriorated.Ashraf, however, pointed to recent international tours as proof cricket and cricketers remain unaffected. “Our position is that these blasts have been happening for the last two years,” he said. “That hasn’t changed now and we have had four international tours to Pakistan recently, including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia A. These are tragic incidents and paint a bad picture of the country, but they are targeted specifically at security institutions.”Pakistan is set to host the Asia Cup towards the end of June – the Indian and Sri Lankan boards have confirmed they will take part, though that was before Australia’s decision. As for the ICC Champions Trophy in October and the Asia Cup, assignments which may be affected by Australia’s pull-out and the generally unstable security environment in the country, Ashraf remained confident they would go ahead as scheduled.”We are very confident our cricket will continue,” he said. “The Asia Cup is very much on towards the end of June. Arjuna Ranatunga [the Sri Lanka Cricket chairman] and the Asian Cricket Council will be here soon to finalise plans for that. The Champions Trophy is on soon after that and the ICC will also try and ensure that all teams take part in that. India are due to come here at the end of the year as well.”The board is also working on plans to fill up its calendar over the coming months now that Australia has pulled out. With Bangladesh set to tour next month, the board has plans to host a tri-series in August. “A number of teams will want practice before the Champions Trophy,” Ashraf said, “so we are looking to invite sides over in the window before it as well.”