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Anil Kumble has said that a spruced-up Chinnaswamy Stadium is ready to host the World Cup after undergoing several facelifts

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2011Anil Kumble has said that a spruced-up Chinnaswamy Stadium is ready to host the World Cup after undergoing several facelifts, including a new-look dressing room which is being modified with inputs from Rahul Dravid. A revamp, including enhanced capacity, is also on the cards for the stadium after the IPL.”In all terms of preparation we are match-ready. In a couple of days, the Indian team will be arriving here, and in every functional aspect, we will be ready by February 9,” Kumble, the Karnataka State Cricket Association president, said. “The practice match (against Australia) is on February 13, and we are treating it as a World Cup game, from the administrative point of view.”Speaking about the players’ facilities, Kumble said that every detail a player requires had been looked into. “We have changed the look of the dressing room, although the layout is the same. Be it seating or keeping bags or the showers and toilets, we have worked on every little detail. It needs a lift on where the photographs need to be put up, and I have entrusted that job on Rahul. He will take care of that and by the teams arrive everything will be ready.”There has not been much time since the new administration led by Kumble took charge in November, but he said that they had tried to do their best. “Whether it was the players’ room, commentary box or the media centre, given the space restrictions because of various design constraints of the stadium, I think we have done whatever we could. And I’m glad that every committee member and people working in the KSCA have responded to the challenge.”There is a lot on Kumble’s plate, especially after the ICC decided to shift the India-England tie from an unready Eden Gardens to Bangalore. Logistics and the ICC’s hospitality requirements are being thrashed out, and Kumble admitted it would take some effort. “The ICC needed extra media space, hospitality and overflow area. Whatever is possible, we have been able to address that. It won’t be an ideal scenario.”Tickets are another major issue, and Kumble said that it was being resolved with the ICC. “At the moment the numbers are not clear, but it can come up to anywhere around 7,000 to 10,000 tickets they want. And all those are prime ones, so we will have to manage those logistics. The tickets are pre-sold, so we will only have to sell one-third of what we can to the public. It will be clear in a day. We are also looking at combos and discounts to push the tickets for non-India matches.”At the same time, Kumble hoped that the crowds would turn up for the India-Australia warm-up match. “Both are good teams and in best of form. It’s on Sunday and a day-night game.”Saying that a master plan for the stadium was being prepared, Kumble said that an increased capacity of 65,000 to 70,000 was planned, as also was reserved seating. “The ground requires a revamp, it probably is tired. We need at least three or four months of non-cricket, and we will take it up after the IPL.”We want to ensure that every spectator having a valid seat will have a permanent seat, not first-come first-serve basis. We want to create something where even if you come two overs late, the spectator will have his seat reserved.”We will certainly ensure that catering will be top class. In the India-New Zealand game, people were happy with the catering and also the price. We will provide the same facilities this time.Kumble felt that he had lived up to expectations till now. “We have put together some kind of a quarterly plan. One thing was painting the stadium, dressing room and others. Hopefully on the 13th, we will get a stamp of approval.”

Zimbabwe Cricket has offered to forfeit the Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland after the Scottish board reversed its decision to send a team to Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2010Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has offered to forfeit Zimbabwe XI’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland, and consequently the chance for a place in the final, after Cricket Scotland reversed its decision to send a team to Zimbabwe in October following advice from the Scottish government against visiting the country. The proposal, if approved by the ICC, will result in Scotland gaining full points from the match and qualifying for the final.Zimbabwe XI are currently second in the league, with 72 points, while Scotland are third with 69. They are the only two teams with a chance of sealing a spot in the final against Afghanistan, who are first with 77 points, in Dubai.The match was initially scheduled to be held at a neutral African venue before the Scottish board agreed to a proposal to play in Zimbabwe, but a change in the British government’s policy led to the decision not to tour. ZC refused to shift their home match to a neutral venue, pointing out that they had not pushed for the match to be held in Zimbabwe, and the venue was decided by the ICC.”While Scotland’s decision not to tour has been attributed to political considerations, we as Zimbabwe Cricket are not qualified to comment on matters political of any country, nor would we want to base the future of the game of cricket on political directives,” Ozias Bvute, ZC’s managing director, said in a statement. “As such Zimbabwe has no dispute with either Cricket Scotland or the ICC. Instead, we seek only a solution that will ultimately allow for fair participation by all.”The Associate Member countries use this and other competitions to benchmark and track their progress, which is important to them,” he said. “To this end we feel that the Intercontinental Cup is a significant competition in Scotland’s development and therefore important that it gets the full benefits associated with playing in it.”ZC said that it had informed the ICC’s Events Technical Committee of its position and a decision would be taken on September 27.

A scorching spell from Starc restricted the visitors to 203, but Rauf nearly stole the game away

Alex Malcolm04-Nov-2024It was the full Pakistan experience at the MCG, a ground where they have so much great history. They were hopeless, then thrilling, then hopeless, then thrilling. And then Australia won, without much conviction. But they did what they do thanks to a sizzling spell from Mitchell Starc and yet another nerveless chasing masterclass from the ice-cool captain Pat Cummins in the face of what looked like a match-winning three-wicket haul from Haris Rauf, heroics with bat and ball from Naseem Shah and some crafty captaincy from new skipper Mohammad Rizwan.The 25,831-strong crowd looked sparse in the gargantuan MCG. But it sounded like 100,000, and it felt like it was in Lahore, as Pakistan fans drowned out the locals to help keep their side in the game. But there was only so much they could do, as Pakistan found a way to lose despite being on the brink of one of the great ODI heists.Chasing just 204 after Starc took 3 for 33 from 10 overs, including three maidens, Australia slumped from 139 for 3, after Steven Smith and Josh Inglis were in control, to 155 for 7 on the back of Rauf’s raucous burst. That became 185 for 8 when Sean Abbott was run out, after he had nearly run out Cummins. But skipper held firm, as he had at Edgbaston, Mumbai, Kolkata and Christchurch over the past 18 months.Related

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His 32 not out won’t go down as his most memorable, but it was the equal of any of his best innings in Australian colours. It was vindication too for his decision to have laser eye surgery in the winter to fix his vision, and some extensive batting work in Sydney with Australian batting consultant and well renown coach Trent Woodhill.Australia’s chase began poorly with the new opening duo of Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk both falling inside the first four overs.Fraser-McGurk’s 16 was particularly frantic. But Smith was calm and settled into a stereotypical groove. Any fears on his Test form could well be allayed given how well he handled some excellent fast bowling on a quick pitch.Australia could have been 55 for 3 when Inglis was dropped by Irfan Khan at gully. Naseem got one to rear from a length and catch the edge but Irfan could not hang on flying high to his right.That looked like it might have been the last chance. Barring an edge between the keeper and wide slip trying to glide a ball, Inglis was imperious. Coach Jason Gillespie’s four years coaching against Inglis in Australian domestic cricket had not translated to his four-pronged pace attack avoiding dropping short to the West Australian. It cost them three sixes and two fours.Haris Rauf burst through Australia’s middle order•AFP

After an 85-run stand, Smith made an uncharacteristic error. He slashed a cut off Rauf straight to backward point to be out for 44.Pakistan’s insistence on going short to Inglis paid off when he nailed another pull shot off Shaheen only to see Irfan run a long way to hang on to an outstanding catch in the deep.Rauf, a Melbourne Stars favourite, then had the Pakistan fans in raptures as he cranked up the speed and Australia lost 3 for 0. Labuschagne top edged to deep third, undone by extra bounce. Maxwell nicked the next ball to Rizwan and Australia were 139 for 6.Aaron Hardie and Abbott steadied briefly but it was fleeting. Hardie fell trying to back away and cut a ball from Mohammad Hasnain that hit the top of middle.Enter the skipper for another salvage job. It was unconventional as it always is. He was bombed with short balls. But he keep scoring and kept surviving. Abbott was run out when Cummins pushed for a third. But he was there at the end yet again when the winning runs were scored to break the hearts of all those who don’t bleed green and gold.Earlier, Australia set up the win with the ball. Most of Pakistan’s batters, with the exception of Babar Azam who made a classy 37 off 44, were exposed on a fast and bouncy MCG pitch after being sent in having come straight from the low spinning Test pitches of Multan and Rawalpindi last month. Rizwan top scored with 44 off 71 balls while Naseem made an outstanding 40 off 39 with four sixes from No. 9 to ensure Australia was at least chasing more than 200.Starc and Cummins, fresh and in rhythm ahead of a big summer, put on a show in front of a very pro-Pakistan crowd. Starc’s 140kph thunderbolts accounted for Saim Ayub on debut and Abdullah Shafique.The pair were opening the batting in ODI cricket for the first time after averaging just 8 as a pair in 12 Test innings together. Their international average dropped to 7.61 when Ayub chopped on trying to drive on the up.Shafique looked like he was batting in a Test match. He defended, ducked and weaved on his way to 12 from 26 before failing to get his bat out of the way of a rising delivery from Starc wide of off as he tried to sway inside it.Mitchell Starc removed Pakistan’s openers•Getty Images

Babar and Rizwan settled but never accelerated. Babar looked in fine touch but felt the pinch of the slow-moving scoreboard. He tried to create a scoring option off the back foot to Adam Zampa but picked the wrong length and lost his off stump.Cummins welcomed Kamran Ghulam to Australia with a brute of a delivery. The whites of his eyes popped as Cummins’ 142.7kph bouncer reared at his throat. He got his hands up in time but could only glove it to Inglis.Rizwan’s sluggish rearguard began to pick up steam when he hooked Starc into the stands at fine leg. But he fell to Labuschagne trying to sweep a wide legbreak only to get a top edge onto his helmet that popped up to Inglis.Some late hitting from Naseem, Shaheen Afridi, and Irfan Khan, in the mould of the man who had presented his debut cap in Wasim Akram, lifted Pakistan from a dire position at 117 for 6 to 203.Naseem and Shaheen showed the type of intent that Pakistan’s top order could have used, launching five sixes between them after the entire top seven had contributed one, before Shaheen was castled by Starc for 24 off 19.Naseem feasted on spin, launching Zampa into the stands twice and Maxwell once. But Naseem also launched Sean Abbott over deep midwicket. He holed out to mid-off to end the innings. Had he batted until the end, it might have been enough.

The world’s most prolific run-scorer in women’s cricket joins the Ahmedabad-based franchise for the inaugural season of WPL

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2023Former India captain Mithali Raj has been roped in as mentor and advisor at Gujarat Giants, one of the five franchises set to take part in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Raj – the most prolific run-scorer in the history of women’s cricket – has been one of the strongest advocates of an IPL-style women’s franchise league in India, and as mentor and advisor at Giants, will also promote women’s cricket at the grassroots level in their home state of Gujarat.”Women’s cricket is growing steadily, and this kind of impetus will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up cricket
professionally,” Raj said in a media release. “I believe that the high-impact participation of corporates will help hasten the process of eventually bringing more glory to India. This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem, and enhance opportunities for women athletes.”Related

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Pranav Adani, Director of Adani Enterprises, which manages Giants’ owners Adani Sportsline, said on hiring Mithali: “Mithali Raj is a role model for the young generation, and we are delighted to have such an inspirational athlete on board to mentor our women’s cricket team.”We believe that the presence of international sporting heroes like Mithali will attract new talent not just into cricket but also into every other sport.”On January 25, Adani Sportsline – the sports development wing of the Adani Group – purchased the rights to own an Ahmedabad-based team for INR 1289 crore (USD 158 million approx.), the most expensive team that will take part in the competition. In all, INR 4669.99 crore (USD 572.78 million approx.) was spent by Adani Group, Capri Global – who bought the Lucknow team – and the owners of Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore to acquire the rights for the five WPL franchises.The WPL is likely to be played between March 4 and March 24, a tight window squeezed out between the Women’s T20 World Cup that ends in late February and the men’s IPL that is set to start one week after the women’s competition. The WPL auction, set for early February, will have auction purses of INR 12 crore (USD 1.46 million approx) per team.Each team can buy a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 18 players, including seven overseas ones, of which one must be from an Associate country. Unlike in the men’s IPL, WPL teams will have the option of fielding up to five overseas players in the XI, provided, again that one is from an Associate team.A total of 22 matches will be played in WPL 2023, with each team playing the other twice to make it a total of eight games per team. The top-ranked team will enter the final directly, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in a Qualifier to determine the second finalist.

All the latest news from the Vitality Blast, including over-rate penalties, Durham’s death-bowling duo, and Worcestershire’s unlikely pinch-hitter

Matt Roller05-Aug-2019Somerset have set the gold standard among counties for streaming their games, and have had to find a way to manage an influx of traffic after the signing of Babar Azam.Ben Warren, Somerset’s digital marketing executive, had to upgrade the club website’s server capacity after their first game of the Blast, a win at Glamorgan that was not streamed live, as fans in Pakistan were so desperate to follow their star batsman’s progress.But the change appears to have been worthwhile: their home defeat against Sussex last weekend, in which Babar made 83, attracted over 1.5 million views on YouTube.It remains a source of frustration for several clubs that due to the technicalities within the broadcast deal between the ECB and Sky, streams on YouTube have to remain ‘unlisted’ – meaning they do not show up in the search bar, and have to be found via hyperlinks.It may seem like a minor difference, but counties are convinced they are missing out on substantial traffic because of it, and hope that after consultation with the governing body, a change will be implemented ahead of next season.***James Faulkner and Glenn Maxwell celebrate a wicket•Getty Images

Lancashire have stormed to the top of the North Group thanks to Glenn Maxwell’s runs, Liam Livingstone’s all-round exploits, and a bowling attack which offers genuine pace and high-quality spin.They could be forgiven for looking forward to the quarter-finals already, but the knockouts pose a real conundrum for them. The quarter-finals are scheduled for the same week as the Old Trafford Ashes Test, which gives Lancashire a headache if they finish in the top two.As reported on Saturday, the club are in discussions with the ECB as to their potential options – Sky would struggle to show a game at any of their outground options, and they will be loath to give their opponents home advantage, so a neutral venue might be an avenue worth exploring.Further, it has emerged that Maxwell will be unavailable if they are to reach Finals Day, as he will be returning to Australia in time for the start of the domestic season, with James Faulkner likely in a similar position.Article 3.5 of the ECB’s regulations on player registration – commonly known as the “Bravo Rule”, since it was introduced after Dwayne Bravo’s ill-fated Finals Day appearance for Essex in 2010 – means that a potential replacement for the knockout stages would have to have played at least one group game, meaning Lancashire would likely go in without an overseas player.And while Jos Buttler is usually available for Finals Day, he may well be made unavailable by England this time around after a hectic summer. Lancashire are flying high, but could soon be in danger of suffering from vertigo.***Durham are set for a scrap to reach the quarter-finals for a second year running, a sentence which must have seemed improbable at the start of last season.What they lack in high-profile names – D’Arcy Short and Peter Handscomb are the only real stars – they more than make up for with wholehearted contributors, which is perhaps epitomised best by their unlikely death-bowling duo.Nathan Rimmington, the diminutive 36-year-old Australian seamer who plays on a British passport, has combined with 20-year-old Matty Potts to great effect so far, and the pair find themselves leading the way among regular death bowlers.Rimmington’s economy rate at the death is 7.01, and his 59 balls in overs 16-20 have brought only four boundaries, while Potts has an almost identical record to last year’s breakout star Pat Brown – both have conceded 65 runs in 48 balls at the death, though Brown has one wicket more.There is another improbable face just behind Rimmington, in Ravi Rampaul, who is quietly enjoying a stellar Blast for Derbyshire, while Tom Helm (12.22) and – surprisingly – Harry Gurney (11.00) find themselves at the wrong end of the rankings.***Wayne Parnell roars in celebration after seeing Worcestershire home•Getty Images

Wayne Parnell is best known for his left-arm seam and a feisty on-field attitude, though he is not completely without pedigree with the bat.He had regularly been deployed as a pinch-hitting opener by Cobras, his domestic team in South Africa, and before the start of last week, had batted in every position from Nos. 1 to 11 in T20, except one.As if to try him out in the only role he was yet to have a go at, Worcestershire promoted him to No. 4 for their run chase against Derbyshire. And the risk paid off in some style: he belted 81 not out off just 46 balls to see them home, before adding an 18-ball 27 in the win against Yorkshire two days later.***Michael Klinger questions an over-rate penalty with Umpire Ian Gould•Getty Images

Gloucestershire were left fuming on Sunday, as their attempts to defend 159 against Sussex were derailed by a six-run penalty applied due to their slow over-rate.The main sources of contention appeared to be the umpires taking some time to confirm Luke Wright was out, after a boundary-rope catch by AJ Tye, and a lost ball, with Michael Klinger convinced his side had not been given sufficient extra time in which to bowl their overs.It meant Sussex only needed eight from the final over rather than 14, which Delray Rawlins knocked off easily enough. Gloucestershire allrounder Benny Howell risked sanction from the ECB by tweeting afterwards: “Such an unfortunate end to a great day and exciting game. The umpires need to be held accountable for costing us a potential 2 points.”Even that controversy, though, could not take the shine away from a memorable occasion, as both teams wore specially-designed shirts to raise awareness for the charity Grief Encounter.Tom Smith, the Gloucestershire and ex-Sussex spinner, lost his wife to a rare form of liver cancer in 2018, and the charity has provided him and his daughters with support and counselling since. For further details, visit www.griefencounter.co.uk/about-us

Glenn Maxwell has said his offspin will remain crucial if he is to nail down a long-term place in Australia’s Test-match plans

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2016Glenn Maxwell has said his offspin will remain crucial if he is to nail down a long-term place in Australia’s Test-match plans. Batting is Maxwell’s primary skill, but he does not want to go down the path taken by Steven Smith, whose rapid rise since his comeback to the Test team in 2013, after two years out, followed a decision to focus more on his batting.”I don’t think I can rest on just being a batsman,” Maxwell told . “I know Steve Smith went that way when he lost his Test spot, not really bowling much at all. But I don’t think I can go that direction. I have to keep working on both parts of my game and make sure they’re good enough.”I’ve decided not to play in England for the first time in four years. It might be a good chance to get a pre-season under my belt and spend a bit of time working on my game.”Maxwell was part of the Test squad that was scheduled to tour Bangladesh last year, but did not do so owing to security concerns. But he has not found a place in the 15-man squad for Australia’s next subcontinental assignment, the Sri Lanka tour in July-August, with Moises Henriques, a seam-bowling allrounder, taking his place.Steve O’Keefe, who bowls left-arm orthodox, is the second spinner in the squad, and Maxwell has admitted it will be difficult for him to take that slot, given he turns the ball the same way as Nathan Lyon, Australia’s lead spinner.”Competing with Nathan Lyon is always going to be tough,” Maxwell said. “I’ve just got to improve my batting to the point where they can’t resist having me as an allrounder and a back-up to him.”With the bat, Maxwell has shown good red-ball form in the limited first-class opportunities he has had in recent months, amidst all his limited-overs commitments. In the six Sheffield Shield matches he played in the 2015-16 season, Maxwell made 392 runs at an average of 56.00, with four half-centuries and a highest score of 98. Still, he feels he will need to keep scoring runs, starting with the ODI triangular in the West Indies, to keep himself in the frame for Test selection.”If I can make some runs then and also hopefully in Sri Lanka for the one-day series, it still puts pressure on those guys in the squad,” Maxwell said. “I was obviously a bit disappointed initially but having a look at the squad they’ve picked for Sri Lanka, I can understand. They’ve got all bases covered. I think it’s a squad that is going to win the series. It’s a really strong squad and I fully understand why I’m not in it.”

Nick Compton made 81 and Chris Jones a maiden first-class hundred before Somerset collapsed from 304 for 2 to 320 all out

The Report by Daniel Brettig26-Jun-2013
ScorecardChris Jones compiled his maiden first-class century before Australia’s bowlers struck back•Getty Images

For five hours of a sun-kissed day at Taunton, Michael Clarke’s Australians looked less like a team enjoying the first playing day of an Ashes tour than a collective still dazed by the dramatic shunting of their coach only three days before.Chris Jones, generally deemed surplus to Somerset in a first-class career that had reaped him a sickly average of 17.31, did not have too much trouble compiling 130, and Nick Compton, an England opener fighting against strong indications that he could be dropped for the first Investec Test, still less while striking a composed 81.The danger posed by Australia’s bowlers, noted so enthusiastically by Mickey Arthur a few days before his violent exit, was exceedingly well hidden. But as the shadows grew longer at the County Ground that all changed. James Faulkner, a gradual improver across the day, coaxed a sliced drive from Jones, then Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson made the second new ball swing and prance so effectively that Somerset lost a startling six wickets without addition in the space of 28 balls, part of a crash dive from 304 for 2 to 320 all out.That passage placed the day, and the bowlers, in a fresh context. Compton’s runs at the top of the order gained significantly in currency, particularly as a batsman’s pitch offered a little more to Starc, Pattinson and Peter Siddle in the morning.His defiance was rewarded with the news that the ECB has arranged for him to play for Worcestershire in their tour match against Australia in a further audition for his Ashes spot. And Jones’ display offered the promise that the first-class university degree he was awarded on the day will have to compete with first-class cricket as his pathway in life.But the swiftness with which Starc and Pattinson disposed of Somerset’s batting rump and tail provided the best on-field news the Australians have had so far on tour. Pattinson’s speed and movement was pronounced enough to pierce the defence of a well set James Hildreth, before Starc’s inswing was utterly confounding for new batsmen. Five ducks gave Somerset’s scorecard the ring of those compiled by England at home against Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis 21 years ago.”It’s exciting. We hope to do it earlier on in the innings but when it comes it comes so that’s the way they are, those types of bowlers can influence the game quite quickly,” the new coach Darren Lehmann said of Starc and Pattinson. “We’ve got to get that happening more consistently and get it happening earlier in the innings.”Lyon also offered encouraging tidings, though Siddle’s lack of control and consistency was of greater concern. The captain Michael Clarke even resorted to a speculative over from Usman Khawaja while Watson was held in reserve. His elevation to partner Ed Cowan in this match was a significant development in Australia’s series planning, granting him a position he has coveted ever since being demoted to Nos. 3 and 4 by the opening combination of David Warner and Cowan.Warner’s suspension offered Clarke and Lehmann a chance to try something different, and the coach later confirmed Watson will now reclaim the place in which he has made each of his two increasingly distant Test centuries. Watson last opened in a Test in South Africa in 2011 but recently did so for Australia’s three-day tour match in Chennai immediately before the India series. He clattered 84 and 60 before contributing nothing of value with the bat during a series in which he was suspended for failing to follow the instructions of the now-sacked coach, Mickey Arthur.Watson strode to field at first slip after Marcus Trescothick had won the toss on a morning when the sun peeked through clouds over the County Ground. Pattinson’s first spell mixed the unplayable with the mediocre, as he swung the ball at considerable pace and turned Compton front on several times with deliveries angling in then curling away. It was Trescothick who fell, however, hooking at a well-directed Pattinson bouncer and sending a swirling top edge to fine leg, where Starc claimed a fine catch lunging forward as the ball died.Compton grew in poise, tucking boundaries away to square leg and also driving with certainty. Lyon demonstrated a more vigorous body action when introduced in the final half-hour before lunch, and twice had vociferous lbw appeals denied by the umpire David Millns. The first, against Jones, appeared tight but the second, to Compton when not offering a shot, drew exasperated and exaggerated reactions from the tourists – it is perhaps a little early in a long campaign to be revealing such frustrations.The afternoon session progressed more or less as the last hour before lunch had done, Compton punching out his runs with surety and Jones scratching around in the kind of manner long-known to infuriate Australian touring teams if wickets cannot be procured. Starc was economical but lacking bite in his first long-form fixture since the India Tests and Siddle and Faulkner remained expensive, leaving Pattinson and Lyon to do most of the heavy lifting.Lyon gained some spin and bounce, and it was a ball that did not turn so much that accounted for Compton, who played from the crease and edged the half chance that Clarke would dive to his left and ultimately grasp at the third attempt, sprawling behind Brad Haddin. Hildreth was soon into stride, and his repeated cracking of Lyon through the off side had the score mounting rapidly.But Faulkner’s defeat of Jones opened up an end, and Pattinson charged through in Starc’s company. Watson and Cowan played out a vestigial final over, after their bowlers had offered hope of getting them in to bat far sooner than occurred during the last Ashes series.

Virat Kolhi’s imperious 93 not out from 47 balls helped Royal Challengers Bangalore avenge their Super-Over loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad and delivered the team’s second win in three matches

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Apr-2013
ScorecardVirat Kohli’s unbeaten 93 was his personal best in the IPL•BCCI

Virat Kolhi’s imperious 93 not out from 47 balls helped Royal Challengers Bangalore avenge their Super-Over loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad and delivered the team’s second win in three matches. Chris Gayle could manage nothing but a start as Royal Challengers chased the opposition’s 161 for 6, but Kohli was fluent almost from the outset and, despite his hyper-aggression, rarely played a false stroke throughout his innings. The Sunrisers’ total had largely been set up by Cameron White and Thisara Perera, who helped overcome their team’s slow start, but Royal Challengers finished the match at a gallop with seven wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare.Kohli came to the crease at 39 for 1 in the sixth over, and began his rampage in earnest when AB de Villiers joined him after Gayle’s dismissal. The pair struck 49 together from 35 balls, setting their side well on course for a win – although de Villiers made only 15 of those runs. On 37 from 22 at the time, Kohli found yet another gear and, by the end of the match, Moises Henriques, who came in to bat after de Villiers, had contributed only seven runs to an unbroken 65-run fourth-wicket partnership that secured the result. Fittingly, the winning runs came off Kohli’s bat as he hit a square-drive off an Ishant Sharma delivery in the 18th over.Kohli hit four sixes and 11 fours in his innings, getting off the mark with a four off the first ball he faced as he leaned back to punch Thisara Perara powerfully through the covers. The boundaries flowed all around the ground, as the delicate cuts off the spinners were counterbalanced by arrogant drives off the faster bowlers. With 45 needed off the last five overs, Sunrisers may have felt they still had a chance in the match, but Kohli launched Amit Mishra for consecutive straight sixes early in the 16th over, in which he eventually plundered 21. He hit five more fours in the next two overs to close the match.White and Perera came together for Sunrisers after their side had ambled through the Powerplay overs, and traveled at barely a run-a-ball in the first half of their innings. Neither batsman risked adventure early in their innings, but quickly began pushing the scoring rate along after the 14th over. White began the charge in the 15th over with a pull off Jaydev Unadkat, before Perera clubbed the bowler over the long-on fence, with a shot that was effectively a two-handed tennis forehand. Unadkat conceded 14 runs in that over.By the 17th over, the pair had added another 37 runs as they exploited the length deliveries that the Royal Challengers bowlers offered them. White hit three sixes and three fours in his 52 from 34 balls, while Perera struck four sixes and a four in his 24-ball 40. Both men perished searching for boundaries, but they had put on 80 together, leaving their side within touching distance of a competitive 160. A good final over from RP Singh, who took 3 wickets for 27, ensured Sunrisers did not get much more than that.

A round up of the Faysal Bank One-Day Cup matches on March 9, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2013

Group A

File photo: Aizaz Cheema’s five-wicket haul gave Peshawar Panthers an 80-run win over Lahore Lions•AFP

A maiden century by Mansoor Amjad took Sialkot Stallions to a five-wicket win – and thereby top of the points table – over Multan Tigers in Ghari Khuda Baksh.Multan’s innings of 234 revolved around Sohaib Maqsood’s 91. The rest of the batting, though, couldn’t last long enough to provide him much-needed support. Wickets fell regularly after a second-wicket stand of 96. From 122 for 2, they would be reduced to being bowled out in the last over. All six of the oppositions’ bowlers were among the wickets.In reply, Sialkot struggled at 27 for 3, with offspinner Aamer Yamin taking two of those wickets. But Amjad and opener Yasir Aziz staged a recover with 102 for the fourth wicket, before the later was dismissed for 66. Amjad found able support through Adeel Malik (44), which helped them get home in the 46th over.An all-round show from Bahawalpur Stags took them to a convincing six-wicket win over Quetta Bears in Karachi. The foundation for the win was laid by seamer Mohammad Mudassar and spinner Faisal Elahi, who shared seven wickets between them to bowl the Bears out for 144, and an aggressive career-best knock of 93 by opener Imranullah Aslam.Quetta were behind in the game from the outset, as they were 6 for 3. Although a recovery stand of 49 between Taimur Ali and Abid Ali followed, the lower order couldn’t follow it up with any resistance.They picked up an early wicket in Bahawalpur’s chase, but that proved to be a false dawn, as Imranullah punished the bowlers in his 88-ball knock with ten fours and four sixes, effectively taking the game away.A responsible 71 by Sami Aslam was backed up by a decent middle-order batting performance asLahore Eagles defeated Hyderabad Hawks by four wickets in Hyderabad. This was the Hawks’ first loss in the tournament, and the Eagles’ first win.They had a shaky start to their chase of 238, with two wickets falling early, but Jahangir Mirza, who scored 54, stuck with Aslam to put on a 111-run stand. Later, the captain and wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal also chipped in with a half-century, to help his side get home with two overs to spare.Hyderabad, with a 132-run stand for the third wicket between Taj Wasan and Rizwan Ahmed, got to a commanding 173 for 2 at one stage in their innings. But the next eight wickets fell for 64 runs, as the middle and lower order crumbled. Wasan finished on 69, while Rizwan finished on 73. Adnan Rasool was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 28.

Group B

Karachi Zebras won their rain-affected encounter with Faisalabad Wolves in Rawalpinidi by 1 run through D/L method, and moved to top spot in Group B.Karachi were put into bat, and started solidly to get to 105 for 2. The innings lost momentum thereafter, as Faisalabad struck regularly. Contributions from Tariq Haroon (37) and Anwar Ali (37) helped push the total to 215, as they were dismissed in 46 overs.Faisalabad, in reply, were in trouble at 18 for 3. They lost two more in quick succession to be reduced to 60 for 5. Zeeshan Butt’s unbeaten 67, along with Imran Khalid’s 42, did their best to steer the ship, as they put on a 97-run stand for the seventh wicket. However, once rain intervened, Faisalabad were 1 run short of the D/L comparative score.Islamabad Leopards won their rain-affected game against Abbottabad Falcons by 20 runs through D/L method, in Islamabad.Islamabad chose to bat, with opener Raheel Majeed scoring 47. A brace of wickets left Umair Khan batting with the rest of the tail as Islamabad struggled to string substantial partnerships. Khan’s unbeaten 91, supported by small contributions from other batsmen, and 31 extras, pushed their score to 275 for 9. Kamran Ghulam was the pick of the bowlers with a career-best 3 for 29.Abbottabad started strongly with a 102-run stand between Ghulam and Sajjad Ali. However, with the fall of regular wickets, they fell behind in the chase, which was revived by a 51-run stand for the seventh wicket. A late rally from Yasir Shah, with an unbeaten 66, tried to keep them abreast of the required run-rate. But once rain intervened they were found short by 20 runs on D/L.Peshawar Panthers comprehensively beat Lahore Lions by 80 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, to move up to second spot on the points table.Peshawar, after electing to bat, lost Israrullah for 4. Nawaz Ahmed and wicketkeeper Mohammed Rizwan combined for 118 runs for the second wicket to stage a recovery. Nawaz finished with 93, with further contributions from Rizwan (55), Iftikhar Ahmed (81) and Gauhar Ali (26). Aizaz Cheema took wickets both up front and towards the end of the innings, as Panthers finished with 294 for 7 in their fifty overs. Cheema had best figures of 5 for 61.Lahore Lions didn’t start assuredly well, as they lost opener Imran Butt for 10. They could not string together meaningful partnerships, as the top and middle-order struggled to keep pace with the soaring required run-rate. The innings was kept in check through the bowling of spinner Mohammad Adnan, who picked up 5 for 46, and Zohaib Khan, who picked up 3 for 33. Despite a late order hit-out from Asif Raza (30) and Agha Salman (42), Lahore folded for 214 in the 48th over.

Derbyshire have appointed Simon Storey as their new chief executive, replacing Keith Loring

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2012Derbyshire have appointed Simon Storey as their new chief executive. He replaces Keith Loring, who remains with the club in a consultancy role but has stepped down from day-to-day duties.Storey, 42, has a marketing background with 20 year’s commercial experience. He comes from a management role with a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland.”It is an exciting time to join the club,” Storey said. “I am relishing the opportunity to help lead Derbyshire towards future success. I do not underestimate the challenge ahead but I have confidence in the long-term direction of the club and I am committed to bringing all my leadership abilities, commercial experience and sporting passion to help the club achieve our goals on and off the field in the coming years.”Storey will inherit a county in reasonable financial shape, Derbyshire having made a profit in five of the last six years. But the main challenge is to bring back success on the field. Derbyshire have not finished above fifth in Division Two of the County Championship since their only season in the first division – in 2000 – where they finished bottom.Last season had long-standing chairman Don Amott leave the county after a boardroom dispute and coach John Morris left two months into the new season.But Derbyshire have begun 2012 strongly, with victories over Northamptonshire and Glamorgan and a draw against Leicestershire.