All posts by csb10.top

Suresh Raina brought up his maiden IPL hundred on Thursday, one which helped Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs at Chepauk. That meant Super Kings have won seven games in a row, an IPL record they now share with Royal Challengers Bangalore, and have all but sealed their place in the playoffs. The reason for the team doing so well, Raina said after the match, was the excellent dressing-room atmosphere this season.”Right now our dressing room is one of the best since IPL was introduced. We have been enjoying the moment,” Raina was quoted as saying by . “Michael Hussey has been my role model in IPL. When you have positive attitude in the dressing room, you tend to learn a lot of good things from the senior players. It is all about attitude and hard work.”There has been a lot of emphasis on getting to know team-mates off the field, Raina said. “We have a team room and we spend a lot of time together. We play table tennis and pool games and listen to music. We get to know a player as a person off the field. I think that has made us very close. Still, lot of matches are coming up and if we work hard on our fitness we can get through.”In T20, Raina said, mental fitness is as important as cricket skills. “It is all about attitude and hard work. Twenty20 is all about how you play your shots and at the same time, you need to work really hard on your mind.”Raina said Super Kings’ bowlers played an important role in the win against Kings XI. Defending 186, Albie Morkel and Mohit Sharma had taken the new ball and kept the scoring rate in check, Mohit accounting for both openers. Then Dwayne Bravo struck three times in a well-directed final, effectively halting Kings XI’s spirited final charge. “Albie and Mohit Sharma bowled really well today with the new ball. But still the fear was in our mind. Not fear, but we are facing lot of challenges [with the bowling] and we really need to bowl well. But Bravo bowled really well too. We are in a good frame of mind right now and we are focused.”

Match facts

May 14, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Super Kings need more from their seamers in case the spinners fail•BCCI

Big Picture

Two teams will show up at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, though for one of them, nothing is at stake. Delhi Daredevils have already been knocked out and the only thing they can achieve is to make Chennai Super Kings’ path to the playoffs harder. Super Kings lost their No.1 spot to Mumbai Indians late on Monday, on the basis of net run rate.* A win from their next two games is enough to ensure a place in the final four. Having come this far, Super Kings won’t settle for anything less than pole position for the playoffs.They face the easier of their two opponents on Tuesday, before heading to Bangalore where Royal Challengers Bangalore have an unbeaten record. Super Kings were defeated comprehensively by Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, though the game was more evenly matched than the scorecard suggests. Super Kings are known to start off slowly before accelerating in the second half of the innings, but bizarrely, on Sunday, it was the other way round. Regular fall of wickets stalled their progress and they ended with a below-par 141. Their bowlers posed a threat in the early stages of the chase but, for the second time in the evening, Royals took control in the second half, thanks largely to Shane Watson’s assault.If Super Kings win both their games, they are certain of finishing in the top two. If they lose both, they could be level on 20 points with two other teams, thereby leaving the final word with the net run rate. During Super Kings’ dream run of seven consecutive wins, there was the likelihood of their final few games turning inconsequential, but two defeats against Mumbai and Royals have given their game against Daredevils more context.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings LWLWW (most recent first)
Delhi Daredevils LLLWW

In the spotlight

In the post-match presentation in Jaipur, MS Dhoni highlighted one weakness in Super Kings’ bowling, which led to their defeat. If the spinners get hammered, are the seamers good enough to fall back on? R Ashwin, their best spinner, haemorrhaged 23 off his only over, giving Royals the break they were looking for in a faltering chase. It compelled Dhoni to rely on his seamers, but the due of Dwayne Bravo and Chris Morris weren’t good enough backup, going for 71 off seven overs. It’s an area of concern for Daredevils too, as two of their main seamers, Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav, went for a combined 100 off eight overs. Yadav leaked 65 of those off his four overs, making it the second most expensive figures in the IPL behind Ishant Sharma (66). Morkel, lukewarm through this tournament, went wicketless. Against Super Kings’ lower order, they will have to get their act together.

Stats and trivia

• Two of Super Kings’ biggest wins in terms of runs have come against Daredevils. Both were by 86 runs – the first was in Chennai last year and the second at the Kotla last month
• MS Dhoni has effected the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in IPL 2013 with 12 (10 catches and two stumpings)

Quotes

“We are comfortably placed in the points table but we don’t want to take anything for granted. So, the next game is going to be much more important for us.”
“With Mahela [Jayawardene] not travelling with us to Chennai, it’s another opportunity for one of the international players to step up and I think I will be going back up the order as well, so hopefully I can put some fire in the top of our order again.”
* –

ScorecardGraham Onion again proved a matchwinner for Durham•Getty Images

Durham moved up to second place in the LV= County Championship as they clinched a thrilling 11-run win against Warwickshire at Chester-le-Street.Needing 257, the visitors were 146 for 7 when Jeetan Patel went in and got the target down to 25 in a stand of 86 with Ateeq Javid. But the last three wickets would go down for 13 runs as Durham prevailed.Ben Stokes took the final one when he had Boyd Rankin lbw, but the previous two went to Graham Onions, who finished with 5 for 83. He broke the partnership when he had Javid well caught at second slip by Scott Borthwick for 44, then Patel went for a big hit and lofted a catch to long-on.The New Zealander had just completed his second half-century and looked like being the match-winner as he also took vital wickets in both innings. A section of Durham fans were glad to see the back of Javid because they felt he had stepped on the rope on the square leg boundary when holding the catch which ended the Durham innings.The remaining two home wickets had added 46 to take the total to 198 when Michael Richardson, who had made an excellent 55, tried to pull Rankin for six. Video evidence showed Javid’s foot was above the rope but he did not appear to have touched it.Warwickshire needed 257 as a result and several batsmen were out to poor strokes, although both Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke were bowled by Stokes during a sustained 14-over spell before tea.Varun Chopra fell lbw to Onions for 18, playing across the line, and two overs later Will Porterfield was bowled through an airy drive. Jim Troughton slapped an Onions long hop straight to Stokes at point and Ian Westwood chased a wide one from Mark Wood, edging to Phil Mustard.Javid dug in to support Ambrose, who looked capable of winning the game as he made 46 until he was bowled by a superb yorker from Stokes. Durham gave Will Smith’s off spin an airing and Keith Barker took a step down the track and hit a catch straight to midwicket.Smith was left on after tea, when 81 were needed, and Patel lashed three successive balls to the off-side boundary. He looked certain to win the game, but lost his cool once Javid had gone and gave a simple catch to Keaton Jennings.With 22 needed, Chris Wright hit the next two balls for four, but Stokes summoned the strength to complete Durham’s fourth win of the season.

Chandika Hathurusingha, the assistant coach of New South Wales, has taken three potential teenage spinners – Soumil Chhibber, an offspinner who has a bowling action like Muttiah Muralitharan, and legspinners Shane Cassel and Daniel Sallens – along with Australian left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe on a 15-day coaching tour to Sri Lanka.The four NSW spinners have been practising and playing in the ongoing SLC Under-23 tournament to gain experience of bowling in subcontinent conditions . They are also due to meet the coaches of SLC’s spin bowling staff, headed by former Sri Lanka spinner Piyal Wijetunge.Hathurusingha, who is assistant coach to Trevor Bayliss at NSW, is on a mission to help the state groom spinners for the future. “The state gets a sponsorship grant each year under the Basil Sellers Scholarship Programme and this year we thought of coming to Sri Lanka and groom some spinners giving them the subcontinent experience,” he said.Midway last season, when NSW sacked their head coach Anthony Stuart, it was Hathurusingha that the state turned towards to take them through the rest of the season.”We won seven out of nine matches and were deprived of a place in the Sheffield Shield final by one point because we had some points deducted for a slow over rate,” Hathurusingha said. He was also part of the coaching staff of Sydney Sixers when they won the Champions League T20 in 2012-13, beating South Africa’s Highveld Lions in the final by 10 wickets in Johannesburg.With Bayliss returning from coaching Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, NSW made him head coach and retained Hathurusingha as assistant coach. In the Big Bash League, where Sydney have two teams, Bayliss is coach of the Sixers and Hathurusingha coaches the Thunder.”It’s a big honour for me to coach arguably the best domestic cricket team in the world – NSW Blues,” he said. “I am more settled and I am quite happy.”Following his success with the NSW teams, Hathurusingha has been appointed assistant coach to Troy Cooley of the Australian A team that is due to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe for from July 18. When asked if the chance to coach NSW was the best thing that had happened in his coaching career, Hathurusingha replied, “It was a good break but there’s nothing like coaching your own national team.”Hathurusingha had been groomed to become the next head coach of Sri Lanka after Bayliss, but was unceremoniously dumped by the SLC interim committee headed by DS de Silva in early 2011, after which he left for Australia with his family.

Match facts

Friday, July 26, 2013
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)Angelo Mathews return would lend balance to the Sri Lankan bowling in conditions that are likely to aid seamers•AFP

Big picture

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was modeled on Supersport Park in Pretoria. The grass banks and open spaces are similar, the stands bear the same minimalistic, angular roof and even the floodlight towers seem like carbon copies. Unlike Supersport Park, the Pallekele ground is nestled in the hills and closeted by heavy vegetation, but having struggled with adapting to Sri Lankan conditions, the South Africa team will hope it is more like home than the Premadasa Stadium.The surface has gained a reputation for being more conducive to fast bowling than most in the subcontinent, and the tall South Africa quicks should enjoy the bounce and carry that has often been a feature at the venue. They are on an 11-loss streak against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, but perhaps they will also be buoyed by the fact that Sri Lanka have lost half their completed matches at the ground, most recently to Bangladesh in March. Kandy’s cooler temperatures, and mountain breeze will be a welcome change from Colombo’s heavy heat as well.Despite the attack having been dismantled in the first match, it is the batting that appears the area of deepest concern for South Africa, with no batsman having breached 30 in the two matches thus far. They have been somewhat short of opportunities to play long innings, given their chase was shortened to 21 overs in the second ODI, but they did not mount a serious challenge to Sri Lanka’s totals in either match, and will almost certainly be bereft of Hashim Amla’s services again, as they attempt to ignite the talent in their batting order.Angelo Mathews returns for Sri Lanka, and the balance he brings, particularly with the ball, may prove crucial if the pitch assists the seamers. He will also be motivated by the prospect of overseeing his first ODI-series victory, even if some of the work has already been done for him. Sri Lanka will hope too, that the psychological position they have earned in this series will not be squandered at a less favoured venue, as they begin to eye a rare whitewash against a top side.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed matches)
Sri Lanka: WWLLW
South Africa: LLLTW

Players to watch

Upul Tharanga has 13 ODI hundreds and an oceanful of talent, but has in the past been a wildly inconsistent opener, often falling prey to balls angled across him, which he edges behind. Since being recalled last month, he has hit his highest-ever ODI score – a scintillating 174 not out. But in his remaining six innings, he has not crossed 50. At only 28, and with 169 ODIs behind him, Tharanga is capable of allaying qualms about the future of Sri Lanka’s top order after the seniors retire, but he must find a route to consistency before he is dropped again.In the 26 ODIs AB de Villiers has captained, his average is 70.11, and his strike rate 101.79. There are major doubts about his captaincy at home, but his own form appears to have benefited from the extra responsibility, and as South Africa search for a definitive innings to build a total around in this series, de Villiers is better placed than any other batsman to provide it.

Pitch and conditions

Angelo Mathews said he expected the pitch to take a little turn, but it has been under covers for much of this week, as rains have lashed the stadium, so it is likely there will be plenty for the seam bowlers as well. Pallekele has been one of the wettest grounds in the world, since its first match in 2010, and the forecast for Friday suggests it will not seek to alter that reputation, with rain expected during the afternoon.

Team news

Lahiru Thirimanne sustained a thumb injury in the second ODI, and is doubtful for this match. If he is unable to play, Jehan Mubarak will likely be given one more chance to prove he is of international quality. If the pitch looks like it will take turn, Mathews also hinted Sri Lanka might play Ajantha Mendis, whose situation is not far removed from Mubarak’s.Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Upul Tharanga, 2. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3. Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4. Mahela Jayawardene, 5. Dinesh Chandimal, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Jehan Mubarak/Lahiru Thirimanne, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Rangana Herath, 10. Shaminda Eranga/ Ajantha Mendis, 11. Lasith MalingaColin Ingram and Quinton de Kock are the candidates to replace Amla atop the order, but de Kock may have a slight edge over Ingram, who has ducks in his last two ODI innings. De Kock also spent close to an hour practicing his wicketkeeping on the eve of the match, which suggests he might take the gloves as well.South Africa (probable): 1. Alviro Petersen, 2. Quinton de Kock (wk)/Colin Ingram, 3. JP Duminy, 4. AB de Villiers (c), 5. Faf du Plessis, 6. David Miller, 7. Robin Peterson, 8. Ryan McLaren, 9. Aaron Phangiso, 10. Chris Morris, 11. Morne Morkel

Stats and trivia

• The last three ODIs played in Pallekele were decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method and the previous match was abandoned altogether, due to poor weather
• Kumar Sangakkara averages 71.40 in 2013, and is the second-highest runscorer so far in the year, behind Misbah-ul-Haq
  

  Quotes

  “Lasith Malinga hasn’t done a lot of damage, but we wouldn’t want to lose a wicket every first over of every game. It’s not the first time it’s happened. You’ve just got to keep it simple and stick to the basics against him I guess.”
  “I was surprised they didn’t come. They are two of their main players. The team they have got is a very good unit. But Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn are unique players.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile Photo: Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma added 106 for the fourth wicket•Associated Press

More toil awaited the South Africa A bowlers as Rohit Sharma, unbeaten on 70 overnight, scored his 16th first-class century and shared a 106-run stand with Suresh Raina to power India A past 500. India A’s lower order then frustrated South Africa A before the visitors declared their innings at 582 for 9. South Africa were further hampered by the loss of Reeza Hendricks two overs before close of play.The morning session began with Raina and Rohit playing out six consecutive maidens, but things changed rapidly in the 99th over when Rohit pulled Andrew Birch over the boundary line and Raina helped himself to two successive fours on the off side.Unlike the one set at the start of the day, this scoring trend continued, capping off with Rohit stroking his 12th four, through the covers, to bring up his century. Raina celebrated his fifty soon after with a cut that found the boundary for four.South Africa gained some respite after lunch, when Duminy had Rohit caught by Temba Bavuma at short leg. Ajinkya Rahane, another contender eyeing a slot in the senior side, struck two fours but became Duminy’s second victim on the stroke of drinks. Wriddhiman Saha followed suit, falling to the Bavuma-Duminy combine as India went from 376 for 3 to 418 for 6.However, Raina held firm, with a brisk Ishwar Pandey, for company and India A racked up 79 runs off 74 balls to reach 500. Raina brought up a vital century, his 12th in first-class cricket, and with the landmark behind him, tore into Duminy, slugging him for 19 runs in the 143rd over.His wicket, eight balls after tea, ushered two more dismissals as India slipped to 500 for 9. An enterprising 82-run stand between No. 10 and 11, Jaydev Unadkat and Shahbaz Nadeem looked good to push India past 600, but Pujara chose to declare at 582 to have a few overs at the South African openers. The decision proved profitable as Hendricks nicked Unadkat to the keeper in the seventh over, two overs before close of play.Rohit credited the time he spent in the middle to be more beneficial than his final score. “I’m happy that I played close to 250 balls,” he said “Rather than getting 119, I feel facing that amount of balls was important.”It was a crucial phase of the game when I went in and it was important that I stay in because we didn’t want to lose any more wickets. I wanted to prove a point to myself, and nobody else, that I could battle out the situation if needed. In that process I didn’t play my natural game, which normally includes a lot of shots.”Duminy conceded the new ball was doing a bit, but was hopeful of his side seeing it off and cashing in with the older ball.”Conditions become easier to bat the longer you stay in but there is a little bit in it for the new ball,” Duminy said. “It’s quite an abrasive field so if you get past the new ball phase the ball gets old quite quickly and becomes flat. Hopefully we will be able to cash in on that.””There is a little bit of help for the spinners,” he added. “I think it is obviously because of the rough the seamers have created, which brings the offspinners into play.”

ScorecardMichael Carberry amplified his claim for a place in the England ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia after battering Bangladesh A for 146 in the second unofficial ODI in Taunton, while James Taylor also made his mark in the game with an unbeaten century to remind the selectors and Lions coach Ashley Giles, just what he was capable of. The visitors, unable to handle yet another deluge of runs, were eventually crushed by 191 runs, as the Lions took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.Bangladesh were defeated for the seventh consecutive time on tour, and this result was been made even worse by virtue of the fact that their bowlers conceded in excess of 350 for the second straight game as the home side topped Tuesday’s 353 for 4 with another massive score, this time making 367 for 3 after they decided to bat first.Carberry, while at 59, reached an important milestone by crossing 500 runs in both List A and Twenty20 cricket this season. He struck eighteen fours and four sixes in his innings, and added 70 for the first wicket with James Vince. But his third wicket stand with Taylor was the clincher, as the pair added 185 in just 165 deliveries. Taylor reached his century off the penultimate ball of the innings with a six off Robiul Islam, and ended up on 106 off 100 balls with seven fours and four sixes as the Bangladesh bowlers were handed a hiding.Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny had been the tourists’ most successful bowler on tour, but he was flogged for 95 off his nine overs. Sohag Gazi, Robiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain and Mominul Haque all went for more than six runs an over, with only Ziaur Rahman bowling tidily and ending with 1 for 41.Captain Jahurul Islam made his first half-century on tour and Naeem Islam scored a 54-ball 31, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, neither batsman was unable to build a significant partnership, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 176 in 44.4 overs.Sussex pacer Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers, ending with 4-38, while David Willey, Boyd Rankin, Ben Stokes, Luke Wright and Carberry all notched a wicket each to complete the rout.

Former Test cricketers Richard Hadlee, Martin Snedden and Geoff Allott have been elected in the New Zealand Cricket board of directors. The three were among eight new directors voted in by delegates representing all Major Associations and District Associations in a general meeting in Auckland.The other five members included in the new board of directors were Greg Barclay, Neil Craig, Liz Dawson, Stuart Heal and Don Mackinnon, all of whom have experience in sport and corporate administration and governance. Barclay, Heal and Mackinnon, who are also current NZC directors, were relected. The three former cricketers also have extensive experience in administration of the sport.Heal, the current chair of the audit and financial risk committee, will act as interim chairman of the board till a permanent chairman is elected at the first board meeting on October 23.The vote was an outcome of the new NZC constitution that was approved in July.

ScorecardReinventing himself as an opening batsman, Marcus North ground out a century to frustrate Victoria and secure a draw for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.The legspinner Fawad Ahmed was unable to repeat his first-innings success, toiling without reward as North soaked up 314 balls and more than six hours to ensure the Bushrangers would not take maximum points from their opening fixture.Victoria’s major bowling threat on the final afternoon turned out to be the former captain Cameron White, who showed the confidence currently coursing through his batting had started to stretch into his seldom-used wrist spin by plucking four wickets.North’s defiance had looked like taking WA quite comfortably to safety for most of the day, particularly during a lengthy partnership with the former Australia Under-19s captain, Will Bosisto. However, White’s wickets set up a tight finish, and North was ultimately relieved to walk off the MCG at the close with WA eight wickets down.

ScorecardFile photo: Parthiv Patel hit eight fours during his unbeaten 75•ESPNcricinfo

Opener Samit Gohel and Parthiv Patel ‘s half-centuries stabilised Gujarat who were closing in on Jharkhand’s first-innings total of 289 at the end of day two in Jamshedpur.Gujarat lost Priyank Panchal in the sixth over, caught off Shahbaz Nadeem, before Bhargav Merai was run-out in the 10th, leaving them at a precarious 23 for 2. However, the visitors recovered as Goel and Parthiv batted out the remaining 47.1 overs, to finish strongly at 168 for 2, heading into the third day. Gohel, who struck an unbeaten 102 in the previous game against Punjab, hit 10 fours during his 66 while Parthiv’s 75, which included eight fours, meant he has scored a fifty in all but one of his five Ranji games this season.Jharkhand began the day at 194 for 5, but were dealt an early blow when Kumar Deobrat was dismissed for 5. They rallied with a 42-run seventh-wicket partnership between Saurabh Tiwary and Nadeem. Both were dismissed within five overs of each other and though the tail did wag slightly, Jasprit Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul for the second match running, to bundle them out for 289.
ScorecardManish Pandey’s 11th first-class century helped Karnataka to a first-innings lead and take control of their match againt Odisha in Cuttack.Pandey came in with Karnataka at 72 for 2 and nursing the loss of their openers. However, he batted out the remaining 70 overs of the day to ensure Karnataka finished strongly at 288 for 4, 62 runs more than Jharkhand’s first-innings score of 226.Pandey struck 13 fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 108, and added 114 for the third wicket with KL Rahul, who made 67. Rahul was caught behind by Subhrajit Sahoo off Biplab Samantray in the 57th over, but another solid partnership followed for the visitors- a fourth-wicket stand of 71 between Pandey and Kunal Kapoor- that took them beyond 250.The Jharkhand bowlers endured a frustrating day on the field, with Samantray, Deepak Behera and Basant Mohanty managing one wicket each.
ScorecardMumbai taught Vidarbha lesson or two at the Wankhede, taking firm control at the halfway stage of their Ranji Trophy Group A match. At stumps on day two, after bundling out Vidarbha for 113 for a first-innings lead of 148, Aditya Tare and Ajinkya Rahane’s unbroken century stand for the second wicket helped Mumbai get to 179 for 1.With Tare and Rahane at their sublime best, any of Vidarbha’s hopes of stretching Mumbai in their first-ever Ranji clash evaporated. Ending the day trailing by 327 runs, Vidarbha seem to be headed for a huge defeat, and Mumbai, their third victory in four games this season.Read the full report here.
ScorecardOn a green track at Lahli, the match between hosts Haryana and Punjab seems set for a close finish. At the end of the second day, Haryana have a 96-run lead but are also five wickets down and the Punjab pacers, particularly, Sandeep Sharma and VRV Singh will be looking to knock the side over quickly on the third morningRead the full report here.