Category Uncategorized

England should concentrate on winning the World Cup in 2007, rather than worry about the next Ashes series, according to Rodney Marsh.Marsh, the Australian wicketkeeping legend-turned-England cricket selector, made his point after naming a provisional 15-man squad for England’s cricket academy. Marsh, who heads the academy, said that the team was selected with the accent on one-day cricket.In his opinion, a drawn Ashes series in 2005 would be a good platform from which England could build towards 2007. He was perhaps mindful of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s mission statement, which aims to establish England as the game’s premier Test and one-day power by 2007.Australia have won eight consecutive Ashes series since regaining the urn in 1989.

A timely captain’s century by Northern Districts’ Robbie Hart revived his side’s fortunes against Otago in the State Championship match at Carisbrook in Dunedin today.Hart’s century, the second of his 71-match first-class career, made a mockery of the collapses that affected both sides in the match, and he commented afterwards that it had been a great thrill to complete the achievement, especially under the circumstances he found himself in.The drama started for ND when David Sewell had Mark Bailey and Scott Styris out from consecutive balls after only one run had been added to the overnight score of 69/1, which was 146 runs short of Otago’s first innings total.The Marshall twins, James and Hamish were then at the crease with Hamish avoiding the hat-trick and they added another 40 runs before the mini-collapse when four wickets fell for 13 runs, leaving Hart batting with the tail in a bid to restore some respectability to the situation.They were 123/7 when he and Graham Aldridge set about a stand that finally provided 64 runs for the ND cause.But when Aldridge was out, Bruce Martin had a record-breaking 96-run ninth-wicket stand for ND against Otago. They rubbed out the 85 scored by Brendon Bracewell and Peter Neutze at Gisborne’s Harry Barker Reserve in 1989/90.Martin scored 45 runs and when he was out debut player Ian Butler helped Hart add 20 runs for the last wicket. Hart was on 91 when Butler joined him and Butler scored nine in which time Hart reached 102 not out, scored from 157 minutes and in 205 minutes.ND had the first innings points and a lead of 88 runs. Interestingly, even freakishly, the only two Otago bowlers to take wickets, Sewell and Evan Marshall, both took five wickets for 79 runs, the both bowled four maidens and Sewell bowled 27 overs and Marshall 26.Brendon McCullum gave Otago another good start when attacking to score 41 from 37 balls and in an opening stand of 63, Otago was well on the way to wiping out the deficit.However, an untimely loss of three wickets for five runs just before stumps saw Otago slump to 100/4, a lead of only 12 runs with six wickets left. Key batsmen Chris Gaffaney and Andrew Hore were out for 0 and four respectively, leaving Craig Cumming needing to find a solid partner to try and build a solid position for Otago to put the pressure back on ND.Styris did the damage for ND by claiming two wickets for four runs from six overs. His first victim was Robbie Lawson who was caught behind for 37 and then he trapped Gaffaney leg before wicket.

India fast bowler Varun Aaron has urged young campus cricketers, competing in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World finals in Dehradun, to believe in their abilities and remain focused, in order to realise their dreams of making the senior-national squad in the future.The 25-year-old has struggled with injuries in his short career thus far. He has 35 Twenty20 wickets from 38 matches at an economy-rate of 8.”It’s extremely important to enjoy the game,” Aaron said. “Believe in yourself and if you think you are cut out for the tough cricketing world, if you know that cricket is your passion, then definitely pursue it in spite of the hardships. I have seen a lot of young talent in my school and college go down the drain due to lack of self-belief and direction. If you are certain of your talent and abilities, don’t let it go to waste.”The format is a great way for young college students to play the game they love. T20 has attracted a lot of young players and it is a great platform for students. Many guys who come from families that are unable to support their dreams can actually come into light with T20. KL Rahul, for instance, played Red Bull Campus Cricket which was a big boost for his career. It presented him with a wonderful opportunity to fulfil his dream and now he is scoring hundreds for India.”Dehradun is hosting eight of the top campus-cricket teams from around the world in the World Finals, which is being played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy from October 19 to 24.Teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Australia and UAE are competing in the annual T20 competition. The participating teams have qualified for the finals after winning their respective national tournaments.”The format is fast and a game ends in a span of four hours. It is important to believe in yourself and give your 100 percent,” Aaron said.”All three formats are different and require different skill sets. While T20 is great, Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket and a lot of hard work and effort has to be put in to succeed at that level.”The latest edition will be the first time UAE will participate in the tournament, having replaced West Indies in the line-up.Red Bull Campus Cricket started in 2012 with the aim of finding the best cricketing talents from colleges around the world. This initiative has been started with the aim of funnelling the best grassroot cricketers and preparing them for the bigger stage.

Did New Zealand take too long to declare? Had the pitch broken up enough to make batting in the fourth innings as hard as it was forecast? Was this Kane Williamson’s final Test at home?Doubt filled the air as an absorbing series eased into its final day and then dissipated in the wake of a West Indies collapse. Eight wickets fell for 25 runs after the morning drinks break with Jacob Duffy (5 for 42) taking over Sir Richard Hadlee’s record for most wickets in a calendar year for the Black Caps – and bumping Trent Boult off the top spot for damage done over a single home series.West Indies went from 87 for 0 to 112 for 8 to 138 all out with Shai Hope exemplifying their state of mind – out to a full toss without playing a shot on 3 off 78.The Bay Oval is unique. It houses the only surface in New Zealand that is better to bat at the start and turns increasingly treacherous. The wear and tear was so profound that instead of a single solid block, it turned into a mess of broken plates, wobbling about under the light roller or even simple touch. It fascinated everyone, including the home team’s players. Daryl Mitchell was even moved to do that thing most people do to check and see if something is real – he pinched it and it was proven he wasn’t dreaming.Related

• 'Cross those bridges as we come' – Williamson on his international future

So the spinner they brought in specifically for this Test match was offered centre stage. Ajaz Patel, so often peripheral to the team’s needs at home, was generating 15.8 degrees of turn. That was part of why Hope thought he was safe against a ball delivered from well wide of the crease. Ordinarily it might have pitched harmlessly and spun away harmlessly but the cross wind caught hold of it – as Ajaz had intended, because all game he was looping it up at 70kph or so – and it careened into the right-hander’s front toe.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It took an age for New Zealand to review. Only one second was left on the clock when Tom Latham was reminded that the ball hit Hope on the full, which means from the point of contact, the projection becomes a straight line. With Ajaz’s angle from around the wicket and no shot offered, there was a chance lbw was on. Ball-tracking took another age to come up but when it did it showed three reds.New Zealand had engineered that dismissal with smart field placements as well. They crowded Hope. Slip in. Two silly points in. Two short covers in. They had already seen him defend full tosses so were encouraged to bring their field up and make the batter worry that even a firmly hit defensive shot could end up going to hand. That’s why Hope chose to leave. He thought he was being sensible. He didn’t realise he’d been cornered. No idea why because New Zealand had made it explicit. “This is hallway cricket,” they chirped as the walls closed in.Brandon King made an enterprising half-century but from there West Indies’ scorecard gave way to eight straight single-digit scores, including Roston Chase’s 5 off 26. The captain ends the tour with 42 runs at an average of 7. He might not have been able to protect himself even if he had been in form because his wicket – caught fending at second slip – was the work of an accurate bowler generating vicious bounce off a length. Duffy was the perfect weapon for New Zealand. They’d wised up to him only in August and four months later here he is, with more than twice as many wickets as his nearest competitor in this series (23 vs 10).And it wasn’t just that he was bunging it into the pitch and waiting for it to misbehave. Alick Athanaze’s wicket highlighted that Duffy has the smarts to lead this attack. He began by testing the West Indian’s back foot play and bringing natural variation into play. There was plenty of up and down bounce to worry the batter. But that wasn’t how he wanted him. Just where. Duffy had pinned Athanaze to his crease and having accomplished that, he snuck in the fuller delivery and nicked him off on the move.Duffy and Ajaz bowled nearly 70% of New Zealand’s overs in the final innings. The left-arm spinner went unchanged from the moment he was introduced into the attack on the fifth day (29-18-23-3). Together they were undeniable.New Zealand took the series 2-0 and climbed to second place on the World Test Championship table. Later in the evening, they’ll part ways with Williamson who has already said without saying that he won’t be with them in January in India. “There’s a pretty large block away from the group as well, and there’ll be more conversations had,” he announced on Sunday. On Monday, he celebrated a hard-earned Test win. On Thursday, he’ll enjoy Christmas with his family. Beyond that, his future appears unknown. He might already have played his final Test match at his home ground.

Orthodox and effective
India had just been buoyed with the early wicket of Lou Vincent, but Brendon McCullum pushed them right back with three outstanding shots in the very next over, from Sreesanth. The first one was a classical straight drive, with the bat making a clean, crisp sound as it hit the ball. Next was a mere push to the covers, but with such precise timing and placement that the ball sped to the boundary. The next one was full and slightly wide, and this time McCullum creamed it between cover and mid-off. Three balls, three glorious orthodox shots, 12 runs on the board. Who said Twenty20 cricket was only about slogging?Bull’s Eye
You know the India are really getting into stride when direct hits earn them wickets. They had missed a couple of opportunities earlier in New Zealand’s innings, but Yuvraj Singh got it just right when he charged in from midwicket, swooped down on the ball, and picked it up and threw down the non-striker’s stumps in one clean motion. Scott Styris was on his way, and the huge Indian contingent in the stands had another reason to celebrate.McMillan the mauler
After 15 overs, New Zealand badly needed someone to take charge of an innings that was going nowhere, and Craig McMillan was the man for the moment. He first turned his attention on Yuvraj, smashing a six and a four, before turning his attention on Sreesanth: a slower ball was clubbed straight over the bowler’s head for a 94-metre six, and in the next ball, with Sreesanth bowling from round the wicket, McMillan got his left leg out of the way and sent the ball soaring high over midwicket. A snarl, a pumped fist, and a roar followed.Clever Dhoni
Knowing that the batsmen would be dashing for a run even if they missed theball in the last over, Mahendra Singh Dhoni cleverly had the big wicketkeeping gloves off from his right hand even as the bowler was delivering the ball. When Mark Gillespie missed and McMillan dashed off towards the striker’s end, Dhoni was ready, without his glove, and his throw at the stumps was accurate. He repeated the act off the nextball and managed to win a run-out at the non-striker’s end.Bond dismantled…again
After going for just four in his first over, things fell apart again for ShaneBond, who had leaked 45 in four overs against Sri Lanka on Saturday. GautamGambhir started it off with an outstanding stroke, swinging a good-lengthdelivery high over midwicket for six. Two lovely cover-drives and aslashed four followed in the same over, which cost New Zealand 18 and putIndia on track.Canny Vettori
With Irfan Pathan looking for quick runs, Daniel Vettori knew exactly whatwould do the trick: varying his pace quite magnificently, Vettori slippedin the quick arm ball which completely befuddled Pathan, who backed awaybut was far too late on his stroke. The off stump knocked back and the was gamealmost in the bag for New Zealand.

In the 1975 World Cup, West Indies clashed with Sri Lanka for the first time in an ODI. The Sri Lankans were greenhorns then, and they played according to the script, being bundled out 86 in 37.2 overs as West Indies romped home by nine wickets with 236 balls to spare. Thirty-one years later, the Sri Lankans returned the favour in spectacular fashion at the Brabourne Stadium, clinching victory by an identical margin with 220 balls remaining.The advent of so many minnows into one-day cricket has meant many more one-sided games, but taking into account only matches involving the top eight teams (excluding Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and the other non-Test-playing teams), today’s margin of victory – in terms of balls remaining – was the third-highest ever in ODIs. Only England and Pakistan have suffered more crushing defeats, and incidentally, West Indies were the side that inflicted that Cape Town hammering to Pakistan in 1992-93.

West Indies’ 80 all out was their second-lowest total in ODIs, next only to their 54 against South Africa, again at Cape Town. Click here for a list of West Indies’ lowest totals in ODIs.While it was day of dismal lows for West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Farveez Maharoof, had plenty to celebrate. It was their 17th ODI win against West Indies in 42 matches, and while they have lost 24 times, the gap is gradually narrowing – in the last nine matches, they have won seven.Maharoof, meanwhile, recorded his best figures in ODIs, and became only the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take six wickets in a one-day international. (Click here for the best bowling performances by Sri Lankan bowlers in ODIs.) Only Anil Kumble has conceded fewer runs while taking six wickets in an ODI – Kumble took 6 for 12 against West Indies in the final of the Hero Cup in Kolkata in 1993-94. The table below lists the five most economical six-fors.

Division One

Points TableOnly an hour’s play was possible at Canterbury today, as Nottinghamshire set about increasing their overnight total of 397 for 5 against Kent. Play got underway at 5pm, and Mark Ealham immediately secured Nottinghamshire’s batting bonus point by cutting through point for four. Ealham, who spent 14 seasons with Kent before leaving for Notts in 2003, had the misfortune of running out his batting partner, Jason Gallian, for a gut-wrenching 199. It was the second time this season Gallian had been dismissed one shy of a double-hundred, and for the second time he was run out.Speaking to ECB’s website, he said: “I was laughing. It was just one of those situations, going for some quick runs to try to make the most of our total and win the game.”In the sixteen overs possible in the late afternoon, Notts added a further 58 runs, with Mark Ealham moving on to his third half-century of the season. Despite the loss of nearly an entire day’s play today Ealham remains confident of a result, one which would secure them as Division One champions.”We are in a very good position [in the title race], but obviously it would be preferable if we could get the job done here,” he said.
Glamorgan v Hampshire – no play Thursday due to rain. (scorecard)

Division Two

Points Table
Northamptonshire v Durham – no play Thursday due to rain. (scorecard)

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A magnificent unbeaten 81 from Yousuf Youhana and a devastating late cameo from Shahid Afridi made all the difference as Pakistan held their nerve to win a thrilling encounter at Edgbaston. Fortunes swung this way and that before Youhana – struggling with cramp – steered his side home with four balls to spare.Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (4 for 25) and Shoaib Akhtar (4 for 35) had set the game up for Pakistan with some superb bowling, but Irfan Pathan matched them with a fabulous opening spell that ensured that there would be no cakewalk for Pakistan. But while his opening salvo was the epitome of parsimony, Pathan’s second spell cost India the game.He made the fatal mistake of pitching short to Afridi, and found a ferocious pull over square leg followed by an amazing loft over long-on. That appeared to be all she wrote as far as the contest was concerned, especially when another four came in Pathan’s next over. But after he had sprinted to 25 from only 11 balls Afridi’s recklessness then gifted Yuvraj Singh a wicket, courtesy of a simple catch for Virender Sehwag at midwicket (187 for 7), before Youhana and Rana saw it through.Pathan had given India the fillip they so badly needed by dismissing Imran Farhat in the very first over. A half-hearted waft and some late movement resulted in an edge through to Rahul Dravid (1 for 1). And in his next over, it got twice as nice with Shoaib Malik playing a similar shot to a ball that slanted away from him (10 for 2).It was a wonderful spell from Pathan, and even Inzamam-ul-Haq treated him with due deference, though Yasir Hameed at the other end appeared intent on flashing at everything that came his way. His chancy knock of 15 ended when Pathan tempted him into a hook, straight to Ashish Nehra at deep square leg. Nehra juggled once or twice, but it finally stuck (27 for 3).But once Pathan had bowled seven overs, Sourav Ganguly took him off, bringing back Nehra, who had earlier been replaced by Agarkar. Youhana, nervous till then, said hello with a powerful cut, and a sumptuous off-drive. And soon after the drinks break, he carted Ajit Agarkar for six with a nonchalant pull.Ganguly had by then thrown the ball to Harbhajan Singh, but after a quiet first over, his second went for 13, as a glorious square-drive from Youhana was buttressed by a fine tickle and a powerful sweep from Inzamam. When he got past 23, Inzamam became only the second batsman in the history of ODI cricket – Sachin Tendulkar, the first, by a mile – to go past 10,000 runs.Pakistan then went into cruise control, with Inzamam hammering Ganguly back over his head, and then smacking Sehwag’s first ball to the midwicket fence. With the situation desperate, Ganguly tossed the ball to Agarkar, who hit the pitch with the seam perfectly upright to induce a lazy nudge behind from Inzamam. He was gone for 41 (102 for 4), and suddenly the jitters were back.Abdul Razzaq (9) didn’t ease the nerves when he chopped a Sehwag delivery onto his stumps, and it was left to the experienced duo of Youhana and Moin Khan to get Pakistan back within range. There was a further wobble though, with Yuvraj taking a stunning catch – diving to his right like Gordon Banks in his pomp – to send back Moin (152 for 6) off Nehra’s bowling. But then Afridi’s booming bat intervened to settle matters.

The tenor for India’s innings was set in the very first over, with Ganguly repeatedly wafting at wide deliveries from Mohammad Sami. The fifth one took the edge through to Moin, and a statuesque Ganguly finally had to move his feet – towards the pavilion (0 for 1).If that was bad, VVS Laxman’s dismissal was abysmal. A rank long-hop from Rana was smashed straight to Malik stationed just in front of the square-leg umpire (10 for 2). That left Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif to negotiate some probing bowling from Sami and Rana, with Kaif’s ferocious pull past midwicket the sole indicator of attacking intent.That early revival was short-lived though, with Sehwag continuing his recent miserable run – 189 runs in 13 matches this season. Worse still, it was another gift for Rana, a full-length delivery outside leg stump converted into further catching practice for Malik on the leg side (28 for 3).Pakistan’s position would have been further strengthened had Afridi held on to a straightforward chance at cover when Kaif had made only 9, and Sami’s disappointment was exacerbated when the batsman smashed the next ball for four through extra cover.When Malik was brought on, Dravid set about disturbing his rhythm straight away, pulling a half-tracker for four, and then cutting one beautifully backward of point. With the partnership having swelled to 45, Shoaib made his move, producing a blistering over to send back Kaif and Yuvraj. Kaif edged one that was just short of a length outside off stump, and three balls later Yuvraj took the same route back to the pavilion.Rohan Gavaskar struggled for his 13 before Razzaq put him out of his misery (106 for 6), but Inzamam then missed a trick by not bringing back his strike bowlers to wrap up the innings. With no Shoaib or Sami to test him, Agarkar grew in confidence, lacing some superb strokes.Dravid’s innings was as workmanlike as they come, and he also survived two vociferous appeals for caught-behind, one each off Malik and Shoaib, along the way. But after he passed 50, both batsmen opened out with some punishing shots. Agarkar tonked Sami back over his head, and then slammed Afridi for four and six over midwicket.That was the cue for Dravid to open up, with a deliberate deflection down to third man, and a deft flick off the pads for four more off Afridi. His resistance finally ended when he top-edged a pull to present Rana with a simple return catch (188 for 7). And moments later, Rana had a fourth wicket to savour when Agarkar scooped a slower ball to Youhana just behind square (193 for 8).Shoaib returned to scalp Pathan and Nehra, but India just about scraped to 200. It was so nearly enough, until Afridi and Youhana decided to do something about Pakistan’s hitherto poor record against India in World Cup/Mini World Cup matches.

After Glamorgan had set Somerset a victory target of 424 intheir Championship match at Cardiff, the visitors ended the third day on 129/3,with Glamorgan`s bowlers needing to take a further seven wickets on the final dayto record their third Championship win of the season.As in their first innings, the Somerset batsmen struggled against Glamorgan`s seamattack, although it was off-spinner Robert Croft who made the early breakthrough,trapping Matthew Wood leg before with the Somerset score on 44/1. James Bryant then madea painstaking 7 from 50 balls before he was bowled by Michael Kasprowicz, and then in thefinal hour Darren Thomas removed the obdurate Peter Bowler one short of his half-century.In the morning session, Matthew Maynard compiled his 49th first-class century for Glamorgan,and the 55th of his career, reaching 100 from 106 balls with 13 fours and two sixes. The 37 yearold shared a productive 96 run partnership for the fourth wicket with Jimmy Maher who made 62 before becomingKeith Dutch`s third victim of the innings.Maynard then added a breezy 59 for the fifth wicket with Mark Wallace, before Maynard wasl.b.w. to Michael Burns for 101. West Indian Nixon McLean then took four wickets in succession,before Alex Wharf smashed 39 runs from 38 balls. The burly Yorkshireman had struck 4 foursand a six until he was the last wicket to fall, leg before to Aaron Laraman as Glamorgan were dismissedfor 307.Somerset need a further 294 runs to win on the final day with 7 wickets in hand, and much willdepend on their overnight pair of Australian Jamie Cox and captain Michael Burns. Glamorgan knowthat if they can remove these two experienced players in the first hour on Saturday, they willstand a good chance of maintaining their quest for promotion from Division Two.

Keen to overcome an opponent that has grossly frustrated it in each of the last two Finals of this competition, Victoria only encountered more annoyance on the second day of the Pura Cup match against Queensland at Punt Road in Melbourne today. On another day of variable weather, the Bushrangers made heavy weather of their ambitions, struggling to restrict two of the Bulls’ tailenders before being forced to turn their pursuit of first innings points into something less than a speedy one.By stumps on a day extended by 22 minutes to compensate for time lost to the elements yesterday, the Victorians were placed at 3/160 as they responded to Queensland’s 417.That the Bushrangers were not in a more favourable position owed much to the batting of Ashley Noffke (73) and Nathan Hauritz (41), each of whom registered their highest first-class scores in the course of adding a thoroughly unexpected 105 runs for the Bulls’ ninth wicket.Admittedly, it was Hauritz’s debut at this level and Noffke is no veteran either, having played just ten matches prior to this one. But it is hard to imagine either exceeding these new individual watermarks in a hurry.Their stand, fashioned from the ruin of a potentially crucial early blow as Matthew Hayden (147) was defeated by a Mathew Inness (2/71) inswinger, was as significant for its intelligent punishment of the loose ball as it was in inducing annoyance for the home team.Noffke was particularly severe on anything erring in length or width, even thumping Test off spinner Colin Miller (1/108) high over the leg side for two boundaries and a six from consecutive deliveries at one stage. More importantly, he also discovered the right balance between attacking and defending.Hauritz lost little by comparison. He played watchfully through the early stages of his innings, accumulating most of his runs from subtle pushes into the off side and glances off his legs, but became more expansive as his stay at the crease wore on to strike several drives and cuts off the back foot with commanding intent.The home side’s cause, all the while, was not being helped by the sight of catches being dropped: Matthew Elliott missing a chance to dismiss Hauritz at mid wicket at 11 and Shane Warne grassing an opportunity to catch Noffke (then on 34) at slip.As it began the reply, Victoria made sufficiently steady progress.There was a setback as Jason Arnberger (20) failed to fully capitalise on Jimmy Maher’s mistake in grassing a waist-high chance to his left at second slip, only adding another ten runs to his score before slogging an off break to mid on and handing Hauritz (1/35) his maiden first-class wicket.Yet the total reached 1/84 at one stage nonetheless, and the Bushrangers’ upper order batsmen looked to be finding life as comfortable on the pitch as their rivals had done yesterday.But once Andy Bichel (1/36) found the thin outside edge of the bat of Elliott (56), Queensland was successfully able to take the home team back to the trenches. Victoria’s scoring rate was reduced to little more than a trickle at various stages of the afternoon, as few as 39 runs coming from 22 overs during one period. Nearly half of the overs bowled to this stage of the innings have been maidens.Notwithstanding this, Brad Hodge (39*) enhanced his already lofty reputation with several beautifully crafted strokes amid gradually fading light. On his shoulders, there will rest hopes of better things for Victoria tomorrow.