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A wrap of Group C games in the fifth round of the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2012
ScorecardVA Jagadeesh was stranded on 199, agonisingly short of what would have been his maiden double-century in first-class cricket, as Kerala were bowled out for 314 by Services on the second day in Delhi.Kerala began the day on 192 for 5, with Jagadeesh batting on 126. Like on the first day, Jagadeesh got little support from his team-mates and batsmen came and went at the other end. From 240 for 5, Kerala slipped to 260 for 8. Jagadeesh did most of the scoring and motored towards a double but lost last man Sandeep Warrier in the 135th over of the innings.Warrier returned to strike early blows in Services’ reply, reducing them to 30 for 2. They were 84 for 2 at stumps.
ScorecardDuvvarapu Shivkumar scored his maiden first-class century to lead Andhra to a sizeable total against Goa in Visakhapatnam. Resuming on 12 on the second morning, Shivkumar went on to make an unbeaten 106, leading his team to 393. He and Amol Muzumdar extended their sixth-wicket stand to 124 before Muzumdar was lbw to Saurabh Bandekar, who finished with 5 for 107. Bandekar’s new-ball partner, Hanumant Gadekar, claimed 4 for 97.Shivkumar had success with the ball too, removing Goa opener Swapnil Asnodkar cheaply. Sagun Kamat remained unbeaten on 41 as Goa ended day two on 72 for 1.
ScorecardAfter scoring a half-century in Jammu & Kashmir’s first innings, Parvez Rasool took career best figures, his 7 for 41 securing a 158-run first innings lead against Assam in Guwahati.The second day began with J&K on 240 for 7 and the tail contributed to stretch the total to 323 before they were dismissed in the 110th over. Assam bowler Arup Das also took career-best figures of 6 for 87.Assam’s openers Dheeraj Jadhav and Pallavkumar Das added 55 for the first wicket, and Jadhav’s half-century led his team to the secure position of 126 for 2. Jadhav’s dismissal, however, triggered a slide during which Assam lost eight wickets for 39 runs in about 17 overs. Rasool took six of the eight.
ScorecardAfter beinning the second day on 325 for 4, Tripura’s middle and lower order added only 116 more runs in Nadaun, but by stumps they stood a great chance of taking the first-innings lead. Manisankar Murasingh and Rana Dutta took two wickets each to reduce Himachal Pradesh to 111 for 5.

An all-round performance by offspinner Prosper Utseya helped Mashonaland Eagles beat Matabeleland Tuskers by five runs to win the Pro50 Championship final in Bulawayo, in a match that was repeatedly interrupted by rain

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAn all-round performance by offspinner Prosper Utseya helped Mashonaland Eagles beat Matabeleland Tuskers by five runs to win the Pro50 Championship final in Bulawayo, in a match that was repeatedly interrupted by rain. The result was decided via the Duckworth-Lewis method.Tuskers, who won the toss and elected to bowl, kept Eagles’ innings in check with regular breakthroughs. While most of the middle order got starts, Utseya, coming in to bat at No. 7, was the only batsman to reach 50. He was given out obstructing the field as Eagles were kept to 222 in 49.1 overs.Tuskers looked to be in control of the chase, in spite of several rain interruptions, as the opening pair of Gavin Ewing and Brian Chari added 138 runs. They began sedately but solidly, and launched later when the rain seemed like it would be an issue. However, wickets then began to tumble and apart from a late charge from Charles Coventry, none of the other Tuskers batsmen could make substantial contributions. Tuskers needed 23 runs from 18 balls, before rain interrupted their chase yet again and the D/L method came into play.

Stuart Broad has arrived in New Zealand “fit and good” to return to England duty

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2013Stuart Broad has arrived in New Zealand “fit and good” to return to England duty.Broad has not played since the second Test in Mumbai in November, where his 0 for 60 was his second consecutive wicketless Test. Broad was subsequently dropped for the second time in his career.A heel problem prevented his return as captain for the T20 series, which England drew 1-1 with Eoin Morgan leading the side, before snow denied him the chance to re-join his colleagues in India for the final two matches of the ODI series.The poor weather has hindered Broad’s training programme, so he is glad to be back in warmer climes, arriving a few hours ahead of the rest of the squad who travelled direct from India following Sunday’s final ODI.”I have not done any outdoor running because it has been a bit hazardous at home,” Broad said. “But I feel pretty good and look forward to getting going and excited to be here. With the snow back home it has been tricky to really test anything.”It was disappointing not to get out to India and do some outdoor bowling ready for this tour but we have plenty of time to do some work here leading into the warm-up games and the first Twenty20.”England play two warm-up matches on February 4 and 6 before the first of three T20s on February 9 in Auckland. It will be the first time Broad has captained England since they tumbled out of the World T20 at the Super Eights stage in October.Broad will be hoping for a return to form after averaging 39.72 with the ball and 14.00 with the bat in his last full Test series – against South Africa in July and August. He has also been short of one-day cricket having missed the ODI series with South Africa in September. His overs at the World T20 were taken for 7.42 runs each.Short of match-practise, Broad’s first task is to feel satisfied that his heel injury has recovered. “When you’ve not played cricket for five or six weeks, I suppose you go into a game a little bit unsure,” he said. “I have done quite a lot of treadmill running, and a lot of spinning, so I’m fit. I just need to test out the impact of it.”We’ve got well over a week till the first Twenty20 game, and that should be plenty to get it right.”Broad travelled to Adidas headquarters in Germany to have his boots moderated to help ease the strain. “I have had a bit of adjusting to the foam inside the boot and we will see how that goes outside,” he said. “But I have bowled five or six spells of six or seven overs indoors, which felt good. And you’d have thought indoor bowling would be as big a test on the heel as anything.”I feel fit and good, so where I am at now I feel ready to go.”Longer term for Broad there is the challenge of trying to regain his Test place in what is likely to be a three-man pace attack alongside James Anderson and Steven Finn. It was Finn who initially replaced Broad in India and then Tim Bresnan played the final Test although he is absent from this tour.Broad began 2012 in impressive form with consistent performances against Pakistan in the UAE and then claimed 11 wickets against West Indies at Lord’s before having less of an impact against South Africa and conceded being dropped in India was the right decision.”I’m quite relaxed, and I know that if I bowl well and hang in there and do the right things in training, then wickets come your way,” Broad said. “I had a really good start, first half of the year, and was the leading seamer in the world.”Then I went three innings without taking a wicket in India and lost my place. That happens and it was probably a good decision, looking back, to leave me out.”Finny came in and bowled really nicely. Then I picked up that little injury before the final Test match. Personally, the tour didn’t go ideally to plan. But we won the Test series and left happy.”

The two Barbados sides scheduled to participate in a T20 competition against six English counties have pulled out just hours before the event was due to start.

George Dobell16-Mar-2013The two Barbados sides scheduled to participate in a T20 competition against six English counties have pulled out just hours before the event was due to start.Six English counties – Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and Northamptonshire – are currently in Barbados preparing for the new county season, but their preparations have been hit by the withdrawal of both local sides from what was to have been the showpiece event of the trip.ESPNcricinfo understands that the Barbados side made a late request for payment in the region of BBD 3,000 (just under GBP 1,000) and, after this was declined, refused to play. As a result it was decided that the other local side, the Combined Campuses and Colleges team, should also withdraw from the competition in order to allow the six county sides to contest between themselves.The location of the games has also been changed. Organisers originally claimed that the two-day competition, on March 16 and 17, would be played at the Kensington Oval but the first day has been rescheduled for the Three W’s Oval on the University of the West Indies, Barbados campus.The reputation of pre-season tours to Barbados was increased greatly by the subsequent success of the counties that travelled to the country in March 2012. Warwickshire, who went on to win the County Championship, Hampshire, who won the limited-overs double, and Derbyshire and Yorkshire, who both won promotion in the championship, were among the counties who attended.

Steven Finn will continue to use his new shortened run-up in the Test series against New Zealand after quickly finding success with it in the one-day series

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin04-Mar-2013Steven Finn will continue to use his new shortened run-up in the Test series against New Zealand after quickly finding success with it in the one-day series.Instigated through a combination of long-term work with David Saker, the England bowling coach, and the problem of kicking the stumps in his delivery stride – which has led to a Law change by MCC that will take effect on October 1 – Finn unveiled his new approach during the final ODI in Napier and produced an opening six-over spell that went for just 11 runs.He did not play in the warm-up match in Queenstown, instead spending more time with Saker on the sidelines, and is feeling increasingly confident in his new technique. “It felt good in the one-day series. I bowled with it in practice every day, and it feels good,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the Test matches. But my first over will be off the shorter run.”It is geared towards being more consistent, being able to bowl for longer spells and for longer in the day and keeping me as fresh as possible. The shorter run-up so far has worked well for me. I think it allows me to be stronger at the crease, in a better position. I felt like I got more bounce off the shorter run,” he added.”Whether that just happened on those wickets or whether it was the shorter run that was doing it, I don’t know. Over a longer period of time, I’ll be able to assess that and tell. But it certainly felt as though I was more compact at the crease and more controlled.”He will keep his traditional longer run-up in reserve in case he decides to return to it, but while Finn has complete control over what delivery pattern he uses that does not extend to which end he will bowl from. There was a strong wind in Dunedin on Monday, which could assist Finn in finding extra pace if he bowls with it to his back, but he will need to defer to James Anderson. “I’ll have to negotiate with Jimmy, I think,” he said. “If I get the wind, then great.”This match will actually mark another return to the Test side for Finn. He missed the final match of the series in India, at Nagpur, after picking up a back injury following an important contribution to victory in Kolkata. Since being dropped midway through the 2010-11 Ashes, Finn has only strung together back-to-back Tests once (against South Africa last year) and England need to ensure they can get some decent stretches out of a key fast bowler. The long run-up may have gone, but now he wants a long run.

The final stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, the domestic Twenty20 competition, have been shifted from Ranchi to Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2013The final stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, the domestic Twenty20 competition, have been shifted from Ranchi to Indore. The first phase of the tournament ended on Friday, and the ten teams which qualified will now head to Indore for the next round which starts on March 26.The BCCI said the change in venue was because of “the non-availability of tickets to Ranchi for most of the teams that have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament”.The top two teams from each of the five zones qualified for the second stage of the tournament, which has the sides playing another league after being divided in two groups of five each. The final is scheduled for March 31, at Indore.Group A: Delhi, Kerala, Odisha, Gujarat, Vidarbha
Group B: Punjab, Karnataka, Bengal, Baroda, Uttar Pradesh

Zimbabwe have not been in the position to win a series in nine years. Where they stand now would allow them to better all the above records

Firdose Moonda in Harare24-Apr-2013Zimbabwe have not been in the position to win a series in nine years. The last time they led 1-0 was against Bangladesh in February 2004 and they went on to clinch the series with a draw in the second Test.They previously won back-to-back Tests 12 years ago, when they beat Bangladesh in both matches of the April 2001 series. And that was only the second time Zimbabwe have managed consecutive Test victories. The other was in 1998 when they defeated India in Harare in October and Pakistan in Peshawar the next month. They have only ever won 10 Tests in their 21-year history but have claimed six series wins. Four of them, including the one-off triumph in August 2011, were against Bangladesh and one each against against India and Pakistan.Where they stand now would allow them to better all the above records. “Everyone realises there is something great for us here,” Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s captain said. “There will be a few nerves because this is really big for us. Even 10 years ago, with the players we had then, they struggled to win series. We’re in a bigger pool at the moment and if we can get this away, we can send a big message to the world.”The point Zimbabwe would make would not simply be one of numbers. It would be that of a triumph against adversity, achieved against the backdrop of irregular international competition and financial problems that threatened to detail preparations ahead of this tour.”It will give us dignity in the cricket world,” Stephen Mangongo, the interim coach, said.
It will also go some way to enhancing Zimbabwe’s sporting reputation, as a team and for the individuals involved. “We want to be counted up there as a serious cricketing nation. We’ve got a vision and our players want to belong at the highest level and to be respected,” Mangongo said.After the first Test, Taylor’s stocks soared. He achieved his highest Test score and became only the third Zimbabwean to notch up a century in each innings of a Test match. Kyle Jarvis, Shingi Masakadza and Graeme Cremer also earned praise. Now it’s up to the rest to leave a mark on the series, especially with the bat.Without Taylor, the first Test would have been a close contest and Bangladesh have isolated him as the man to dismiss early. Attention is focused on the captain but he has worked to deflect it and put responsibility on the rest of the line-up. “We’ve got quality players who are due for some runs,” Taylor said. “I’m confident there will be 10 other players contributing as well.”With expectations on everyone high, it could be easier for Zimbabwe to sit on their 1-0 lead and wait for Bangladesh to dictate the course of game. But the conditions, which are expected to be seamer-friendly on the pitch and overhead, may not allow that.Taylor admitted both sides would want to bowl first but that Zimbabwe are ready if they are put in to bat. “The first hour is not going to go the batsmen’s way but that’s Test cricket. You’ve got to back your technique. We know if we can get through the first hour, it tends to get flatter,” Taylor said.Whether they are put in or not, Zimbabwe have indicated they will be on the offensive at the earliest opportunity. They do not play another Test for at least three months and they want to make as good an impression as they can against a struggling Bangladesh.”We don’t want to be too conservative. We want to make it tough for Bangladesh. If we aim to win each session, we will dominate. It is tough for any team to come back from a 300-run defeat but we know there’s no room for complacency. There’s added pressure to win this match but we understand that.”Apart from their own hopes, Zimbabwe carry the dreams of a nation and they are determined not to let their fans down. “It’s been overwhelming. There’s huge expectation all around,” Taylor said. “I’ve had countless Facebook and Twitter messages. Hopefully we can give our more to smile about. They’ve always rallied behind you and we owe it to them to do well.”

Preview of the second match of the Champions Trophy, between West Indies and Pakistan

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-Jun-2013

Match facts

Friday, June 7, The Oval
Start time 9.30am GMTICC Champions Trophy 2004: West Indies seal a famous victory at The Oval•Getty Images

Big Picture

West Indies have fond memories of playing in the Champions Trophy, famously winning the tournament in 2004 at The Oval, the venue where they will be beginning their campaign on Friday. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Ramnaresh Sarwan played that game almost nine years ago and are part of a side that can go all the way in this competition. West Indies seemed to gel well under the leadership of Darren Sammy, who led them to the World Twenty20 title, but poor returns in the ODI format meant Bravo was appointed his replacement as captain in 50-over cricket. This Champions Trophy will be his first major assignment, starting against opponents who have consistently been strong contenders in ICC tournaments.Even though Pakistan are missing players who’ve been key members of their side in the past, and just barely managed to beat Ireland ahead of the Champions Trophy warm-ups, they’ve grown accustomed to the conditions and have a strong bowling attack to defend competitive scores. Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan have been dropped; Umar Gul is out due to injury; Mohammad Hafeez has been solid at the top of the order; there’s the experience of Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq in the middle, and Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan have been impressive as seamers.A defeat is a significant setback in a short competition such as this, so expect both sides to be high on intensity, also in part because of the support they are likely to receive at the ground. West Indies, in their pomp, were best supported at The Oval when they played in England, and Pakistan are never short of followers wherever they go.

Form Guide

(most recent first)
Pakistan: WTWLW (last five completed games)
West Indies: WWWLL

Watch out for…

Ramnaresh Sarwan was once the most important member of West Indies’ top and middle orders, but didn’t play ODIs for almost a year-and-a-half until his return against Australia in February this year. Though that series was a disappointment, he struck a century in the three-match series against Zimbabwe, followed by a stint with Leicestershire, which would have helped him get used to the conditions.Wahab Riaz could be a handful in favourable conditions in England. He bowls with pace, can swing it and can be effective in the shorter format with his ability to bowl the yorker on target. He is more than handy with the bat, having played a key role in Pakistan’s close victory over Ireland followed by a three-for in the warm-up win over South Africa.

Team news

West Indies could have some tough choices to make. They have plenty of depth in their batting, and it’ll be interesting to see if they pick Sammy in the playing XI. They opened with Sarwan in the ODI series against Zimbabwe in February, but Johnson Charles is fresh from two straight half-centuries in the warm-ups. Would they prefer going in with an extra specialist batsman?West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach/Tino Best.Pakistan played just one warm-up game (their first was washed out) and gave Umar Amin a go in the middle order, but it remains to be seen if he’s picked tomorrow.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Saeed Ajmal, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Asad Ali/Ehsan Adil.

Pitch and conditions

On a sunny day, The Oval track could cater to a high-scoring game, and take a bit of turn. The conditions may not support much swing. There hasn’t been an ODI played at The Oval in almost 10 months; scores of 238 and 252 were chased down comfortably by West Indies and England there last year.

Stats

• In ICC ODI tournaments, Pakistan have beaten West Indies on four occasions and lost eight times. They won the last two encounters between the teams in ICC tournaments – in the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa and the World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka.
• Chris Gayle has scored 840 runs against Pakistan in ODIs, at 31.11. Sarwan has a good record against Pakistan in the format, scoring 514 runs in 14 games at 46.72.

Quotes

“The plan should be that Imran Farhat plays as an anchor and last for 40 overs or so and the boys around him play freely but sensibly. Pakistani batting always comes under pressure if the openers fall early.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day at Trent Bridge

Daniel Brettig at Trent Bridge13-Jul-2013With deed and then word, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has ruled a line under the debate that surrounded Stuart Broad’s decision not to walk in the second innings of the Trent Bridge Ashes Test. Clarke himself declined to depart after none other than Broad procured a thin edge to Matt Prior behind the stumps as the tourists slid badly in their chase of 311 to win.Afterwards he said that while the Australians had been frustrated by failing to secure Broad’s wicket, there was little case for directing their anger towards the England No. 8. Clarke even referred to the concept of “getting away with” standing your ground and forcing an umpire to deliberate, something he has done several times himself in the past with varied results.”We would’ve liked him out for a lot less that’s for sure, but that’s the way the game goes,” Clarke said of Broad. “I’m not going to go back there. There’s no need, it’s the game of cricket. There’s ups and downs, good times, bad times. Sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don’t. That’s what I’ve seen through my career and that’s the way it goes.”Clarke also offered unabashed support to Broad on Sky TV. “I’ve always been a believer that umpires are there to take decisions,” he said. “If everybody walked, we wouldn’t need umpires. It is an individual decision but I don’t think any less of Stuart for what he did.”Regarding his own dismissal, Clarke said he had been unsure of whether he hit the ball or not, having also brushed bat with pad. His consultation with the non-striker Steven Smith better reflected the 21st century conventions of dismissals in the DRS era than much of the commentary surrounding the question of walking that has sprung up since Broad also stood his ground.”Obviously not – I referred it,” Clarke said. “Well, I knew I had hit my pad. I asked my partner up the other end and he certainly wasn’t convinced I hit it either so I referred it. Actually when we both looked at the big screen we couldn’t see anything, so we were pretty pumped that we made the right decision. Then I was given out and had another look when I came in the change room and there was a little spot there on Hot Spot. That’s the way it goes. That’s how the review system operates.”I’ve said to our team that if you feel you’re not out then back your judgement. And if the review doesn’t go your way we move on. I’m not going to go into the DRS at the moment. We’re using it. Both teams are using it. It’s the same for both teams. We have no excuses at the moment. I’m certainly not going to use DRS as one.”Clarke also offered an extraordinary endorsement of the 19-year-old debutant Ashton Agar. Clearly impressed after watching Agar’s treatment of Graeme Swann during his startling, world record 98 at No. 11 in the first innings, Clarke declared Agar to be among the best players of spin to enter the Australia dressing room in years.Clarke explained that he had batted Agar at No. 11 in the first innings to help ease a nervous debutant into the match. But it seems inconceivable now that Agar will ever do so again for any team. His poise was on display a second time as he hung on stubbornly in the company of Brad Haddin to reach stumps on day four, Australia still needing 137 runs on the final day.”He’s as good a player against spin as we’ve had in the Australian team for a long time, so I think he’ll certainly look forward to facing Swanny tomorrow,” Clarke said. “He is definitely not a No. 11 in any team in the world. I batted him there in the first innings only so that he could find his feet in Test match cricket and get into the game. He showed he was ready.”I thought it was the right thing to let him get into the game slowly, but he obviously proved me wrong there, he batted beautifully.”Apart from Agar, Phillip Hughes in the first innings and a composed opening stand by Shane Watson and Chris Rogers on the fourth afternoon, Australia’s batsmen have largely failed to cope with the pressure imposed by England in Nottingham, even if Alastair Cook’s side have not sustained it for anywhere near as long as Australia managed. Clarke said the falling of wickets in clusters could be attributed to conditions that England’s batsman Ian Bell spoke of in subcontinental terms.”I think that’s the conditions in the UK to be honest,” Clarke said. “Especially when you’ve got a wicket that is quite dry so you’ve got reverse swing and a lot of spin. I think it’s these sort of conditions where if you get in it’s about cashing in, going on to big scores, because it is a hard place to start.”We’ve spoken about it as a batting unit. It’s not from lack of work, the boys have been working extremely hand for the start of their innings and we’re as well prepared as we can be. I think we’ve put up a really good fight so far and I’m excited about tomorrow.”

A blistering 52 off 28 balls from captain David Hussey helped Nottinghamshire end their Friends Life t20 hoodoo against Lancashire at Old Trafford

01-Jul-2013
ScorecardDavid Hussey’s 28-ball 52 ensured Nottinghamshire chased down the hosts’ target•Getty Images

A blistering 52 off 28 balls from captain David Hussey helped Nottinghamshire end their Friends Life t20 hoodoo against Lancashire at Old Trafford. The Outlaws had lost the six previous meetings between the two sides at this venue but they chased down 156 with 14 balls to spare to win by four wickets thanks in the main to their Australian captain.The 35-year-old is only one of three men to have scored over 5000 Twenty20 runs and he shared a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 78 in just 7.3 overs with opener Alex Hales, who made 49 off 37, to take the visitors within sight of victory.Nottinghamshire even survived an historic performance from New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, who claimed Lancashire’s first ever five-wicket haul in this format. McClenaghan struck with his first ball on his home debut and later had Hussey and Hales caught with successive legitimate deliveries at the start of the 15th over to give them a glimmer of hope.But it was too little too late as Nottinghamshire made it two from two in the early stages of their North Division campaign.Lancashire recovered from the early losses of Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince as they slipped to 22 for 2 in the fourth over after losing the toss. Moore was run out following a mix-up after just six balls and Prince caught in the deep off Ajmal Shahzad in the fourth over.Steven Croft and Simon Katich, who added 52 and 48 respectively, then shared 93 in 11.2 overs for the third wicket to get their side back on track and up to 115 for two after 15 overs. But they lost four wickets in the last five overs to halt any momentum gained.Nottinghamshire fielded superbly with five catches in the deep, the best of which came from diving New Zealander Ian Butler at long-off to get rid of Tom Smith at the end of the 18th over off the excellent Harry Gurney, who finished with 1 for 18.Lancashire had their noses in front with the visitors at 50 for 3 in the seventh over of their chase but Hussey, in particular, and Hales took the game away from them. Having got Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels early, McClenaghan snared Hussey, Hales and Chris Read. The visitors weathered the storm, though.