England were given a good workout in the field on the opening day of their first warm-up match of the tour as the tail wagged for the ICC Combined XI

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2012
Scorecard
Stuart Broad took three wickets in his first three overs but ICC XI fought back on day one in Dubai•Getty Images

England were given a good workout in the field on the opening day of their first warm-up match of the tour as the tail wagged for a ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI. First-class best innings from Christi Viljoen and Boyd Rankin revived the innings after England made a rampant start.Stuart Broad claimed three wickets in his first three overs as England took command at lunch but Namibian allrounder Viljoen and Warwickshire bowler Rankin rallied in the lower order with a partnership of 96 to give England a testing final session.Viljoen’s 98 from 189 balls prevented the ICC XI from being blown away. Broad’s wickets were followed by two for Graeme Swann and a wicket for Steven Finn – playing because of Chris Tremlett’s eye infection and an elbow injury to Tim Bresnan.At 91 for 6 at lunch, it was a gentle introduction to the tour for England. But Viljoen added 32 with Afghanistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad, whose half century was the first resistance for the ICC XI. His counter-attacking innings came from 55 balls and included seven fours.The second act of resistance came through Viljoen after James Anderson had Shahzad caught behind after lunch. Viljoen struck 13 fours and a six to take his side to tea on 182 for 8. But Warwickshire’s Rankin also made a useful score after tea to provide another partnership for ICC XI.Broad returned to wrap up the innings by having Viljoen caught by James Anderson two short of a maiden first-class hundred. He finished with 4 for 46 before Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook safely negotiated four overs to close on 16 for 0.The day had begun with Strauss winning the toss after which England used the new ball to good effect. Broad enjoyed his return to an England shirt for the first time since September by removing the ICC XI top three. William Porterfield tried to flick a full ball to leg and edged behind for one before Paul Stirling played on trying to pull. Kyle Coetzer also fell for single figures as he tried to force off the back foot and edged to Steve Davies – keeping wicket in place of Matt Prior who injured a finger in training yesterday.Finn produced an edge from Majid Haq’s loose drive outside off stump, pouched by Swann low at second slip. Swann was introduced into the attack and was struck down the ground for six by Craig Williams before he pushed forward and edged behind to Davies. Swann then lured Mohammad Nabi out of his crease and he missed with a wild hack to be bowled for a second-ball duck.The fightback arrived before Anderson claimed his second wicket having Rankin caught by Finn at point to break the main stand of the innings. Broad then took his fourth as ICC XI were bowled out for a far higher score than might have been expected.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Auckland

Firdose Moonda10-Feb-2012

Match facts

February 11, Auckland
Start time 1900 (0600 GMT)Colin de Grandhomme could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson or one of the seamers for a spot•Getty Images

Big Picture

How does a boxer find motivation to keep throwing punches when his opponent is cowering, bleeding and just about begging for mercy? New Zealand may soon know the answer to that as they continue to hammer away at an already ground down Zimbabwe side.The series ends with two Twenty20 matches. In most years that would be only an afterthought, but with a World Twenty20 to be contested later in September, they do have some importance. As the best performing non-subcontinent team at the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand will want to repeat their strong showing in Sri Lanka in the 20-overs showcase event. They have a rather new look side and will use these matches to incorporate more uncapped players and complete their unit.Brendon McCullum spoke about the importance of keeping the intensity up. If the one-day series is anything to go by, New Zealand know how to do that. Not content with merely proving they are a better side than Zimbabwe, they have imposed their dominance brutally and seem to have their minds set on continuing to do that.Zimbabwe are an inexperienced and unsuccessful Twenty20 side. It’s not a format they have played in great quantities at any international level, but the popularity of their domestic tournament has meant that all of the national squad have some recent 20-overs game-time. Already the gulf between what they have been doing at local level and what is required to be done on the international stage has proven wide and deep. Perhaps too wide and too deep. While shorter formats are thought to increase the competitiveness between sides, it may not be true in this case.Demoralised and weary, Zimbabwe will have to feed off their desperation to do well. They certainly have the desire to prove themselves but they have to multiply that a few times to be able to compete with a rampant New Zealand side.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLWW (most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLL

In the spotlight

There’s always a bit of needle when a county plays against a team with one of their countrymen in it and Colin de Grandhomme can expect much of the same. The Harare-born New Zealand allrounder even played for Zimbabwe Under-19s but moved to New Zealand in 2006 and has now qualified for his adopted country. He has performed well in the domestic leagues and gets his chance at the highest level, but will have to brace for some hostility from a severely wounded Zimbabwe side.Twenty20 is Elton Chigumbura‘s format, the one where he has the freedom to pay in the carefree manner he appears most comfortable with. With Zimbabwe as down and out as it gets, they may as well give their players the liberty to enjoy the last two matches of the series and play without limitations. If there is one player who will enjoy this sort of approach, it will be Chigumbura. With absolutely nothing but another match to lose, if he decides to make it his day, it could well be.

Team news

New Zealand have two injury concerns – Martin Guptill has a slight groin strain and Jacob Oram experienced tightness in the calf. Both left the field in the last ODI in Napier but Brendon McCullum said he expects both to be fit to play. In particular, he hopes Guptill can continue because he has found a rich vein of form. Andrew Ellis was added to the squad after Dean Brownlie was ruled out with a finger injury and coach John Wright indicated that he would be given an opportunity. The other two uncapped players, Colin de Grandhomme and Ronnie Hira could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson and one of the seamers for a spot.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Rob Nicol 4 Colin de Grandhomme 5 James Franklin/Kane Williamson 6 Andrew Ellis 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Doug Bracewell/Ronnie Hira, 11 Kyle MillsAfter axing Hamilton Masakadza for the third ODI, Zimbabwe will likely open with Stuart Matsikenyeri and Regis Chakabva. The last time they played Twenty20s Tatenda Taibu was injured, but he will play. It still allows Zimbabwe to accommodate three allrounders in Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura and Keegan Meth. If both Prosper Utseya and Ray Price play, one of the three seamers will have to sit out.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 2 Regis Chakabva, 3 Brendan Taylor, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Keegan Meth 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 and 11 Kyle Jarvis/Brian Vitori/Shingi Masakadza

Pitch and conditions

A fair strip, offering plenty for the batsmen is likely to be prepared. Weather in Auckland on Saturday evening should be clear and mild.

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have only played 18 Twenty20s and have won just three, all away from home. Their last victory came in February 2010 against West Indies.
• Martin Guptill was the top scorer in New Zealand’s HRV Cup with 504 runs at an average of 72.00. Ronnie Hira and Michale Bates were the highest wicket-takers, with 14 scalps each.

Quotes

“The gap between two teams is always narrowed, the shorter the game. So it means we will have to be more efficient in all areas.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan, in Mirpur

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran17-Mar-2012

Match facts

March 18, 2012
Start time 1400 (0800 GMT)Pakistan look more settled overall, with a superior bowling attack•AFP

Big Picture

If India had beaten Bangladesh, their match against Pakistan would have been a preview to the final. Thanks to their inept bowling in the dying stages of their previous match, and some fearless Bangladesh batting, this tournament is still open. No team has bowed out of the tournament yet, including Sri Lanka, who are yet to open their account. If India and Bangladesh win their remaining games with bonus points, it will leave three teams tied on nine points, meaning the finalists will be decided on net run-rate. If the same two teams win without bonus points, then Bangladesh will go through because they beat India in the head-to-head. A win, tie, no-result, or even a loss without conceding a bonus point, for Pakistan tomorrow will guarantee them a place in the final.Bangladesh’s stunning turnaround has given tomorrow’s clash greater context. However, a downpour at the Shere Bangla Stadium the day before the game means the groundstaff will have to work to ensure the match goes ahead as scheduled. Should weather intervene, there is a reserve day on Monday.The encounter promises to live up to the tournament’s top-billing because these teams have hardly played each other, due to political reasons. India trumped Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Cup, so Pakistan have a score to settle. Despite being drubbed by England in the one-day series in the UAE, they still look a far more settled unit than India.The gulf between the two teams lies in the bowling. Both attacks are spin-heavy, but Pakistan’s is a league ahead in terms of experience and penetration, with the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. Ajmal’s doosras derailed Sri Lanka in the batting Powerplay and from that point on Sri Lanka were playing catch-up. India failed to run through the Bangladesh batting but they were still well-placed to defend 290. Swinging yorkers from Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan gave India a sniff, but the consistency was lacking. Yorkers made way for length deliveries and full tosses, which were either muscled over the ropes or sliced over point.India’s top order looks more reliable than Pakistan’s, with their top three each having scored a century in the tournament. Sachin Tendulkar may well play with the kind of freedom missing over the last 12 months, after getting the monkey off his back. The Pakistan top order didn’t look fluent against Sri Lanka, and the slow run-rate early led them to throw away their wickets.

Form Guide

(most recent first)
Pakistan WWLLL
India LWWLL

In the spotlight

Ravindra Jadeja is yet to justify the US$2million contract he earned from Chennai Super Kings with performances on the field. He underperformed in the Commonwealth Bank series with both bat and ball, though his fielding remains an asset. He was not used much as a bowler and failed to convert his opportunities with the bat, struggling to clear the bigger Australian grounds. There have been calls for the big-hitting Yusuf Pathan to replace him. However, Jadeja offers the variety of left-arm spin, to go with three offspinners.Fifteen, 5, 12, 2 – scores you would not normally associate with Younis Khan. His last ODI half-century came against Afghanistan, and he has struggled against quality opposition. His shot-selection against Sri Lanka was poor; he attempted an extravagant flick to midwicket and ended up chipping it to mid-on. With Asad Shafiq in the reserves, Younis will have to justify his place with a big score. He is too experienced to endure a prolonged slump.Misbah-ul-Haq’s calm presence is the reason for Pakistan’s upswing, and they would not want to lose his services for a crucial game because of a slow over-rate. The Pakistan captain will be suspended for one game if his side makes another transgression in the next 12 months after the team fell two overs short of the target against Sri Lanka. For tips on how to ensure a quick over-rate, Misbah would rather not consult his counterpart MS Dhoni, who has already been banned for a Test and ODI in recent months for the same offence.

Pitch and conditions

Despite the rain on Saturday evening, the forecast for Sunday suggests a full game will be possible. Both captains will be unsure of how the rain would have affected playing conditions, in particular the usually lightning-quick outfield. In general, the pitches have become better for batting in the evening, and the team defending a target will also have to watch out for possible dew. After Bangladesh’s heist, the captains may back their teams to chase down any target.

Teams

Ashok Dinda was all over the place against Bangladesh, going for 38 off 5.2 overs, so India could consider bringing back Vinay Kumar, if he recovers from injury. There’s still no indication that Manoj Tiwary, who has warmed the bench for so long he may have set it on fire, will get a game.India 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja/Yusuf Pathan, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashok Dinda/R Vinay Kumar, 11 Praveen KumarWith Shahid Afridi not in the best of form with the bat, Pakistan are likely to play an extra batsman, with Umar Akmal taking the wicketkeeping gloves.Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal (wk), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Hammad Azam, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema

Stats and Trivia

• The head-to-head record between the two sides in the Asia Cup stands at 4-4.
• India have the better head-to-head record in matches played in Bangladesh, winning five and losing three.

Quotes

“You cannot take revenge on anyone, but we will try to give our supporters the joy we could not give during that game.”
Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Delhi Daredevils strengthened their reputation as the team to beat in IPL 2012 and marched to a convincing victory over Pune Warriors

The Report by Firdose Moonda 24-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirender Sehwag guided the chase with an unbeaten 87•AFP

Delhi Daredevils strengthened their reputation as the team to beat in IPL 2012 and marched to a convincing victory over Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Stadium, with four overs to spare. Warriors had won both previous matches at their new home stadium but were unable to collect a third success after posting too few runs with the bat despite a third-wicket stand of 145 between Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa.Warriors bowlers had few answers for Virender Sehwag and struggled to keep him quiet as they were unable to find the right lines, despite a stern team talk by Allan Donald at the innings break. Their only success came with the run-out of Mahela Jayawardene and wicket of Kevin Pietersen, who top-edged to mid-on. Warriors’ batsmen were made to rue a slow start and an inability to get going despite plundering 47 runs off the last four overs.Irfan Pathan and Morne Morkel did early damage to Warriors and removed Jesse Ryder and Sourav Ganguly in the first two overs. Ryder was guilty of a lazy push in front and was bowled by Irfan’s second ball, which kept low and snuck through him and Ganguly sliced Morkel to third man. Warriors were 2 for 2 and needed a quick recovery.Pandey and Uthappa put up a solid resistance and balanced caution with the need to attack fairly well early on. Pandey opened the boundary count with a confident pull over mid-on off Irfan and a superb drive on the up off Umesh Yadav.Just as the pair started to break the shackles, Daredevils left-arm spin duo of Pawan Negi and Shahbaz Nadeem made sure they were restrained again. They gave away just 33 runs in the six overs they bowled in tandem. Negi should also have had the wicket of Pandey to his name. Pandey hit a full ball straight to Kevin Pietersen at long-on but Pietersen seemed to think it would not carry to him and allowed it fall safely.Nadeem also had a chance to claim Pandey’s wicket, when the batsmen hit a delivery straight back to him in his final over. The ball was hit hard and Nadeem got his hands up in time but could not hold on. Despite putting down both chances Pandey offered them, Daredevils were still able to keep a lid on Warriors.Pandey looked to go bigger in the last six overs and started by smacking Irfan for a four down the ground to reach his half-century off 40 balls. He could not get away though, as Negi’s final over kept the pressure on, although he too dropped a return catch which would have sent Pandey back.The only option was to target the quicks at the end. Pandey used Umesh Yadav’s extra pace to his advantage, hitting him over long-on and past third man while Uthappa tried the same off Morkel. He inside-edged a yorker four four and smacked a ball to long-on before scooping a ball over short fine leg to bring up his half-century. Both batsmen played fine knocks but Sehwag’s proved better.Daredevils’ captain started with a mix of fortune and fury as he was involved in the mix-up which saw Jayawardene run out and inside edged Ashish Nehra for four. In between those, he pulled Nehra in front of square to show some measure of control and seized the rest of it against Luke Wight. He helped a ball to fine leg for four and smashed a slower one over long-on for six. He also won the battle of the captains when he too two boundaries off Ganguly’s only over.With Kevin Pietersen at the other end, Sehwag took Daredevils halfway to their target by the time the time out was called after seven overs. When Pietersen was caught by Ryder for 27, Daredevils needed just 36 more to win. Ross Taylor got some much needed time at the crease and accompanied Sehwag for the last rites. Sehwag continued to pepper the boundary rope and won the match with a six over long-on to create some distance between Daredevils and their rivals at the top of the table.

Warwickshire increasingly suggest their promise to be title contenders has more going for it than mere optimism.

Jon Culley at The Oval25-May-2012
ScorecardTim Ambrose’s unbeaten 74 left Warwickshire 41 short with five wickets left as they sought to recover the Division One leadership against Surrey at The Oval•PA Photos

Warwickshire increasingly suggest their promise to be title contenders in 2012 has more going for it than mere optimism. With five wickets in hand, they will return to The Oval on the final morning needing 41 runs to secure a fourth win in six.Victory would reassume the leadership of the First Division that Somerset hold after their victory over Durham and ensure that Nottinghamshire, who were in front before sitting out the last round of games, feel under a modicum of mid-season pressure at Hove, where Sussex have already ensured that a win will not be easily gained.Momentarily at the close of the third day in south London, it appeared Warwickshire might attempt to complete the job and give themselves Saturday off. Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke, the batsmen on the field, clearly considered taking the extra half-hour, but Jim Troughton, the captain, sensibly decided there was no need to rush.Ambrose is unbeaten on 74, and Rikki Clarke, apart from taking a painful blow on the toe during a hostile burst from Stuart Meaker, has settled in relative comfort to be 18 not out but the pitch in this match has been one on which wickets have come in flurries and the offspinners on both sides have been dangerous.After Gareth Batty’s six wickets in Warwickshire’s first innings, Jeetan Patel countered with half a dozen of his own as Surrey were dismissed for 245 in their second innings. The New Zealander bowled with particular skill in returning his best figures in county cricket and Surrey might have left Warwickshire with much less to do but for Jon Lewis and Chris Jordan, whose bold approach added 54 in 14 overs for the eighth wicket.Patel captured both in the end but their show of aggression, in which Lewis set the tone, left Warwickshire a target of 222 which looked potentially tricky, more so when they stumbled to 37 for 4.Batty again was their tormentor, taking three wickets in his first four overs, but a partnership of 111 between Ambrose and the Ireland captain, William Porterfield swung the balance back towards Warwickshire. So impressive had he been in the first innings that the second innings was only 10 overs old when Rory Hamilton-Brown tossed Batty the ball and asked for a repeat performance.Warwickshire had already suffered a blow with the loss of Varun Chopra to a fifth-ball duck and Batty struck with his fourth delivery, to which Ian Westwood pushed forward and edged to slip, where Tom Maynard took a fine catch. With the third delivery of his second over, Batty had Troughton, on the sweep, leg before without scoring as his thin run continued. It was his first duck of the season but nine innings so far have produced only 50 runs.When Darren Maddy then drove the ball back tamely to offer Batty a straightforward return catch, Surrey sensed they might have the trump card again in the 34-year-old former England bowler.But Warwickshire do not lack self-belief these days and Porterfield and Ambrose plotted a sensible course. Cleverly though he bowled, unchanged at the Pavilion End, getting as much as he could from a slow turning pitch, Batty was made to wait more than two hours for another breakthrough.It was time enough for the fifth wicket pair to re-establish Warwickshire in a position of strength, even though Porterfield, whose conversion rate of 50s to 100s might be better, annoyed himself, after more than three hours at the crease, for playing back to the ball pushed through by Batty that had him leg before for 66.The wicket gave Batty 10 in the match for only the second time in his career, the first since he took 10 for 113 against Northamptonshire for Worcestershire eight years ago.Ambrose survived a confident appeal for a stumping off Hamilton-Brown on 35 (with the total 100-4) and looped a bat-pad chance over the head of Jason Roy on 44 but otherwise cut a secure figure.In the morning, Patel had taken five of the six Surrey wickets that remained overnight. He had Maynard caught bat and pad at silly point, ended Jacques Rudolph’s brief stint at The Oval by bowling him as he tried to clip the ball through midwicket, then had Batty caught at short mid-on. Lewis fell to a catch by the diving Porterfield at midwicket and Jordan was leg before on the back foot, the innings wrapped up when Chris Woakes beat an expansive swing by Jade Dernbach.

Middlesex have signed Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, as their second overseas player for this season’s Friends Life t20

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Middlesex have signed Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, as their second overseas player for this season’s Friends Life t20. The move, which was first reported by ESPNcricinfo, means one of the world’s premier Twenty20 bowlers will be performing in England’s domestic competition.Malinga, 28, currently has the second-highest wickets tally in the 2012 IPL, with 20 from nine appearances for Mumbai Indians. He is due to join up with Middlesex after playing for Sri Lanka in their one-day international and T20I series against Pakistan in June, meaning he will miss the opening three games of the FLt20.In 106 T20 matches, Malinga has taken 151 wickets at an average of 16.40, with an economy of 6.53 runs per over. He has previously played in England for Kent.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said: “We are all naturally thrilled about the prospect of a player of Lasith’s talent coming to the club. In T20 cricket every county is looking for a bowler that provides their attack with variety, the ability to bowl during Powerplays and at the death, basically something different from the norm and in Lasith we will have the best in the world.”In 2011 we had a disappointing T20 campaign and we are looking for the players to react positively and improve on last season’s performances this summer. The addition of Lasith can only help us achieve this goal.”Edited by Alan Gardner

Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has completed his three-year tenure and has said he will not pursue a new term in office

Umar Farooq25-Jun-2012Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has completed his three-year tenure and has said he will not pursue a new term in office. Mani, however, will continue in the role until the board of directors finds a successor.”Constitutionally, the term for the CEO is three years and that was up, so I have asked not to be nominated again,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “Three years is enough, and there is a need to set a precedent to leave once [you have] served your term and let somebody else work.”The board is well aware about my decision and the ECB chairman [Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan] has respected my decision. I am sure I am leaving the ECB in the best shape and have given the team the best momentum. The process is open to find my successor and once it is done I will move out after handing over the charge.”Mani helped make the UAE an off-shore home venue for Pakistan, who have not hosted international cricket since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009. The UAE could host the upcoming series between Pakistan and Australia and Mani said his leaving office would not affect the process.”I had a meeting with the PCB official and everything will move on as it is with no impact on the on-going negotiation,” Mani said. “I am happy at what I have done so far, being in the set up for the last six years, [but] now I want to move on.”The ICC approved a six-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Australia in UAE, which will be the longest bilateral T20 series, if it goes ahead. “ODI games aren’t feasible in [the] heat [so] it’s good that [the] ICC has approved the request of six T20Is by PCB,” Mani said.

Young cricketers today have the option to become rich, successful cricketers without even aspiring to play Tests, but Rahul Dravid has urged them to “not sell themselves short”

Sidharth Monga04-Jul-2012Young cricketers today have the option to become rich, successful cricketers without even aspiring to play Tests, but Rahul Dravid has urged them to “not sell themselves short” because he feels there is no match for the satisfaction that can be derived from playing Test cricket. He was quick to add that he didn’t want to judge them on or blame them for their choices but that he wanted to challenge them to give Test cricket a fair go.Dravid was speaking at the launch of the book , an anthology of some of the best writings on him, published by ESPNcricinfo and Walt Disney. The book is a collection of 30 pieces, some new and some previously published; the writers include cricketers (Ed Smith, Jason Gillespie, Greg Chappell, Sanjay Manjrekar) and well-known cricket writers (Rohit Brijnath, Gideon Haigh, Rahul Bhattacharya, Suresh Menon).”There are more options now,” Dravid said of the quandary cricket faces. “Very hard for me to be judgemental about kids of today. Unfair. I had gone through a commerce degree in college, and not very successfully. When I grew up, if I wanted to be a successful professional cricketer – and making a living out of the sport became a part of that – the only option for me was to be a successful Test cricketer. There was no other way in which you could make a professional living out of the sport. I would have still played it, but I would have probably looked to do something else professionally if I wasn’t good enough.”Dravid said he could understand the lure of the other options. “People now have the option of not necessarily playing Test cricket but making a living out of the game,” he said. “And, you know, who’s to blame kids for taking that option? Who’s to blame kids for using that opportunity if they feel they are not good enough for Test cricket? If they are not good enough for Test cricket, I am sure they will feel, ‘Look at least I needn’t make a living out of this game. Let me at least play this, which is giving me money.'”I won’t like to judge them on that, but I will like to challenge them. What I’ll like to tell young kids is that the greatest satisfaction you are going to get is by playing Test cricket and playing in some of these great stadiums of the world. That will give you the greatest personal satisfaction, so don’t sell yourself short. Try and achieve. It is possible. It can be done. There might be kids in this era who will take that soft option. Some won’t. We will be able to see in time. Every era there have been people who have fallen by the wayside.”When asked if he saw enough players coming in who were desperate to play Test cricket, Dravid said it was not a concern right now but one that will confront cricket soon enough. “People like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, or whoever the youngsters are, have grown up watching and idolising Test cricket,” he said. “It’s the kids like Samit [Dravid’s son, 7] who will have grown up watching the IPL. That will be the challenge. What will those kids want? I don’t see this as an immediate problem. I see it as a long-term issue.”By long term I mean ten years, when those kind of kids grow up, what will their aspirations be? If one of the young kinds wants to play, will he want to play for a franchise? You have to understand that at the end of the day players are also performers, and they want to perform. When you look at the IPL, it’s a great stage to perform. Played in front of full stadiums, there is a great viewership on television, you are playing with some of the best players in the world, you are playing at some of the greatest stadiums in the country… It’s a great stage to perform. That challenge is going to arise in ten years’ time, and I think we have got to address it right now.”

Hampshire survived a terrific late assault by David Miller, Yorkshire’s South African overseas player, to clinch the Friends Life t20 title by 10 runs

David Hopps in Cardiff25-Aug-2012
Scoreboard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Miller almost took Yorkshire over the line in a thrilling display of hitting•Getty Images

For the last half-hour of this Friends Life t20 final, Hampshire had only one aim: dismiss David Miller. They never managed it, well not officially anyway, but somehow they survived his cudgelling assault to win the trophy for the second time in three years. Quite how South Africa can overlook a batsman of such ferocious power for World Twenty20 will be hard for anybody who witnessed his assault to understand.Ten years had passed since Yorkshire’s last trophy, a difficult ten years in which the rebuilding of Headingley had left them mired in debt. They are going to the Champions League Twenty20 next month, and their priority remains promotion from Division Two of the Championship, but the one-day trophy will have to wait.Yorkshire, though, found a new hero: a muscular 23-year-old import from Pietermaritzburg. Miller finished as the tournament’s leading six-hitter, another five disappearing into the night sky against Hampshire. But with 14 needed off Chris Wood’s final over, the big hits dried up. He finished on his haunches, 72 not out from 46 balls, the only batsman in the last two matches on a slow, grabby surface whose power hitting was not inhibited.Hampshire were convinced they dismissed him on 7 when he flicked Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin into the leg side and Neil McKenzie plunged forward at short midwicket. The umpire, Rob Bailey, referred it to the third umpire, Nick Cook, who after many TV replays predictably found no conclusive evidence to rule that he was out. Miller looked fortunate; as he began to plop balls into the River Taff, Hampshire looked resentful.McKenzie made no attempt to disguise his feelings. “I definitely did take it,” he said. “I pride myself on being one of the more honest guys around but the umpires decided to take it upstairs.”If Wood’s nerve held, so did Danny Briggs’, a graceful slow left-armer with the wit to adapt to Twenty20, whose confidence that he can acquit himself well for England in World T20 will be boosted by this experience. He also shrewdly calmed Miller with 21 needed off the last two. “He was hitting so well straight and the straight hits are quite short here so I bowled it a bit shorter to make him go square,” he said.Yorkshire’s transformation in the FLt20 this season, overseen by a new Australian coach, Jason Gillespie, had taken them to their first finals day, but a target of 151 was a demanding task on a pitch which suited Hampshire’s blend of spin bowlers and cutters so much that their chairman, Rod Bransgrove, might have transported it up from the south coast. Marcus Trescothick, Somerset’s beaten captain in their semi-final against Hampshire, had identified 140 as around par and he was a good judge.Dimitri Mascarenhas needed a fitness test on a shoulder injury after Hampshire’s semi-final victory against Somerset after another before the final, but his four overs up front still did its customary damage. Andrew Gale unleashed a few square drives before dragging on a leg-side heave and Joe Root’s uncomfortable day ended when the stumps were hit again. Mascarenhas was denied a third wicket of Phil Jaques when Vince failed to hold a running catch from long on.It was Jonny Bairstow and Miller who provided Yorkshire’s surge from 36 for 3 in the semi-final. When Jaques fell to Dawson, another inside edge on a slow surface, they needed to do it again. This time Miller had to do it alone; Briggs found a semblance of turn and Bairstow dabbed a catch to the wicketkeeper.Yorkshire needed 98 from the last 9 overs, at which point Miller launched his assault. Ervine disappeared for three sixes in an over, Briggs and Wood were punished in turn. But Gary Ballance, another Yorkshire hitter found wanting, fell at third man and Tim Bresnan skied the first ball of the last over into the off side. Miller’s one-man show fell short.Hampshire secured a winning score in conventional fashion, Jimmy Adams and James Vince doing the groundwork. They looked underpowered, but Yorkshire were not quite as sharp as in their semi-final defeat of Sussex.Vince required some fortune to survive Azeem Rafiq’s first over, twice failing to make contact with attacking shots and almost offering Bairstow stumping chances. He made 43 from 37 balls, his grandest statement – when he hauled Richard Pyrah over long on off one knee – ending to a checked drive off the next ball.Vince ‘s first boundary did not come until the 15 over, a stylish extra cover drive off Bresnan, and brought up 100 at the same time. Another solid, if unspectacular, innings, 36 from 33, ended when he was bowled by Moin Ashraf, who failed to hit his yorkers quite as unerringly in the semi-final, but who got one through Vince’s defences all the same.Gale entrusted the last over to the blockhole bowling of the tyro, Ashraf, rather than the back-of-a-length know-how of Bresnan, his England bowler, who had conceded only 18 from three overs. It went for 14, not an unmitigated disaster, but it was a decision that was hard to understand.

The BCCI has terminated the troubled Deccan Chargers franchise after an emergency IPL governing council meeting in Chennai on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2012

Other troubled franchises

• Kochi Tuskers Kerala: Terminated in September 2011 after it was unable to furnish a bank guarantee for 2011

• Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab: The BCCI had wanted to expel both franchises from the IPL in 2010, alleging violations of the contract agreement. The franchises denied any wrongdoing, and the matter is stuck in litigation

• Pune Warriors: Pulled out an hour before the 2012 auction. Their owners Sahara, who also sponsor the Indian team, cited problems with the sponsorship dating back to 2001, but the major disagreements were related to the IPL. The BCCI and Sahara patched up two weeks later.

The BCCI has terminated the troubled Deccan Chargers franchise, winners of IPL 2009, after an emergency league governing council meeting in Chennai on Friday. Senior BCCI officials told ESPNcricinfo that the tender for a new franchise would be issued on Saturday.A BCCI statement issued late on Friday night said the board’s action came after what it called a “sudden change of stance by the franchise” regarding its commitments and the board’s belief that any further extension of time to the franchise owners would “seriously prejudice the interests of the players.””This evening, the BCCI received a lawyers’ notice invoking arbitration from the franchise stating that it had not committed any breaches and even if such breaches were committed, the BCCI should not act to terminate the franchise till Yes Bank Ltd furnishes sufficient finance to cure the breaches,” the statement said. “By this, Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd has clearly admitted its inability to cure its breaches within the time stipulated in the BCCI notice despite every bit of assistance from the BCCI. Since the month of May, BCCI has received repeated assurances that the overdue player fees would be paid; all of these promises have been unfulfilled.”Considering the stated position of the Deccan franchise to refuse to rectify the various defaults including payments to players, foreign Boards etc, as also the deleterious effect such conduct would have on the reputation of the IPL and the franchise itself, a decision was taken to forthwith terminate the Deccan Chargers franchise.”The BCCI marketing committee is scheduled to meet in Chennai on Saturday morning to discuss and finalise the tender to add a team to the IPL. A board official said there would be a shortlist of cities for the bidders to choose from, with the location of the new franchise to be decided by the highest bid for one of those cities.The fate of the players is not yet clear; they might be retained by the next buyer or be put up for auction for the other IPL teams. Chargers’ squad boasted some of the world’s top current players, including Dale Steyn, Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White, Ishant Sharma and JP Duminy. The coach is the Australian, Darren Lehmann.Deccan’s IPL history summed up the romance of cricket; bottom of the league in their first season, they came together in 2009 under Adam Gilchrist to win the tournament in South Africa. Their performance in subsequent seasons, however, has been below-par.Friday’s developments bring the curtains down on an issue that has dragged on for three-odd months after the team’s owners, Deccan Chronicles Holdings Limited (DCHL), ran into financial problems. Last month, the banks knocked on the BCCI’s doors to help them out, after which the board had set a deadline of September 15 for Chargers to clear all their dues including player payments and report with a clean slate. However, DCHL said they were unable to sort out the problems and formally placed the team up for sale on September 6.The owners and the BCCI set September 13 as the auction date but received only one bid, for Rs 900 crore ($164 million) from PVP Ventures, a Hyderabad-based urban infrastructure and film production company. DCHL rejected the bid as it considered the price and terms unsuitable but the BCCI may now offer PVP a second chance to buy the team.DCHL had till 5 pm on Saturday to come up with a solution but the termination one day ahead implies they had informed the BCCI about their inability to do so.