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Australia Under-19s defeated West Indies Under-19s by 63 runs to go one up in the three-match Youth ODI series in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2011
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Australia Under-19s defeated West Indies Under-19s by 63 runs to go one up in the three-match Youth ODI series in Dubai.Choosing to bat, Australia U-19s built their total around opener Cameron Bancroft, who scored a well-paced 123. None of the other batsmen were able to build an innings, the second-highest score being 31 by Meyrick Buchanan. Most of the damage with the ball was done by opening bowler Justin Greaves and offspinner John Campbell. The pair picked up six of the nine wickets to fall in the innings, keeping Australia U-19s to 240.The chase briefly went the way of the first innings, with opener Kraigg Brathwaite anchoring the innings. But, unlike the Australia U-19 middle order which produced a few cameos to support Bancroft, just one of the seven West Indies U-19 batsmen to follow managed to get into double figures. By the time Brathwaite was dismissed, having scored 74 off 105, the chase was all but over with the scoreboard reading 130 for 8. The innings eventually folded on 177 with 5.5 overs going unused. The Australia U-19 bowlers shared the wickets around, four of the six used picking up two apiece.The two teams face off in the second match on Tuesday.

Yorkshire opened their CB40 League programme with a shock two-run defeat against the Netherlands at Headingley

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2011
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Yorkshire opened their CB40 League programme with a shock two-run defeat against the Netherlands at Headingley when Ryan Sidebottom was run out while attempting to hit the last ball of the match for a winning boundary. It was the second embarrassment on the ground in two days for Yorkshire, who were skittled out for 86 on Friday as Nottinghamshire pulled off a dramatic County Championship victory.At least Yorkshire were involved in a thrilling finish on this occasion and some of their blushes were spared after they had slumped to 79 for 7 in their chase of a 191 target. A recovery left them requiring 19 off the final over from Brad Kruger which began with Adil Rashid dashing a single and Sidebottom hitting the next ball over long-on for six. He failed to score off the next delivery but sprinting through for two runs off the next and lashed the penultimate ball onto the top of the football stand for a colossal six.Another boundary from the last ball would have clinched it for Yorkshire but Sidebottom’s shot could not evade Tom Heggelman on the edge and he returned to wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi with the batsman just short of his crease.Yorkshire made a disastrous start to their reply, with the first half of their order being removed for 27 to keen bowling on a pitch on which some deliveries seemed to stop on the batsmen. It took an eighth-wicket stand of 68 in 12 overs between the in-form Rich Pyrah and Rashid to give Yorkshire a half-chance of a substantial recovery, but the task became even more difficult when Pyrah departed for a career-best one-day score of 69 from 82 balls with six fours.That left them wanting 44 from four overs and the task was just beyond them, despite Sidebottom’s brave blast and Rashid’s unbeaten 42.Put in to bat, the Netherlands struggled early on as Sidebottom bowled Barresi in his first over and Eric Scwarczynski was caught behind off Ajmal Shahzad, who bowled a good opening spell in his first match since recovering from a hamstring injury picked up in the World Cup. Western Australia’s Michael Swart, playing on a Dutch passport, had his leg stump removed by Pyrah and when Rashid struck with his first ball to send back Tom Cooper for a confident 32, the visitors were 68 for 4.Four runs later, Rashid’s fine piece of work off his own bowling ran out Tom de Grooth and at 101 the legspinner trapped Peter Borren lbw before Kruger drove Joe Root into the waiting hands of Adam Lyth at long-on.At 112 for 7 the Dutch were in danger of finishing with an uncompetitive score but they were boosted by an eighth-wicket stand of 61 in eight overs between Mott and Bukhari, whose straight six off Root was followed by Mott clearing the line with a pull against Shahzad, less effective in his second spell.Bukhari cut Sidebottom to Rashid at backward point and there was just time for Mott to complete his unbeaten 50 off 46 balls with five fours and a six. Rashid was the pick of the Yorkshire bowlers with 2 for 20 but paceman Steven Patterson struggled, his four overs costing him 34 runs.

Australian cricket’s playing and marketing imperatives are colliding over the matter of Test players taking part in the early rounds of the expanded Big Bash League.

Daniel Brettig15-Jun-2011Australian cricket’s playing and marketing imperatives are again colliding, this time over the matter of Test players taking part in the early rounds of the expanded Big Bash League.As part of the push to sell the new league and its eight manufactured teams to the public, Cricket Australia wants all of its centrally-contracted players to take part in the first round of the competition, tentatively scheduled for December 16 to 20.This would allow maximum exposure for the new competition, and also mean the game’s most reliable current assets, namely the likes of Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting, could be used liberally in advertising and publicity for the BBL.However an agreement is yet to be reached between CA management, marketing and coaching staff over the issue of how to use the time between the end of the New Zealand Test series on December 13 in Hobart and the start of the India series on December 26 with the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.”It’s still being resolved. We’re obviously keen for them to be available to play if the schedule and their physical shape allows it,” a CA spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “They’re the biggest names and the most popular cricketers in the country so we’d obviously like them to be a part of as much as possible.”Australia’s Test and limited-overs players have always missed parts or all of the domestic Twenty20 competition because it has clashed with the concluding weeks of the Test summer and the bulk of the ODI programme.But the change to city-based teams and the paucity of genuine international talent available for the first edition of the tournament due to scheduling conflicts has intensified the demand for Australian internationals among franchises.Given that Australia will have just completed their third Test series in as many months, including the tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa that precedes the New Zealand series, recovery time for captain Clarke, his deputy Watson and the fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, among others, will be at a premium.Another issue will be maximising the team’s preparation for the task of facing up to India, currently the world’s No.1 ranked Test team, in what has arguably become Australia’s biggest international rivalry outside of the Ashes. Where once the Australians could afford to take the odd preparatory shortcut due to an undisputed ranking at the top, now they have no choice but to plan diligently or face the consequences.”The coaches are just making sure they’ve got enough time after the New Zealand series and before the India series starting on Boxing Day,” the spokesman said. “We need to make sure their workload is managed. Even if it’s agreed that players are available for certain matches, an individual assessment for each player will have to be made at the time regarding injuries, workload and individual programmes.”These guys are going to be sought after by the BBL teams regardless of how many matches they can play, because they will help to sell the teams to the public.”Last summer the financial and cricketing interests of CA were muddled on more than one occasion. Michael Hussey and Doug Bollinger were handicapped when they were forced to stay behind at the T20 Champions League in South Africa with their IPL team Chennai Super Kings rather than preparing for the Test series in India.Upon the team’s return home, a pre-determined marketing plan to announce the Ashes squad at a public event in Sydney’s Circular Quay – 10 days before the first Test – saw the selectors name an indecisive 17-man squad, causing what Simon Katich revealed to be a rumble of instability through the team before the first Test.

Stephen Moore’s first County Championship hundred for Lancashire secured a six-wicket victory for the title chasers

23-Jun-2011
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Stephen Moore’s first County Championship hundred for Lancashire secured a six-wicket victory for the title chasers and condemned defending champions Nottinghamshire to their fourth straight defeat.Needing 237 on a tricky pitch with variable bounce, Moore’s determined and gutsy unbeaten 124 from 208 balls carried the visitors home in 74 overs and pushed them to within seven points of leaders Durham.Moore was granted one extra life on 57, when his attempted cut off Paul Franks to deep backward point was spilled by Riki Wessels, and the 30-year-old went on to seal the win with his 17th four.Despite Charlie Shreck’s 3 for 54, Nottinghamshire never threatened to find the 10 wickets they needed to end their terrible run of form – which has seen them fail to claim a win since the end of April – and they appear destined to spend the second half of the season battling to avoid relegation rather than challenging to retain the title.Resuming their second innings on 32 without loss, Lancashire openers Moore and Paul Horton showed good judgment outside off stump to survive the opening half-hour before a swinging delivery from Shreck tempted Horton to drive and edge to David Hussey at second slip for 30.Karl Brown then fell lbw to Shreck eight overs later but Moore went on to share a 90-run partnership for the third wicket with Mark Chilton as Notts became increasingly frustrated in the field.Wessels’ drop shortly after lunch appeared crucial as Moore’s batting grew in assurance, with the former England Lions batsman pulling Luke Fletcher for six shortly before Andre Adams had Chilton lbw for 35.By then Nottinghamshire seemed to have resigned themselves to defeat, with little innovation in field placements from captain Chris Read as the hosts went through the motions in the closing stages.Moore, driving and cutting with power, secured his first century since July 2009 with a cut for four off Shreck to the sound of generous applause from the Lancashire dressing room. And although Steven Croft gave Hussey another slip catch off Shreck with 11 more runs needed, nothing could stop Moore and Lancashire from claiming the win.The only black spot for the visitors was the docking of one point for their slow over-rate, but they will view their first Championship win at Trent Bridge since 2006 as more than adequate compensation.

Claire Taylor, the first woman to be named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, has retired from international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2011Claire Taylor, the first woman to be named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, has retired from international cricket. Taylor has accomplished all there is to accomplish in the game, winning two World Cups and the Ashes. Her peak came in 2009, when England lifted the World Cup and she was named player of the tournament for her 324 runs at 64.80. She was awarded an MBE the same year and honoured by Wisden as one of their five cricketers of the year.In all, the 35-year-old Berkshire batsman represented England in 15 Tests, 126 ODIs and 27 T20s, making 1030 Test runs at an average of 41.20, 4101 ODI runs at 40.20, and 615 runs in Twenty20s. She also holds the record for the highest one-day international score at Lord’s by a man or woman – 156 not out against India in 2006.Taylor said it was the right time for her to call time on her international career, making the announcement after England beat Australia to win the Natwest Quadrangular Series. “Fitting in all the training amid an ever busier working life is becoming unsustainable, there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the week,” Taylor said in an ECB statement. “Physically I seem to need to spend more and more time in the gym recovering from injuries rather than training to get fitter. I’m getting old I guess.”There are so many people to thank who have helped me achieve my dreams. I remember sitting down after the 2000 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and talking about my ambition of becoming one of the best batters in the world. It has been a long process with plenty of ups and downs, culminating in outstanding personal and team success with England in 2009.”The most important professional relationship of my career has been with Mark Lane, my coach of 14 years. Together we transformed my game so that I became the type of cricketer I always wanted to be.”Taylor also thanked the English Institute of Sport and the ECB for their support and help, and said the current England squad is full of promise. “The squad I’m leaving has huge potential and I wish them well for the future. There are some exciting players pressing for places from the England Women’s Academy, which points towards a bright future for England women’s cricket.”The ECB head of England women’s cricket, Clare Connor paid tribute to Taylor. “Her incomparable hunger to always improve, hard work, focus and mental toughness have combined to make her the best batter in the women’s game,” Connor said. “Claire has earned the respect of all who have played with her, against her, or who have had the pleasure of watching her.”Her tour de force was her 76 not out from 53 balls against Australia at the Oval to secure England a place in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009. The power, precision and clinical nature of that innings delivered a message on the biggest stage as to the enormous progress made in the women’s game: new fans and support were won, and perceptions were changed. As such, Claire should be hugely proud of the part she has played in the journey of the women’s game, and specifically England women’s cricket, during the last 14 years.”Taylor is the third international player to retire from the women’s game in the last couple of days, following Australia allrounder Shelley Nitschke,and New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins.

England will wait until Friday morning to decide whether Chris Tremlett is fit enough to take his place for the second Test at Trent Bridge

Andrew McGlashan at Trent Bridge28-Jul-2011India have taken an early decision to rule out Zaheer Khan at Trent Bridge, but England will wait until Friday morning to decide whether Chris Tremlett is fit enough to take his place. He has been struggling with a hamstring problem since the fourth day at Lord’s and while Andrew Strauss remained optimistic on Tremlett’s chances the signs weren’t promising as he struggled during training.Tremlett bowled in two stints but the second lasted only a handful of deliveries which he bowled off one pace before leaving the field again. He had earlier run in harder – although at far from top pace – against Alastair Cook in the full nets before getting further treatment from the physio both on the outfield and in the dressing room.Tremlett was outstanding at Lord’s, where match figures of 4 for 124 didn’t reflect his constant threat as he troubled all the India batsmen, but with this game starting just four days later it puts a huge strain on the fast bowlers while there is also the longer term view of two further Test matches to follow.Strauss spoke about Tremlett’s chances moments before the very brief second spell in the middle and the captain’s bullishness may yet be misplaced. “We are very confident he will be fine but like all of these things, because there is such a short turnaround, we have to wait until this afternoon or tomorrow morning to make a decision,” Strauss said. “We’ll only pick him if we are 100% sure he’ll get through the game.”England are also blessed with plenty of capable reserves and Tim Bresnan will slot into the line-up should Tremlett be ruled out, although Steven Finn has also been called up as cover. Bresnan came close to replacing Stuart Broad at Lord’s but, due to his own injuries at the start of this season, still hasn’t played a Test since his key role in helping secure the Ashes in Melbourne and Sydney.Tremlett’s extra bounce has clearly unsettled the India batsmen – even the best were hopping around against him at Lord’s – so his absence would be a blow, but Bresnan’s fuller length and swing will be well suited to a ground that often gives the pace bowlers some assistance. As a by-product he would also give England an even stronger lower order alongside Broad and Graeme Swann.”Tim Bresnan certainly hasn’t let anyone down when he has played for us,” Strauss said. “He was outstanding in Australia and he’s getting better and better. In many ways he’s unfortunate not to be playing at the moment and if he does come in he’ll do a great job.”One of the main reasons Tremlett’s international career stalled following his promising start against India in 2007 was a string of injuries which meant he was often sidelined for Hampshire. However, his move to Surrey last year coincided with an injury-free time which propelled him back into the England squad for the Ashes and since his comeback at Perth he has played seven consecutive Tests.

A stunning one-handed grab by Paul Nixon – in his final match in England – dismissed Keiron Pollard and inspired Leicestershire to the Twenty20 title in a stirring contest at Edgbaston

The Report by Sahil Dutta at Edgbaston27-Aug-2011
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Wayne White knew just how important Kieron Pollard’s wicket was•Getty ImagesA stunning one-handed grab by the wicketkeeper Paul Nixon – in his final match in England before retirement – dismissed Keiron Pollard and inspired Leicestershire to the Twenty20 title in a stirring contest at Edgbaston. Set 147 to win under lights Somerset’s star-studded line-up reached 89 for 3 in the 14th over but fell away to end 127 for 9 and leave Leicestershire champions.It meant that Somerset finished runners-up for the their third cup final in succession, having missed out on both the Twenty20 and CB40 final last year. If that is unfortunate it would take a hard heart to begrudge Nixon and Leicestershire their success. Leicestershire have endured nothing but misery in the Championship but have now sealed their third Twenty20 title, more than any other side, having won the competition in 2004 and 2006.One a day when some of the priciest Twenty20 stars in the world had treated county cricket to its first, and then, second Super Over, Nixon managed to upstage all that with a breathtaking defining catch to make himself the star. A 20-year-old at his sprightliest would have done well to reach the ball as Pollard edged Wayne Wright towards a vacant first-slip area, but Nixon defied his 40 years to pluck out a screamer. That it did for the most dangerous Twenty20 hitter in the game at a crucial moment made the story all the more remarkable.Until Nixon’s intervention the match was brewing into the third climatic finish of the day with Somerset, still with Jos Buttler to come, needing 57 from 38 deliveries. The wicket changed everything as Leicestershire upped their fielding to an electric level. Matthew Boyce, on as a substitute fielder, took four catches and prowled the midwicket rope to help Josh Cobb to four wickets and the Man-of-the-Match award. Considering Cobb’s Finals Day started with a diamond duck in the first semi-final, it was quite a finish.After rain played a decisive hand in the pair of semis it was fitting that conditions should play a role again in the final. Sunset seems the only thing more inevitable than drizzle and when evening drew in batting proved much harder. Leicestershire had a flying start to their innings but ran into treacle during the second half and Somerset’s classy batting – chasing in darkness throughout – were unable to raise their tempo against what is, on paper, only a modest seam-dominated attack. Instead the ball wobbled around and it wasn’t until Peter Trego found his range that anyone managed to time the ball regularly.After the slowish start where neither Marcus Trescothick or Craig Kieswetter could quite get going Trego built a recovery. He reached 35 from 24 balls before pulling Cobb out to deep midwicket where Boyce slid round to snaffle a good chance. Before him James Hildreth played smartly for 21 from 20 balls in a 42-run stand with Trego that was supposed to lay the platform for the big-hitters that followed.Yet neither Pollard nor Buttler could deliver. Buttler’s matchwinning contribution in the semi-final had shown why he earned England selection and he began by scorching his first ball through cover for four. But before he could add another the Cobb-Boyce combination did for him and with that Somerset’s final gun was silenced.Given the quality of the cricket it was a pity how patronising the cricketainment gods felt they needed to be. Be it the organised wolf-whistling of scantily-clad cheerleaders or the constant blast of wedding-reception pop it was as though the marketing team had no faith whatsoever in their product. But the fans clearly enjoyed their day, and the enduring memory they left with was a classic sporting story of underdog triumph and a veteran’s fairytale finish.

Left-arm spinner Gary Keedy has ended speculation over his county future by committing to Lancashire and signing a new contract for play for them next season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2011Left-arm spinner Gary Keedy has ended speculation over his county future by committing to Lancashire and signing a new contract for play for them next season.Keedy, 36, had been contemplating a move to Warwickshire, who had offered him a three-year deal, but will now stay with the county for whom he has played since 1995.”There has been a lot of speculation recently, but I am delighted to say I will be representing Lancashire next season,” confirmed Keedy, who was Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in their successful run to the Championship title with 61 scalps at 23.63.Keedy also played a vital role as a senior member of the Lancashire side who ended the county’s 77-year wait for Championship silverware.He picked up five wickets in the first innings of Lancashire’s penultimate match of the season against Hampshire before another left-arm spinner, Simon Kerrigan, took centre stage, and indeed it was Keedy’s direct-hit run out – the first in his 17-year career – that ended Somerset’s innings at Taunton to set up Lancashire’s title-securing run chase.

Sri Lanka squandered away what seemed to be an inviting proposition in the morning by refusing to score, and ultimately succumbed against a relentless Pakistan attack

The Report by Abhishek Purohit18-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJunaid Khan finished with his maiden five-for•Associated PressSri Lanka squandered away what seemed to be an inviting proposition in the morning – being put in to bat on a flat wicket under the hot sun against inexperienced bowlers – by refusing to score, and ultimately succumbed against a relentless Pakistan attack. Angelo Mathews, however, batted intelligently with the lower order, as he had done during the recent series against Australia, to lift Sri Lanka from the lows of 114 for 7 before Junaid Khan’s maiden Test five-for kept them to a first-innings tally of 197.Pakistan’s bowlers were nearly sold short at the toss by their captain who thought that any chance of taking wickets lay in utilising the scant moisture on a flat and deceptively green-tinged pitch. With a large heart and perseverance, though, they prised out six wickets in the second session after Lahiru Thirimanne’s guide to slip off Saeed Ajmal gave them an opening at the stroke of lunch.Aizaz Cheema epitomised Pakistan’s hunger with a relentless spell, either side of the break, that claimed Kumar Sangakkara cheaply and troubled Mahela Jayawardene with consistent pace and zip off the placid surface. Jayawardene managed to survive Cheema’s spell but soon joined Tillakaratne Dilshan in the dressing room. Dilshan had earlier briefly breathed life into the doddering innings, before being wrongly adjudged caught-behind by umpire Tony Hill, as Sri Lanka slipped to 112 for 4.Jayawardene went in the next over, prodding at Junaid outside off stump and edging to slip. Junaid capitalised on the panic in the line-up to claim Prasanna Jayawardene and Rangana Herath with searing full deliveries to reduce Sri Lanka to 114 for 4, but the fight had gone out of the Sri Lanka innings some time ago.Cheema, 32, displayed the tireless zeal of a player made to wait almost ten years for his Test debut. He even hit Jayawardene on the helmet grill when the batsman failed to get out of the way of a short one. Cheema’s aggression was in contrast to the way Thirimanne and Tharanga Paranavitana added 26 runs in the first hour, treating the benign Sheikh Zayed Stadium surface with the extreme respect that an overcast Headingley morning would deserve.Though the three Pakistan fast bowlers, Gul, Cheema and Junaid – chosen ahead of the quicker and more experienced Wahab Riaz – ran in with heart, they were rendered ineffective in the first session by the lifeless pitch.The openers’ approach, however, bordered on the extreme of being over-cautious. The first boundary came in the 14th over from Paranavitana off the part-time offspin of Mohammad Hafeez. Having played sedately all morning, Thirimanne guided Ajmal straight to slip in the penultimate over before lunch. Sri Lanka had managed only 50 runs in the session.Cheema struck with the first ball of the second over after lunch, getting Sangakkara to edge behind for Adnan Akmal to take a flying one-handed catch in front of first slip. Paranavitana contrived to survive longer with his defensive mindset but the manner of his dismissal – gloving an attempted pull to the wicketkeeper off a Gul short ball down the leg side – showed that patience without purpose inevitably comes unstuck against sustained pressure.Just as Pakistan had used Sri Lanka’s diffidence to spark a collapse, Mathews took advantage of Misbah’s listless field-settings to add 54 – the highest partnership of the innings – with Suranga Lakmal. Mathews did everything that the earlier batsmen had not – he did not get tied down and attacked when allowed to, shielding Lakmal initially and taking advantage of the spread-out fields. Misbah helped Mathews by repeatedly keeping the field back even for the final two deliveries of the overs. On the rare occasions when he brought them in, Mathews went after the bowling, slicing and punching Cheema for consecutive boundaries off the final two balls of the 61st over.Pakistan eventually got through the tail when Junaid cleaned up the last two wickets to end with 5 for 38, and set up the game for the Pakistan batsmen.The new ball had not done much for Pakistan; Sri Lanka’s bowlers did not fare better, if anything, they did not make the Pakistan openers play enough. Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar were hardly troubled in breezing to 27 by stumps, capping a dominant day for their side.

Salman Butt was told by the prosecution he had “been caught” as his long vigil in the witness box

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court19-Oct-2011Salman Butt, in an often fraught exchange with the prosecution headed by Aftab Jafferjee QC, was told he had “been caught” and was “controlling” the players through the no-balls. Butt’s three-day vigil in the witness box ended on Wednesday – the eleventh day of the trial in London – with Butt accepting no part in the alleged spot-fixing.Former Pakistan captain Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage pace bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.The jury was walked through the detail of the frantic phone traffic between Butt, Majeed, Asif and Amir on the night before the Lord’s Test commenced, after Majeed had been caught on a secret camera pocketing £140,000 for pre-planned no-balls to be bowled plus future fixes. A previous amount of £10,000 had already been paid.There were 20 calls or texts between Butt and Majeed, 25 between Amir and Majeed and four between Butt, Asif and Amir. Some of these calls or text messages were made in the early hours.”The Lord’s fix was on, Mr Butt, in the early hours of the morning and you know it don’t you,” Jafferjee said.Butt replied: “No.””It’s all going on behind your back, is it?” Jafferjee asked sarcastically.Butt: “Yes.””It’s the three of you who are all (planning) the no-balls, Mr Butt,” Jafferjee continued. “You are all saying what is going to go on, isn’t it?Butt: “I’m not part of it.””But we agree, don’t we, Mr Butt,” Jafferjee went on, “that if Amir and Asif were involved they would have to have spoken to you?”Butt: “Okay, I’ll take that from you.” (with a wry grin)”Everything suggests that Amir was in on the fix, doesn’t it Mr Butt?”Butt: “Yes.”Jafferjee then talked about what he has repeatedly called “the performance” that followed Amir’s first no-ball, as Amir checked his spikes, examined the crease and Butt then arrived to sprinkle sawdust on the crease.Jafferjee: “You would agree it was a performance wouldn’t you Mr Butt?”Butt: “I didn’t bring the sawdust with me from the hotel. It is always there on the ground when the weather is damp.””Yes no-balls are bowled accidentally, sawdust is there out on the ground and batsmen do tap the pitch,” Jafferjee hit back. “But what you and Majeed and Amir and Asif did was exploit things what normally happen out on the cricket pitch.”The prosecutor then reminded the jury of the text message that Majeed sent to the undercover reporter just before the third pre-planned no-ball was delivered. Because Amir was bowling beautifully and eventually reduced England to 47 for 5 in that first innings, Majeed texted to warn the journalist that the captain might tell Amir not to bowl that no-ball now because of the form he was in.Jafferjee concluded: “He (Majeed) was talking about you because you are in there controlling the players and particularly the youngest player out there – the impressionable Amir, Mr Butt. And you have been caught.”Although Butt defended himself consistently and stoically, he was forced to concede on several occasions that Majeed’s fixing-related messages to him were “annoying”. Jafferjee pressed him hard on why he never – in the messages before the court anyway – told Majeed that he would not tolerate it anymore.The night before he allegedly agreed to bat out a maiden at The Oval in the third Test – the night before they eventually won the match – was such an episode that Jafferjee focused on. On how when Majeed called him, unknowingly on speakerphone so the journalist could hear, to say: ‘You know the maiden over yeah?’ To which Butt went ‘Yeah’. Majeed continued, ‘Do one more’. It was then that Butt said, ‘No mate, just leave it.’ Butt did not bat out the maiden. Majeed contacted Butt again on the same subject the following morning, a Saturday, before Butt left for the ground.Jafferjee continually pressed Butt on why he did not respond more angrily to Majeed. “You were on the verge of a great win and you didn’t tell Majeed how annoyed you were by these messages?” Butt reasoned that he was focusing on the game and didn’t want to get into an awkward conversation at that time. Butt also said in the subsequent celebration dinner that Majeed attended along with “seven or eight” of the players he never mentioned the messages.Jafferjee was unimpressed by the answers he was receiving on the issue and at one point said: “You are lying your head off to this jury aren’t you Mr Butt?”Before the day ended, Butt’s lawyer Ali Bajwa QC told the court that some Pakistan numbers in the phone records during this time corresponded to calls Butt made to family, friends and former players including Imran Khan, who Butt admitted he would call for advice.The case continues.