India vs Australia

India's spin department is healthy: Anil Kumble

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Former Indian captain Anil Kumble reckons that India's spin repertory was full of "quality bowlers" and rated comeback man Harbhajan Singh as one of the "best spinners in the country".

India climb to 3rd spot in ICC T20 Championship table Google Image  Huge win over England in the group stages of the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, India jumped four places to claim the third position in the ICC T20 Championship table. The crushing defeat meant England slipped a position to second spot with 124 ratings points.South Africa head into the Super Eight stage as the number-one ranked team. Suresh Raina is the lone Indian to feature in the top 10 list for the T20I Player Rankings for batsmen.

ONE LEGEND MEET ANOTHER LEGEND

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Brian Lara visits Sachin Tendulkar`s residence. Both of them are good friend off the field.

Rest of India win Irani Cup

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Rest of India notched up a comprehensive victory over Ranji Trophy champion Rajasthan on the fourth day of the Irani Cup match.

ROI wrapped Rajasthan's second innings for 275 in 90.2 overs. They have won with a day to spare. At tea, ROI had moved closer to an innings victory as Rajasthan were 227/8 in 76 overs.

Former India captain and president of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Anil Kumble handed over the trophy to ROI captain Cheteshwar Pujara. 

Sri Lanka knock by South Africa in 7-over match

  South Africa rode on De Villiers' 13-ball 30 to post 78 for four after the match was reduced to a seven-over-a-side affair. In reply, the Sri Lankans were restricted to 46 for five as the Protea bowlers took centrestage at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium. 

Heavy rain delayed the start by two and a half hours as a sell-out 35,000 crowd waited anxiously for action and although they got it late the fireworks in a shorter game gave them some consolation.

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 Besides de Villiers, Hashim Amla (16), Faf du Plessis (13) and JP Duminy (12) chipped in with important runs to lay the foundation for a comfortable win, after being put in to bat. In what was the first international T20 match between the two sides, the hosts always had a tough task at hands after the Proteas set a stiff target. 

Sri Lanka will be in group one of Super Eights while South Africa will be in group two, regarded as the group of death with India, Australia and Pakistan likely to be the other teams.    The loss meant Sri Lanka will enter the Super Eight stage as the second best team from the group. 

Rain wash match for west indies

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The Aussies were battered by a strong Windies batting line-up on Saturday night at the Premadasa, but a quickfire start to their innings, coupled with some generous help from the rain Gods, ensured that they won a game which promised much, but was marred by the weather. 

    In the first big-ticket match of the WorldT20 at this venue, the Windies chose to bat first, and propped up by half-centuries from Chris Gayle, who was perhaps responsible for a surprisingly large turnout here, and Marlon Samuels, and several useful cameos, reached 191 for eight. Sadly, it didn’t prove enough. The Kangaroos scraped through by 17 runs, as per the D/L method. When the rain came, the Aussies were 100 for one in 9.1 overs, when they needed to score 83 by that stage. 

West Indies` total is the joint third highest score in a losing cause in the ICC World Twenty20. West Indies` 205 for six against South Africa at Johannesburg on September 11, 2007 is the lowest score.

 Australia aim to beat strong Caribbean

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Australia and West Indies entered this tournament with vastly different expectations placed upon them. Although the Australians were quietly confident, plenty of people saw their form, ranking and not-so-settled side as an indication they would struggle. West Indies came in as one of the tournament favourites, the first time in a long while that they have been considered such a strong chance.

 Australia have already overcome Ireland and should West Indies do so as well, both these sides will progress to the next stage. But West Indies don't want to be placing themselves under any unnecessary pressure when they take on Ireland so victory in this, their first match, is important. Not that Australia will be a pushover - the teams drew 1-1 when they met for two T20s in the Caribbean earlier this year.

For Australia, the opening victory against Ireland has provided a handy bit of breathing space and they know that victory against West Indies will put them through to the Super Eights. There have been minor health worries for the veteran spinner Brad Hogg and the fast bowler Mitchell Starc over the past couple of days, but both are still in contention to take their places against West Indies.

 

The Mendises Hero in Sri Lanka win

Sri Lanka 182 for 4 (Sangakkara 44, Mendis 43*) beat Zimbabwe 100 (Masakadza 20, Ajantha 6-8, Jeevan 3-24) by 82 runs

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Ajantha Mendis marked his return to Sri Lanka's national side by achieving the best figures in T20 internationals. He puzzled and prised out the Zimbabwe batsmen to contribute to a comprehensive victory in the tournament opener.

After Sri Lanka posted an imposing total, Ajantha tore through Zimbabwe. He took three wickets in his first spell to kill off any thoughts of a chase and returned to take three more to end Zimbabwe's limp challenge. Mendis served up deliveries that held their line, those that turned in, the carrom ball and the googly from the back of the hand, leaving Zimbabwe with a sour taste in their mouths and befuddlement in their minds.

Another Mendis, Jeevan, too was major weapon in the home side's armoury. He starred in a 94-run fourth-wicket stand with Kumar Sangakkara and took three wickets. Together, the two Mendises dominated an overawed and outplayed Zimbabwe.

Lara, Enid Bakewell Introduce in Hall of Fame

Enid Bakewell Google Image 

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The West Indies contingent turned out in force to see Brian Lara inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, but it was England's Enid Bakewell, the women's inductee, who stole the show in Colombo, with charming anecdotes from her career and a dedication to the sport that still endures 33 years after retirement. Lara became the17th West Indies player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Bakewell is the third women's inductee, after team-mate and captain Rachel Heyhoe-Flint and Australian Belinda Clark.

Bakewell was an allrounder from 1968 to 1982, who in twelve Tests scored 1078 runs at 59.88 and took 50 wickets at 16.62. She is one of only five cricketers, male or female, to have hit a century and taken ten wickets in the same Test - a feat she achieved in her final match, against West Indies at Edgbaston. Now, at 71, she still turns out for the Redoubtables club side in Surrey, for whom she opens the bowling, but only because she helps keep the run rate down, she said.

Her glittering statistics have earned her a place among the greats of the women's game, but it was not the personal achievements that she remembered most fondly. "I wasn't interested in my own success," she said. "As long as we got a win and we were part of a very good team, that was the most important thing." The names sometimes eluded her, but her team-mates contributions to her own success were retold with vivid enthusiasm. "I couldn't have done it without our brilliant wicketkeeper," she said of Shirley Hodges, who made 13 stumpings and took three catches off Bakewell's left-arm spin. "A girl from Yorkshire, who opened the bowling, took three splendid catches to give me a hat trick in Australia," Bakewell said of Julia Greenwood.

Sangakkara wins three ICC awards

 Sangakkara's has won three awards, including the prestigious Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year at the annual ICC awards ceremony in Colombo. Sangakkara also won the People's Choice prize, an honour he had received last year as well.

For Cricketer and Test Cricketer of the Year, Sangakkara was chosen ahead of South Africa's Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, and Australia captain Michael Clarke

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Besides Sangakkara's three prizes, Sri Lanka won one more: umpire Kumar Dharmasena took the Umpire of the Year award. That ended a three-year winning run for Aleem Dar and left Pakistan, already unhappy at offspinner Saeed Ajmal's exclusion from two top award shortlists, without a prize on the day.

"This is an amazing honour and I've seen the people who have won it before me and the nominees too, to be named alongside them is wonderful," Sangakkara said after receiving the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for Cricketer of the Year from ICC president Alan Isaac. "I admire them greatly and even more so when I looked up at their records on the screen this evening. It's great to be amongst them. Now to receive this honour this evening, is simply fantastic."

Kohli ODI Cricketer of the Year

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Virat Kohli, the India batsman, has been named the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the ICC awards function in Colombo. He was picked ahead of MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara.

During the period under consideration, Kohli played 31 ODIs and scored 1733 runs at an average of 66.65, including eight hundreds and six half-centuries. His highest score was 183, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

"I think I have tried to keep things as simple as possible and it's worked for me on the field," Kohli said. "This year has been a learning curve along the way from the seniors in the team. It's been an all-round effort and I'm very happy to have won this award.

"It's always nice to be recognised by the ICC, it's a great feeling, and it's the first time I've won one of these awards."

Players choose IPL teams in Champions League

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Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (capt), R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Doug Bollinger, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, S Anirudha, M Vijay, V Yo Mahesh.

Delhi Daredevils: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Virender Sehwag, Varun Aaron, Ajit Agarkar, Unmukt Chand, Morne Morkel, Pawan Negi, Naman Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Kevin Pietersen, Andre Russell, Venugopal Rao, Ross Taylor, David Warner, Umesh Yadav.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (capt), Iqbal Abdullah, Shakib Al Hasan, L Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Yusuf Pathan, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Shami Ahmed, Ryan ten Doeschate, Manoj Tiwary.

Mumbai Indians: Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Mitchell Johnson, Dinesh Karthik, Dhawal Kulkarni, Richard Levi, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel, Thisara Perera, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Dwayne Smith, Suryakumar Yadav.

All nine players who were nominated for two teams in next month's Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa have opted to represent their respective IPL teams over their domestic sides.

Deccan Chargers  turn down  sole bid for franchise

The auction for the IPL Deccan Chargers franchise on Thursday has ended in an anti-climax with the team's owners rejecting the sole bid they received. This leaves the franchise's future up in the air, with the BCCI 's working committee meeting on Saturday likely to take a decision on its next course of action.

The solitary bid reportedly came from PVP Ventures, a company that finances film projects in India. No details were made public but reports said the offer was for Rs 900 crore ($164 million). Only three bidders had evinced interest to buy the Chargers: besides PVP Ventures, RPG Group and Jaypee Group also bought the bid document. However on the day of the auction only PVP turned up.

If the board does scrap Chargers' contract then it will encash the bank guarantee of the franchise to settle the dues of the players. Most players and coaching staff are reportedly yet to receive 85% of their contracted amount.

A positive outcome today could have changed that but it is understood that while DCHL were happy to go with the offer, the company's lending banks, rejected it. "The lenders [banks] and the owner [DCHL] could not come to an agreement over the mode of payment proposed by the bidder," the official said.

The official said the banks were not happy with PVP's plan to divide the bid amount in two parts over the next ten years. "They said they would pay Rs 450 crores ($82 million) in the next five years, at the rate of 90 crore per annum, and the rest in 2022," the official said. The banks' reluctance, the official said, could stem from the fact that they stood to receive the sale proceeds - which, in this case, would be staggered.

Sri Lanka, West Indies Discard Tests from tour

SLC chief executive Ajit Jayasekara denied the motive for foregoing the Tests was to avoid a clash with the IPL, but failed to provide an alternate reason. He said the WICB had put forward the idea, and the SLC had agreed to the change in schedule after holding discussions. Jayasekara said scheduling an ODI series instead of following the FTP would end up being "more lucrative for the board".

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The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have scrapped two Tests from Sri Lanka's tour of the West Indies next May and instead plan to play an ODI tri-series involving India. The decision also means that players from both teams will remain available during the IPL, which runs from April 3 to May 26 next year. The teams were scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and two Twenty20s as per the Future Tours Programme. It is unclear if the Twenty20s will remain part of the tour.



WICB corporate communications manager Imran Khan said that all three boards had agreed in principle to the tri-series. Dates and details would be finalised following final sanction from the BCCI. Incidentally, national boards receive 10% of each player's salary from the IPL.

South Africa win series with last-ball thriller

South Africa had put Bangladesh in to bat first in the crucial match and it was Benade with the ball who made the first breakthrough, getting opener Rumana Ahmed's wicket in the first over. Other South Africa bowlers joined in as they picked regular wickets to deny Bangladesh any strong partnership. None of the Bangladesh batsman, apart from captain Salma Khatun (42), managed more than 10 runs. Legspinner Dane van Niekerk was the most successful bowler for South Africa with two wickets.

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South Africa score a last-ball win over Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 in Mirpur and square the three-match series 1-1. Benade came to the crease in the fifth over, after South Africa - chasing 106 - had lost both openers with the score on 15, and shared a 73-run stand with Alison Hodgkinson (37). South Africa required 18 off 14 balls when Hodgkinson fell to offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra and were in a spot of bother as their captain Mignon du Preez was out without scoring four balls later. But Benade prevented any further damage and saw the visiting team through to the finish. Jahanara Alam was the pick of Bangladesh bowlers, with an economical spell of 4-0-16-3.

Ten Reasons To Go To The Cricket

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Cricket is one of the most popular and played sports on the planet; it is accessible to a range of countries, classes and crosses gender boundaries. It is also an enjoyable sport for spectators and as a result is a lucrative sport for broadcasting companies and sponsors. There are hundreds of reasons to go to the cricket but here are the ten best according to John Pryor.

1. You get to dress up

Young or old, extrovert or, slightly less extrovert, you get to dress up when you go to the cricket. Some will choose fancy dress; from experience Batman and Robin rarely miss an England game and Santa Claus regularly makes the round trip from the North Pole to Lords.

Some of the more unique costumes of the past include the Grim Reaper, Kermit the Frog and Darth Vader. For others, cricket is the opportunity to wear the most colourful and dashing of outfits, cricket being the only place other than Henley where it is acceptable to wear trousers of every colour of the rainbow: power red is usually amongst the favourites.

Coupled with the traditional Panama hat and stylish sunglasses a day at the cricket gives you the license to dress to impress.

2. Indulge in intellectual conversation

Yes, seriously. At the start of the day the cricket offers the opportunity to discuss topics such as business, politics and the ins and outs of the game. Obviously as the day wears on and the beer begins to flow conversation swiftly moves on to which of the Spice Girls you most fancy (ok, Girls Aloud) and where one will indulge in curry eating on that particular evening.

Whatever the match, you can guarantee an eclectic and entertaining mix of conversation topics.

3.  Admire sporting talent

Arguably the main aim of going to the cricket is to admire sportsmen performing at the top of their game, something you can never quite appreciate by watching sport on television.

The pace at which the bowlers bowl, the sweetness of an on drive and, rather strangely, the distance the wicket keepers stand back can only really be appreciated live. These are sportsmen at the peak of their performance; to admire them in the flesh is something special.

4. To indulge oneself in gluttony

Going to the cricket is quite simply an excuse to eat all day long. Traditional snacks include the pork pie, cocktail sausages, a wide selection of crisps and nuts, and, of course, large volumes of rather cheap beer consumed from slightly grubby plastic pint glasses. So put that diet on hold and pack up that picnic basket as nobody goes hungry at the cricket.

5. To have a good sing song

Forget karaoke, The X-factor or Pop Idol, cricket matches provide the opportunity to sing your heart out to a range of cultural (and less cultural) classics. Where else would you get the opportunity to perform ‘Jerusalem’ followed by a chorus of ‘Who Ate all the Pies’ In front of 20,000 people?

6. You can have an excellent nap

This is far from a derogatory statement about the entertainment value of cricket. Rather it is a celebration of the freedom which the game offers to the spectator, liberating them to drop in and out of the action.

Many cricket fans (older men in particular) will speak of the memorable post-lunch time nap they have enjoyed during a Test match. Napping during the cricket is unique because being at the cricket relieves the pressures of everyday life and there is nothing expected of the spectator.

There is no need to keep on top of the action at all times and if an exciting moment happens it will inevitably be replayed when a satisfactory nap has been completed.

7. To behave like a naughty schoolboy

The stewards are an integral part of cricket matches, keeping the crowd under control and ensuring that the day’s play runs smoothly. Nevertheless, everybody enjoys winding them up just a little.

Some realise childhood ambitions of becoming builders by constructing towers made of pint glasses; following construction the challenge is then the preservation of one’s creation, swiftly passing them around the crowd to avoid the steward who takes on the role of the wrecking ball.

Other such childish pursuits include the odd food fight and the musician who will not obey the steward’s orders to keep quite. For the more daring (and drunk) cricket fan there is the opportunity to streak around the field, though this behaviour is never to be condoned.

8. Become at one with nature

The majority of us spend the working week in the office craving the opportunity to spend time outside experiencing the elements. Going to watch the cricket you can guarantee exposure to everything the weather has to offer. The day may well begin with sunshine forcing you to don the sun cream and sport the shades but things can, and do quickly change.

Every experienced cricket fan will pack a waterproof because the rain will always creep in on the day when you forget to pack it. Swirling wind is another delight which some will be lucky enough to experience during a day at the cricket, but hey, at least you’re out of the office.

9. Meet the stars of the game

There’s a hero for everybody at the cricket - the younger fans may get the opportunity to meet their current heroes prior to or after the game, while the older generations could run into stars of the past walking around the ground.

Autograph opportunities abound aplenty and whatever age you are there is no denying that meeting your favourite player, past or present, can make your day.

10. Witness moments of history

It’s not often that you can say about your day, “people will talk about what I witnessed for decades to come.” Going to the cricket has the potential to offer you this opportunity. How many people can say, “I was there when England won the Ashes in 2005,” or, “I saw Brian Charles Lara carve his name in the record books with a score of 501?” The answer is very few.

NZ come back to  pilfer  one-run win

New Zealand 167 for 5 (McCullum 91, Irfan 3-31) beat India 166 for 4 (Kohli 70, Mills 2-17, Franklin 2-26) by one run

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A solitary Twenty20 it was, but it featured multiple narratives, an emotional return for Yuvraj Singh and his fans, an anti-climax for India and an incredible comeback from New Zealand. After Brendon McCullum had punched a furious 91, Virat Kohli counter-punched with a majestic 70, leaving India with 49 to get off 42 deliveries with seven wickets remaining.

That is when the Chennai pitch started to behave more like a typical Chennai pitch; the ball had come on nicely till then. MS Dhoni and Yuvraj struggled to get the ball off the square, James Franklin and Jacob Oram took all pace off the ball to make it harder, and the asking-rate surged suddenly. Dhoni, having promoted himself ahead of Manoj Tiwary and Rohit Sharma, ended unbeaten on a perplexing 22 off 23 deliveries, failing to find any timing on his swipes and slogs and reduced to nudging singles on the leg side.

With 20 needed off the last eight deliveries, Yuvraj managed to heave Oram over deep midwicket for six. With 12 needed off the last five, Dhoni managed to pull Franklin to deep square leg for four. With six needed off three, Yuvraj heaved and was bowled for 34 off 26.