Sports World

Best Catches In Cricket World

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:04:00 +0000

source - youtube

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:04:00 +0000

South Africa stroll to top of table

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Netherlands have slipped to a massive defeat, the fourth-biggest in World Cup history. Tahir wrapped up the tail while the seamers dealt blows at the top. Not the most exciting game we've had this World Cup. Much was expected out of Netherlands after they pushed England so close, but they slipped up badly since then. Amla and de Villiers set up a mammoth score, though it didn't seem as though South Africa would get that far given the manner in which they had gone about their innings in the first half. South Africa now lead Group B with two wins in two games. We'll get you the presentation details in just a bit. Nitin Sundar is updating the bulletin and it should be ready shortly.

Peter Borren: "Anytime you lose by such a big margin, it's pretty hard to take. I think we'll learn more playing top quality opposition than playing the Associates. We play the Indians in Delhi next. It was a fantastic result for the Irish last night."

Graeme Smith: "It was nice to get a win. Hashim and AB had terrific knocks, and they laid an excellent platform. We're looking forward to playing England on Sunday. We're enjoying ourselves so far on this trip. AB picked up a niggle while he was batting, so it didn't feel necessary to push him in the field today."

AB is Man of the Match: "We had to work quite hard this morning. Nice to start the World Cup on a high. I've been feeling my back the last few days, it's just the workload of keeping."

Australia in Bangladesh 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:46:00 +0000

Australia to tour Bangladesh after World Cup

Australia will tour Bangladesh for the first time since 2006 in April 2011, straight after the on-going World Cup, for a three-match bilateral one-day series. They are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 4, just two days after the World Cup final, and will play ODIs on April 9, April 11 and April 13, all at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.

In accordance with the ICC Future Tours Programme, Test playing nations must tour each other at least once every six years, and Australia have toured Bangladesh just once since they attained Test status. That tour was in April 2006 and Australia won both Tests and all three one-dayers. The FTP had Australia scheduled to play two Tests this time around as well, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board have announced Australia will leave immediately after the three ODIs.

One repercussion of the tour will be that the players from both teams' squads will miss the first week of the IPL, which begins on April 8. As many as 36 current Australia players were sold to IPL franchises during January's auction, while Shakib Al Hasan is the only Bangladesh player who is part of the Twenty20 tournament.

Australia have had a busy last five months, having played series against India, Sri Lanka and England in the lead-up to the World Cup. Bangladesh have enjoyed a slightly more spread-out schedule, with a couple of one-day home series the only cricket they played in the six months before the World Cup.

Bangladesh have beaten Australia just once in 16 one-dayers against them, back in 2007 in Cardiff. Since they last played Australia in September 2008, they have won 25 of their 53 one-day games, and have been on a good run at home, where they recently won series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

Biggest victory for Irish cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:03:00 +0000

Ireland were 111 for five in pursuit of 328 for victory when O’Brien (113) and Alex Cusack (47) came together, but the fastest century in World Cup history turned the match on its head as O’Brien struck 13 fours and six sixes, including one that measured 102 metres.

England were helpless in the face of his barrage, and watched as O’Brien reached three figures in just 50 balls, comfortably beating the previous record of 66 deliveries that was set by Matthew Hayden in 2007.

Instead of topping Group B, England were left needing two victories from their remaining three games and Strauss could hardly believe the gumption of O’Brien.

“It was an outstanding innings - the gall he showed to take the game to us in that situation,” said the England skipper.

A crucial part of the Ireland duo’s shock tactics came when they took the batting powerplay in just the 32nd over and plundered 62 runs over the next five overs on their way to a 162-run stand.

“They took the powerplay, and Kevin O’Brien struck the ball beautifully,” admitted Strauss.

“He rescued them from a pretty perilous position to one where they were up with the rate and just needed to keep their heads in the end.

“It was a bit of a shock to us, and I’m bitterly disappointed because we did a lot of things badly in the field again.”

England dropped four catches in all, with reprieves for O’Brien and Cusack the most important. Strauss was the man responsible for putting down O’Brien when the plucky batsman was on 91, and was left to reflect on a costly error.

“We could have taken our catches. I dropped one, and we dropped three others as well. That cost us the game - there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

“Our bowling could have been better. We got taken by surprise there - and we can’t afford to give away those kind of chances here.

“They are very flat wickets and you have to take every chance you can get.”

Strauss refused to be drawn on where the three-wicket defeat ranked in his lowest moments, insisting that rating such occasions was not a habit of his, and backed his team to bounce back from the shock result.

With matches against South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh to come and another two wins likely to be needed in order to progress to the quarter finals, England have their backs to the wall.

“We were thinking we were getting some momentum after the India game,” he said, referring to Sunday’s dramatic tie.

“We’re not out of the World Cup by any means - but we need to be better than we were today.”

ICC World Cup 2011 Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:55:00 +0000

ICC World Cup 2011

Cricket Schedule of ICC World Cup 2011. Fixtures of ICC World Cup 2011 has been announced. The first schedule match of ICC World Cup 2011 between India vs Bangladesh begins Feb 19, 2011 onwards. Keep viewing CriSchedule for latest updates on Cricket Schedule and Fixtures of upcoming ICC World Cup 2011.

Good times are here for India. The country will get to host the tenth world cup of its most loved sport in 2011 along with co-hosts Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It will be the first time co-hosting for Bangladesh in a cricket world cup. Fourteen national teams are scheduled to compete for the coveted cup between February and early April 2011. According to the announced fixtures of ICC World Cup 2011, the first match will be played among co-hosts India and Sri Lanka at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The formerly announced time-table of 2011 world cup also included Pakistan as a co-hosting nation but the 2009 attack on Sri Lankan cricket team at Lahore which left seven players injured, forced the world cup governing body (ICC) to strip off Pakistan of its co-hosting rights on Apr 17, 2009. India will now host 29 of the total 49 planned matches including the all important grand final at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and one semi-final as well. Sri Lanka will host 12 matches while the first time nation Bangladesh has been given the opportunity to host the tournament opener along with eight other matches. Since India has been allotted the highest number of matches, the ICC has moved its headquarters to Mumbai to ensure smooth and timely preparations for the event. Mr. Ratnakar Shetty has been appointed as the managing director of the event, while the security directorate will be headed by Mr. Shashank Manohar of BCCI.

The allocation of world cup venues is always a much sought after event with major cricketing nations bidding for hosting rights. To avoid favoritism, the ICC prefers to rotate venues between major cricket playing nations. In the bidding for the 2011 event, Australia/New Zealand had an upper hand over the trio of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as they had not had a chance to host the World cup since 1992. But Indias argument that the trio being a bigger group of countries helped clinch the final deal. The 2015 cricket world cup will be held in Australia/New Zealand.

Cricket world cup organized every four years is the fourth largest and one of the most eagerly awaited and viewed event of the cricket world. It is widely considered to be the pinnacle of achievement in this sport. The excitement among fans is already palpable as the first phase of tickets was put for sale in Mumbai on 1 June 2010. Priced affordably at around 20 US cents, the organizing committee is expecting to reap in bumper sales and not diminish the euphoria of fans. The new revised format of the world cup wherein 14 teams instead of 16 will be participating also ensures that fans get to see their favorite teams play a minimum of six matches even if they are ruled out of the tournament due to early defeats.

Cricket fan or not- there is no way you can escape the all-engulfing madness. From cricket merchandise at stores to travel packages to host nations and restaurants and cafes serving cricket-themed food, the fever is all over. Personal relationships too are not unaffected by the craze. While the love for cricket unites some, it also spells doom for many relationships. There is simply no running away, so prepare to drown yourself in the drone of cricket slogans in the year to come.

So, Get the latest ICC World Cup 2011 Schedule to be played in 2011. The world cup 2011 schedule will begin on Feb 19, 2011. Cricket World Cup 2011 schedule will have 14 teams, out of which 10 would be of test rank status.

Day	Local	GMT	BST	Match Details	Venue
Mar 1	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Sri Lanka vs Kenya	Colombo
Mar 2	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : England vs Ireland	Bangalore
Mar 3	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group B : South Africa vs Netherlands	Mohali
Mar 3	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Pakistan vs Canada	Colombo
Mar 4	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group A : New Zealand vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
Mar 4	14:30	08:30	14:30	Group B : Bangladesh vs West Indies	Mirpur
Mar 5	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Australia vs Sri Lanka	Colombo
Mar 6	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group B : South Africa vs England	Chennai
Mar 6	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : India vs Ireland	Bangalore
Mar 7	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Canada vs Kenya	Delhi
Mar 8	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Pakistan vs New Zealand	Kandy
Mar 9	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : India vs Netherlands	Delhi
Mar 10	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe	Kandy
Mar 11	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group B : West Indies vs Ireland	Mohali
Mar 11	14:30	08:30	14:30	Group B : Bangladesh vs England	Chittagong
Mar 12	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : India vs South Africa	Nagpur
Mar 13	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group A : New Zealand vs Canada	Mumbai
Mar 13	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Australia vs Kenya	Bangalore
Mar 14	09:30	03:30	09:30	Group B : Bangladesh vs Netherlands	Chittagong
Mar 14	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	Kandy
Mar 15	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : South Africa vs Ireland	Kolkata
Mar 16	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Australia vs Canada	Bangalore
Mar 17	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : England vs West Indies	Chennai
Mar 18	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group A : Ireland vs Netherlands	Kolkata
Mar 18	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	Mumbai
Mar 19	09:30	03:30	09:30	Group B : Bangladesh vs South Africa	Mirpur
Mar 19	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group A : Pakistan vs Australia	Colombo
Mar 20	09:30	04:00	10:00	Group A : Zimbabwe vs Kenya	Kolkata
Mar 20	14:30	09:00	15:00	Group B : India vs West Indies	Chennai
Mar 23	14:30	09:30	15:30	TBC vs TBC, 1st Quarter Final ODI Day Night Match	Mirpur
Mar 24	14:30	09:00	15:00	TBC vs TBC, 2^nd Quarter Final ODI Day Night Match	Ahmedabad
Mar 25	14:30	09:30	15:30	TBC vs TBC, 3^rd Quarter Final ODI Day Night Match	Mirpur
Mar 26	14:30	09:00	15:00	TBC vs TBC, 4^th Quarter Final ODI Day Night Match	Colombo
Mar 29	14:30	10:00	16:00	TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi Final ODI Day Night Match	Colombo
Mar 30	14:30	10:00	16:00	TBC vs TBC, 2^nd Semi Final ODI Day Night Match	Mohali
Apr 2	14:30	10:00	16:00	TBC vs TBC, The Final ODI Day Night Match	Mumbai
Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. http://iccworldcup-net.blogspot.com is not responsible.

England vs Ireland Squad

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:30:00 +0000

England vs Ireland

Match scheduled to begin at 14:30 local time (09:00 GMT)

Current time: 10:50 local, 05:20 GMT | Match begins in: 3:40

England squad

AJ Strauss*, JM Anderson, IR Bell, RS Bopara, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, PD Collingwood, KP Pietersen, MJ Prior†, A Shahzad, GP Swann, JC Tredwell, IJL Trott, LJ Wright, MH Yardy.

Ireland squad

WTS Porterfield*, AC Botha, AR Cusack, GH Dockrell, DT Johnston, NG Jones, EC Joyce, JF Mooney, KJ O'Brien, NJ O'Brien†, WB Rankin, PR Stirling, A van der Merwe, AR White, GC Wilson.

Sri Lanka Vs Kenya match gave second hat-tric of ICC World cup 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Sri Lanka Vs Kenya

Lasith Malinga, with his fiery spell, annihilated Kenyan batters today as Sri Lanka won the game by 9 wickets. It was an exceptional show by the stalwart fast bowler whose infusion into the team breathed a new life in Sri Lanka. The Kenyans were bundled out for 142 runs and in return Sri Lanka ended the game in 18.4 overs. Lasith Malinga was awarded Man of the match in SL Vs Kenya match for his 6 wickets haul ncluding one hattric. This was the second hat-tric of World cup 2011.

The match started with Kenya taking guard and playing like turtles. It was one of the slowest days in the world cup as Collings Obuya and David Obuya tried to anchor the innings. Eventually they finished with scores of 52 and 51 facing 100 and 106 balls respectively. Their approach seemed very defensive as if they made their minds to play like this today. This predetermined attitude stifled the flow of runs and in a moment they found themselves in their respective shells. Barring these two players there was no contribution whatsoever from anybody.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, came up with a plan and was prompt, aggressive and ruthless in their assault. First ball of the second over of Malinga saw SR Waters going home. It was one of those lethal Yorkers that clumped the stumps. Any batsman would have faltered on this. Later when the Obuyas were going on well, Lasith Malinga produced another wonder Yorker.

And just when you thought it was over, the Kenya scorecard read- 4 wickets in 6 balls. It was a hatrick from Lasith Malinga. Almost all of them were the sidearm, almost invisible, Yorkers. The hatrick victims were Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ondongo, Shem Ngoche.

In response to the Kenyan paltry total of 142 runs, Sri Lanka completed the chase in 18.4 overs itself. Tharanga and Sangakkara remained unbeaten on 67 and 27 respectively, while Dilshan contributed 44 runs of 30 balls.

It was such a different looking Sri Lankan team today than against Pakistan. Malinga brought an influx of energy to the team and their bowling appeared deadly. No doubt they are one of the favorites to win the world cup this time.

Many Things we learned from India against

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:12:00 +0000

1. India are unconvincing favourites to lift the trophy

Was this such a great advert for the 50-over game? Tense and exciting, and that’s a start, but the bowlers-to-the-slaughter motif jarred. It increasingly looks India’s only tactic: bat the opposition out of the game. Their bowling attack is staggeringly weak, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh excepted, and it will be a challenge to keep making the 325+ scores required to win matches with that quintet. As such we can expect more bat-friendly surfaces in which keeping the score to 338 rather than 360 with a late flurry of wickets, as the admirable Tim Bresnan did, is as good as bowling performances get.

2. Derek Pringle, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough were wrong

Not so much something we learned as something we have known for a while, particularly in the case of Gough, who makes the wrong judgement so often it defies statistical convention. The three former England players said last September that Andrew Strauss should be excluded from the World Cup XV, and have already had their folly served up to them once or twice. But the captain’s magnificent innings on Sunday, specifically in Indian conditions, hammered a final nail into the coffin of dissent emphatically. It is true that England probably won’t win the World Cup, but it will hardly be because of their captain’s batting.

3. Teams will jettison their principles for the slightest edge

The root of England’s collapse was Ian Bell, doubling up with cramp and then getting himself out in dismal fashion (perhaps fearing that if he retired he would end up being cast aside like cramp-magnet Owais Shah). If instead Bell had retired, he could have returned at seven after the mini-collapse and England still would have been favourites. It was an episode that raised questions against his mental strength just when the matter had looked settled. Also interesting was the dark under-belly of this new “professional” England outfit, shown by their merry padding up of Jonathan Trott as a runner, 18 months after they (correctly) refused Graeme Smith a runner at the Champions Trophy because, as Strauss said, “cramp is a conditioning thing, not an injury”.

4. Sachin Tendulkar is a liability in the field

It’s not like the old days, you know. Fielding is now a central part of the modern game. So how much longer can India carry their aged, short-limbed opening batsman in the deep? A couple of errors on Sunday effectively cost the hosts the game in the final analysis. He really is going to have to score a few runs to merit his place.

5. England are not 100% prepared

A number of events in the build-up showed that England have not (in fairness, could not have) prepared for this tournament as assiduously as they did the Ashes. Choosing a new opening batsman on the eve of the tournament is the most obvious. But there was an alarming sense after 99.5 overs on Sunday that Graeme Swann and Ajmal Shahzad were discussing what would happen in the event of the scores being tied. It was not quite so absurd as the 2009 WT20, when they qualified for the second round as a mathematical certainty only for Kevin Pietersen to refuse to count any chickens - ‘anything can happen in this crazy game’ - but an unsettling sight nonetheless.

LSU CB Patrick Peterson a dual threat in mold of Charles Woodson

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:29:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS -- Hall of Fame quarterback and new Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway looks at players, especially cornerbacks, in a different prism than traditional personnel men.

LSU CB Patrick Peterson is a threat on defense and special teams.

The two-time Super Bowl champion looks at them through the lens of the pocket.

"If a guy can't catch the ball, he never really scared me,'' Elway said.

LSU CB Patrick Peterson is the type of corner who would almost surely scare Elway ... and intrigue him at the same time with the Broncos choosing second overall in the 2011 draft.

Peterson is a two-way threat in the mold of a young Charles Woodson, the former Michigan standout who came into the league as a shutdown corner and punt returner after his 1997 Heisman Trophy campaign in Ann Arbor.

In fact, the 6-foot, 219-pound Peterson models himself after Woodson, the Green Bay Packers veteran who has been something of a mentor to this draft's elite corner prospect.

By Chuck Cook, US Presswire

"He is a great athlete, and not only as a (defensive) player, but as a returner,'' Elway said. "He is special as a returner. ... He is a guy that can do a lot of different things for you.

"Athletically, he is as good as anybody in the draft.

"He is a guy that can make some big plays. Especially at the cornerback position, you like those guys that can make those plays, because those are game changers.''

Peterson's combination of size, power and speed -- he hopes to run a sub 4.3 40-yard dash Tuesday -- will almost certainly make him a top-five pick according to NFL Network chief draft analyst Mike Mayock.

"I don't want to be the next Charles Woodson. But I want to pattern my game after him," said Peterson. "He can play each and every defensive position on the field. ... If they need me to play dime, if they need me to play corner, strong safety, rover, I'm definitely down for it.''

OLB Von Miller justifying NFL draft stock with strong combine

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:23:00 +0000

Former Texas A & M LB Von Miller did not nothing to hurt the perception that he's a potential top-five draft pick with his showing at the NFL scouting combine Monday.

Former Texas A&M OLB Von Miller

By Brett Davis, US Presswire

Widely regarded as one of the top edge-rushing prospects in the draft, along with UNC DE Robert Quinn, Miller ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, vertically jumped 37 inches, broad-jumped 10 1/2 feet, benched 225 pounds 21 times and looked agile in on-field drills.

Miller, last year's Butkus Award winner, seems to be a natural fit for the Buffalo Bills (No. 3 pick) Arizona Cardinals (No. 5) or San Francisco 49ers (No. 7) ... assuming he lasts that long.

Jets set to purge Gholston, Jenkins, Taylor and Woody

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:17:00 +0000

The New York Jets are going to jettison a trio of veterans and first-round bust Vernon Gholston as they make preparations to fulfill Coach Rex Ryan's latest guarantee that they'll win their first Super Bowl in more than four decades.

OLB/DE Vernon Gholston spent too much time on the sideline in his three years with the Jets.

According to Manish Mehta of the (New York) Daily News, NT Kris Jenkins, OLB Jason Taylor and RT Damien Woody will all be let go in addition to Gholston.

By William Perlman, The

Star-Ledger, via US Presswire

Woody confirmed the news on his Twitter account, saying: "Just informed about my release....I want to thank the Jets and all the fans out there...it was a great ride!"

Jenkins, 31, will be released Tuesday, his agent confirmed to the Associated Press in an e-mail Monday night. Jenkins has missed 25 games since the start of 2009 with knee injuries and has been sufficiently supplanted by Sione Pouha. Taylor, 36, a longtime antagonist of the team as a Miami Dolphin, enjoyed his year in green and white but is no longer an impact pass rusher, something New York needs. Woody, 33, battled a knee injury this season then was lost to an Achilles' injury in the Jets' wild-card win at the Colts. He could be replaced by Vladimir Ducasse, last year's second-round pick, or veteran Wayne Hunter, who filled in this season.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum usually comes up aces with his first-round picks but badly misevaluated Gholston, 24. The sixth overall pick of the 2008 draft has yet to record an NFL sack and was inactive during the playoffs. The team imported Taylor to try and provide the pressure Gholston could not. Ryan tried moving Gholston from outside linebacker to defensive end but couldn't harness his physical abilities.

Ryan and Tannenbaum have consistently praised the efforts of Gholston -- who might have been miscast in New York after playing defensive end in Ohio State's 4-3 alignment -- saying he has done everything the coaching staff asked.

The moves could save the Jets approximately $24 million, money they could reallocate toward free-agents-to-be in WRs Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith and CB Antonio Cromartie. New York also seems to be signaling intent to get younger on the defensive front seven as a draft replete with defensive linemen looms.

Former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail Says Pak 'not the crowd-pullers of world cricket anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:12:00 +0000

Former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail reckons that the national team is no more the 'crowd-pullers' in world cricket, which he believes is the reason behind top international teams' refusal to visit the country.
"Pakistan cricket team have always been ranked amongst the top three or four teams in the world, but they do not enjoy that status anymore. We are not the crowd-pullers of world cricket anymore and the international teams know that," the Daily Times quoted Sohail, as saying.

Sohail further said that cricket had become a commercial sport and all countries were looking to increase revenue through the fixtures.
"Other teams and boards probably know that they won't be much affected even if they refuse to play Pakistan. A major reason for the reluctance of foreign teams to come and play in Pakistan is because our boys are not competitive enough," the former captain said.
"It becomes difficult to turn-down a tour request when the hosts include top performers and can pull sponsors. We are languishing very low in the Test and ODI rankings which is a big cause of concern," he added.
Leading cricket teams have refused to visit Pakistan following last year's terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, which has also forced Pakistan to hold its 'home' series against Australia and England in England.
In the last two years, Pakistan 'home' games have also been staged in the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
Pakistan, which was due to co-host the 2011 World Cup, was also stripped of its matches following the attack on the Sri Lankan team.
Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches have been awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh. (ANI)

ICC scrutinises AUS-NZ match

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:58:00 +0000

The ICC has carried out a scrutiny of the Australia-New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup match after Shane Watson and Brad Haddin batted slowly in the first 10 overs.

The two openers scored just 28 in 11 overs and 53 in 15 overs in a match that Australia eventually won comfortably but the slow rate of scoring in the first two overs was scrutinized by the ICC anti-corruption and security unit.

Sources aware of developments said the ICC ACSU had carried out a quiet review of the match after questions were raised over the slow start taken by Watson and Haddin.

With the spectre of spot-fixing now looming over international cricket following the bans on three Pakistani players for spot-fixing last year on the England tour, sources said the ICC ASCU was keeping a vigilant eye on all matches and the slow start by the Australian openers caught their attention.

"They are taking no chances at all and all matches are under the scanner for possible indications that any spot-fixing has taken place," one source said.

Australian team coach Tim Nielsen has defended his openers saying they played slowly according to the situation.

"I thought they played well in game one. Everyone had this perception that they went slowly. But if Zimbabwe were going to be competitive against us, they needed to take early wickets with their spinners. We're playing the way we think is the right way to play," said Nielsen after the match.

Former Pakistan Test captain Rashid Latif has already expressed fears that the format has opened a window for bookmakers to try to corrupt players in the tournament since most of the top teams are certain to make the all-important quarter finals from the group matches stage.

In spot-fixing, bookmakers take bets on particular moments and stages of a match, for example, how many runs would be scored by a team in five overs or after ten overs and so on or in a certain over how many runs will be scored or if it will be a maiden.

Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir were hauled up after being found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lords last year.

Plenty of fuss was also raised over the India and England match after former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne correctly tweeted seven hours before the start of the match that it would be a tie.

England skipper Andrew Strauss claimed that Warne had shown he was a cricket genius with his correct prediction but others also observed that it was strange how one could predict a tie so early before a match.

Sri Lanka take on Kenya in the ICC Cricket World Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:42:00 +0000

Sri Lanka would look to bounce back after their morale-sapping loss to Pakistan and avenge their 2003 edition defeat at the hands of Kenya when they take on the African associate nation in their ICC Cricket World Cup Group A match on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka, tipped as one of the title contenders, lost to Pakistan by 11 runs on Saturday and they would look to lift their morale with a big win against Kenya at the R Premadasa Stadium.

They have also got the boost ahead of Tuesday's match with fast bowler Lasith Malinga available for selection after sitting out of Sri Lanka's last two matches due to a sore back.

Sri Lanka can ill-afford to take their opponents lightly, though Kenya had suffered heavy defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Pakistan in their last two matches and facing internal division with differences between their coach Eldine Baptiste and senior players.

Against the Kiwis, Kenya were bowled out for 69 runs, their lowest total in ODI cricket, and then Pakistan thrashed them by 205 runs at Hambantota.

However, the last time Sri Lanka and Kenya met in a World Cup encounter was in 2003 and the Africans had stunned the 1996 champions on that occasion with an upset win in Nairobi.

Understandably, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss warned his players not to be complacent.

"The fact that we did not win our last game will stop any complacency. Our guys are consciously aware of playing good cricket and we certainly will not take them lightly," Bayliss said.

He said Malinga was able to bowl full steam at the nets on Monday and he would be available for selection.

"Lasith bent over to pick up a cricket ball about two weeks ago and strained his back a little. The physio said that the first two weeks were the most important after his injury as the most likelihood of him re-injuring was that period. He bowled in the last two practice sessions. He has bowled with a full run-up today and batted and fielded.

We have a selection meeting in the evening and will decide what to do then," Baylisss said.

Kenya, on the other hand, are facing trouble ahead of their all-important match with reports of differences between players and coach emerging.

Cricket Kenya chief Samir Inamdar on Sunday blamed differences between the players and West Indian coach Eldine Baptiste for their lacklustre performances so far.

Kenyan captain Jimmy Kamande, however, dismissed suggestions that there was disunity within the squad and promised a better performance on Tuesday.

"I also read those reports. I have not spoken to the chairman, but I can tell you that my team is very solid. When a team loses people try to find excuses. The thing is we have not performed and we want to play well," Kamande told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

"Obviously Sri Lanka are a solid side. But we have nothing to lose. They are the ones who are under pressure to perform. Having lost to Pakistan, this makes a must win game for them and we will try and put pressure on them," Kamande added.

The Teams (From):

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain and wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.

Kenya: Jimmy Kamande (captain), Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, David Obuya (wicketkeeper), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Steve Tikolo and Seren.

Zimbabwe Beat Canada Like a Rambow Back In town

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:30:00 +0000

Zimbabwe notched up their first ICC Cricket World Cup win as they inflicted a 175-run defeat on Canada during their Group A clash.

Tatenda Taibu (98 off 99 balls) and Craig Ervine (85 off 81 balls) helped Zimbabwe survive a torrid start with a 181-run stand and despite Balaji Rao's four wickets, they posted a commanding 298.

In reply, spin claimed all 10 Canadian wickets, as Ray Price and Graeme Cremer picked up three apiece while Prosper Utseya and Greg Lamb each grabbed a brace to bowl the minnows out for 123, leaving Zimbabwe comfortable victors with eight overs left.

Khurram Chohan got Canada off to the perfect start dispatching Brendan Taylor for a first-ball lbw and Zimbabwe were seven for two with Charles Coventry's dismissal for four.

Taibu restored order for his side, racing to a 46-ball 50, as he and Ervine ensured Zimbabwe cruised through the middle overs.

Ervine smashed six boundaries and two sixes before being caught behind for 85, while Taibu was cruelly left two short of his 100, caught by John Davison, with Balaji grabbing both wickets.

Runs continued to flow, even though Canada picked up wickets steadily in the closing overs, with

Elton Chigumbura (five), Sean Williams (30), Lamb (11), Utseya (22) and Cremer (26) perishing in the quest for quick runs.

Zimbabwe too picked up early wickets with Davison bowled by Price in the second over.

The left-arm spinner tripled his tally in the sixth over, first catching Nitish Kumar - the youngest ICC CWC player to date - off his own bowling before having skipper Ashish Bagai caught for a first-ball duck.

A 43-run partnership between Jimmy Hansra (20) and Ruvindu Gunasekera (24) lifted Canadian hopes but they departed in successive overs, to Utseya and Lamb respectively.

Rizwan Cheema smashed two boundaries and a six for his 14, but could not build on that, falling to Utseya, with Chohan following soon after for eight.

Zubin Surkari top scored for Canada with his 26 off 48 balls but that only delayed the inevitable.

Kemar Roach hat-trick West Indies won by 215 runs

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:17:00 +0000

“His words this morning really inspired me. I consider Dwayne as my big brother and he said to me, ‘go hard, enjoy it and always be confident of whatever you do’, and I feel proud to have done it,” Roach added.

The wrecker-in-chief of Netherlands innings, West Indies speedster Kemar Roach says that bowling fast will be his mantra in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup.

After taking his team to a massive 215-run win over Netherlands in ICC CWC Group B encounter, Roach was over the moon after becoming only the sixth player to take a hat-trick in tournament history.

“To take a World Cup hat-trick and six wickets in all is an awesome feeling. I feel really proud of myself and the team,” he said, after returning with the outstanding figures of 6 for 27 in 8.3 overs.

He said that it was not a conscious strategy by the team to bamboozle the less-fancied Netherlands batsmen with raw pace.

“I think playing real fast bowling is a tough ask for any batsman, especially if you bowl with right line and length. Today, it worked for me and we won,” he said.

Roach admits it is tough for an out-and-out fast bowler to excel in sub-continental conditions but also says disciplined bowling will never go unrewarded here.

“You have to be very accurate and consistent as a speedster in the sub-continent but once you start getting wickets, things start working for you. It is tough but a fast bowler’s job has to be done,” he said.

West Indies next take on Bangladesh in Mirpur on March 4 and Roach feels the team will take immense confidence from the win going forward.

“We are very confident after this win and now we go to Bangladesh on a high. We look to win that game as well. I know they are an improving team but we are better than them so we are confident of a win there,” he said

Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:18:00 +0000

Reliance Test Championship

S.L.	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	India	42	5357	128
2	South Africa	36	4228	117
3	England	45	5165	115
4	Sri Lanka	27	2951	109
5	Australia	43	4583	107
6	Pakistan	29	2615	90
7	West Indies	25	2128	85
8	New Zealand	32	2482	78
9	Bangladesh	19	131	7
Last Updated: Wed, Jan 19, 2011

Netherlands won the toss and elected to field

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Netherlands landed an early blow in what could be a sparky encounter in Delhi by winning the toss and opting to field first against West Indies. Shunning the bat-first formula that almost worked against England, they have backed their batsmen to chase against a West Indies team vulnerable in a competitive Group B.

When the groups for the tournament were announced West Indies were identified as the one of the big nine Test nations that could exit early. Netherlands and Ireland have proved they are not the Associate pushovers of Group A's Kenya and Canada and, on home turf, Bangladesh look capable of sinking a fellow Test team.

West Indies had a miserable start against South Africa, and suffered a further blow with news that their bright allrounder Dwayne Bravo will fly home with injury. Nikita Miller has come in as a replacement for this game, while Netherlands are unchanged from the team that gave England a scare.

Netherlands: 1 Alexei Kervezee, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Ryan ten Doeschate, 5 Bas Zuiderent, 6 Tom de Grooth, 7 Peter Borren (capt), 8 Mudassar Bukhari, 9 Pieter Seelaar, 10 Bernard Loots, 11 Berend Westdijk.

West Indies: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Devon Thomas (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Nikita Miller, 11 Kemar Roach.

Look to the future

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:18:00 +0000

Improving levels of quality within youth football and coaching is something the Football Association has strived to do for years now.

Yet Look to the Future has exposed problems inherent in the system that are still major sticking points. Young coaches are struggling to make a breakthrough to senior level while in terms of numbers England still lags behind its European competitors when it comes to Uefa Pro Licence-qualified tacticians.

It is important to remember that there is still fantastic work going on up and down the country within the coaching world, but room for improvement remains.

Now the FA is showing further signs it is dedicated to making change from the bottom right through to the very top with the recently unveiled Young Player Development review plan.

General secretary Alex Horne and director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking presented 25 recommendations to the FA board and council which include extensive changes to the grass-roots level of the game, while also looking to enhance the coaching system.

A new youth football programme is set to be rolled out and coach development will be revamped, based around the St George's Park training HQ at Burton.

There is no doubt that player and coaching standards go hand in hand - if the level of teaching is not of top quality then the ability of emerging talent will therefore suffer as a result.

This is one of the key points the FA is attempting to change through the recent recommendations, with clear pathways for both sides of the game working in tandem to help each other.

Head of coaching at the Football Association John Peacock explains why he expects the development review to make a difference. Peacock, who is current coach of the England Under 17s, specialises in youth development and coach education and holds both the FA Academy Director's Licence and Uefa Pro Licence.

He is of the firm belief that improvements in coaching will have benefits right through to the international playing stage - and vice-versa.

"The two go hand in glove, the player-coach pathway is vital," he told skysports.com. "The players are going up and down the pathway, hopefully quite a few of them will reach the elite stage, and it's no different with some of the coaches.

Cricket World Cup: England and India in thrilling tie

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:59:00 +0000

England tied an extraordinary World Cup game against India in Bangalore thanks to Andrew Strauss' brilliant 158.
The co-hosts set an intimidating 339-run victory target after a superb 120 from Sachin Tendulkar.
Strauss and Ian Bell (69) put England in command with a 170-run third-wicket stand before Zaheer Khan dismissed both batsmen in successive balls.
The tail set up a grandstand finish but England fell one run short of victory after needing 14 from the final over.
England wanted 29 from the last 12 balls, having earlier faced a much easier equation of 67 from the last 60, and then two off the final ball but Graeme Swann could only manage a single from Munaf Patel's delivery.
The late drama finished off the most enthralling match of the 2011 tournament so far, a game which both teams will feel they should have won.
The much-anticipated, sell-out Group B encounter featured two superbly crafted centuries and a maiden five-wicket limited-overs haul by Tim Bresnan, fast becoming England's most reliable one-day bowler.
The tourists' riposte had been constructed around an inspirational individual innings from Strauss, who made the joint-second highest individual score by an England player in a limited-overs international.
The England captain, dropped on 22 by Harbhajan Singh, was in imperious form, smashing 13 boundaries and a six in a ruthless 145-ball innings, silencing the fiercely partisan crowd inside the capacity M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
But Zaheer struck just when England were about to accelerate their run rate after taking the batting powerplay in the 43rd over.
Bell was the first to fall for 69 when he top-edged an off-side scythe to Virat Kohli at extra cover and the very next ball - a brilliant inswinging yorker - trapped Strauss leg before wicket.
The double strike deflated England's innings, but late lower-order hitting from Bresnan and Swann, who each struck timely sixes, left England requiring 14 from the final over of the match.
Ajmal Shahzad shifted the odds in England's favour when he struck a six straight back over bowler Munaf Patel's head with the third delivery of the over.
A leg-bye, followed by a two from Swann left the same batsman needing two runs from the final delivery of the match - but his off drive could not beat Yusuf Pathan at mid-off, leaving the ninth-wicket pair to run through for the single which tied the match.
The gritty performance against the pre-tournament favourites contrasted vividly with England's uninspired six-wicket victory over the Netherlands on Tuesday.
England had only won one of their previous 13 encounters against Sunday's opponents in India - and another defeat looked on the cards when Mahendra Dhoni opted to bat on what appeared to be good wicket, despite the persistent heavy showers which had engulfed Bangalore and the lush green outfield in the previous 48 hours.
England made two changes, dropping Ravi Bopara for Michael Yardy while Shahzad was summoned in place of the ill Stuart Broad, and India swapped seamer Sreesanth for leg-spinner Piyush Chawla.
The capricious Sehwag (35) gave India a typically ballistic start before an audacious late cut from Bresnan's first over was too close to wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who took an excellent diving one-handed catch to his right in the eighth over at 46-1.
New-man Gautam Gambhir, an astute player of spin, maintained Sehwag's tempo while Tendulkar had been relatively restrained with 24 from 43 deliveries.
But a change of bat in the 17th over soon changed matters and 'The Little Master' thumped the first six of the match before bringing up his 94th half century with yet another imperious maximum off Paul Collingwood.
The onslaught was relentless - two successive leg-side sixes off the returning Swann, lofting the first over long-on before dispatching the second with a brutal slog-sweep high over deep midwicket and into the stands as the second-wicket partnership stretched to over 100.
An unplayable Swann delivery from around the wicket accounted for Gambhir (51), pitching on middle before gripping and clipping the edge of the left-hander's off stump.
But the dismissal caused minimal disruption to Tendulkar's nerves, bringing up his 47th one-day century with a glance off his hip.
To put Tendulkar's career achievements in perspective, the entire England XI have 22 one-day centuries between them - and he soon took his tally of sixes to five with a stand and deliver smear over long-on.
The 37-year-old's fine knock came to an end in the 39th over but Yuvraj (58) and Dhoni (31) took India beyond the 300-run mark before the impressive Bresnan cleaned up the lower-middle order as the co-hosts were dismissed for 338.
Facing a required run-rate of 6.78, England openers Strauss and Kevin Pietersen took full advantage of some bizarre field placements by Dhoni, smashing nine boundaries in an exhilarating start.
Strauss, given an early lifeline by Harbhajan when he misjudged a tough chance at mid-on, was in particularly belligerent mood square of the wicket.
A huge slice of fortune accounted for Pietersen, whose ferocious drive straight at Patel's head was parried in the air before the fast bowler completed a simple one-handed catch while sitting on the ground.
With his fast bowlers unable to exert any control, Dhoni turned to spinners Harbhajan and Piyush Chawla to apply the brakes as Strauss notched a run-a-ball 50.
Bell looked at ease alongside Strauss at the wicket, although the number four was fortunate to survive a close lbw call turned down by umpire Billy Bowden at 163-2.
India immediately referred the decision and the ball-tracking device available to the third umpire suggested the ball had made contact with Bell's front pad in line with the stumps - but more than 2.5m down the wicket, which saved Bell's wicket even though the ball was predicted to hit middle.
That let-off allowed Bell to play an excellent foil as Strauss scored a quite brilliant century from only 99 deliveries, his sixth one-day international three-figure score.
Bell launched a laconic sweep over deep midwicket for six to bring up his half century from just 45 deliveries as England dominated.
But the match turned in the 43rd over as Zaheer hit back. Collingwood, Prior and Yardy soon followed as England's run chase looked to have faltered, but lusty sixes from the lower-order batsmen ensured England were in contention through the final over.
They just could not find that extra run which would have sealed a quite remarkable victory.

India won the toss and elected to bat

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 09:33:00 +0000

India won the toss and elected to bat in the eagerly anticipated World Cup Group B showdown with England on Sunday under clear blue skies.
India made one change to the team that beat Bangladesh by 87 runs in their opening match, bringing in spinner Piyush Chawla for wayward pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

England were forced make changes after their main strike bowler Stuart Broad was ruled out with an upset stomach. Paceman Ajmal Shahzad was brought in as a replacement while all rounder Michael Yardy was picked instead of Ravi Bopara.

India: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Piyush Chawla, Munaf Patel.

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior, Michael Yardy, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Ajmal Shahzad, James Anderson.

Boom Boom Afridi demands improvement despite victory

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 09:14:00 +0000

Boom Boom Afridi wasn't an entirely happy man after orchestrating "a very big win" over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa, a result likely to have significant repercussions on Group A as the tournament progresses.

Afridi was at the centre of the triumph, picking up four key wickets as Pakistan overcame a late implosion in the field to sneak out with an 11-run win. The haul included his 300th ODI wicket, the third Pakistani to do so and only the second player after Sanath Jayasuriya to complete 300 wickets and 4000 runs in the format. With nine wickets in two games, he is for now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

But Pakistan's inability to finish off games over the last year has worried coach Waqar Younis and tonight's performance, deservedly triumphant ultimately, would not have eased those concerns. Sri Lanka lost their top order with less than 100 on the board, so by the 22nd over of the chase, the game seemed done.

Pakistan relaxed and proceeded to spill three catches, fluff two stumpings and miss a host of run-out attempts over the next 20 overs, allowing Chamara Silva, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews to fight back. Amid the bedlam, they swiftly wasted two referrals and totted up 29 extras and though Afridi felt that "80%" of the task was done by then, he warned that improvement was needed.

Pakistan chose Bat First

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:32:00 +0000

On a slow track, expected to aid turn as the game progresses, Shahid Afridi chose to bat in a big encounter against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan went in with an unchanged team and Afridi said he would be happy with a score of 270-280. For his part, Kumar Sangakkara said he would be happy chasing 270-280.

Sri Lanka didn't take any risk with Lasith Malinga and made two further changes from the team that thrashed Canada. Chamara Silva came in for Chamara Kapugedera and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath replaced Ajantha Mendis.

Sri Lanka v Pakistan (14:30 local | 09:00 GMT)

noreply@blogger.com (Netgang) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:19:00 +0000

Sri Lanka v Pakistan live now