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A round-up of the second day’s play in the third round of Division Two Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches in 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2011Mohammad Fayyaz’s maiden first-class double-century steered Peshawar to an imposing 556 for 8 against Lahore Shalimar, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Fayyaz resumed on 198, and moved to 243, after which the lower order took charge. Wicketkeeper Gauhar Ali struck 92 off 94 balls, while No. 9 batsman Sajjad Ahmed made a run-a-ball 51 to take Peshawar past 550 in quick time. Lahore’s reply was off to a poor start, with Riaz Afridi bowling opener Ahmed Dar for a duck. Afridi struck again to reduce Lahore to 38 for 2, before Mohammad Hamza and Adnan Raza dropped anchor and took their side to 101 for 2 at stumps.An unbroken 50-run partnership between Bazid Khan and Mohammad Idrees made sure honours were shared between Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and Hyderabad on day two of their match at the Niaz Stadium in Sind. Earlier in the day Ghulam Yasin had pushed on from his overnight score of 45 to his maiden first-class half-century and looked set for more, but ran out of partners as Hyderabad finished with 270. Left-arm bowler Rahat Ali was the pick with the ball, claiming 4 for 43. KRL then experienced a bit of a wobble in their innings, going from 83 for 1 to 123 for 4, before Bazid and Idrees took charge. Bazid went to stumps not out on 74, and KRL will be hoping he converts that into a big score on day three to give them the first innings lead.Lahore Ravi wrapped up United Bank Limited’s (UBL) innings early on day two and then, steered by captain Usman Salahuddin, took a slim first-innings lead at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Fast bowler Aamer Hayat took the final UBL wicket with his second ball of the morning, to end the innings on 218. In reply the hosts were in trouble at 5 for 2, before Salahuddin steadied them with a patient 82. The rest of the line-up got into double digits, but could not push on. The second-highest score for Lahore Ravi came from Hayat. Batting at No. 10, he scored a brisk 38 to put his side 26 runs ahead and went to stumps undefeated.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), driven by Ali Waqas and Usman Arshad, consolidated their position against hosts Karachi Whites at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. The pair was unbeaten overnight, with Waqas batting on 120 and Arshad on 9. They went on to string together a 131-run stand for the fifth wicket, with Waqas registering a career-best 175. Once they were separated though, Karachi ran through the tail – the last four wickets fell for seven runs. Fast bowler Tabish Khan and legspinner Mansoor Ahmed finished with four wickets apiece. SNGPL’s new-ball pair then picked up three wickets in the final session to give their side the edge, as Karachi went to stumps at 112 for 3.Quetta’s opening batsmen put on a solid show to give their team the upper hand against Multan at the Multan Cricket Stadium. New-ball fast bowler Arun Lal picked up two of the three remaining Multan wickets on the second morning to complete a five-for and keep the hosts to 304. Bismillah Khan and Abdullah Jan then put on a 142-run opening stand to set a solid platform for Quetta. A half-century second-wicket partnership followed, with Lal coming good with the bat as well. Multan struck once more just prior to stumps, but Quetta ended the day on top, trailing by 98 with eight wickets in hand.

Robert Chance, the Texas lawyer hired to oversee the compliance review for all of the USA Cricket Association’s member leagues, has requested that the date of the regional elections be extended by one more week

Peter Della Penna18-Nov-2011Robert Chance, the Texas lawyer hired to oversee the compliance review for all of the USA Cricket Association’s member leagues, has requested that the date of the regional elections be extended by one more week. In a memo to the USACA board, Chance says he has not been able to properly finish his assessment of which leagues are authentic and eligible due to the leagues’ “systemic failure to provide all of the requested information”.USACA announced last month that regional elections were due to be concluded by November 19. That deadline was then extended by USACA to November 22 after USACA issued a notice last week stating that leagues in the North East area were “affected by the recent weather conditions”. A rare October snowstorm came through New York and New Jersey at the end of the month and caused considerable damage.According to Chance’s memo, six leagues did not submit any information whatsoever. He also wrote that “very few have provided tax returns or documentation of non-profit status”. The failure of many leagues to provide the kind of documentation that Chance is seeking could put an end to the practice of bogus leagues popping up across the USACA landscape, something which many observers feel has been a major problem in the past. Since each league gets a vote in the USACA elections, eliminating such leagues may drastically affect how the next election will play out.Nominations for the national election were supposed to begin after the completion of the regional election process. The national election is supposed to be completed one month after the conclusion of regional elections with the national election results announced on December 21. It is unclear if the national election will now be pushed back to accommodate for a delay in the regional election process.The USACA national elections were due to be held in March according to the USACA constitution, but in that same month it was announced that national elections would be held on October 15. That date passed, after which USACA announced the new December deadline.

Ishant Sharma bowled only 5.3 overs on the first day of India’s tour match in Canberra, the most notable episode in a forgettable start for the tourists

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Canberra15-Dec-2011
ScorecardIshant Sharma went off the Manuka Oval early in the day and returned only to carry drinks•Getty ImagesStiffness, jet-lag, an ankle in need of re-strapping, or just micro-management on the part of Duncan Fletcher? Theories abounded as to the reason for Ishant Sharma bowling only 5.3 overs on the first day of India’s opening tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI in Canberra, the most notable episode in a forgettable start for the tourists.An uncertain 2 for 45 after being sent in to bat by the acting Indian captain Rahul Dravid, the local XI ultimately reached a bountiful 6 for 398, led by dashing centuries from Wes Robinson and Tom Cooper. Umesh Yadav was the most incisive of the visiting bowlers, striking once in the first session and twice at the end in gathering gloom. They were watched by the CA chairman Wally Edwards, while the Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s partner Tim Mathieson was also in attendance to observe Ishant’s enigmatic introduction to the summer of 2011-12.Taking the new ball on a sleepy surface at Manuka Oval, Ishant went off the field twice in the space of his brief spell, and after his second exit midway through his sixth over, did not return. An Indian team official explained that Ishant had only planned to deliver six overs for the day, and when his ankle strapping came loose before it was concluded, he felt no need to return. Ishant was seen on the field later, but only to help run the drinks.As a tall fast bowler still recovering from the duration of the flight to Australia plus a four-hour bus trip into Canberra, Ishant was understandably below his best, and will take time to find his rhythm over the course of the week. There is sound reasoning for India to monitor Ishant’s left ankle carefully, given the debate about whether or not he required ankle surgery to repair ligament damage he sustained in the third Test against England at Edgbaston in August.In Ishant’s absence the rest toiled without much success against studious batting by the West Australian Robinson and the more attractive strokes of South Australia’s Cooper. Robinson showed more flair the further his innings went on, following Cooper’s example and ultimately blooming in a stand of 226. Pragyan Ojha and Vinay Kumar were on the receiving end of the most aggressive strokes, though no member of the bowling attack shone too brightly against batsmen largely considered surplus to the requirements of the imminent Big Bash League.Yadav enjoyed early success when he had the Chairman’s XI captain Ryan Broad edging behind to Wriddhiman Saha, and Ojha’s subtle variations of pace and flight proved too much for Joe Burns, bowled on the back foot by a flatter delivery. But the afternoon session passed without another wicket, as Robinson and Cooper built momentum against an attack that called on eight bowlers.A solid 2 for 186 at the tea interval, Robinson and Cooper accelerated with vigour on resumption, swatting boundaries to all parts. Ojha was subjected to particularly heavy punishment to return 2 for 149 from 25.3 overs. Robinson swung Ojha to the leg-side boundary no fewer than five times before he perished in the attempt to add a sixth.Alex Doolan provided unobtrusive company as Cooper reached his century, but both he and Glenn Maxwell were beaten on the crease by Yadav in light that became increasingly murky. Dean Solway, a Canberra product, edged Vinay behind shortly before the close.Cooper’s display was both pleasant and authoritative, demonstrating why he is now being watched by the national selectors as a possible contender for the Australian side.

Sri Lanka’s domestic first-class Premier Tier A and B league matches, which were to begin on Wednesday, have been indefinitely postponed with the clubs and Sri Lanka Cricket offering conflicting reasons

Sa'adi Thawfeeq21-Dec-2011Sri Lanka’s domestic first-class Premier Tier A and B league matches, which were to begin on Wednesday, have been indefinitely postponed. This is the latest twist to the troubles afflicting Sri Lankan cricket, and the clubs and national board have offered conflicting reasons for the postponement.SLC’s head of cricket operations, Ashley de Silva, told ESPNcricinfo that the clubs requested a postponement on the grounds that there would be “too much cricket following the end of the Premier limited-overs tournament”. The tournament, he said, would be rescheduled only after the elections on January 3, when a new tournament committee would be appointed.On the other hand, the clubs handed over a signed statement of their problems and demands to Udaya Seneviratne, the authority appointed by the Minister of Sports to administer the SLC until elections are held. The four services teams were exempted from signing the petition.Club co-ordinator Ranjan Paranavitana said that the clubs were protesting against outstanding payments and the ad hoc manner in which the matches have been scheduled.”We have to play a [three-day] match every three days and this is not feasible,” Paranavitana said. “A lot of players face problems taking leave from work, and the players also risk burnout and injuries with no proper break between matches.”The clubs were paid 30% of their dues for the Premier limited-overs tournament which concluded on Saturday, and have said that unless at least 60% of the balance is paid, they would find it difficult to play the first-class matches.The SLC pays 2.7 million Sri Lankan rupees to each of the 11 Tier A clubs and 2.3 million to each of the 10 Tier B clubs per season. The clubs utilise this money to pay the players, ground fees, fund practice sessions and food, among other things.

As England were spinning to defeat in the third Test against Pakistan, the next generation had just secured an encouraging victory on the subcontinent

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2012
ScorecardAs England were spinning to defeat in the third Test against Pakistan, the next generation had just secured an encouraging victory on the subcontinent. The Lions, featuring several players likely to be included in the senior England squad to play Pakistan in the ODIs, clinched their series against Sri Lanka A 3-2 after a resounding 117-run win in Colombo.The victory was set up by Joe Root’s first limited-overs hundred – as well as another thunderous cameo from Jos Buttler – before England’s spinners, Samit Patel and Danny Briggs, cleaned up Sri Lanka for combined figures of 6 for 82. Buttler, Briggs and Patel are all in the frame for England’s one-day squad, which will be announced tomorrow, and their performances may have provided the selectors with a crumb or two of comfort as they begin to sift through the wreckage of their Test whitewashing.The series win comes after the Lions had lost 3-2 in Bangladesh last month and ECB performance director David Parsons was particularly pleased with the team’s display, suggesting that it boded well for England.”Today was the nearest thing possible to a complete batting performance in these conditions and befits a series win,” Parsons said. “The batters demonstrated the learning that has been invested since this squad embarked on the performance camp in India in November and December, followed by a tough tour in Bangladesh and now in Sri Lanka in 2012.”These are also the skills that are required to help take England forward in playing in these conditions and things that we are determined to keep working on.”Root finished the innings unbeaten, having come in at No. 3, as the Lions persisted with the experiment of Patel opening. The allrounder struck a rapid 50 in the previous match but made just 19 here, while Alex Hales departed for 46 to bring the captain James Taylor together with Root. They added a patient 86, Taylor contributing 41 – his first real score since the Lions left Bangladesh – but the innings went into overdrive shortly after his dismissal, Buttler scoring two-thirds of the runs in an association with Root worth 97. The Somerset batsman’s 31-ball innings contained five sixes and five fours.Jonny Bairstow, who has already broken into England’s ODI side, thumped three more sixes as the Lions set a plus-300 target for the second time in the series. The hosts set off with an eye to matching the run rate – Chris Woakes saw his three overs disappear for 25 – but managed just one 50-run partnership as a series of top-order batsmen got in and got out. When Patel removed Mahela Udawatte their chances effectively disappeared and left-arm spinner Briggs was able to mop up the tail with almost 10 overs still to bowl.”We were particularly pleased with the approach that we took to their spinners on a used pitch, and showed that with hard work we can play on the subcontinent,” Taylor said. “Playing intelligently, but with appropriate aggression, it is possible to overcome a good bowling attack on these wickets.”

Dhaka Gladiators made it to the final of the Bangladesh Premier League with a nine-run victory over Khulna Royal Bengals in the second semi-final, in front of a packed Shere Bangla National Stadium that backed the home team as well as could be expected

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2012
ScorecardAzhar Mahmood top scored for Dhaka Gladiators with 65•BPL T20Dhaka Gladiators made it to the final of the Bangladesh Premier League with a nine-run victory over Khulna Royal Bengals in the second semi-final, in front of a packed Shere Bangla National Stadium that backed the home team as well as could be expected. Dhaka successfully defended their total of 191 for 4, Khulan making 183 for 7 in 20 overs. Khulna threatened Dhaka for a good part of the chase, courtesy a rapid knock from their captain, Shakib Al Hasan – he scored his first Twenty20 half-century, an unbeaten 86 off 41 balls – but it just wasn’t enough to see the team through.After a revamped Dhaka – Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Awais Zia flew in from Dubai in time for the match, following the conclusion of Pakistan’s series against England – chose to bat, Khulna bowled quite poorly from the onset. Dhaka lost the big-hitting Zia and Nazimuddin by the time they got to 22, but then Pakistan’s Imran Nazir smashed 41 off 25 balls with six fours and two sixes to steady them. Nazir fell in the eighth over to another Pakistan player who had arrived at the BPL just in time for the knock-outs – Mohammad Hafeez.Dhaka’s total was chiefly built around a 72-run fourth-wicket stand between Mohammad Ashraful and Azhar Mahmood, who made 65 off 39 balls with six fours and three sixes. Ashraful struck four boundaries and a six in his 33-ball 47. Afridi came in towards the end and provided the final surge, with an 11-ball 27. He was particularly harsh on Shakib, hammering 19 in the left-arm spinner’s last over.In the chase, Khulna lost their overseas batsmen (Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Herschelle Gibbs, Hafeez and Dwayne Smith) within eight overs, but Shakib and Nasir Hossain held on for a fine fifth-wicket stand of 87. Shakib was deprived of a few well-struck runs when two of his straight-drives hit Nasir and the stumps. Yet, he managed to reach his half-century off 22 balls. Big swings to the leg side apart, he gathered runs through flicks, sweeps and scoops off Elias Sunny, Ajmal and Afridi.The thirty-one required off the final over, though, proved just beyond Shakib’s reach – he could manage only 21 runs off Azhar Mahmood. Sunny shone with the ball, taking 3-29 – a credible showing, especially with two top-quality spinners playing alongside him.

Tim Southee is expected to be dropped from the New Zealand squad for the second Test against South Africa, after conceding 140 runs for no wicket in the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2012Tim Southee is expected to be dropped from the New Zealand squad for the second Test against South Africa, after conceding 140 runs for no wicket in the first Test, in Dunedin. Southee also had a torrid time in the limited-over games against South Africa, going for 64 off 10 overs in the first ODI, 61 off eight in the second, and 40 runs off four overs in the second Twenty20. Brent Arnel and Andrew Ellis are both in the Test squad and one of them is expected to take Southee’s place in the XI.Southee will go back to domestic cricket and play for Northern Districts in the next round of the Plunket Shield, which starts on Saturday, to work on issues with technique and form. Before the home series against South Africa, Southee had not had much to do in New Zealand’s thrashing of Zimbabwe in the two-and-a-half-day Napier Test. On the tour of Australia last year, his five wickets had come at 44.6 runs apiece, and he was overshadowed by Doug Bracewell.Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, had said after the first Test against South Africa that Southee had been having issues with his action. “Tim did not have the game of his life,” Taylor said. “He struggled a little bit with his action but he’s played a few Tests now. He’s a confidence player and hopefully he can bounce back from this.”Meanwhile, BJ Watling and Dean Brownlie remain on the injured list for New Zealand, meaning Kruger van Wyk and Rob Nicol are likely to keep their places in the XI. Brownlie is expected to be back for the third Test.The second Test is in Hamilton, starting March 15.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Rory Hamilton-Brown’s unbeaten 55 prevented Surrey from being blown away in double quick time by Worcestershire on a remarkable third day at The Oval when all 22 players batted.

David Lloyd at The Oval21-Apr-2012
Scorecard
Cometh the hour, cometh the captain. But while Rory Hamilton-Brown’s unbeaten 55 prevented Surrey from being blown away in double quick time, it remains to be seen whether he has played an innings that will lead his team to victory.Frankly, anything is possible. But what we can say for certain is that by scoring the first – and, perhaps, only – half century of this bowler-dominated match, Surrey’s 24-year-old skipper has given his side a better than decent chance after they threatened to turn themselves into clear second favourites.Surrey will start the final day leading by 152 and with four wickets in hand. It does not sound great, does it? But given what has gone before – and taking into account that 19 wickets fell today for the addition of 267 runs – the hosts could yet end up triumphing by a distance. Relatively speaking, that is.Considering not a ball was bowled on day one and only 35 overs were possible yesterday, it is remarkable that we are not talking about when the two sides will shake hands on a draw. But we are not and it seems likely that only more weather interference will lead to a stalemate after seven hours of helter-skelter cricket.The main facts of day three, pre Hamilton-Brown’s half-century, are these: all 22 players batted at least once, Surrey’s 140 was their lowest first innings total at The Oval since 1999, Worcestershire longest and best stand – 13 overs and 41 runs – was for the ninth wicket, Stuart Meaker returned career-best figures of 6 for 39 for Surrey and all-rounder James Cameron became the first man to reach 40 as the visitors ‘recovered’ from 74 for 8 to 119 all outYes, the pitch has played a few clearly unkind tricks – the ball from Alan Richardson that pinned Mark Ramprakash lbw kept very low, for instance – but generally there has been only the sort of sideways movement you would expect when good bowlers are operating on an April pitch that has not had much sun on it and there is moisture in the air.Much of the batting has fallen well short of the highest calibre. But when someone has steeled himself to play straight and been content to push the ball for singles, run-scoring has looked difficult rather than impossible.Enter Hamilton-Brown. Surrey were only 80 ahead when they lost their fifth wicket. But the captain managed to make 55 at a run a ball with the help of just five boundaries. It was an excellent knock, with power to add, and it stole the day’s star man award away from the still impressive Meaker.The competition for fast bowling places is not quite as hot at The Oval as it is with England, but plenty warm enough to suggest no-one can afford to waste an opportunity to impress.Jon Lewis’s winter move from Gloucestershire gives the county four pacemen with international experience. Then there is Barbados-born Chris Jordan, admired by both England and West Indies, and Tim Linley, who failed to survive the cut for this contest despite taking 73 Second Division wickets at not much more than 18 runs apiece last season.Of the top bracket boys, Chris Tremlett is currently injured. But that still means there is no automatic place for either Dernbach or Stuart Meaker, the one-day international bowlers who would like to be pushing for Test match consideration sooner rather than later.Indeed, Meaker missed out in the last championship game, at Lord’s. Here, though, it was the 23-year-old who filled his boots by bowling fast and straight often enough to find the outside edge on a regular basis.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers helped Royal Challengers Bangalore overcome a major disruption to their plans and secure their fourth win of the season

The Report by George Binoy23-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan added 122 runs in 8.2 overs•AFPTillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers helped Royal Challengers Bangalore overcome a major disruption to their plans and secure their fourth win of the season, bringing them level on points with the other top sides in the league. After Chris Gayle fell sick minutes before the match began and did not open, Royal Challengers stagnated, scoring only 67 for 3 by the 12th over, before de Villiers initiated the recovery during an aggressive partnership with Dilshan.Following Gayle’s dismissal for 4 – lbw to Brag Hogg’s quicker delivery – de Villiers and Dilshan blitzed 122 in 8.2 overs, as the ball flew to and over the boundary through a combination of inventive and orthodox shots. De Villiers launched five sixes, hitting 59 off 23 balls, while Dilshan, who had scored only 38 off his first 39, ended on 76 off 58 deliveries. They powered Royal Challengers to 189, a total that seemed a pipe dream earlier.During Royals’ chase, Rahul Dravid played an innings similar to what Dilshan had done for Royal Challengers. Dravid opened and scored steadily at one end, motoring to a half-century, while his partners struggled at the other. The asking-rate was rising rapidly, though, and left-arm spinner KP Appanna, who was brought in for this game, broke Royals’ chase. He dismissed the top four Royals batsmen, beginning with the in-form Ajinkya Rahane and Owais Shah, to finish with 4 for 19. While Dravid did a Dilshan, no one did a de Villiers for Royals, and the upshot was a 46-run defeat.The impact de Villiers had on the match was immediate. After taking a three off his first ball, he began the acceleration by hoisting offspinner Ajit Chandila for consecutive sixes over midwicket in the 13th over. They were the first sixes of Royal Challengers’ innings. Though the next two overs had only a boundary each in them, de Villiers and Dilshan ran aggressively to increase the run flow. Dilshan then broke free in the 16th over, lofting Siddharth Trivedi over the long-off boundary and pulling him for four through square leg.Hogg, who had troubled the earlier batsmen with his left-arm wrist spin, lost his line and length and was punished for consecutive boundaries by Dilshan. Even Kevon Cooper, who bowled economically in his first two overs, suffered towards the end, de Villiers carting him over the straight boundary before fishing out the reverse-paddle through fine leg.The penultimate over was the innings’ most expensive – 21 runs came off it. After four quiet deliveries, one of which was a no-ball, de Villiers laid into Trivedi and hit the last three balls for two sixes and a four. Dilshan added the finishing touches by hitting the final two balls, from Cooper, to the fine leg and point boundary.For Royals to challenge 189, they needed Rahane and Shah to fire. But only Dravid did. Rahane scratched around for 13 off 17 balls before swatting Appanna to long-on, where Luke Pomersbach, substituting for Gayle, took a well-judged catch running to his right. Appanna and Harshal Patel strung a few economical overs together between the sixth and tenth, which forced the asking-rate towards 13.Shah eventually hit the innings’ first and only six in the 11th over, whipping Harshal over backward square leg, but was beaten by flight and turn from Appanna and stumped in the 12th. Dravid too lost his fluency after that, struggling to attack the left-arm spin, and his dismissal, holing out to extra cover, ended the Royals’ challenge.

Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach, has said Manvinder Bisla’s assault in Kolkata Knight Riders’ successful chase of 191 was unexpected

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2012Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach, has said Manvinder Bisla’s assault in Kolkata Knight Riders’ successful chase of 191 in the IPL final was unexpected. Super Kings, two-time IPL champions, failed to make it three in a row as Knight Riders beat them by five wickets in a last-over finish at Chepauk.”I don’t know if we can over-analyse how wrong we got it, but admire what they did. Bisla, I thought, was outstanding, they needed someone to stand up,” Fleming said. “We got a great early wicket of [Gautam] Gambhir, which we had targeted, but we didn’t expect the onslaught from Bisla, maybe a quick 30, 40 would have been fine, but he took it quite deep.”Bisla smashed 89 in 48 balls and was involved in a 136-run stand for the second wicket with Jacques Kallis, who also scored a half-century. “That partnership gave them belief,” Fleming said.With 20 needed to win off the last two overs for Knight Riders, Super Kings still stood a chance and the pressure on the visitors grew when Kallis fell in the penultimate over, off Ben Hilfenhaus. However, Hilfenhaus bowled an above waist-high full toss the next ball, yielding three runs and an extra delivery that was hit for four by Shakib Al Hasan. “In the 19th over, there was a big turning point with the no-ball, going into the last over with 14 or 15 to win is a different story,” Fleming said. Nine were needed off the final over and Manoj Tiwary finished the game with two successive fours.Fleming, however, praised his team for its performance through the season, and for fighting hard in the final. “When you get beaten like that, it’s a lot easier to take than when you’ve played below par. A little disappointed that our campaign has been termed as ‘lucky’, we still got the points to qualify for the semis. The challenge next year is to be one of the most consistent sides.”