Half-centuries by Priyanka Roy and Mithali Raj rescued India from a top-order wobble and helped them post 199 – a total didn’t look defendable till England made a meal of the chase

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010
ScorecardPriyanka Roy starred with the bat and Jhulan Goswami with the ball in India’s 35-run win against England•Getty Images

Half-centuries by Priyanka Roy and Mithali Raj rescued India from a top-order wobble and helped them post 199 – a total didn’t look defendable till England made a meal of the chase in the first ODI in Bangalore. Jhulan Goswami and Gouher Sultana took three wickets apiece as the hosts won by 35 runs.
Play began after the teams observed a moment’s silence for the death of Audrey Collins, the former England batsman and famed administrator, at the age of 94.At the end of 27 overs England needed another 100 to win and hand six wickets in hand. They had lost their well-set batsman Ebony Rainford-Brent, who played an attacking innings and negotiated the spinners with ease. Along with her cautious partner Lydia Greenway, Rainford-Brent repeatedly swept the spinners – especially left-arm spinner Preeti Dimri. She finally fell while attempting the same shot against the other left-arm spinner Sultana, who kept a tight line and bowled full even as the other bowlers were leaking runs.
Rainford-Brent’s dismissal slowed England down but her 83-ball 64 ensured they were well ahead of the required run-rate.Greenway and Caroline Atkins steadily accumulated the runs, mostly through singles, and it looked like England would make it home with overs to spare. However the second turning point of the innings was Goswami’s return in the 40th over. She changed ends, coming to the Pavilion side, and struck Atkins plumb in front off her first ball. New batsman Jenny Gunn gave a catch to Priyanka Roy off the third ball and England fell to 145 for 6. Greenway’s presence meant the visitors still had a chance but they lost that in the 43rd over when she was run-out after a terrible mix-up with Nicky Shaw. England had lost their last six wickets for 19 runs.They did better bowling and fielding but were frustrated by Raj and Roy’s stand which was only broken when Raj played a tired-looking shot off Charlotte Edwards and lofted a catch to Greenway. Fast bowler Katherine Brunt had got the first breakthrough in the fifth over when she had Anagha Deshpande caught at slip for 16. Raj and Thirush Kamini added 41 for the second wicket before England struck in quick succession, effecting two run-outs, to leave India four down by the 20th over.Raj and Roy rebuilt the innings during their 100-run partnership which lasted 25.3 overs. Raj hit only two fours in her knock of 62 off 116 balls, while Roy was more aggressive, hitting six fours in her unbeaten 69. Roy and Amita Sharma added a quick 36 off the last five overs.The second ODI will be played on February 21 in Bangalore before the teams move on Visakhapatnam.

It was on March 3 last year that the terror attack on the buses of the Sri Lankan cricket team and match officials in Lahore changed cricket in Pakistan forever

Cricinfo staff03-Mar-2010The first anniversary of the attack on the buses of the Sri Lankan cricket team and match officials in Lahore has been marked by ceremonies and tributes to those who were killed and the hope that Pakistan will regain its status as an international cricket venue.Rana Sanaullah, the police and law minister of Punjab province, laid wreaths at the scene of the attack in Liberty Square, in memory of the six policemen and two civilians who died; PCB officials and players are scheduled to also hold a memorial ceremony, lay flowers and observe a minute’s silence.”It was tragic and shook our cricket,” Wasim Bari, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told . “We must remember all those who gave their lives to save the Sri Lankan cricketers.”Bari, though, hoped for a better future. “We hope that as ground realities change, things will improve and international cricket will be revived in Pakistan. For the sake of millions of people who love the game of cricket, international events will come back to Pakistan. I sincerely hope this is not very far.”The Sri Lankan players were on their way to the Gadaffi Stadium for the third day’s play in the second Test when terrorists opened fire and hurled grenades at their bus. Seven players and assistant coach Paul Farbrace were injured and eight Pakistanis – security personnel, the driver of the match-officials bus – were killed. The match was abandoned and the Sri Lankan team flew home, but the bigger consequence was the end of Pakistan being a host for international matches in the near future. The ICC moved the 2009 Champions Trophy out of the country and stripped Pakistan of its quota of matches for the 2011 World Cup.Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja spoke on those consequences of the attack but also mentioned the resilience of Pakistan cricket. “Pakistan is suffering not only in cricket but also in other sports as we have not been able to host any international sporting event since then,” he said. “But I salute Pakistani fans for keeping the interest in cricket alive, despite having no matches.”Pakistan have been forced to play their home series in United Arab Emirates and New Zealand, the most recent being the two Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai in February. They are also due to ‘host’ Australia, who haven’ t toured Paksitan since 1998, in two Twenty20 matches and two Tests in England later this year.

Cricinfo previews the return match between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

The Preview by Nitin Sundar04-Apr-2010

Match facts

Monday, April 5
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Will Andrew Symonds try to get under Yusuf Pathan’s skin once again?•Indian Premier League

Big picture

Deccan Chargers are on a four-match losing run that threatens to end their IPL campaign early. Going into their return match against Rajasthan in Nagpur, Deccan will be anxious to snap the streak and reignite their title-defence.Rajasthan Royals, coming off two successive losses, have worries of their own to deal with. In both defeats, their bowlers, who were at the forefront of their earlier resurgence, have wilted under pressure from attacking batsmen. Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay made them sweat on the field, while Gautam Gambhir talked them down off it. Shane Warne’s men have already silenced their critics once this season, by stringing four consecutive wins after an abject start to the campaign. Monday offers a chance to reprise their favourite script.They will find comfort in the fact that their opponents are not only going through a bigger crisis of confidence, but also suffer from the same weakness as they do – a bowling attack that leaks runs in the end overs. Deccan have conceded 11.81 runs in the last six overs, often undoing their good work at the start of the innings. Rajasthan have not fared much better, and the team that bleeds lesser from this Achilles heel is likely to gain two crucial points in Nagpur.At this stage, only Mumbai and Delhi seem assured of semifinal spots, while five other teams are closely matched in the fight for the remaining two. Deccan and Rajasthan currently languish just above bottom-ranked Punjab, and victory on Monday will make the difference between moving into the midfield and stagnating on the scrapheap.

Form guide (most recent first)

Deccan Chargers: LLLLW

Rajasthan Royals: LLWWW

Team talk

Sumit Narwal picked 3 for 36 in the defeat against Delhi, but on either side of that performance conceded a whopping 90 runs in five overs against Chennai. Siddharth Trivedi, who missed the last game, should take his spot. Shane Watson’s inclusion has strengthened the batting, which means Paras Dogra is likely to miss out again.Deccan are nowhere near solving their fast-bowling problems. Kemar Roach, who conceded 10 runs an over in his two games, was replaced by Ryan Harris, who went at exactly the same rate against Mumbai. Chaminda Vaas, who lost his spot to these two on reputation, deserves to reclaim the new ball. In five matches, he has eight wickets at 6.66 runs per over and could help Deccan’s attack rediscover discipline. Two of the three Singhs – RP, Jaskaran and Harmeet – should make up the rest of the pace attack, but Adam Gilchrist will be counting on his in-form spinners, Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma, to deliver.

Previously…

Deccan 1, Rajasthan 4Rajasthan have the upper hand in contests between the two teams so far, and the Ahmedabad hammering earlier in the tournament emphasised their dominance. Shaun Tait struck at crucial junctures to restrict Deccan to 148, before Yusuf, who was egged on by a verbal exchange with Symonds, smashed eight sixes to finish the chase in 15.4 overs.

In the spotlight

Shane Warne‘s dismissal of Herschelle Gibbs in Ahmedabad was reminiscent of his pomp, when the elements of turn, loop, drift and bounce all came together. While he has only managed six wickets in nine games, Warne has kept things reasonably quiet in the middle overs. The Rajasthan captain has the knack of lifting his game when it matters the most; expect a stirring performance from the greatest legspinner of all-time in this crucial game.Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds have scored the most runs for Deccan this season – 237 and 232 respectively – but neither has been able to convert their uncharacteristically watchful starts into big contributions. Both of them have scored at strike-rates close to 120, and Deccan will hope that they can step it up on Monday.

Prime numbers

• Adam Gilchrist’s form has mirrored his side’s – in the first four games he scored 149 runs, but in the next four, he could manage only 29. Deccan have lost each of those games.
• With 12 wickets to his name, Pragyan Ojha is joint-second highest wicket-taker in the tournament, but with an economy rate of 7.80 per over, he is the most expensive of the top six bowlers in the list
• Yusuf Pathan is fifth in the race for the orange cap with 278 runs. Of batsmen with at least 200 runs, he has been the second-fastest run-scorer, striking at 179.35, second only to Robin Uthappa

The chatter

“We have to win five out of the next six games. We have to get our act together or else we are out of the tournament.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced that its board has been expanded in size from twelve to fourteen members – and will for the first time include two women directors

Cricinfo staff07-May-2010The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced that its board has been expanded in size from twelve to fourteen members – and will for the first time include two women directors.The former England women’s captain Rachael Heyhoe-Flint has been appointed as the women’s game representative while Jane Stichbury, former Chief Constable of Dorset, will be an independent director.In addition, Yorkshire Chairman Colin Graves will join the board after his nomination was unopposed. He will fill a position which was made vacant by the retirement of the Surrey Chairman David Stewart.”I am delighted that Jane and Rachael have been nominated to serve on our Board,” said ECB Chairman Giles Clarke. “Rachael was an outstanding captain of England women and has worked tirelessly on behalf of cricket for many years – particularly for the Lady Taverners.”Jane was the first woman to be appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable.”Heyhoe-Flint epitomised English women’s cricket during her playing career, and continued to promote the sport through her strong media presence and personality after her retirement. One of the first women admitted to the MCC, in 2004 she became the first woman elected to the full committee.”It’s an enormous honour for us both to be the first women to be nominated to serve on the ECB’s Board,” added Heyhoe-Flint. “I am very keen to continue my involvement in the administration of the game and to help maintain the very significant progress the women’s game has made in recent years.”

Eoin Morgan admitted he was surprised to have been fast-tracked into the Test squad for Thursday’s first Test against Bangladesh, as the England selectors opted to take a punt on his temperamentSteven Finn has drawn a lot of attention with his prodigious

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010Steven Finn has drawn a lot of attention with his prodigious pace and bounce, but the 21 year-old seamer idolises bowlers of a different ilk, who made their mark with accuracy and persistence.”I have my idols, people like Glenn McGrath who was a fantastic bowler, best bowler in my opinion who has ever played the game,” Finn told reporters at Lord’s. “It would be nice to play in the sort of environment he was playing in a few years ago and see how I can do.”While he watched McGrath from afar, he learnt the ropes from another equally worthy proponent of seam and swing. Finn is filled with gratitude for the role Angus Fraser has played in his development.”Angus Fraser who has been a very big help, is a great believer in just bowling, bowling and bowling. That will get you fit and that will teach you how to bowl. I believe in that too.
“At the moment I am still learning about my game. I’ve spoken a lot to to Gus about this. I don’t want to be like anyone else, I want to be Steven Finn,” he said.The 6′ 7″ fast bowler, who made a surprise debut during the Bangladesh tour earlier this year, is already developing the sort of miserliness that defined his heroes in their pomp.”Gus has brought discipline, an analytical approach to the way I bowl. There’s a lot more thought process that goes in to what I do, the working out of batsmen, the way it really hurts me when I give away runs.”I hate it, just as much as Gus did. He would stand there swearing, punching himself. He’s helped bring in to my game a lot more discipline and I think that’s important I carry that into any sort of cricket I play,” Finn said.While early signs suggest that Finn has the pace to hustle top-notch batsmen, the bowler himself is not getting carried away. “It would be nice to have a lot of pace and be able to control it. That’s the ideal fast bowler. At the moment, I am somewhere in between the two. By no means am I the finished article,” he said.Despite the prospects of featuring in the Ashes defence later in the year, Finn is firmly grounded in the present and wants to enjoy the moment. “I wasn’t expecting this 18 months ago or even six months ago. I wasn’t expecting an international debut in 2010, I just take each game as it comes. That’s all I can do and I think it will stand me in good stead,” he said.

Warwickshire’s plans to introduce some innovation to bowling by using the double-bouncing ball during their Friends Provident T20 game against Derbyshire was quashed by the ECB, which outlawed the delivery

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2010Warwickshire’s plans to introduce some innovation to bowling by using the double-bouncing ball during their Friends Provident T20 game against Derbyshire was quashed by the ECB, which outlawed the delivery. The reported the ECB issued a directive to county coaches and umpires that the ball, if delivered, would be declared a no-ball – despite not breaching the laws of cricket – for it was against the spirit of the game.”Further to an ECB Cricket Committee recommendation, it is confirmed that the practice of bowling a ball that bounces twice should be disallowed with immediate effect. It is considered inappropriate for the image and spirit of our game,” the Daily Telegraph quoted the ECB directive as saying.The idea to use the double-bouncer is the brainchild of Warwickshire bowling coach Graeme Welch. The decision to experiment with such a delivery was prompted by the accidental instance of Derbyshire offspinner Nathan Dumelow bowling a double-bouncing delivery that had then Leicestershire batsman Darren Stevens flummoxed. Though the ECB’s decision would have thwarted Welch’s plans, he received encouragement from the MCC, the guardian of the laws of the game, which declared the delivery legitimate. As a result, the delivery can be used in tournaments like the IPL or the World Twenty20, over which the ECB has no control.”We don’t think it is against the Spirit of Cricket or contrary to the Laws of the game,” the newspaper quoted Keith Bradshaw, the chief executive of the MCC, as saying. “We see it as the same as the switch-hit and unless it changes the balance between the bat and ball we see no reason to change our view.”According to the laws, a ball can be declared a no-ball if it bounces than twice and the umpire deems it to have been delivered intentionally. Law 24 states: “The umpire at the bowler’s end shall call and signal No ball if a ball which he considers to have been delivered, without having previously touched the bat or person of the striker, either (i) bounces more than twice or (ii) rolls along the ground before it reaches the popping crease.”Welch said he was disappointed at the ECB’s ruling and claimed the delivery required skill, just like the switch-hit, pioneered by Kevin Pietersen. The MCC had then deemed the shot legal for the same reason Welch feels the double-bouncer should be allowed. “Not just anyone can do it and it takes skill,” Welch told the , adding the ball was of greater assistance to fast bowlers. “The margin of error is small.”The batsman thinks it is a bouncer and by the time he has realised it is not he has cut down his reaction time. You need a bowler who can bowl out of the back of the hand and bounce it as close as he can in front of him so that when it bounces again it is on its way down.”The trick is getting the pace right on the second bounce. I am disappointed about it [being outlawed]. Batsmen are smacking it out the ground and this is just the way the game is evolving. We are always trying to think of new things. I am a bowling coach and my job is to do that.”

Pakistan’s teenage pace sensation Mohammad Aamer made the most of ideal swing-bowling conditions in Canterbury to bag 5 for 54

Mark Pennell at Canterbury29-Jun-2010

ScorecardPakistan’s teenage pace sensation Mohammad Aamer made the most of ideal swing-bowling conditions in Canterbury to bag 5 for 54 as the tourists dismissed hosts Kent for 259 inside 69 overs. By stumps, Pakistan reached 86 for 1 in their second innings for an overall lead of 187, this after 18-year-old Aamer had taken a lead role in dismissing a rookie county side in under three-and-a-half hours.Though Aamer has only eight Test caps to his name and 21-first-class appearances behind him, he exploited hot, humid conditions in the first two sessions to cause havoc amongst the home top-order batting. Bowling his slippery left-arm pace from the Nackington Road End and down the St Lawrence slope, Aamer seemingly swung the ball at will and also nipped it around off the seam to create headaches galore.In the face of Pakistan’s impressive new ball burst from Umar Gul in tandem with Aamer, Kent slid to 33 for 4 only to fight back with half-centuries from Joe Denly and James Goodman, who hit 59 on his first-class debut.It helped Pakistan’s cause that heavy rain fell over Kent an hour before the scheduled start, leading to a 30-minute delay and high humidity once the match got underway at 11am.
Both Denly and night watchman Matt Coles were fortunate to survive the first five overs, riding their luck the pair somehow posted 31 before Coles pushed inside the line of an Aamer out-swinger to lose his off stump and spark the loss of four wickets for two runs in the space of 14 deliveries.Two balls later Chris Piesley, another first-class debutant, pushed at one from Aamer that left him and brushed the outside edge low to second slip. He went without troubling the scorers. In the next over, Gul rushed one through Alex Blake’s gate to knock back off stump, then Aamer nipped one back off the seam to hit the base of James Hockley’s off stump as Kent lost four wickets for two runs in the space of 14 deliveries.Kent re-grouped either side of lunch with a fifth-wicket stand worth 89 in 20 overs between Denly and Goodman. Denly, who edged through and over the slips during his fortuitous 77-ball stay, reached 50 from only 60 balls while Goodman followed him to the milestone from 111 balls and with five fours.The tourists regained their grip on proceedings soon after lunch when Aamer cleaned up Denly with a fast, full one, then former Pakistan Test allrounder Azhar Mahmood went for 28, spooning a pull shot against Gul to deep square-leg.The impressive Wahab Riaz, a muscular ‘hit-the-deck’ style of seamer who might well revel on English pitches, bowled Goodman off an inside edge then Aamer returned for a third spell to send back Paul Dixey to another catch in the cordon that completed his five-wicket haul.Though Kent’s tail wagged through Mark Lawson (31) and Robbie Joseph (18*), offspinner Shoaib Malik came on to polish the innings off with a tidy stint of 2 for 27 that helped secure a first innings lead of 101.

Yorkshire ended a disappointing Twenty20 campaign on a high with a six-wicket win over Derbyshire who missed out on a quarter-final place following the Friends Provident t20 clash at Derby

18-Jul-2010

ScorecardYorkshire ended a disappointing Twenty20 campaign on a high with a six-wicket win over Derbyshire who missed out on a quarter-final place following the Friends Provident t20 clash at Derby. A half-century from skipper Andrew Gale and an unbeaten 48 from former Derbyshire batsman Gary Ballance took the visitors to their target of 138 with four balls remaining.Clint McKay wrapped up victory in style with a six – only the second of the match – off Tim Groenewald but the Falcons’ hopes of making the last eight had already been ended by Northamptonshire’s win against Durham. Derbyshire’s batsmen struggled on a slow pitch with Wes Durston’s 39 from 35 balls the top score in a below-par total of 137 for 7.The Falcons went into their final North Group game without big hitting South African batsman Loots Bosman who was out with an injured knee and his replacement, Chesney Hughes, shared an opening stand of 41 with Durston. Hughes struggled to get the ball away and made 14 in seven overs before he was bowled swinging at Richard Pyrah and Greg Smith went in the next over when he came down the pitch to Adil Rashid and was bowled.The Falcons hit only four boundaries in the first 10 overs and their hopes of raising the tempo in the second half of the innings suffered a blow when Durston slapped a wide full toss from Lee Hodgson to short cover. Derbyshire were in danger of falling short of a competitive total when Jon Clare was bowled by Hodgson for 10 and Wayne Madsen was lured down the pitch by David Wainwright and stumped by yards.The first six of the innings came in the 18th over when Garry Park latched on to a long hop from Wainwright and some clever improvisation from Robin Peterson, whose unbeaten 32 from 24 balls included three fours, at least gave the Falcons a decent score to defend.The Falcons’ hopes soared briefly when Adam Lyth pulled a low full toss from Smith to deep midwicket in the second over and there was more encouragement for the home supporters three overs later. Herschelle Gibbs played one crunching straight drive for four off Groenewald but he went for another big shot off the next ball and skied a catch to extra cover.At 30 for 2, the game was wide open but Gale and Ballance tilted it towards Yorkshire with a stand of 85 in 13 overs although Derbyshire had a strong run-out appeal rejected in the 14th over when Gale was on 41.By the time Gale departed for 55 from 56 balls, bowled moving across his stumps trying to work Charl Langeveldt through midwicket, the game was slipping away from the home side although Yorkshire wobbled briefly before crossing the line.Jonathan Bairstow was needlessly run out going for a second in the penultimate over but McKay settled any nerves by lifting Groenewald over deep square leg to win what had been a strangely flat game in front of a disappointingly low crowd.

Sussex are back on top of County Championship Division Two after wrapping up a crushing victory against Derbyshire at Horsham by an innings and 109 runs, with more than four sessions to spare

20-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Sussex are back on top of County Championship Division Two after wrapping up a crushing victory against Derbyshire at Horsham by an innings and 109 runs, with more than four sessions to spare.The win was completed at 3.20pm on the third day of the game, with Derbyshire bowled out for 225 in their second innings after resuming at 27 for 2. Monty Panesar and Corey Collymore, who had taken the two Derbyshire wickets to fall on the second evening, were the chief destroyers. Former West Indies paceman Collymore finished with 4 for 50 and slow left-armer Panesar further strengthened his claims to an Ashes tour place this winter with 4 for 67.Collymore now has 51 wickets to his name in the competition this summer, and Panesar 43. With Luke Wright also taking a wicket with his first ball on day three, trapping Wes Durston lbw for 33, the Sussex bowling attack proved too potent for Derbyshire throughout.The visitors, who remain rooted to the foot of the table, first lost Wayne Madsen for 23 to a sharp catch at short leg by Ben Brown off Collymore, and then Durston was dismissed leg before wicket by Wright as he played around a ball that was fast and full.By lunch the visitors were 130 for 5, with Panesar having Dan Redfern caught at slip for 19 on the stroke of the interval. Robin Peterson and Greg Smith fell soon afterwards, with Peterson well held at square leg by Murray Goodwin off Collymore – now operating from the Railway End – and Derbyshire’s new captain Smith lbw to Panesar just one short of his half-century.Panesar also won an lbw appeal against Jon Clare, to leave Derbyshire 178 for 8, and only a few defiant blows from Steve Adshead and Steffan Jones delayed the end. Jones drove Panesar straight for six, and then pulled him lustily for four, but he was stumped for 17 from the very next ball as he danced down the pitch to aim something even more violent.Yasir Arafat clean bowled last man Mark Footitt to wrap up the win, leaving Adshead unbeaten on 31, and Sussex’s maximum 24-point haul from this game makes them odds on favourites to win the division as well as clinch promotion back to Division One at the first attempt.

Former England batsman Usman Afzaal has been released by Surrey leaving him searching for a new county

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2010Former England batsman Usman Afzaal has been released by Surrey leaving him searching for a new county.It is a move that was widely expected after Afzaal, 33, hadn’t featured in a first-class game since Surrey’s innings defeat to Middlesex at the end of July.Afzaal, who played for England in three Ashes Tests in 2001, joined Surrey from Northamptonshire at the end of the 2007 season and made 4328 runs in 101 games in all competitions for the county, with a first-class average of 46.44.This season, however, Surrey have backed the younger players coming through their system as they try to find a route off the lower end of the second division.Batsmen Arun Harinath (23), Tom Lancefield (19) and most recently Jason Roy (20), have all featured this summer and Surrey may also have Kevin Pietersen on their books after he joined on loan earlier this month.Surrey’s managing director Gus Mackay praised Afzaal for all he’s given the club over the last three seasons and wished him luck in finding a new county with which to continue his career: “I would like to thank Usman for his contribution to the club during his time here and wish him all the best for the future.”