Afghanistan’s maiden first-class game on their now official home ground – Sharjah – got off to a poor start with Canada’s top order piling on the runs on the opening day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match

Cricinfo staff20-Feb-2010
Scorecard’Afghanistan’s maiden first-class game on their now official home ground – Sharjah – got off to a poor start with Canada’s top order piling on the runs on the opening day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match. Ashish Bagai top-scored, but missed out on a century, and there were half-centuries from Trevin Bastiampillai and Nitish Kumar as Canada reached 350 for 6 by stumps.Canada’s openers, Sandeep Jyoti and Bastiampillai, added 61 before Jyoti was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi for 32. Kumar then joined Bastiampillai for another protective stand for the second wicket, worth 50, but the innings’ best alliance was between Kumar and his captain Bagai. They added 155 but Canada were jolted when both fell in consecutive overs, leaving the innings on 271 for 4. Bagai had made 93 before he was caught by Samiullah Shenwari off Mirwais Ashraf.Ramesh David and Sunil Dhaniram were building another useful stand when Shenwari struck two blows late in the day, bowling David and trapping Jimmy Hansra lbw, to raise Afghanistan’s spirits. Canada, who were on 266 for 2 at one stage, finished on 350 for 6.

Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals captain, has described Yusuf Pathan’s brutal 37-ball century against Mumbai Indians as the best innings he’s seen in his 21-year career

Cricinfo staff13-Mar-2010Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals captain, has described Yusuf Pathan’s ferocious 37-ball century against Mumbai Indians as the best innings he’s seen in his 21-year career. Yusuf blasted nine fours and eight sixes to haul Rajasthan back into the game in their chase of 213, after they had required 143 in 57 balls at one stage. However, his innings – the second-quickest Twenty20 century – was in vain, as he was brilliantly run out by R Sathish, marking a decisive moment in Rajasthan’s four-run defeat.”I’ve played cricket for 21 years and I have seen Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman against whom I have played as he has murdered attacks and hit them all over the park. But today was the best innings I have ever seen,” Warne said. “From a situation of 37 for 3 in seven overs and chasing 213 and come so close thanks to a 37 ball-100. It’s a special innings. We believe we can win from anywhere. We just have to sort out our batting in the first six overs. In the last two IPLs we have won more games than anyone and we have won more close finishes.”Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan, Mumbai’s fast bowlers, delivered yorkers consistently at the death when 19 were required off 12 balls. Rajasthan only managed 14, but Warne said the three run-outs in his team’s innings and some lapses in the field while Mumbai were batting cost them in the end.”Malinga is a good bowler at the death. We had plans to get to within eight runs of the target,” Warne said. “The start wasn’t great with a run out in the first over. Three run outs in the innings, a couple of dropped catches and some extras. That probably cost us the game in the end. We’re proud of the way we played. We have a lot of young players who will take a lot from this.”Yusuf regretted his dismissal but took heart from his team’s spirited comeback. “I made an error because of which we lost, else we would have won,” he said. “We’re sad right now but we are also very happy that we played good cricket apart from the extras we conceded. When such flat wickets get made, records get broken and runs get scored. We will learn a lot from this loss and there is not a lot to worry as this is a long tourney.”Mumbai’s strong batting performance was a result of half-centuries from Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu. Shaun Tait, the South Australian fast bowler, proved the most expensive, conceding 46 in four overs and undermining a big reputation coming into this tournament. Warne, however, defended Tait and was confident he’d get better. “Shaun Tait is probably one of the most exciting bowlers in the world,” he said. “Unfortunately today he didn’t get it right. There were patches where he did. But he’ll be better for the run.”Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai captain, hailed Yusuf’s knock as “special” and said he was aware of his ability to spark such a turnaround. “It was a special innings from him, but even the effort from R Sathish to get him run out was special,” he said.”Before he came in and played that knock, I thought we would win this match with ease, but that’s the beauty of this great game. You can never take anything for granted. I knew Yusuf was in great form and if he connects the ball well, the target was achievable.”

16-Apr-2010
ScorecardJames Anderson got the better of his England team-mate Jonathan Trott•Getty Images

Lancashire hold the advantage in their County Championship match against Warwickshire at Old Trafford thanks to a solid day with bat and ball. As was the case on the opening day of this Division One clash, wickets fell at a rapid rate in the opening overs.After seeing the hosts slump to 14 for 4 at the beginning of the match, Warwickshire followed suit – falling from their overnight score of 13 for 1 to 28 for 4 in the 13th over of the innings. But they recovered to 254 all out inside 75 overs and gained a first-innings lead of one. Home opener Stephen Moore (43 not out) then helped his side reach 84 for 2 from 25 overs in their second innings at the close on day two.Ian Bell, Jim Troughton and Rikki Clarke all made useful contributions with the
bat as Warwickshire fought back from their early troubles. England paceman James Anderson, Glen Chapple, Tom Smith and Simon Kerrigan each picked up a couple of wickets for Lancashire.Captain Chapple sent stumps cart-wheeling when he bowled Ian Westwood and night-watchman Naqaash Tahir in the 12th over before Anderson had international colleague Jonathan Trott caught behind by Luke Sutton for a golden duck. Bell top-scored with a serene 47 off 85 balls as he and Troughton put on 104 in a fifth-wicket partnership before the latter retired hurt with a migraine on 44. Clarke later added 43.Warwickshire reached 138 for 4 in the 40th before Bell was caught at short-leg by a juggling Mark Chilton to give 20-year-old left-arm spinner Kerrigan his maiden first-class wicket. And the debutant picked up his second six overs later when he had Tim Ambrose caught behind to leave the visitors 162 for six. He finished with the pick of the figures with two for 44 from 18.Clarke, who hit four fours and a six during his 70-ball stay at the crease, and Chris Woakes carried the visitors beyond 200 before Sajid Mahmood bowled Clarke in the 61st over. Woakes and Neil Carter then put on 37 for the eighth wicket before the latter was run out thanks to smart work from Steven Croft at point. The returning Troughton was caught in the slips by Paul Horton in the same Smith over without adding to his 44.At that stage Warwickshire were 239 for nine in the 73rd but Woakes and Imran Tahir carried them to the narrowest of first-innings leads. Their effort ended when Woakes (29) was caught at second slip by Moore off the bowling of Smith in the 75th.Smith then fell in the seventh over of Lancashire’s second innings when he was
caught by Ambrose off Carter to leave the score at 16 for 1. And Clarke brilliantly caught Horton (26) at second slip off Woakes to end a second-wicket partnership of 54 with Moore.

Jimmy Adams’ tentative 60 edged Hampshire into a narrow 148-run lead at the Rose Bowl as they bid to avoid a sixth straight domestic defeat of the season

07-May-2010

ScorecardHashim Amla’s calm 54 helped Mark Wagh wrap up a comprehensive victory over Hampshire•Getty Images

Mark Wagh’s brutal 131 propelled Nottinghamshire to their third straight
victory in the County Championship, as they condemned Hampshire to a five-wicket defeat to continue their dismal start to the season. Wagh plundered his devastating century off just 158 balls, including 17 fours and two sixes, after Hampshire had posted a gettable target of 246 earlier in the day.Hampshire, who must to contend with the troubling statistic of six defeats in all forms of the game, began the day on 177 for 4 with veteran Nic Pothas and teenager James Vince holding together the fifth wicket. But the partnership added only a further 13 runs before Pothas (30) was trapped lbw
by Pattinson.Vince (46) had looked in good touch, clipping three Pattinson deliveries
for boundaries in one forgettable over, but he then followed as Paul Franks
caught him square on the crease. Dominic Cork (28) and Sean Ervine (45) put on 48 for the seventh wicket but once Cork became Hampshire’s third lbw victim of the morning the collapse was complete.With the tail failing to wag as Kabir Ali and Rangana Herath were both
dismissed for ducks, Ervine then prodded Samit Patel to Bilal Shafayat at short leg three overs after lunch, at which point the visitors looked in total control.Hampshire’s recovery got off to a terrible start as Ali had to be replaced by David Griffiths in the attack following a back complaint, and Nottinghamshire openers Shafayat and Neil Edwards looked to go to work.
Michael Carberry’s brilliant diving catch from Griffiths dismissed Edwards for 8 but as Shafayat (12) was dropped by Chris Benham at third slip it looked set to be Nottinghamshire’s afternoon.Wagh progressed to a rapid half-century from just 42 balls as he looked to
get the job done quickly and at tea Notts were well-placed at 83 for 1.
Benham did eventually hold a catch to dismiss Shafayat but with Ali unable to continue bowling, Hampshire’s attack lacked the bite to claim the vital wicket of Wagh.Wagh duly brought up his century from just 123 balls amid chaotic scenes, as wicketkeeper Pothas fell awkwardly forcing Cork to replace him behind the stumps.
Meanwhile at the other end the South African international Hashim
Amla (54) made his way to a sound half-century before being caught by the substitute fielder Benny Howell off the bowling of Griffiths.Griffiths then claimed his third wicket as Patel (1) struck a
bouncer straight down the throat of Benham at third man, and then chipped in with a good catch to dismiss Ally Brown (14) off a top-edge from Herath, but it was all in vain as Wagh and Chris Read (7 not out) knocked off the remaining runs with ease.

It’s a contest between Ajmal Shahzad, the uncapped Yorkshire paceman, or Ryan Sidebottom to replace the injured Tim Bresnan, and the final decision will provide an insight into the selectors’ long-term planning

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford03-Jun-2010Assuming England don’t take everyone by surprise on Friday morning and change the balance of their side, they have just one selection poser ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh. It’s a contest between Ajmal Shahzad, the uncapped Yorkshire paceman, or Ryan Sidebottom to replace the injured Tim Bresnan, and the final decision will provide an insight into the selectors’ long-term planning.Throughout this season England are trying to increase the pool of players from which they can choose for any particular Test. It’s part of the reason behind the rotation system which has been implemented, with Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss keen to have a strong squad rather just a strong first XI. With a view to that it’s important they learn about new players, which would suggest these next five days are an ideal chance to find out about Shahzad.He has been part of the England squad since the Twenty20s against Pakistan in Dubai – where he marked his debut with two wickets in his first over before being dismantled by Abdul Razzaq at the end of the run chase – and he later made his ODI debut in Chittagong. However, he has since been overtaken on the Test scene by Steven Finn who leapfrogged him into the starting line-up for the first Test in Chittagong, only a matter of days after stepping off the plane from London.While playing Sidebottom may be a safer option – and his left-arm angle will also be tempting – the selectors won’t learn anything they don’t already know, and this may be the last chance in the near future to test Shahzad’s credentials, with Stuart Broad expected to return to face Pakistan later in the summer. Shahzad is also a like-for-like replacement for Bresnan with a first-class batting average of 32, and so would be expected to contribute usefully down the order.”With Ryan we know what we will get, he’s a very experienced campaigner, very good in English conditions, very good against left-handers and brings that different angle being a left-armer,” said England’s captain, Andrew Strauss. “Ajmal we don’t know as much about at this stage but are very excited about what we’ve seen which is why he’s been in the squad. He bowls with good pace, keeps running and can swing the ball both ways. It’s a choice between youth and experience and we have to decide what is the best way of winning this Test.”Bresnan received encouraging news after his injury was downgraded to a “stress reaction” with “no established fracture” following further scans, but his performance at Lord’s suggested he would have struggled either way to remain part of a three-man pace attack. There were occasions when England’s four-pronged unit looked light on firepower, especially with Graeme Swann having little influence on the match. Strauss is expecting more from the Old Trafford pitch, both for the quicks and the spinners, but a surface that aids the bowlers won’t do much to clear up the question of whether England need an extra option.”The balance-of-the-side issue is something we look at on a case-by-case basis but this wicket should have a bit more in it for the bowlers,” said Strauss. “Generally there’s a bit more pace and bounce and the spinner usually comes into the game a bit more so we are probably leaning towards four bowlers.”Two areas we wanted to improve were getting big hundreds, which to some extent we did with Jonathan Trott getting a double, and the second was finding ways of taking wickets when the ball isn’t doing much. I don’t think we did that as well as we could during the Test, certainly on day two and to a certain extent on day four when the sun was out and the ball wasn’t swinging. We weren’t able to apply as much pressure as we’d like and it’s an area we want to touch up on.”The pitches will be flat in Australia and the Ashes hype was notched up a few levels in Sydney on Wednesday when a selection of Australia players, including Ricky Ponting, launched the title sponsorship for the series. Strauss again admitted that the contest was never far from his mind even at the start of the English season, but that it was important not to lose focus on the present.”You have to look at a bit of both but primarily this game,” he said.
“As I said at the start of the summer it’s about winning and winning consistently then things will become clear as the summer goes on as to the personnel we need. I’d like to say we’ve half an eye on it, but the more immediate concern is this game.”

USA captain Steve Massiah raised hopes of a win for the hosts but Jamaica won the second and final Twenty20 by 19 runs in Lauderhill

Cricinfo staff24-May-2010
ScorecardMarlon Samuels made 36 and took two wickets•Associated Press

The series result was on expected lines as United States of America failed to register a win in each of their three matches against Jamaica. USA captain Steve Massiah raised hopes of a win for the hosts but Jamaica won the second and final Twenty20 by 19 runs in Lauderhill. Marlon Samuels made a satisfying return to competitive cricket with a brisk 36 and took two wickets in an all-round performance for Jamaica.Opening the innings, Samuels batted till the 15th over and was involved in stands of 40 and 43 with Dean Morgan and Shawn Findlay respectively. Samuels made a 34-ball 36 with three fours, before he was caught and bowled by Timroy Allen. Allen also claimed the wicket of Findlay, who hit three sixes in his 37. Lennox Cush picked up a couple of middle-order wickets but Jamaica accelerated to push the score to 141.USA made a steady start to the chase as their openers added 49. Much depended on their captain Massiah, who was well set and approaching a fifty. He took USA to 90 by the 14th over but couldn’t carry on after scoring 47. A double-strike by Samuels got Jamaica right back in the contest and the hosts failed to capitalise on the good start provided by their captain. They were restricted to 122 in their 20 overs.

Chaminda Vaas hit a quickfire half-century and then took two vital wickets as Northamptonshire Steelbacks beat Leicestershire Foxes by 10 runs

18-Jun-2010
ScorecardChaminda Vaas played a key role with bat and ball to help Northamptonshire secure victory•Getty Images

Chaminda Vaas hit a quickfire half-century and then took two vital wickets as Northamptonshire Steelbacks beat Leicestershire Foxes by 10 runs in their Friends Provident t20 clash at Grace Road. The visitors posted 166 for 4 after the game had been reduced to 18 overs because of rain, with Nicky Boje and Andrew Hall sharing a stand of 82 off 38 balls.Despite a fine innings of 53 by Will Jefferson, the Foxes were unable to reach their target, and crashed to their third defeat in five games and their second at home. It was the Steelbacks’ third win in a row after two early losses in the competition, and they owed much to the all-round ability of Vaas.Promoted to open as a pinch-hitter, he responded with a half-century off 35 balls that included eight sweetly-struck boundaries which gave the Northamptonshire the perfect start. Then, after they became bogged down in the middle of their innings, Boje and Hall swung the game their way with some dramatic hitting in the later overs.Boje made 54 off 30 balls, with nine fours and a six, and Hall gave him fine support, scoring 29 off 18 balls, hitting a six plus four other boundaries. It was a blistering response by the fifth-wicket pair after the Steelbacks had slipped to 84 for 4 in the 12th over. A total of 62 runs came off the last four overs, and it was to prove decisive to the result of the game.For much of the time, the Foxes were well up with the rate, with Jefferson and James Taylor giving them real hope of their first win at home in the competition this season by sharing a partnership of 72 in nine overs for the third wicket. Taylor looked in fine form, making 38 with a six and four fours before pulling a full toss off the bowling of David Willey to square leg.But the all-important wicket of Jefferson was claimed by Vaas, who trapped him leg before wicket as he tried to work the ball to leg, having made 53 off 35 balls, with the innings including seven fours.The Foxes needed 16 off the final over for victory, but Hall made sure they got nowhere near it, conceding just five runs and taking the wicket of Wayne White with his final delivery to give Northants a win by 10 runs.

Test debutant Suraj Randiv was ecstatic after getting his first wicket, that of Virender Sehwag, with a doosra

Sa'adi Thawfeeq at the SSC28-Jul-2010Test debutant Suraj Randiv was ecstatic after getting his first wicket, that of Virender Sehwag, with a doosra. “Sehwag was on 99 at that time. I thought he might go for a big shot and I thought of bowling a doosra at him. It worked and I got his wicket,” said Randiv who ended the third day of the second Test with figures of 2 for 108. “When you get a player of his calibre it’s a big thing. It’s a privilege. I just came onto bowl and I thought he will do something different. Our bowlers hadn’t given him any easy runs at that stage.”Sehwag had said after the day’s play that he had spotted Randiv’s doosra, but decided to attempt the big hit anyway. “I bowl the doosra but like Murali it doesn’t go the other way a lot,” Randiv said. “But I got some bounce and some help (today),” he said.Randiv said that he was a bit nervous playing in his first Test. “However, with confidence that goes away. I had an opportunity to bowl a lot and it just went away. I guess any player will be nervous.”Randiv stated that there was more help for the spinners on the wicket than for the fast bowlers. “There was a lot of bounce on the track but it was a bit slow.” He said that he was not overawed by the reputation of the Indian batting line-up. “I was just thinking of bowling my line and length. I got a bit of bounce with my action. It was very difficult to bowl a good line and length to Sachin [Tendulkar]. He comes forward and he goes back. It is very difficult to get a correct line and length to him. I think I bowled well to him.He said there was still a lot of hard work ahead for Sri Lanka in the Test. “We need to stop the runs. We need to work hard. The pitch is good and it is very hard to get wickets. We have to be disciplined.”

Afghanistan have suffered another blow as Rashid Latif, who took up the post of batting coach last month, has resigned less than a week after head coach Kabir Khan was dumped by the Afghan Board

Cricinfo staff23-Aug-2010Afghanistan have suffered another blow as Rashid Latif, who took up the post of batting coach last month, has resigned less than a week after head coach Kabir Khan was dumped by the Afghan Board.Latif reportedly officially offered his resignation through an email to the board, and like Khan cited interference with his coaching role as the main reason behind his decision. “Kabir also left his job because of the same reason. I was not free to impose my ideas on the team. From team combination to the match strategy, the Afghan board officials want to dictate everything,” said Latif.Hamid Shinwari, the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chief executive, struck back by telling the that the board “received Rashid’s resignation and fully respect his choice, but are shocked to receive a long list of new demands just 25 days after signing a contract with him.”The ACB had issued a press release explaining that Latif would take over the coaching role after Khan’s departure, but Shinwari suggested that Latif had asked the ACB to either re-hire Khan as coach or double his own salary and increase his benefits if he were to take up the role. The ACB’s response was that they could not afford his demands, and so the senior national side now find themselves without a coach.Shinwari explained that the ACB was in contact with the ICC and had requested help in hiring a new coach, who would join the national squad prior to the team’s Kenya tour in October this year. Afghanistan’s problems could run even deeper than a search for a new coach, however, as Latif added that he had given a comprehensive plan to the Afghan Cricket authorities for the development of the game at the grassroots level which included the establishment of academies and grounds, but his suggestions had been ignored.Latif explained that he had also wanted the Afghan team to practice more at home, but the board seemed not to like the idea. “Since I had a good training session with the Afghan cricketers in Jalalabad, hence I wanted more training sessions in Jalalabad and Kabul, but the authorities want to hold camps in Sharjah. With this attitude the Afghan cricket would go nowhere.”Raees Ahmadzai, a regular in the national team, has raised similar concerns in his blog for . “We wanted to do something for Afghanistan and we worked our hardest to make it happen,” wrote Ahmadzai. “We had hoped that this was a legacy that Afghanistan’s future cricket stars would embrace. We had built it with the hope we were starting a legacy, but unfortunately, the structures that need to be in place for grassroots cricket to really take off are still nowhere to be seen in Afghanistan.”The investment in grassrooots cricket in Afghanistan still hasn’t happened,” he added. “We do not have any professional grounds, proper academies in Kabul, or a club cricket structure to put young Afghan cricket enthusiasts through. With the ICC pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the ACB, plus the investment from the US embassy in Kabul, $350,000 from Etisalat and $200,000 from Supreme Group, we should be in a much more advanced position.”Ahmadzai went on to express his sadness that Afghanistan still had not played any one-day internationals against Test nations despite gaining ODI status more than 18 months ago and lamented the fact that “the incentive for the youth to play is slowly diminishing.”

Warriors chief Dave Emslie has said Jacques Kallis’ contractual obligations with Royal Challengers Bangalore did not give his home team much of a chance to retain his services for the Champions League T20

Cricinfo staff15-Aug-2010Warriors chief Dave Emslie has said Jacques Kallis’ contractual obligations with Royal Challengers Bangalore did not give his home team much of a chance to retain his services for the Champions League T20. Contrary to Bangalore’s statements, in which they hoped their overseas signings would pick their IPL team over their home team, Emslie said Kallis’ IPL contract gave Bangalore the first rights over him should his domestic first-class team – Warriors from South Africa – and his IPL team both qualify for the tournament.”Kallis’ contract (with Bangalore) says if his IPL team gets into the CLT20 his
team has the first option,” Emslie said during a media interaction with
Indian journalists. “For that we got $200,000. We would have wanted
Kallis but the decision did not lay in our hands. We never had a choice.”Warriors coach Russell Domingo said “we always knew that Kallis will not
be there…I am under correction. But I think Kallis’ contract (with Bangalore)
says that should Bangalore qualify for the CLT20 they have the first call on
him. We might think it is crazy, he is a South African and his club
Warriors is in the CLT20 but still he is playing for Bangalore but that’s it.”Emslie added: “One can argue the merits of the case but that is the rule. They (CLT20) may be thinking of changing the rule in future.”Along with Kallis, Victoria’s Cameron White – who was disappointed to miss out for his home team – and New Zealand Central
Districts’ Ross Taylor are the other two players who will play for Bangalore
even though their home teams have made it through to the tournament.Domingo said, “We don’t pay big money, we can’t compete with IPL teams.
IPL dollars are going to get the first call. Money talks.” The compensation, according to Domingo, was not a bad deal and Kallis’ absence meant some of the younger players had a chance to shine. “It is a big attraction to get that money. It is not a bad deal as it was out of our control to get Kallis in our side… It gives a chance to youngsters like Colin Ingram. Kallis also did not play in some big matches last season but we still won domestic titles. We won the MTN domestic championship and Standard Bank Pro20 title without him.”