CriCNews

England v India: Alastair Cook fails again after hosts' attack toils

2014-07-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

England captain Alastair Cook's batting woes continued as India took control of the first Test with a record last-wicket partnership.

The opener was bowled off his thigh pad for five as England closed on 43-1 in reply to India's 457 at Trent Bridge.

On a day of fluctuating fortunes, the hosts had hurtled back into contention with four wickets for two runs after lunch to reduce India to 346-9 following Murali Vijay's 146.

But an extraordinary stand of 111 between number nine Bhuvneshwar Kumar and number 11 Mohammed Shami, who both scored their maiden Test fifties, sapped England's spirit and put the tourists firmly back in charge.

Having watched the unlikely duo punish his tiring attack for two-and-a-half hours, Cook walked to the crease desperate to end a run of 24 innings without a century.

However, in a moment typical of his recent cruel luck, he missed a ball from Shami down the leg side and watched in horror as it deflected off his thigh pad and down on to the stumps.

Cook, whose team have lost six of their last seven Tests, has now scored only 606 runs in his last 13 Tests at an average of 24.24.

Dinesh Chandimal irejected offers to play in IPL

2013-03-31T21:11:00.003-07:00

Dinesh Chandimal irejected offers to play in IPL

Colombo, Mar 31: Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka's T20 international skipper and has rejected offers to play in the sixth edition of the IPL, cricket board sources claimed. Chandimal was not among the 13 Sri Lankan players originally contracted to play in the IPL auction. He is said to have rejected offers from Pune Warriors to fill in the void of the injured Australian captain Michael Clarke and from Delhi Daredevils to replace English batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is also injured. His rejection came amidst controversy over the Sri Lanka players' participation in the Chennai matches of the IPL. The ongoing political row with Sri Lanka involving the Tamil Nadu politicians and the resultant ban on Sri Lankan IPL players to play in Chennai has caused public anger in Sri Lanka. Nationalist organisations have urged the government to ensure that the players boycott of the T20 league.

(Source - TheCricket)

Can Kusal Perera take Sanath Jayasuriya's role ?

2013-03-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Can Kusal Perera take Sanath Jayasuriya's role in the game of Lankan Style ? cricnews

After 75 year history of Sri Lankan Cricket a hurricane hit Sri Lankan cricket last week , Kusal Janith Perera, a 22 year-old left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper blasted 336 off 275 balls for Colts CC against Saracens at Havelock Park, Colombo. The innings featured savage hitting with 14 sixes and 29 fours.The innings is the highest score in the Sri Lankan domestic competition. It is also the only triple century in the 75 year history of the Sri Lankan domestic competition. Domestic cricket in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was not recorded as first-class until the 1988-89 season, but there were no triple centuries in club cricket before that. The only other triple centuries in Sri Lankan first-class cricket were at Test level - Sanath Jayasuriya’s 340 against India in 1997 and Mahela Jayawardena’s 375 against South Africa in 2006.

Kusal Perera made his international debut against Australia in the ODI series this year. who, at 22, has just played 7 odis and 3 two twenty-20 for Sri Lanka. He scored 66 from 44 balls with massive 4 six’s and 5 four’s against Bangladesh in the first T20 match played at Pallekale stadium. More interestingly, he came in to the national team as a middle order batsman, whose first skill was to be a wicket keeper. But, just after 9 international games, his wicket keeping skills has been pushed back, and as a pure batsman he is regarded as a new ‘ Jayasuriya ’.

His excellent timing and quick footwork impressed instantly. Kusal Jenith Perera not just reminds of great Sanath Jayasuriya with his aggression, but his batting style is also similar to great men. Comparisons were drawn with another left-hander with a similar build and approach - Jayasuriya. Like Jayasuriya, Perera is a particularly strong square of the wicket. However, Perera plays straighter and with a more upright elbow.

He does share Jayasuriya’s hunger for tall scores. At 19, Jayasuriya announced his talent on the Sri Lanka B tour of Pakistan in 1989 by scoring two successive double centuries. Kusal Perera’s last three first-class innings are 93, 207, and 336. Clearly, Perera has the water-tight defence to add to his awesome hitting ability.

The uniqueness of Kusal Perera’s achievement is that the likes of Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Duleep Mendis never came close to a triple century in club cricket. The legends in the pre-Test era such as Anura Tennakoon, C.I. Gunasekera, David Heyn, and Michael Tissera fell far short of a triple century. Mahadevan Sathasivam, the island’s finest pre-Test batsman, scored two double centuries, but not in club cricket. Very few players manage to attract the spectators as well as critics from the beginning of their career. Kusal Jenith Perera, Sri Lanka’s new opener in shorter formats of the game, has not only impressed the whole cricketing world, but he also brought a new debate in Sri Lanka and outside : that his style of playing strokes is so similar to his country’s greatest intertainer Sanath Jayasuriya, that sometimes he just look like a clone of him.

“ Not only the style, in which he plays his strokes are similar to Sanath, but the way he grips his bat, is also reminds of great men” said brian murgatroid, tv commentator, during the third ODI and T20 in Pallekelle. During that match, his pick up shot over bowler’s head for the six, was again a reminder of Sanath, according to many other cricket observers. Just like Sanath, he uses the bottom hand with great effect, while launching his Audacious shots. Moreover, it’s not just about technical similarities, but the manner, in which he attacks the bowlers, is looks exact to great Sanath Jayasuriya man who changed the environment of game of cricket.

Muralitharan disappointed with IPL Governing Council ruling..

2013-03-27T06:53:00.002-07:00

Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan is disappointed at the IPL governing council's move to disallow players from his country to play matches in Chennai, a decision taken in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.

Bowing to intense political pressure, top Sri Lankan players were yesterday withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the high-profile IPL after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa refused to host them due to the growing political tensions in the state resulting from the treatment of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

"It's a sad (day) for cricket as we are not allowed to play in a certain part of India. It is a government decision, if they cannot provide security for us, we have to be cautious," Muralitharan, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, told 'NDTV'.

"I have spoken to Royal Challengers, they do not have any problems. I can play the non-Chennai games," he added.

Himself a Sri Lankan Tamil, Muralitharan said he had never faced problems in the island nation.

"I played for 20 years in the Lankan team, I did not have any problems as a Tamil. The government and the cricket board always supported me throughout my career even when I went through a lot of problems."

"Earlier, there was a time of war between the Tamils and Lankans but now people are living in peace in my country. So the concerned authorities in India must come and see how we are living in Sri Lanka and forget what happened in the past. We don't want another war-like situation now."

The 40-year-old off-spinner, who retired from international cricket in 2011, said he was ready to play in Chennai.

"If they allow us to play, we will definitely play in Chennai. Chennai is like a second home for me as my wife Madhimalar is from there. It is a sentimental situation for me. We do not want to get into politics and we just want to play our cricket and entertain our fans."

(Source - timesofindia)

Will Jayalalitha & Karunanidhi Play For Chennai Super Kings ?

2013-03-26T08:55:00.002-07:00

Will Jayalalitha & Karunanidhi Play For Chennai Super Kings ?
IPLnewss

Top Sri Lankan players were on Tuesday withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the IPL after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa refused to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sri Lanka sentiments in the State.

Ms. Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making it clear that IPL matches would be permitted in the State only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches beginning April 3.

A few hours later, the IPL Governing Council met to discuss the issue and decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in IPL League matches in Chennai.

The Council will advise the nine IPL franchises accordingly, putting an end to the intense speculation regarding the fate of the Sri Lankan players.

Altogether 13 Sri Lankan players, two of whom are captains of their respective teams, are taking part in the sixth edition of the league which will start from April 3.

Chennai, the home for Chennai Super Kings, will stage 10 matches in all, including two eliminators, and will continue to remain a venue.

“The IPL Governing Council met this afternoon to discuss the issue. The security of all involved in the IPL, whether players, spectators or those working in the stadiums, is of paramount importance to the BCCI.

“The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will advise the nine franchises accordingly”, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said in statement.

Mr. Shukla said that the Governing Council took the decision after the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister stating that she would not permit the Sri Lankan players in Chennai.

“This is with reference to news reports last week that the government of Sri Lanka has issued a travel advisory that its citizens should exercise caution when travelling to Tamil Nadu”, the statement said.

“Today, the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has written to the Prime Minister of India stating that she will not permit the participation of Sri Lankan players or umpires in matches in Chennai during Pepsi IPL 2013”, the statement added.

Mr. Shukla said the Governing Council had to take the local sentiments and the safety and security of Sri Lankan players into account before taking a final decision.

“We had to take two things into account. We have to take the local sentiments into account and at same time the safety and security of the Sri Lankan players are paramount,” he said.

“If the local administration has given something we have to listen to that as ultimately we need the help of the State authorities to hold the tournament like security arrangement. We can’t ignore the advice from the local administration,” he said.

Sri Lankan Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that the Lankan players will be told not to take part in Chennai matches if the BCCI or the Indian government were not able to provide security to them.

“We have written to the BCCI whether they can provide security to our players. We have also requested the foreign ministry to ask the Indian government whether they would provide security to our players. Only in case our players are provided security we will allow them to take part in the matches in Chennai,” he said.

For the league stages, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Hyderabad Sunrisers will have to bench key players like Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, respectively for their matches in Chennai.

Barring Kings XI Punjab, all the other franchises have at least one or more Sri Lankan players in their squad.

Sri Lankans in the IPL:

CSK: Akila Dananjaya and N Kulasekara,

Delhi Daredevils: Mahela Jayawardene (captain) and Jeevan Mendis.

Knight Riders: Sachithra Senanayake.

Mumbai Indians: Lasith Malinga.

Pune Warriors India: Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews.

Rajasthan Royals: Kusal Janith Perera.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Muthaiah Muralitharan and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera.

(Source - thehindu.com)

SRI LANKA CRICKET CONTROVERSY....

2013-03-06T04:08:00.003-08:00

A pay dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and its 23 centrally-contracted players ended on Monday with the squad signing new deals and making themselves available for the two-test series against Bangladesh.SLNEWS

The SLC and Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had threatened to drop the 23 for the series against Bangladesh that starts on Friday if they did not sign new contracts by Monday.

“Twenty-two out of the 23 players have signed the contracts which makes them available for selection,” SLC chief executive Ajith Jayasekera told Reuters.

Former captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is abroad, was the only player who did not sign.

The contracts expired last month and the players refused to agree new deals by Saturday’s deadline, prompting SLC to give them two extra days.

SLC officials and Aluthgamage said the 23 were demanding 75 percent of the board’s total earnings but a senior cricketer said they were merely opposing an SLC move to cut their terms.

A similar pay dispute threatened to derail last year’s Sri Lanka Premier League after the players said they would pull out of the tournament.

The first test in Galle begins on Friday and the second match in Colombo starts on March 16.

Sri Lanka included uncapped left-handed batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, wicketkeeper/batsman Kushal Perera, right-arm spinner Tharindu Kaushal and all-rounder Jeevan Mendis in their 16-man squad for the opening test.

Vithanage, 22, scored an unbeaten 168 against Bangladesh in a three-day practice game while representing Sri Lanka’s development team.

Team: Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Shaminda Eranga, Kushal Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welagedara, Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath, Tharindu Kaushal.

Lowest one-day International Total in 27 years for Aus...

2013-01-18T09:08:00.001-08:00

Sri Lanka laboured to a four-wicket victory after right-arm pacer Nuwan Kulasekara destroyed Australia with a fine display of swing bowling in the third one-day international in Brisbane on Friday.

Australia's top and middle order batsmen capitulated before Kulasekara's inswing while Lasith Malinga (3-22) polished off the tail to bowl out the hosts for 74 in 26.4 overs.

The win, though not as convincing as it should have been, puts Sri Lanka 2-1 up in the five-match series. Sydney hosts the fourth one-dayer on Sunday.

For Australia, only Mitchell Starc (22 not out) and Xavier Doherty (15) managed double digits, adding 34 runs for the last wicket to take the home side past their lowest ODI total ever.

On a day when ball dominated bat and not a single six was hit, the Sri Lankan batsmen had their problems too and wobbled early on in their chase.

Mitchell Johnson (3-11) blew away their top order, while Starc claimed a couple as Sri Lanka lost six wickets before scrambling over the line in 20 overs.

Kushal Perera was unbeaten on 22, while Tillakaratne Dishan also contributed as many runs.

It was a brave effort by the Australian bowlers after they were let down by their batting colleagues earlier in the day.

Angelo Mathews drew first blood with his seventh delivery when he removed opener David Warner and Australia captain Michael Clarke was soon left to rue his decision to bat first as the batting lineup came unstuck.

Right-arm pacer Kulasekara tasted his first success when skipper Mahela Jayawardene took a sharp, low catch in the second slip to dismiss the other opener Phil Hughes.

Kulasekara was on a hat-trick in his next over when he removed Hussey and followed it with a delivery that swung a long way to trap the scoreless George Bailey leg before.

Matthew Wade denied him a hat-trick but that was hardly solace for the hosts as Kulasekara returned to peg back Clarke's middle stump and push one through Moises Henriques's gate for his first five-wicket haul, also earning him the man of the match award.

After Kulasekara had exposed Australia's lower order, Malinga ran through the tail, removing Johnson, Wade and Clint McKay.

Starc and Doherty added 34 runs for the last wicket before Shaminda Eranga dismissed Doherty to end the Australian innings in the 27th over.

Number nine batsman Starc took a couple of blows on his helmet but hung on to take Australia past their previous lowest total of 70 that came on two occasions, against England in Birmingham in 1977 and New Zealand at Adelaide in 1986.

Centurion Hughes takes Aus to 107-run win

2013-01-11T11:08:00.002-08:00

A century from debutant Phillip Hughes guided Australia to a comprehensive 107-run win over Sri Lanka, in their first ODI of the ongoing 5-match series, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today on January 11.

The match kicked off with Australia winning the toss and choosing to bat first – a decision which the home team’s batsmen went on to justify, despite the efforts of Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, and Ajantha Mendis, all of whom claimed one wicket each.

Top-order batsmen Aaron Finch (16) and Usman Khawaja (3) did not last long, but opener and Player of the Match Hughes anchored the innings firmly at the top with a composed 112. By the 16th over, Australia were at 72 for 2, but Hughes found an able partner in skipper George Bailey (89), who joined him for a third-wicket partnership worth 140 runs.

Their combined efforts got the team up to 212, after which Malinga finally managed to dislodge Hughes. Bailey, and Glenn Maxwell (5) followed soon after, but some final heroics from David Hussey, who remained unbeaten on 60, and Brad Haddin (10*), got the Aussies up to a formidable final total of 305 for 5 by the end of 50 overs.

The tourists never appeared to be in the game, as the host team’s bowling attack, led by Clint McKay (8-0-33-4) and Mitchell Johnson (9-1-43-2), proceeded to successfully defend the team total, leading them to victory by a staggering margin.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (51) and Dinesh Chandimal (73) were the only batsmen who managed to progress beyond the 50-run mark, while the remainder of the batting order remained insipid. Aside from these two batsmen, Jeevan Mendis (20), Nuwan Kulasekara (18), and Angelo Mathews (12) were the only other players who managed to reach double figures.

In addition to the lack of a batsman who could drive the innings forward, Sri Lanka were also shoddy between the wickets, and three dismissals were brought about owing to run outs. By the end of 40 overs, Australia managed to bowl the Lankan Lions out for 198, and went on to claim a 1-0 lead and an emphatic 107-run win.

Mahela Jayawardene devastated with his side’s performance

2013-01-11T11:02:00.002-08:00

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan skipper, is not satisfied with his side’s performance in the recently-concluded Test series against Australia and admitted that the Islanders did not put up enough fight.

Having won the third Test of the three-match series at Sydney, the Kangaroos whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 and looked a far superior unit in every department of the game.

The seasoned cricketer feels that the visitors did compete in the first and the third match but they failed to live up to the expectations in the second fixture at Melbourne, where the hosts won a mammoth margin of an innings and 201 runs.

At Sydney, where the conditions were conducive for spin bowling, the Lankan skipper thinks that his team had a chance of dismantling the Baggy Greens but they failed to grab the opportunities.

“I think Hobart was a good fight, tough conditions, I thought we hung in pretty well there. Melbourne, we never showed any fight in that test match which was pretty disappointing,” said Jayawardene. “Here, I think we fought really well, but it wasn't good enough. The Australians played some really good cricket, they did give us a few chances but we weren't good enough to take control and push forward.”

The Sydney Test was Jayawardene’s last as the captain of the Lankan side as the great middle-order batsman has resigned from the post.

Since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan, one of the greatest spin bowlers of all times, Sri Lanka have just managed one series victory, that too by a narrow margin of 1-0 at home in 2012.

The cricketer from Colombo admits that his team were not quite up to the mark against Australia and they must raise their game in order to compete against the top teams of the cricketing world.

“When you are competing at this level, I think we need to be much better prepared and show more character to win test matches in these conditions,” he added.

The five-match One Day International series between the two sides begins from January 11, 2013, at Melbourne, which will be followed by a couple of T20s.

Pakistan seal series with clinical win

2013-01-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Opener Nasir Jamshed struck his second successive century to help Pakistan to an 85-run win over India in the second one-day international in Kolkata.

The win gives them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

After India won the toss, Jamshed (106) and Mohammad Hafeez (74) shared an opening stand of 141, before the visitors were bowled out for 250.

The hosts struggled in reply, and captain Mahendra Dhoni was 54 not out when they were dismissed for 165.

Paceman Junaid Khan (3-39) and spinner Saeed Ajmal (3-20) were the pick of the Pakistan bowlers at Eden Gardens.

Jamshed, 23, was following up the 101 he made in the series-opening six-wicket win in Chennai and his partnership with Hafeez lasted until the 24th over when Hafeez missed while trying to sweep left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and was bowled.

After surviving a run-out appeal in the 38th over, Jamshed reached his century in the 40th with a driven four off Ravichandran Ashwin over mid-off.

India v Pakistan

1st T20: Pakistan won by 5 wkts

2nd T20: India won by 11 runs

1st ODI: Pakistan won by 6 wkts

2nd ODI: Pakistan won by 85 runs

3rd ODI, 6 Jan: Delhi

His innings, which included 12 fours and two sixes, ended when he advanced down the pitch to Jadeja but was stumped by Dhoni to leave his team on 210-5.

Seamer Ishant Sharma finished with 3-34 while Jadeja managed 3-41.

India's openers added 42 in 11 overs before Gautam Gambhir was bowled by left-armer Junaid, and the rapid departures of Virat Kohli and Sehwag left them 59-3 in the 15th over.

The hosts took until the 29th over to reach three figures and had already lost five wickets by then, before skipper Dhoni showed some late resistance, having been dropped Shoaib Malik at long-on off Mohammad Irfan.

A defeat by more than 100 runs looked on the cards when Ajmal trapped Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashok Dinda lbw without scoring in the 40th over to leave India 132-9.

However, Dhoni reached his 47th ODI fifty in an unlikely last-wicket stand of 33 - the second highest of the innings - with last man Sharma, who faced 35 balls for his two runs before being bowled by the returning Junaid with two overs remaining.

The final match takes place in Delhi on Sunday, wihen India will look to avoid a humiliating 3-0 whitewash.

Bangladesh not touring Pakistan

2013-01-01T09:16:00.002-08:00

PCB has termed the reason of security situation as the reason for Bangladesh not touring Pakistan in January, as “inappropriate”.PCB

Commenting on the statement made by BCB Chief Nazmul Hassan that has appeared in media, the spokesman of PCB commented, “Although no official intimation has so far been received by PCB from BCB regarding this, and the decision to tour Pakistan is the sole prerogative of BCB, however, it is inappropriate to call security situation in Pakistan as the main reason behind this decision. A lot of cricket related activity in which many international players has participated in the matches held at Karachi and Rawalpindi has recently taken place in Pakistan successfully and without any security issue whatsoever, which in itself reflects that the atmosphere in Pakistan is congenial for any international team visit to the country.”

Moreover, a team of BCB and Bangladesh government jointly visited Pakistan to ascertain the security situation and they left fully satisfied on the subject. Now it would only be proper for the new president of BCB to read the report submitted by that team or visit Pakistan before making any such comments on the Pakistan’s current situation.

Regarding the comments on PCB releasing the players for Bangladesh leagues, the spokesman said, “Even earlier BCB has agreed to tour Pakistan but was stopped by the Dhaka High Court, which in itself is first ever incident in the history of the sport where a court intervened in the decision taken by two boards. Still PCB not only released its players for the BPL but also supported the nomination of then BCB president Mr. Mustafa Kamal for the position of vice president of ICC. It was because PCB made a commitment and wherever a commitment is made we honour it.”

“Now for the 2013 edition of BPL, we have to see the commitments and engagements of our players before releasing them for the tournament. To associate the release the Pakistani players with Bangladesh tour to Pakistan does not hold any merit.”

Glenn McGrath to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

2012-12-31T09:16:00.001-08:00

The International Cricket Council today announced that former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on 4 January 2013 during the lunch interval of the third Test match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney.ICC

McGrath becomes the 68th male member of the Hall of Fame and joins fellow 2012-13 inductees West Indian Brian Lara and England's Enid Bakewell in being recognized by the ICC and the living members of the Hall of Fame.

While Lara and Bakewell were inducted in September at the LG ICC Awards, McGrath will be inducted at his home ground of the SCG. A fourth and final inductee of 2012-13 will be announced next summer.

McGrath, who represented Australia in 124 Test matches between 1993 and 2007 claiming 563 Test wickets at an average of 21.64, and he is still taken more Test wickets than any other seam bowler currently in the game or retired.

He also represented Australia in 250 ODIs, claiming 381 wickets at an average of 22.02 and was part of the Australian side that won three successive ICC Cricket World Cups – 1999, 2003 and 2007 and he still holds the record with the most wickets in ICC Cricket World Cup competitions, with 71 scalps and his figures of 7-15 against Namibia are the best in the competition's history.

McGrath said of the induction: "I am honoured that the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame voting academy, which includes all the current living Hall of Famers, have nominated and voted me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"I am very much looking forward to celebrating the occasion on 4 January with not only my friends and family, but all those at the SCG which is of course is like a second home to me."

Pakistan won the 1st ODI

2012-12-30T20:11:00.001-08:00

India posted 227 for six after recovering from a precarious 29 for five one stage but that turned out to be insufficient for the Pakistanis who rode on Nasir Jamshed's unbeaten century to overhaul the target with 11 balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Dhoni played a captain's knock with an unbeaten 113, his 8th ODI century, to script a brilliant Indian recovery after left-arm pacer Junaid Khan (4/43) exploited the overcast conditions to rip through the top-order and leave the hosts gasping for breath within the first 10 overs.

The Indian captain found an able ally in Suresh Raina (43) first and then Ravichandran Ashwin (31 not out) to take the score beyond the 200-run mark which looked doubtful at one stage following the top-order collapse.

Dhoni and Ashwin put on a record seventh wicket partnership of 121 runs but the Indian captain's superlative knock off 125 balls lost much of its value as the Pakistani batsmen went about the task of chasing down the target without taking too many risks.

Younis Khan (58) and Shoaib Malik (34 not out) were the other notable performers for Pakistan.

The Pakistani innings started on a disastrous note as ODI debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a beauty to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez with the very first delivery of the Pakistan innings.

The ball came back sharply after pitching as Hafeez didn't offer a stroke only to find his off-stump knocked back.

The youngster got rid of Azhar Ali a few overs later to reduce the visitors to 21 for two. But the experienced Younis Khan and Nasir steadied the Pakistan innings with a solid 112-run third wicket partnership.

Both Jamshed and Younis benefitted due to some horrendous decisions given by the Indian umpire S Ravi. Jamshed was lucky to get a reprieve on 24 when an inside edge was caught by Virender Sehwag in first slip off Ashwin but Ravi turned down the appeal.

Ravi also negated a plumb leg before decision against Younis when the right-hander missed a delivery from Ashwin in his bid to play the sweep shot.

Younis returned to the pavilion when Ashwin latched on to a low catch off Ashok Dinda, a decision which was referred to the TV umpire by on-field umpire Billy Bowden. But by that time, the visitors were already in a good position and just needed to bat sensibly to reach the target.

Jamshed, who grew in confidence as the innings wore on, was dropped by Yuvraj Singh when on 68 off Dinda much to the disappointment of a sizeable holiday crowd at the Chepauk.

Just when Pakistan seemed to be cruising along comfortably, Ishant Sharma enlivened the proceedings to some extent by getting rid of captain Misbah-ul-Haq (16) with a slower ball which knocked down the off stump.

It was Malik, who hit the winning runs with a pull towards deep mid-wicket boundary off the first ball of the penultimate over.

Earlier, put into bat, India plunged into trouble straightaway with Gautam Gambhir (8), Virender Sehwag (4), Virat Kohli (0), Yuvraj Singh (2) and Rohit Sharma (4) returning to the pavilion in quick succession as Junaid got the ball to swing under overcast conditions.

The Pakistani pacers took advantage of the moisture on the track and troubled the top-order batsmen with the new ball. Once the ball got a little older, Dhoni and Raina applied themselves and started rebuilding the Indian innings.

The two teams will now travel to Kolkata for the second ODI to be held on January 3 while the third and final match will be staged at the Ferozeshah stadium in New Delhi on January 6.

Pacer Junaid had justified his captain Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to bowl first in damp conditions with struggling opener Sehwag becoming Junaid's first victim.

The Delhi batsman, considered a game-changer for his ability to take the attack to the opposition, swung it Pakistan's way after slogging for 11 balls to get four runs.

Sehwag was castled by a Junaid delivery that came in a shade after pitching.

The big four of the Indian batting order were all bowled, three of them by Junaid, who seemed unplayable getting the ball to move appreciably both in the air and off the pitch.

The proverbial promising batsman of the side, Rohit added another one to his growing list of failures, becoming Junaid's fourth victim after scratching around for 14 deliveries for his four runs.

Rohit's last six ODI innings now read a disappointing 4, 4, 4, 0, 0 and 5. In fact, the top five managed to pull off just two fours for the team.

At 29/5 in a little less than 10 overs, India were staring firmly down the barrel before Raina and Dhoni came together to repair the innings slowly and steadily.

The duo cautiously added 73 runs for the sixth wicket and defied Pakistani bowlers for a good 23 overs.

Dhoni got a life on 16 when in the 26th over rival skipper Misbah-ul Haq dropped him at midwicket of Mohammed Hafeez's bowling and the Indian, who smashed seven fours and three sixes, made it count.

Dhoni was suffering from dehydration and also battled cramps towards the end of India innings.

Meanwhile, Raina's patient innings came to an end when he lost his leg stump to Hafeez. But Dhoni was unfazed and, in fact, accelerated from that point, reaching his fifty with a whip over midwicket boundary off Umar Gul.

For a man not exactly known for solid technique, Dhoni was the lone Indian batsman to smash spin ace Saeed Ajmal for a six. A new ball had to be sought to replace the one which went out of the ground.

He also brought up his hundred in style, hoicking Irfan over cover in the 49th over, which produced 21 runs with Dhoni doing most of the scoring. For Pakistan, Junaid was the most successful bowler, grabbing 4/43 in his nine overs.

This was the first match played under the new ICC rules. Under these rules, one new ball was used at each end, bowlers were allowed two bouncers an over, there was no batting Power Play, the bowling Power Play was completed before the 40th over, and at no stage in the innings more than four fielders were allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

Remembering Tony Greig

2012-12-29T09:12:00.002-08:00

Remembering Tony Greig...Arjuna Ranatunga NDTV

Murali's controversy

who passed away after losing his battle with lung cancer, Sri Lanka's World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said that former England captain and celebrated commentator stood by Sri Lanka when most others did not.

Referring to the controversy over Muttiah Muralitharan's no ball in Australia in 1995 and 1999, Ranatunga said, "He was very forthright in his support over Murali incident."

Ranatunga said Greig, who breathed his last at a hospital in Sydney after being brought in a critical condition, was a great admirer of the island nation.

"Not only was he a great admirer of Sri Lanka cricket, he also loved our country," Ranatunga said, adding cricket world would be poorer without Greig,

Greig's affinity with Sri Lanka dates back to 1973 when he toured the island as a member of the Tony Lewis' England team. He next visited Sri Lanka as England captain in 1977 after beating India 3-1 in the Test series of 1976-77.

The former England captain was made a brand ambassador of Sri Lanka tourism at the end of the conflict with the LTTE.

Ranatunga said that Greig was the first to predict that Sri Lanka would win the World Cup under his leadership in 1996.

The former Lanka skipper, currently an opposition legislator, said that Greig was very frank in his views on the Indian Premier League.

"He (Greig) highlighted the negative aspects of the IPL on international cricket," Ranatunga said.

Michael Hussey announces retirement...

2012-12-29T06:48:00.001-08:00

Mr. Cricket has decided to call time on his international career following the conclusion of Australia’s ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.CRICNEWS

The left-hander’s decision comes as a surprise to many, after the national team lost the services of former skipper Ricky Ponting at the end of the South African series earlier in the month.

The upcoming Sydney Test, which begins from January 3, will be his 79th but unfortunately will also be his last for the Down Under giants. He is expected to carry on playing for his domestic sides, notably Warriors and Perth Scorcher, before making a call at the end of the current season.

"I was quite excited to tell them [his family] this morning that I'm not going to go away and play for Australia anymore. They were happy but not as excited as I thought they were going to be, so it was a bit of a shock," Hussey told Channel Nine. "One thing about playing for Australia is, it's always a lot of stress and a lot of pressure to perform and I feel like I'll come into this Test match [Sydney] with no pressure whatsoever, just go out there and enjoy it."

Commonly known as Mr Cricket, his absence will greatly dent Australia’s aspiration to claim the no.1 Test ranking and regain the Ashes trophy. The Kangaroos will travel to India in February before touring arch-rivals England in middle of next year.

That further leaves the management with a task to reconstruct the middle-order, which is now expected to have at least one more new name. Phillip Hughes was recently named as Ponting’s permanent replacement in the Test side, and he is likely to be joined by his former New South Wales teammate, Usman Khawaja, who had been included in the squad as a cover for skipper Michael Clarke.

"Michael has had a fine career - he has been a great player, a great team player and has always been a great person, on and off the field," CA chairman Wally Edwards said.

Since making his debut in 2004, the 37-year-old featured in 185 ODIs for his side, scoring 5442 runs at an impressive average of 48.15. In the longer version, his current tally stands at 6138 at 51.52.

Tony Greig dies......

2012-12-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

Cricketing legend Tony Greig has died of lung cancer, the Nine Network has announced.CRICNEWS

The former England Test cricketer turned Channel Nine commentator was 66 and had been diagnosed with the illness just two months ago.
Greig first became aware he had a problem during Australia's one-day series against Pakistan in Dubai in August and September.
Initially diagnosed with bronchitis in May, the condition lingered and, by the time of the ICC World Twenty20 that finished in Sri Lanka in October, Greig had tests that revealed a small lesion at the base of his right lung.
On his return to Australia he had fluid removed from the right lung and testing revealed he had lung cancer.
Last month, he spoke to the Channel Nine commentary team, of which he is usually a member, during their coverage of the first Test between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane.

Tony Greig.
Greig was candid about the disease.
"It's not good. The truth is I've got lung cancer. Now it's a case of what they can do," Greig said.
He had on operation later that month.
The South Africa-born all-rounder made his Test debut against Australia in 1972 and had a five-year international career including a stint as captain of England.
Greig then enjoyed a long career as a commentator on Channel Nine after being offered the job by Kerry Packer.

India levelled the two-game T20I Series

2012-12-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

India levelled the two-game T20I series against arch rivals Pakistan on the back of a splendid innings by Yuvraj Singh. CRICNEWS

The flashy left-hander, who maintained a strike-rate of 200 during his 72-run knock, smashed 7 sixes at Ahmedabad. In the process Yuvraj moved past the landmark of 50 sixes in T20Is; his tally now stands at 54. Thanks to this match-winning innings, Yuvraj bagged his 6^th Man of the Match award in a blue jersey in the shortest format of the game.

Here are these and many other stats highlights from a game that saw both sides post high scores:

Ahmedabad’s Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera) became

India

’s ninth ground to host a Twenty20 International. Interestingly, all nine grounds have hosted one match each.

India

raced to their fifty off 6.2 overs - their fastest team fifty against

Pakistan

. They had taken 6.5 overs in the previous match at Bengaluru to reach the 50-run mark.

Yuvraj Singh’s third six in the match was his 50^th six in Twenty20 Internationals. He became first Indian and only the fifth batsman after Brendon McCullum (68), Shane Watson (62), Chris Gayle (59) and David Warner (51) to do so. By the end of his innings, Yuvraj took his tally of sixes to 54. Interestingly, he has hit more sixes than fours in Twenty20 Internationals!

Most sixes in Twenty20 Internationals:

Batsman	6s	Inns	6s/ Inns
Brendon McCullum (NZ)	68	57	1.19
Shane Watson (Aus)	62	35	1.77
Chris Gayle (WI)	59	30	1.97
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	54	31	1.74
DA Warner (Aus)	51	42	1.21
Martin Guptill (NZ)	43	36	1.19

The seven sixes hit by Yuvraj are the most by any batsman in a match against

Pakistan

Australia

’s Michael Hussey and David Warner shared the previous record with six sixes.

It was the second time Yuvraj hit seven sixes in a match. He achieved a similar feat against

England

at Durban in 2007 at the ICC World Twenty20.

Out of the top 10 innings where Indian batsmen hit most number of sixes, six have come off Yuvraj’s bat!

Most 6s in an innings by Indian batsmen:

6s	Batsman	Runs	Opponents	Venue	Year
7	Yuvraj Singh	58	England	Durban	2007
7	Yuvraj Singh	72	Pakistan	Ahmedabad	2012
6	Rohit Sharma	79*	Australia	Bridgetown	2010
5	Yuvraj Singh	70	Australia	Durban	2007
5	Suresh Raina	61*	New Zealand	Christchurch	2009
5	Yuvraj Singh	60*	Sri Lanka	Mohali	2009
5	Suresh Raina	101	South Africa	Gros Islet	2010
4	Virender Sehwag	26	New Zealand	Christchurch	2009
4	Yuvraj Singh	50	New Zealand	Wellington	2009
4	Yuvraj Singh	41	Bangladesh	Nottingham	2009

India

's total (192/5) is the second highest by any team against

Pakistan

, after

Australia

's 197/7 at Gros Islet in 2010 at the ICC World Twenty20.

The 74 runs in last 5 overs of the Indian innings are their third most in the last 5 overs in all Twenty20 Internationals.

India

’s highest totals in the last 5 overs (16-20 overs):

Total	Opponents	Venue	Year	Result
80/3	England	Durban	2007	Won
75/3	South Africa	Gros Islet	2010	Won
74/2	Pakistan	Ahmedabad	2012	Won
72/2	West Indies	Port-of-Spain	2011	Won
67/3	Bangladesh	Nottingham	2009	Won

Umar Gul (4/37) claimed four wickets in a match for fifth time in his T20 International career. With this he equalled

Sri Lanka

’s Ajantha Mendis’ record of taking most four-wicket hauls in T20Is.

Gul’s figures are also the best by any bowler against

India

, obliterating his own 3/21 in the previous match at Bengaluru.

Pakistan

raced to fifty in just 5.1 overs – their fastest against

India

. The previous fastest was in 5.3 overs at Johannesburg in 2007.

Mohammad Hafeez's 23-ball fifty is the second fastest for

Pakistan

in T20Is, after Umar Akmal's 21-ball fifty against

Australia

at Birmingham in 2010.

Hafeez's 23-ball fifty is also the second fastest by any batsman against

India

, after Kumar Sangakkara’s 21-ball fifty at Nagpur in 2009.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who equalled the record of most economical 4-over spell on debut in previous game, conceded 46 runs in his 4 overs!

Pakistan

’s total (181/7) is their highest total batting second.

After 18 overs

India

were 162/3 and

Pakistan

were 167/4.

India

made 30/2, while

Pakistan

could score only 14/3 in last two overs!

Yuvraj Singh won his sixth man of the match award. No other Indian has won more than two.

South Africa won the first trophy

2012-12-28T00:00:00.004-08:00

South Africa won the first trophy CRICNEWSs

South Africa won the first trophy available to them in their home summer with victory in the three-match Twenty20 series. After piling on the fifth highest score posted in the shortest format (at both international and domestic level) at St George's Park, thanks largely to an 89-run third wicket stand between Henry Davids and Justin Ontong, Aaron Phangiso and Ryan McLaren ensured South Africa defended it comfortably.

All of New Zealand's bowlers save for Mitchell McClenaghan and Ronnie Hira failed to read the pace of the Port Elizabeth pitch. Against the aggression of Davids and Ontong they gave away too many runs which allowed the pair to lay the launch-pad for take-off.

New Zealand did not have the batsmen to do the same. With Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum at the crease, there was some hope. Once the dominoes began to fall, there was no stopping the slide. Still, New Zealand competed with the hosts with more heart than was expected of them to set the tone ahead for the Test matches.

As an example of their ability to ruffle feathers, New Zealand had the hosts in early trouble, even in the absence of Richard Levi. South Africa's opening partnership stuttered again when Faf du Plessis, who was promoted to bat in his preferred top-two spot, was bowled by Ronnie Hira as he attempted to hit through mid-wicket.

Levi's omission also meant Quinton de Kock was given more responsibility at No. 3 but his inexperience showed. Instead of rotating strike while Davids kept going, de Kock tried to loft McClenaghan over long-on and got a leading edge. Corey Anderson ran from mid-off to take the catch at mid-on and de Kock's series with the bat ended without him living up to the hype.

Davids had none of the same expectation but exceeded all hopes. He displayed a range of classical shots, tinged only with some extra intent. The drive off the back foot and the pull shot were his hallmarks but more notable than that was that he scored off almost every ball he faced. Both he and Ontong pushed each other between the wickets and put pressure on the New Zealand fielders.

The only chance they offered was when Davids went aerial against Doug Bracewell and lobbed the ball to Martin Guptill at short extra cover. Guptill seemed to lose the ball in the background and although he got fingers to it, spilt the chance. Davids was on 32 and went on to more than double his score.

As Davids grew in confidence, so did Ontong, whose assurance swelled against James Franklin. Ontong hit him for back to back sixes: down the ground and then to deep mid-wicket but Franklin won the mini-battle when Ontong was caught trying to send another slower ball over the leg-side boundary. Still, he had taken 16 runs off the five balls he faced in that over and South Africa had 116 runs and seven wickets in hand as they approached the last five overs.

Those turned out to the most profitable, even though Davids departed mid-way through. South Africa added 63 runs in the final quarter of their innings, thanks to their big-hitters. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller both struck the ball cleanly against New Zealand's clueless death bowlers.

Contrastingly, South Africa's attack had a firm grip on what was required. Ryan McClaren had Rob Nicol lbw in the first over when he was struck in line of middle and offstump. Guptill showed glimpses of the form he displayed three days ago when his 101 took New Zealand to victory. He drove with power and was assisted by McCullum, who seemed to finally find his placement.

Just as the two settled, Guptill tried to paddle Phangiso over short fine-leg but was caught by Robin Peterson. Phangiso claimed another big scalp in his next over when McCullum thought he had got him over long-off but was caught on the boundary.

New Zealand remained in the hunt and after 11 overs had the same score South Africa had posted - 71 - but had lost two more wickets. Colin Munro edged a McLaren short ball and James Franklin swung to long-on to give Phangiso his third. The point of no return was reached when Morne Morkel leapt to his left at short third man to send Jimmy Neesham on his way.

The required run rate climbed to over 14 to an over with six to go and only last rites were left to be performed. Rory Kleinveldt took the ninth wicket but Morne Morkel finished without reward as a new South African era made itself known. For New Zealand, there remains much to work on. They were suspected to have bled 20 runs too many but in the end, were almost double that short.

HAFEEZ CONFIDENT OF A 2-0 T20 SERIES WIN AGAINST INDIA

2012-12-27T23:50:00.001-08:00

HAFEEZ CONFIDENT OF A 2-0 T20 SERIES WIN AGAINST INDIA CRICNEWSs

After comprehensively winning the first T20 International against India in Bangalore, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez is confident his side will go on to win the second match as well to clinch the series 2-0.

After going three down with just 12 on the board in reply to India’s 133 for 9, the Pakistan team clawed its way back in the series opener, thumping the rampaging Indians by five wickets to take an unassailable one-nil lead in the two-match series. Skipper Hafeez (61) and experienced middle-order batsman Shoaib Malik (57 not out) led Pakistan’s fight back from the front, sharing a 106-run stand for the fourth wicket.

While speaking to media reporters on the eve of the second T20 International in Ahmedabad, Hafeez, the Man of the Match of the first T20, said that his players’ morale was quite high, and vowed to give their absolute best to win Friday’s game.

"The way we played the last match, our morale is quite high. The way the entire team bounced back in both batting and bowling, that was morale boosting for us and we will try to continue that tomorrow as well," Hafeez told reporters at the customary match-eve press conference on Thursday.

"We have the opportunity to win the series. We are all ready for this. Not just tomorrow's match, we are positive about the entire series. We are united [as a team] in this series and we want to play good cricket," he added further.

Hafeez, who has been consistently opening for Pakistan in the limited-overs formats of late, dropped himself to one-down position in the previous game, allowing Ahmed Shahzad to open alongside Nasir Jamshed. Asked, if it was not better for the tourists to move hard-hitting Shahid Afridi up in the order to open the innings for them, Hafeez said that they were promoting youngsters to the top of the order considering the future of Pakistan cricket.

"...We are promoting youngsters to bat at the top order, considering the future of our cricket," said the experienced all-rounder, who was given the reins of the national T20 side in May this year.

"He [Afridi] is always useful and he can play anywhere in the order. In the middle order, his contribution is always very good. He can finish the match or put pressure on the opposition in the last seven overs."

"I was also an opener. I have given the opportunity to the youngsters in this series, because they have the talent to serve Pakistan cricket for many years. They have been with us for the last four years. We are sure they will come up with some positive results for Pakistan in future," concluded Hafeez.

The two-match T20 series will be followed by three One Day Internationals between the nemeses, to be played at Chennai (December 30), Kolkata (January 3) and Delhi (January 6).

Ishant Sharma and Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have been fined

2012-12-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

Ishant Sharma and Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have been finedCRICNEWSs

India bowler Ishant Sharma and Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have been fined after being found guilty of Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Code following an altercation between the two players in the opening Twenty20 International which Pakistan won by five wickets in Bengaluru on 25 December 2012.

Akmal was fined five per cent by Roshan Mahanama, of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, after he pleaded guilty to breaches of Article 2.1.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct of ‘conduct contrary to the spirit of the game’ in the 18th over of the Pakistan reply.

Sharma also pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the same charge.

However, Sharma appealed the penalty and a hearing was held. After reviewing the evidence and the video footage, Mr Mahamana re-confirmed his view that Sharma initiated this incident which was reported by all four umpires – on-field S Ravi and C Shamsuddin, TV umpire VA Kulkarni and fourth official K Srinath. Therefore a penalty of 15 per cent of the match fee was imposed.

Mr Mahanama said: “This is clearly a high profile and high intensity series and the players on both sides have been reminded of their responsibility. Both players recognised their duty to set the right type of example through their on-field behaviour and they have accepted that they fell short of the level of conduct required.

“The game was played in the true spirit till this incident was initiated by Ishant, who is an experienced cricketer, which led to the umpires and his team mates having to intervene.”

All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.

Sangakkara out of Australia tour

2012-12-27T23:30:00.001-08:00

Sangakkara out of Australia tourCRICNEWSs

Sri Lanka will be without batsman Kumar Sangakkara for the remainder of their tour of Australia, after scans revealed a fracture to his left hand, where he was hit by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer during the Boxing Day Test. Sangakkara will undergo surgery this evening and will be unavailable for six to eight weeks, as he recovers. Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has also been ruled out of the Sydney Test with a hamstring injury, and will likely fly home, having not been named in the limited overs squads.

Sri Lanka are also waiting on the fitness of wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene and fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara, who are both suffering from hairline fractures. Jayawardene sustained his injury during Sri Lanka's first innings, when Johnson hit him on the right thumb. Kulasekara meanwhile had been complaining of soreness in the ribs after being hit there while batting on the fifth day in Hobart, before scans on Thursday revealed he had a cracked rib.

Sangakkara was hit on the bottom hand while fending a short ball after lunch, and immediately called for the physiotherapist upon crossing for a single. The removal of his glove revealed significant swelling on the bottom of his index finger, and he left the field for the hospital soon after.

The three injuries in the game meant that Sri Lanka only had eight batsmen who could complete their innings in the second dig. Their innings ended at 103 on day three, when they slipped to an innings and 201-run defeat. Sangakkara is the side's leading batsman, while Welegedara is considered the leader of Sri Lanka's pace attack and had been their top wicket-taker in the first Test.

Dinesh Chandimal is the only reserve batsman on tour, and is almost certain to be included in the XI for the Sydney Test that begins on January 3. He has also kept wickets for Sri Lanka in Tests, and will take the gloves if Jayawardene is unfit to play. Lahiru Thirimanne is on stand-by for the tour, and may also be flown in as cover.

Among the fast bowling reserves, Nuwan Pradeep may earn a start in Sydney, if three seam bowlers are required and Kulasekara cannot play, while Thisara Perera may also be brought into the squad. Perera is already in Australia, playing for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

AUSTRALIA WRAP UP SERIES

2012-12-27T23:25:00.002-08:00

AUSTRALIA VS SRI LANKA – 2ND TEST – AUSTRALIA WRAP UP SERIEScricnewss

Australia completed a resounding victory over Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test to secure the series by an overwhelming innings and 201-run margin, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on December 28, 2012.

Mitchell Johnson was named Player of the Match for starring with both, bat and ball, scoring an unbeaten 92 and taking six scalps in the match. The Lankans were thoroughly outplayed during the contest and will anxiously wait to discover the extent of the injuries suffered by Kumar Sangakkara, Prasanna Jayawardene and Chanaka Welegedara.

The tourists’ indecisiveness was baffling after a resolute performance at Hobart, but one can take nothing away from the Aussie bowlers, who wrapped things up just under two sessions of the play on the third day.

The morning began with Mitchell Johnson (73) looking to complete his second Test century, in the partnership of Nathan Lyon. However, that task proved somewhat tough after Lyon and Jackson Bird were accounted by the Lankan pacers in the first half-an-hour, leaving Johnson stranded at 92 and Australia, with an imposing lead of 304.

Nonetheless, it did not deter the left-armer to give his all when he returned to the pitch to take the new ball. The rout started as early as the third ball after David Warner and Johnson combined to dismiss opener Dimuth Karaunaratne, who failed to get back in the crease following a suicidal attempt at a second-run.

Tillakaratne Dilshan departed the very next ball as he failed to fend of Johnson’s bouncer, with Ed Cowan doing the rest at short-leg. It was then Bird’s turn to impress with his nagging line and length, and the Tasmanian again left a significant mark by taking out Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera.

Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews added some sanity to the proceedings but tragedy soon struck after play resumed for the second session. On 27, the former failed to keep out a rising delivery from Johnson and upon examination, had to leave the field.

That instigated another collapse – Mathews dragging a pull shot onto his stump to hand Johnson his second victim, before Dhammika Prasad was holed out off Lyon. With Jayawardene and Welegedara not able to take the field, Peter Siddle wrapped things up by accounting for Shaminda Eranga as the Lankans were dismissed on 103 in 24.2 overs, further handing the series to the hosts.

Sachin Tendulkar retires from ODI

2012-12-23T13:03:00.004-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday announced his retirement from One Day International cricket, finishing his 23-year-long ODI career.

The Master Blaster retired from the 50-overs cricket after scoring a record-breaking 49 centuries from 463 appearances.

"I have decided to retire from the one-day format of the game," Tendulkar said in a statement released by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).

"I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup winning Indian team [in 2011]," the Mumbai batsman added further.

Since making his ODI debut against Pakistan in December 1989, Tendulkar went on to play 463 matches for his country, amassing a tally of 18426 runs, studded with 96 half centuries and 49 centuries, each of them a world record. His last one-day appearance for India was also against the archrivals Pakistan in Dhaka during the Asia Cup in March, where he scored a half century to help his side register a six-wicket win.

The 39-year-old Indian batting legend, who is the world’s top run getter in one-day cricket, said that he was quitting to allow the Indian selectors to build a team for the next 50-over World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand in early 2015.

"The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early... I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future," he said.

"Winning the World Cup [in 2011] is the proudest moment of my life. ... I couldn't control my tears of joy," added Tendulkar, who was part of the Indian squad that lifted the coveted trophy at his home ground Wankhede Stadium on April 2 last year.

Tendulkar also thanked his fans for their support and love over the years, saying, "I am eternally grateful to all my well-wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years."

Whilst the Indian batting legend has announced his retirement from the ODI format, it remains unclear if he would continue to play Test cricket, where he is also the leading run scorer with a tally of 15,645 runs from 194 matches at an average exceeding 54.

BPL AUCTION 2013

2012-12-21T23:51:00.002-08:00

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction

About 150 foreigners went under the hammer for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction Thursday despite a pay row which saw many cricketers not paid their full dues for the first season.

Bangladesh

's Shakib Al Hasan hit the jackpot as he went for $365,000, but the amount was nearly half of what Pakistan's Shahid Afridi was sold for when the country launched the Twenty20 tournament in February.

The BPL is the Bangladeshi answer to the Indian Premier League (IPL), which revolutionised cricket when it burst on to the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international stars, Twenty20 matches and celebrity glamour.

Pakistani opener Imran Nazir was sold for the second-highest $280,000 and Afridi for $275,000, while more than a dozen foreigners went for over $100,000, according to Channel 9 which telecast the auction live.

Bangladeshi batsman Nasir Hossain was auctioned off for $208,000 but he cast doubt whether he would be paid the amount.

He was sold last season for $200,000, the highest among local players, but he was still not paid his dues.

The Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) in July threatened to sue the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over unpaid wages by the BPL, calling the situation "a joke".

BPL secretary I.H. Mallick said the authorities would "at any cost" make the second edition successful, adding about 150 foreign players were taking part in the auction.

"We are expecting more big names. They will be sold in a close bid," he said, without mentioning the players.

BCB has set a $1.5 million spending cap for each of the seven teams and forced them to write cheques on Thursday for the players who were sold at a price higher than their tagged rate.

"We're now second only to IPL, but we want to be as good as IPL," Mallick said.

The inaugural edition was also marred by spot-fixing allegations, leading to life ban on a former Bangladeshi cricketer and arrest of a Pakistani national.

The second edition starts next month.

BPL player auction

Dhaka Gladiators

Shakib Al Hassan $365000

Shahid Afridi $275000

Luke Wright $75000

T Dilshan $75000

Owais Shah$75000

L Malinga $175000

Chittagong Kings

Imran Nazir$280000

Mahmudullah$125000

Dwayne Bravo $175000

Sylhet Royals

Mushfiqur Rahim$205000

Andre Russel$115000

Tino Best$75000

Duronto Rajshahi

Tamim Iqbal $165000

Samuels$115000

Barisal

Burners

Saeed Ajmal $115000

Azhar Mahmood $260000

Sunil Narine $75000

Brad Hodge $125000

Khulna Royal Bengals

Shoaib Malik $85000

Rangpur Riders

Fidel Edwards $75000
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Blind Cricket World Cup 2012

2012-11-28T08:41:00.001-08:00

First ever World T20 Cricket for the Blind – 1^st to 13^th December Bangalore,

India

.CriCNews

Teams : Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

The opening ceremony will take place on 1st December while the preliminary phase of the tournament will see India play Australia and England in the two opening matches of the tournament.

The semi-finals will be played on 12th December, with the final on 13th December.

What is Blind Cricket ?

Basic Rules

Players - vision impaired & Totally Blind players.
Bowled under arm & must bounce at least twice before reaching the batsmen.
Batsmen may be restricted in the time they can spend at the crease.
A totally blind bowler uses a caller behind the stumps whilst bowling.

The Ball

The game did not begin with the average red six-stitcher, the first balls were woven out of cane in a basket-weave fashion around a wire frame (the result of the first players being workshop employees). Inside the ball is a piece of lead for weight and four or five bottle tops which make an audible sound when bowled, hit or thrown.

The current balls are woven with nylon tubing and are coloured black to contrast with the white concrete pitch for the benefit of the vision impaired players.

The ball is not completely round and this tends to make the ball kick, bounce, turn sharply and hurt sometimes when hit. This combined with the ability of some bowlers to bowl the ball at a speed in excess of 80 k.p.h. makes the game fast moving and exciting to watch.

Players

The minimum number of players required in each category is,

B1 players 2. (A totally blind player with no more than light perception)

B2 players 2. (A poor partially player with less than 2/60 vision)

B3 players 2. (A partially sighted player with less than 6/60 vision)

A minimum of 7 players per team is required for match to commence.

Note:- A player with for example 2/60 vision sees at 2 metres what a fully sighted person sees at 60 metres.

Batting

During a batting innings there are batsmen at either end.

When a batsman has scored 40 runs (40 over match) they are required to retire. If a batsman exceeds 40 runs by scoring a 4 or 6, this will count towards the batsman score. If there are overs remaining at the end of the innings the retired batsman are allowed to return to the crease in the order they batted.

When a B1 batsman is on strike for the first run off the bat the fielders can only run out the runner attempting a run to the non-striker´s end. If then the batsmen are attempting a second or more runs, the fielders may then attempt to run out either batsman at either end.

When a B2 or B3 batsman is on strike, the fielders may run out the batsman at either end.

When a batsman is on strike either runner is permitted to call.

When a B1 batsman is batting, another B1 player only may stump them. A B1 Batsman must remain in the crease until the bowler calls play.

The batting line up must be rotated between the three categories before the next player in that category may bat. The rotation order will depend on the number of players available in each category.

Bowling

A bowler is permitted to bowl a maximum of 20% of the overs available in an innings.

Example: A forty over match, a bowler may bowl a maximum of eight overs.

Catching

Category catching

A B1 fielder may catch the ball after one bounce to dismiss a batsman.

Fielding

During an innings byes, leg byes and over throws will be counted.

The nominated wicket keeper is permitted to bowl and a nominated alternative wicket keeper can replace that person.

At the end of each over the fielding team must bowl from the alternate end.

Wicket keepers must remain in a standing or crouching position until the bowler has called play. This means a wicket keeper cannot be on their knees until the bowler calls play.

Overs

Each innings shall consist of a maximum forty overs. The number of overs may be reduced depending on time allowed.

B1 bowlers must bowl forty percent of the overs to be bowled.

Example: In a forty over match, B1 bowlers must bowl sixteen overs.

If a fielding team fails to bowl their required number of B1 overs, the fielding team will be penalised by the addition of runs to the batting teams score. The penalty is calculated by multiplying the batting teams run rate by the number of remaining B1 overs.

If in either innings the bowling team fails to complete the required number of overs to be bowled in the allotted time. The team bowling is deducted a quarter of a point after 10 minutes has lapsed after the due completion time and then deducted a quarter of a point for every 10 minutes or part thereof required to complete the remaining overs. The additional time taken to complete the first innings will be deducted from the change of innings break. This does not count if the team batting first is dismissed in less than the allotted time or overs.

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