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An easier travel schedule, familiar playing conditions and more freedom to fulfill sponsor obligations are the major advantages of the IPL’s decision to conduct some games in the UAE and Bangladesh, franchises feel

Nagraj Gollapudi and Amol Karhadkar12-Mar-2014An easier and more relaxed travel schedule, familiar playing conditions and more freedom to fulfill sponsor obligations are some of the major advantages of the IPL’s decision to conduct the first, and if need be middle, phase of the tournament in the UAE and Bangladesh, according to franchises.With just 16 matches being played in the first phase in the UAE, franchises say they are much relieved after anxiety over the past few weeks over the overseas venue and schedule. A substantial part of that edgy feeling, franchise officials have pointed out, emerged from the nervousness of their sponsors who were eager to know if the displacement of the tournament overseas would affect the activation exercise of their brands.”It is a good start. The IPL has taken a good first step,” said Hemant Dua, chief executive of Delhi Daredevils. “It removes the uncertainty. The advantages of having the tournament in India are obvious from the sponsor and revenue point of view. I do not need to adjust to the demands of the sponsor if the league does not happen in India.”During the auction most franchises had displayed a chin-up attitude stating they had assembled squads that could compete in any conditions. But subsequently their tone became more defensive as a few suggested that if half the tournament was played on bouncier pitches in South Africa before returning to India, it could damage their chances of making the knockouts.However, with the UAE and Bangladesh being familiar terrain, the franchises have assumed a more confident tone. “Playing in familiar conditions is an advantage,” a franchise head coach said. “And once the tournament shifts back to India it would be smooth considering the playing conditions would be virtually similar.”Considering the three venues across the UAE would host 16 matches, each of the eight teams would play four games in the first two weeks of the tournament. “Four matches in 14 days is not terrible,” the franchise head said. “It is not make or break for a team in the initial part of the tournament. That would also mean it is a pretty relaxed schedule for every team considering you would be staying in one place. The travel headaches would be significantly less.”This cheerful mood was non-existent in the last two weeks especially. Most franchises ESPNcricinfo spoke to confided that their sponsors, both old and new, were curious as to how they would carry out the activation programmes where players endorse their brands. Officials pointed out that many sponsors did not even want to “lock” the deals till the final venue was announced.”Realistically it should not make a difference. What the local sponsors are worried about more is the activation,” said Venky Mysore, Kolkata Knight Riders’ chief executive. “When we play in Kolkata, does that help a local sponsor in activating in a big way? To some extent, possibly, but at the end of the day as long as KKR are playing, it is on TV then it is business as usual. For a sponsor there is no change in visibility factor since it is on TV. The only difference is when you play on your home ground there is more buzz. There is no doubt. But difference this time is instead of having the whole tournament played outside, only part of it would be played abroad.”According to a franchise marketing head one of the major concerns of the sponsors was the extent of costs. He said sponsors now expect more value for their money compared to 2009 when the entire IPL was played in South Africa. “Between 2009 and 2014 the difference is the sponsors’ value has gone up substantially,” the marketing head said. “Five years ago sponsors were not paying too much but now they pay us big sums. So to some extent sponsors will expect some sort of discount in exchange for the tournament being displaced overseas. Like if the sponsor wants to entertain some friends he might ask me to pay part charges of having them flown overseas.”According to him, sponsors are not just limited to the ones seen on players’ uniforms and kitbags. There are others such as associate sponsors who will look for interactions with players. “People who have paid big dollars will ask me (help us in some way atleast),” the marketing head said.Mysore said that franchises need to get more creative in helping sponsors activate their brands. “We might end up having to upgrade some of the timelines. If it was a full tournament in India you had seven weeks to spread in terms of sponsor activation,” Mysore said. “On the other hand there are going to be only 60 compared to 74 (actually 76) matches last year. So that is a positive. When it was 74 games you did not have too much respite. So in terms of sponsors activates players did not have too many off days. Here there could be. So we will have to be creative.”The marketing head agreed with Mysore. “It is an opportunity to convert this weakness into a strength. I was telling the sponsors that earlier we would get them to watch a match of the franchise. Today I can tell them that you can watch the match abroad and even meet the players which is easier abroad compared to in India. That is because players’ movement is restricted and that way they are captive in their hotels and more sponsor activities can be done. There are positives also.”According to the marketing head, the skeptics are wrong when they say the tournament might be played in front of empty grounds, a familiar feature during the majority of the international matches that have been organized in the UAE, the home venue for Pakistan. The presence of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty, who are co-owners at different franchises can attract a lot of fans not only from the Indian diaspora but also from Pakistan, where these actors have a lot of support.Asked about the perception that a venue like Sharjah had been vulnerable to free movement of bookies during the match-fixing years in the late 1990s, franchises indicated that the IPL as well the ICC had extended all possible support to erase any doubts. “All the franchises have learnt a lesson from the last year’s fiasco and will be extra vigilant irrespective of the venue,” a franchise official pointed.According to a senior BCCI official things had improved a long way and the UAE had worked hard to wash away the stains of the match-fixing years. “The BCCI has not been averse to playing in the UAE,” the official said. “Had it been that way, why would we have played two ODIs in Abu Dhabi (in 2006)? Don’t forget that the working committee unanimously decided very recently that the BCCI is willing to play a series against Pakistan at a neutral venue. This was decided keeping in mind that the only venue would be the UAE and we were fine with it.”

Mohammad Hafeez was asked about his future as T20 captain, his position at No. 3 and the continued selection of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik after his side failed to make the semi-finals of World T20

Abhishek Purohit in Dhaka01-Apr-2014Mohammad Hafeez was asked pretty direct questions after Pakistan failed to make the World T20 semi-finals with a heavy defeat to West Indies.He was asked if he was considering resigning as T20 captain and if he was the No. 3 batsman the side needed. He was asked why Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were persevered with. He was asked if the Pakistan team management was good enough. In reply, Hafeez apologized to the people of Pakistan for his team’s unsuccessful campaign and said that the entire team was collectively responsible.”After a loss, such things come up,” Hafeez said. “But you have to keep in mind that no team wins because of any one individual or loses because of any one individual. It was a good display overall, but in this match, we didn’t play well. We take collective responsibility. It’s not one person’s responsibility. The entire management, all the players, are equally responsible.”The management has worked hard with the players. All the plans, they were able to reach the players, gave us all the practice. At the end of the day, the players have to deliver, they have to execute the plans. In this tournament, especially in this match, if the execution wasn’t good, then the responsibility lies with the players, not the management. But as a team, we didn’t do well. All of us have to accept it.”I apologise to the people of Pakistan as captain and on behalf of the team that we couldn’t live up to their expectations. But these things happen in cricket. You are the same person who plays good and bad cricket. But it is important that you take the good things going forward and maintain that.”There were few good things for Pakistan against West Indies. They gave away too many runs at the death, lost too many early wickets, and could not get going in the chase at all. Hafeez said his batsmen’s shot selection had been wrong. “The plans were in place but once the pressure got on to them, our best bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul didn’t do the basics right. They leaked too many runs towards the end. We didn’t get the momentum in our favour.”We played some of the shots which were not there and losing too many wickets in the first six overs really cost the game. The batsmen have to take the responsibility. There was never any one innings that came forward. When the momentum is not with you, you get to see this kind of cricket where even good teams can collapse.”Hafeez had a disappointing World T20 personally as well, making 55 runs from four innings at a strike-rate of 72.36. While admitting that he could not perform in this tournament, Hafeez felt that overall, he had done alright in the position. “From the last one and a half years, I have been doing this for the team, playing at No. 3 because the management want me to do this and I have been doing very well at this. Unfortunately, in this tournament, I couldn’t get the runs I wanted to. It happens sometimes in cricket – you try your level best but things don’t work for you. This is one such tournament. I am disappointed with my own form, I couldn’t score runs for the team. You have to accept it, you have to move forward from here.”When asked if moving forward meant dropping those who had not performed, Hafeez said that was the domain of the selectors. “Good and bad, you must take them together and look to the future. The selectors will look at it, they will see who are the players that need to be replaced. That is their job. The team is selected by the selection committee, but the responsibility is not any one individual’s. If the players haven’t played well, then they must take the responsibility.”Malik and Akmal had a poor World T20 as well, making 52 and 48 runs respectively in four innings each. Hafeez acknowledged that they had fallen short of expectations. “They will also be sad. The selectors have trusted and picked them for a big tournament like this. But they didn’t live up to those expectations. They are good players, they have played well for Pakistan but you are right, in this tournament there were not good performances from them. But Kamran’s keeping is a positive. He has kept well, there have always been question marks over his keeping. Unfortunately, as an opener, he didn’t bat as well. As for Shoaib Malik, he is a senior player, both haven’t done very well.”

Sunrisers’ heavy top-order fired for the first time in the season to give their team their first points in the tournament

The Report by George Binoy25-Apr-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:41

Agarkar: Delhi gave a few too many runs at death

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting eggs are all in their top-order basket. In their two previous games, the top three – Aaron Finch, Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner – had failed to fire, and so they lost. Today, all three batsmen came good and the upshot was a narrow victory that earned Sunrisers their first points of the season.Finch and Dhawan had an opening partnership of 56 in 6.2 overs, racking up Sunrisers’ best Powerplay score in the process. There were no more wickets for Delhi Daredevils after Dhawan fell. Warner joined Finch for a 128-run stand in 13.4 overs with both batsmen making power-packed half-centuries to post 184.Daredevils had themselves to blame for conceding so many because they dropped three catches. On 26, Dhawan cut Wayne Parnell straight to Manoj Tiwary at point and was reprieved. Parnell’s anguish was evident because his previous three deliveries – all of them short – had been cut and heaved for four, six and four. Warner was dropped second ball – before he had scored – by the wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik off spinner Shahbaz Nadeem; he was on 31 when Tiwary put down a skier at point, off Parnell. Had those chances been taken, the likelihood of Sunrisers achieving their best ever IPL total was remote.Finch’s innings had no such blemish. He did not shred the attack right from the start; in fact his first 35 balls brought him only 41 runs. The highlight of that period was a one-handed six over extra cover off JP Duminy. Finch was off balance when he made contact but had the conviction to go through with the shot.He cut loose in the 16th over, with three consecutive boundaries off medium-pacer Laxmi Ratan Shukla, and passed 50 off his 37th delivery. He bettered that effort in the 18th over, punishing Jaydev Unadkat for four successive boundaries, and set Sunrisers on course for a formidable total. And just when Unadkat threatened to complete an efficient final over, Finch hit the final ball into the stands beyond midwicket, to finish with 88 off 53 balls.While Finch batted fluently right through, Warner converted a slow start into a punchy half-century. Soon after he was dropped second ball, he clouted Duminy over the straight boundary, but slowed down again. From 8 off 5 balls, Warner plodded to 18 off 27, until Parnell bowled him a leg-side full toss that he smashed for four. And then the boundaries flowed and Warner’s touch was so good that he could switch-hit another full toss, from Mohammad Shami, for six over third man.Despite facing a daunting total, Delhi did not want for momentum. Their openers Quinton de Kock and M Vijay added 99 in 11.2 overs, scoring with ease off pace and spin alike. Dale Steyn had caused no problems in his first two overs either. Both openers fell in quick succession, though, leaving two brand new batsmen with the challenge of scoring 82 off 46 balls.Kevin Pietersen, playing his first game of the season after recovering from a hand injury, struggled. He scored only 5 off his first 13 balls as the asking-rate climbed over two a ball. Pietersen redressed that imbalance by heaving Darren Sammy over midwicket for six and then cutting his next ball – off Steyn – for four. Karthik had also scored at just over a run a ball when he became Steyn’s first wicket of the season, in the 17th over. Steyn doubled his tally next delivery by claiming Pietersen.The Daredevils’ biggest blunder was perhaps a tactical one – they kept their most in-form batsman for too late. Duminy briefly threatened to pull off an incredible heist, but Tiwary, who faced 13 balls, could not give him enough of the strike. Duminy was able to face only seven balls and scored 20 off them. Daredevils desperately needed him to face just a few more.

After a good start, Rajasthan Royals fell short of setting a challenging target and Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable chase even though they left things late

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy13-May-20146:13

Huddle – MS Dhoni and the theatre of the absurd

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn two of Chennai Super Kings’ last three games, they had been left with 11 to get from the last over with MS Dhoni at the crease. Today, against Rajasthan Royals, it came down to 12 from the last over. Dhoni was there, of course, batting on 15. In situations like that, all he needs is one ball in his slot.It came off the second ball of the over, the first time he was on strike, when James Faulkner angled one across him but pitched it a touch too full. Down came that big bat-swing, and up went the ball, soaring for a flat six over wide long-on. A wide full-toss brought him two runs to deep cover the next ball, and with three needed off three, a push to the same fielder became the winning hit when Faulkner failed to collect Kevon Cooper’s throw and gave away an overthrow.It had all looked very different when Rajasthan Royals, having chosen to bat, had moved to 84 for 1 after 10 overs. Shane Watson was on the cusp of a half-century, and with him was Ajinkya Rahane. Steven Smith and James Faulkner, who had turned certain defeat to exhilarating victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the space of four crazy overs, were waiting their turn in the dugout.But Super Kings pulled things back, with Mohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja proving particularly hard to hit on a slow, grippy surface, and Royals lost seven wickets and scored only 64 in their last 10 overs. Super Kings looked to have made things more difficult for themselves when Dhoni sent in R Ashwin at No. 5 ahead of himself, but Dhoni always leaves it till the end.Royals sprung a surprise right at the start, opening with Ankit Sharma and Shane Watson instead of Karun Nair and Ajinkya Rahane, who had put on 54 in their previous match.The new combination laid a solid foundation, starting sedately before the left-handed Ankit greeted R Ashwin by hitting him for two fours and a six in his first over. Ankit put on 60 with Watson before he holed out to long-on while trying to slog Ashwin against the turn.Apart from one big over against IPL debutant Vijay Shankar, in which he smashed the medium-pacer for a four and two sixes, Watson had also been kept fairly quiet. Royals’ 10-over score, therefore, didn’t present the full picture of what had gone before. There had been some help for the spinners, and the seamers had been hard to get away when they changed their pace.It wasn’t that much of a surprise, then, that Royals didn’t really take off in the last 10 overs. Mohit used his back-of-the-hand slower ball cleverly to pick up three wickets – including those of Watson and Smith, both bowled – and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two with his round-arm darts from left-arm around.Even so, the extent of Royals’ slow-down was startling, and they contributed to it with their endless experimentation – they waited until the end of the 15th over to send in Smith, and until the 18th to send in Faulkner. Both failed to get going, as had Rahane and Nair before them, displaced from the opening slots.It left Super Kings 149 to get. Dwayne Smith got them going with his cleanly struck hits down the ground, but they lost wickets at the other end, with Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina both unlucky to see their sweeps off Ankit going straight to fielders in the circle.In Pravin Tambe, Kevon Cooper and Rajat Bhatia, Royals possessed three bowlers designed for this sort of pitch, and their cutters and leg-rollers stalled Super Kings’ progress, particularly after Smith’s dismissal in the 10th over. Du Plessis and Ashwin cobbled together 29 in 29 balls, leaving Super Kings needing 44 from 30 when Dhoni walked in. It was a tricky equation, considering the conditions, but it could have been even trickier had Royals not fallen away so spectacularly in the second half of their innings.

Ryan Bailey at Colchester14-Jul-2014
ScorecardAdam Wheater needed all his skills for his much-needed century•Getty ImagesSuch is Hampshire’s unwavering commitment to nurturing home-grown players, the recruitment of Adam Wheater, two years ago, from Essex caused a couple of eyebrows to be raised among the members. Their grievances were, at the time, understandable but they are a club with a continuous eye on the future and much like the perpetual development of their Ageas Bowl ground, the separate components of their side are being put in place.Wheater has blossomed into an intrinsic part of their plans and on the day in which Hampshire underlined their forward-thinking approach by rewarding him with a new contract, the wicketkeeper-batsman proved his immediate worth with a peerless century that could, when all is said and done, be a defining moment in their push for promotion.By his own frank admission, there was a weighty burden on his shoulders as an “outsider” to justify a berth in the side – he usurped local lad Michael Bates – but after an innings in which he rescued the visitors from the prospect of irreparable submersion at 97 for 7, it was his former employers left sitting uneasy with a nagging feeling of self-reproach.As Wheater punched Saj Mahmood down the ground with a typically nonchalant demeanour, one local murmured “that’s our lad, isn’t it”, knowing too right what the answer was. Indeed, this was a homecoming of sorts for the 24-year-old who is a product of the Essex youth system; he still plays club cricket for Woodford Wells not far from Chelmsford.Yet, the manner in which he left Essex left a sour taste in the mouth. There was ambiguity over the reasons for such an abrupt departure but having been told he was third in the wicketkeeping pecking order, Wheater paid his own way out in order to further his career – on this evidence he made the right decision.But Essex may just be regretting not putting up more of a fight to keep hold of him. It is somewhat ironic that Ben Foakes, the England Under-19 wicketkeeper who Wheater was told was ahead of him in the wicketkeeping stakes, finds himself scrapping for form in the second XI after a barren run with the bat.But this was about Wheater. Diminutive in stature, he stood tall and fronted up to a patched-up Essex attack that found the early-morning conditions at Castle Park bountiful. Jimmy Adams’ decision to bat first on a wicket that had been covered for the best part of two days was questionable at the time and became increasingly perplexing as the carnage unfolded.Essex’s lengthy injury list has been well documented but the fact that Saj Mahmood was selected for the first time since September 2013 and James Foster used eight bowlers during a quite bizarre morning session was masked by Hampshire’s disintegration.On the same pitch that yielded an abundance of runs during Saturday’s T20 game, Hampshire made it look like a Colchester minefield. The top-order were all caught behind as they paid for their hesitancy against the moving ball as Jesse Ryder and Graham Napier both helped themselves to two wickets. Michael Carberry – watched by his batting mentor Graham Gooch – scratched around for 32 deliveries without scoring before prodding at one from Napier.But Wheater held fort and counterpunched beautifully. After steading a rapidly sinking ship with Sean Ervine before lunch, he combined with debutant Nathan Rimmington to put on 115 for the eighth wicket with the Australian playing more than the role of subordinate with an impressive unbeaten fifty of his own.Wheater punished Essex’s profligacy as a hint of complacency crept into their endeavours. He was particularly strong on the back foot, rocking back and slapping anything short through midwicket or square leg; the majority of his twelve boundaries were on the leg side but as he grew in confidence, his whole array of shots were unveiled.It was a method that proved fruitful on a pitch that, as the day wore on, became a haven for batting in glorious sunshine. Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara reaffirmed just that as they negotiated a tricky last session to ensure Essex, despite Wheater’s exploits, hold the cards in this rain-reduced encounter. Regardless of the result, it may just be Wheater and Hampshire with the last laugh.

Mismatch is the only word that can be accurately used to describe the upcoming contest between Zimbabwe and South Africa

The Preview by Firdose Moonda in Harare08-Aug-2014Match factsAugust 9-13, 2014
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)Vusi Sibanda has recovered from his illness and should bat at the top•AFPBig PictureContests in cricket do not get much cosier than those between neighbours and sharing a border on the same continent is the closest South Africa and Zimbabwe’s cricket teams have in common. In every other department, they are galaxies apart.South Africa occupy top spot in the Test rankings; Zimbabwe lie one away from the very bottom. South Africa have the No.1 ranked Test batsman, bowler and allrounder in their squad. Zimbabwe’s highest-rated player sits at No.29. South African cricket is a product that functions within a modern, professional structure; Zimbabwe’s remains just a game which is played by hopefuls who dream of a better future, despite the many attempts, administrative and financial, to derail that.Mismatch is the only word that can be accurately used to describe the upcoming contest between them and any pre-match hype was thought to be at risk of drowning in the gulf that separates cricket’s have’s from its have-not’s. But there are flashes of excitement, mostly in the eyes of the Zimbabwean players.They have not played against South Africa’s Test side in nine years and have not hosted them in 13. So far, Zimbabwe have gone out of their way to keep South Africa happy. They have provided Hashim Amla’s side with as much as any touring team would want and rescheduled their own training sessions to accommodate South Africa.But Zimbabwe need to be careful in that regard. South Africa have shown no signs of being romanced by those gestures. All their talk has been about playing with intensity and aiming to build on the winning formula they unearthed in Sri Lanka, with what they are calling a new bunch of players. The reality is that there have been only two personnel changes over the last few months following Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith’s retirements but the impact of those has been significant enough to speak about as if the whole team has changed.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)Zimbabwe WLLWL
South Africa DWLWLIn the Spotlight It cannot be easy being the side who are thought to have been defeated before even stepping onto the field so Zimbabwe’s resolve will be on trial as much as the individuals involved. Their batsmen will have to fight fear to hold their own against the attack hailed as the world’s best and their bowlers will want to pose a threat to a line-up that has shown they can soldier on for days undeterred.The clear advantage the visitors have could make it easy for complacency to creep in, hence South Africa’s spirit will come under the microscope. They’ve said all the right things about respecting Zimbabwe and taking the fixture seriously, but now it needs to be seen whether they actually do all that.Team news Zimbabwe announced a 15-man squad on Friday morning and have already whittled that down to 12 with Sikandar Raza, Cuthbert Musoko and Malcolm Waller confirmed as sitting out. That means Mark Vermeulen is likely to play his first Test in a decade and will go into it as Zimbabwe’s most in-form batsman. At the top, Vusi Sibanda has recovered from chicken pox and should partner Hamilton Masakadza. There could be a debut for Donald Tiripano to form a three-man pace attack with Tendai Chatara and Tinashe Panyangara and offspinner John Nyumbu, although one of them may sit out for Regis Chakabva if Zimbabwe opt for an extra batsman.Zimbabwe: (likely) 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Mark Vermeulen, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 John Nyumbu, 9 Tinashe Panyangara, 10 Donald Tiripano, 11 Tendai ChataraA Test against Zimbabwe has been described as the ideal opportunity for South Africa to blood some new players and they may be contemplating making some changes. Amla mentioned the two areas under consideration are the opening berth and the role of the spinner which may see Alviro Petersen make way for Stiaan van Zyl, who is actually a No.3, and Imran Tahir sit out for young offspinner Dane Piedt. South Africa are unlikely to alter their pace pack although they have Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell in the reserves.South Africa: (likely) 1 Alviro Petersen/Stiaan van Zyl, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Hashim Amla (capt), 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir/Dane PiedtPitch and conditionsPreparation for this match has gone on for more than a month but it was not until the day before the match that a decision was taken on which surface to use. Pitch No.2, which is browner in colour and drier than the other strip in contention, No.4, has been selected for this match. Although it appears to have less in it for the quicks, there will still be something on offer on the first morning but it should be good for batting through the middle of the match and may break up slightly later on. Harare’s springtime has come early with day time weather in the mid-20 degrees, warm sunshine and a cooling breeze providing pleasant playing weather.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe and South Africa have played seven Tests against each other, of which South Africa have won all but one – a draw in Bulawayo in 2001 Only two matches between these two teams have gone to five days and one of them included a rained out day Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura and Hamilton Masakadza are the only current Zimbabwean players to have played a Test against South Africa while AB de Villiers is the only South African to have done the same against Zimbabwe Quotes”South Africa will be expected to put in a massive performance. We need to enjoy the moment. We’ve prepared nicely. Hopefully we can take it day by day, session by session and not worry too much about the end result.”
“I have always felt I want to be making decisions with the long-term in mind. Thus the Zimbabwe Test forms part of what we considered to be a three-match series with two in Sri Lanka so that’s how we are looking are it.”

In the 30th ODI meeting between these sides, Zimbabwe did what they had not for 31 years and beat Australia

The Report by Firdose Moonda31-Aug-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn the 30th ODI meeting between these sides, Zimbabwe did what they had not for 31 years and beat Australia. The captain Elton Chigumbura engineered the chase that changed 11,406 days of history, after his spinners had applied a stranglehold that kept Australia to their lowest total against Zimbabwe, and achieved only their second win against these opponents.Chigumbura’s opposite number, Michael Clarke, battled a hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the rest of the tri-series, and held his side together on a spin-friendly surface on which none of the other Australian batsmen settled. But Zimbabwe’s challenge was always going to be chasing a total over 200 – they were dismissed for less in their last four ODIs – and when Nathan Lyon picked up career-best figures and they were reduced to 156 for 7, another collapse seemed likely. A 55-run stand between Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya for the eighth wicket ensured Zimbabwe did not fold and sent Harare Sports Club into frenzied celebration.The dancing in the stands had begun in the morning when Zimbabwe reduced Australia to 39 for 3. John Nyumbu bowled Aaron Finch, Prosper Utseya had Phillip Hughes caught at slip, and Sean Williams bowled George Bailey to give Zimbabwe early control.Clarke was still there but needed a partner to rebuild and could not find one in Glenn Maxwell, despite him being the recipient of the first of five let-offs from Zimbabwe. Maxwell was on 13 when he edged Malcolm Waller as he tried to drive but Brendan Taylor could not hold on. Fortunately for Zimbabwe, Waller bowled him with his next delivery to ensure no harm was done from that missed chance.Smart Stats

11,406 Number of days since Zimbabwe’s last and only other ODI-win against Australia. They had beat Australia in the 1983 World Cup, at Trent Bridge, which was also Zimbabwe’s first ODI. Between the two wins, Zimbabwe’s win-loss record against them was 27-0.

209 Runs scored by Australia in this match – their lowest total against Zimbabwe when batting first. Australia’s previous lowest against them was 225, at the SCG more than ten years ago. There have been only ten scores lower than Australia’s 209 in the first innings of an ODI, when the team has lasted the full quota of 50 overs against Zimbabwe.

11 Number of fifty-plus scores by Elton Chigumbura batting at No. 7 in ODIs, the most by any batsman at that position since Chigumbura’s debut.

7 Number of fifty-plus scores Zimbabwe’s No. 7 has hit in wins, including Chigumbura’s unbeaten 52 in this match. The last time a Zimbabwe No. 7 hit a fifty in a win was when Chigumbura made an unbeaten 60 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2009. Four of these seven fifties have been by Chigumbura.

6 Number of fifty-plus partnerships in wins by Zimbabwe’s eighth wicket, including the one between Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya in this match. The last such partnership was between Graeme Cremer and Stuart Matsikenyeri against Kenya in 2009 at the same venue. Overall there have been 18 fifty-plus partnerships for Zimbabwe’s eighth wicket in ODIs.

133 Australia’s score by the 40th over of their innings – the second lowest by any team other than Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in ODIs since 2000. Sri Lanka were 101 after 40 overs in an ODI in 2008 at the same venue. Including Bangladesh, it is the seventh lowest a team has scored against Zimbabwe in the first-40 overs since 2000.

They could not say the same about all the others. Mitchell Marsh had not scored when he flicked Nyumbu to short leg but Tino Mawoyo put down the chance. Marsh added 40 runs with Clarke, although he only contributed 15. Brad Haddin should have been out on 5 but Waller dropped a return catch from a top-edge, on 14 when Chatara fluffed a chance in his follow-through, and on 17 when Chatara put down an easier opportunity at short fine leg.Amid all of that, Clarke brought up his 50 off 80 balls, but left the field on 68 in the 43rd over because of hamstring trouble. That gave Zimbabwe the opening they wanted and they stormed through. Utseya had James Faulkner caught at slip off the first ball he faced and Williams bowled Mitchell Starc through the gate in the next over to leave Australia 150 for 7.Only Cutting’s cameo at No. 10, Haddin’s 49, and Chigumbura using seamers at the end instead of spinners took Australia over 200, but this time it was not enough, especially because their attack was without Mitchell Johnson, who was rested.Zimbabwe had not made such a total in their last four ODIs but that changed because they got a better start today. Tino Mawoyo and Sikandar Raza delivered the best opening partnership of the last eight matches through patience and application.They waited until the third over before taking their first run and Raza reined in his usual aggressive instincts as much as he could. He could not resist if anything was too short or too full but he got away with it until Australia introduced spin in the 12th over. Lyon’s second legitimate delivery turned sharply from outside off into Raza, who was surprised by extra bounce as he tried to cut and handed first slip a catch. In his next over Lyon got rid of Mawoyo too.Those wickets brought Zimbabwe’s most experienced batting pair, Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor, together. Taylor swept with confidence and the pair negotiated flight and turn from both Lyon and Maxwell. They were separated only when Clarke, who returned to lead in the 19th over, brought Starc back. He fired one in full and fast to cut Masakadza in half and end the third-wicket stand on 56.Seven deliveries later, Taylor went forward to a loopy ball from Lyon that snuck between bat and pad to hit off-stump, but it was only when Sean Williams was caught at slip to give Lyon career-best figures of 4 for 44 that Zimbabwe were in danger of unraveling. They teetered on 102 for 5 and Lyon still had 26 balls to bowl.Chigumbura eased concerns with two fours off Lyon to suggest Zimbabwe were far from done. Waller helped to see Lyon off, though it meant defending rather than looking for runs. His 11 came off 39 balls and when he handed Maxwell a return catch, Chigumbura was left with the tail.Donald Tiripano was dismissed for 3 but Prosper Utseya was not anywhere. He sliced Starc through point for his first runs and showed he was willing to move the score along to take pressure off his captain.Zimbabwe entered the last ten overs needing 44 to win and Chigumbura and Utseya hunted them down in calculated fashion. Chigumbura’s finishing skills shone through when he guided Marsh to third man, but he largely concentrated on rotating strike and letting Utseya take risks. With the field spread, the pair did not have to take too many, apart from when Utseya cleared mid-on off a Faulkner length ball.Chigunbura’s 50 came off 61 balls with a punch through point and took Zimbabwe within 15 runs of victory. Even as they got closer, Chigumbura did not get over-ambitious and maintained a level head. Utseya struck the winning blow – a smoke over midwicket – with two overs to spare and gave Zimbabwe an outside chance of making the tri-series final.

Sunil Narine does not think there is anything wrong with the Bangladesh batsmen and has said that West Indies are only taking advantage of home conditions

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2014Had honest discussion after first ODI – Bravo

Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies ODI captain, has said that the team had an “honest” discussion after the first one-dayer, and was pleased it had translated into a dominating performance in the second match. West Indies had collapsed to 34 for 5 chasing 218 in the first game, with Denesh Ramdin and Kieron Pollard bailing them out with an attacking 145-run sixth-wicket partnership.
“After the last game, there was some harsh days said in the dressing room amongst ourselves, there were honest discussions, and it is good to see that we had a better all-round performance,” Bravo said. “It shows that the team are growing in confidence and I am very happy how the batters bounced back. (Chris) Gayle is among the runs, Darren (Bravo) as well, Ramdin and Pollard, all chipped in.
“We want to get the balance right and let the players express themselves. In the past we were bit hesitant to be free, but Stuart Williams and the management team give the team the freedom to go out there and express themselves.”
While Bravo praised his bowlers who destroyed Bangladesh for 70 in 24.4 overs, he asked for improvement from the batsmen. “We lost our way in the middle, we could have got 280-290 but that’s what myself and the coach have to address.”

Sunil Narine does not think there is anything wrong with the Bangladesh batsmen and has said that West Indies are only taking advantage of home conditions.Narine said that he has tried to keep his spells as simple as possible, but tell that to the Bangladesh batsmen. Despite dominating him in Tests less than two years ago, they now find his deception unfathomable and are facing the danger of spending all of this tour trying to avoid getting tangled by him.His three-wicket burst in the middle of Bangladesh’s 248-run chase in the second ODI sucked the life out of their batsmen. Narine removed Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah in successive deliveries before picking up Sohag Gazi in his next over as the visitors were bowled out for just 70.”I don’t think I have done anything differently [than in the past],” Narine said. “Whatever I have been doing in the past 2-3 years that have given me success, I have tried to keep it simple as possible. You sometimes tend to try to do too many things and forget what was working for you.”When you’re on top of your game, it is important to do the basics properly and change only a few things, and move on from there. I didn’t get wickets in the first game but I think I bowled pretty well. I was just doing the basics again today.”In the 2012 Test series, Narine went wicketless in three out of four innings, and conceded 343 runs in two matches at an economy-rate of 4.36. Shakib Al Hasan apparently had come up with the plan to go after him from the start. That plan is possibly back in Dhaka right now, as Bangladesh have played Narine without much purpose.He, however, felt that West Indies were taking advantage of familiar conditions. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Bangladesh batsmen. They are very capable. I think it is just our time to be on top of the game. We have had some rough times in Bangladesh where they have home advantage.”Now we have the home advantage. We are continuing what we are doing and trying to build momentum ahead of the Test matches. I wouldn’t think they are rusty. The wickets are not as flat as Bangladeshi wickets, it is more giving. Their bowlers have something to work with. You need to set a foundation and work on it.”

Ravi Shastri, the Indian team director, has talked up Suresh Raina’s Test prospects after the batsman scored a glut of limited-over runs in recent months

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-20143:42

Ravi’s approach to the game is clear – Agarkar

Ravi Shastri, the Indian team director, has talked up Suresh Raina’s Test prospects after the batsman scored a glut of limited-over runs in recent months. Raina hasn’t played Test cricket in more than two years, and hasn’t played a first-class game in 2014, but Shastri is impressed by what he has seen of Raina bat.”The more I see him play, he is brilliant to watch,” Shastri said. “It will be my endeavour really to do something that will get him back into the Indian Test match team. He is a class act.”When he is going he is a treat to watch. Even at times when I see him bat at the nets, when the ball hits the bat, just that sound or sense of timing you know it is something different. Let’s hope, fingers crossed.”Raina made his Test debut in 2010, and though his career began with a series of bright knocks, he had a torrid time during the 2011 tour of England and lost his place. He was handed a comeback in 2012-13, in the home series against New Zealand, but he couldn’t capitalise on the chances.He had briefly lost his one-day place earlier this year, but he firmed up his place with a strong showing in the ODIs against England.

Alex Doolan’s inertia at the crease in Dubai cost him his place for the second Test in Abu Dhabi, according to Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann

Brydon Coverdale in Abu Dhabi30-Oct-2014Alex Doolan’s inertia at the crease in Dubai cost him his place for the second Test in Abu Dhabi, according to Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann. Glenn Maxwell was chosen ahead of Doolan with the Australians needing a victory in Abu Dhabi to level the series, and he was listed at No.3 on the official team sheet.Doolan scored a century in the warm-up match against Pakistan A in Sharjah but appeared stagnant against Pakistan’s spinners in the first Test in Dubai, where his only runs against them came from an edge past slip off Zulfiqar Babar. Doolan was run out for 5 from 34 balls in the first innings trying to force a risky single after getting bogged down, and in the second he played across the line and was lbw for a duck.”Maxwell in for Doolan, which is a tough call on Alex,” Lehmann said of the change in Abu Dhabi. “We think Glenn’s got a bit of x-factor about him and plays spin quite well so we’ve decided to go down that path.”Alex has been good in a few Test matches for us. Struggled in the first Test match as we know but end of the day we’ve got to pick a side that we think is going to get 20 wickets and be proactive in our scoring and give us a chance to win the game.”The inclusion of Maxwell was not the only change for Australia, with Mitchell Starc also included on a surface they believe will not turn as much as Dubai. Steve O’Keefe was unlucky to be omitted after he was Australia’s leading wicket-taker on debut in Dubai, where he picked up four of the 11 wickets the Australians claimed in the match.Lehmann said O’Keefe had performed well in the first Test but an extra fast bowler was necessary for the Abu Dhabi conditions. However, Starc has little red-ball cricket behind him, having missed most of the Australian summer due to back stress fractures before returning in the shorter formats for Australia and missing the back end of the Sheffield Shield season.Starc’s last first-class match was the Ashes Test at The Oval, which was 14 months ago. In the warm-up game in Sharjah he took 0 for 41 from 15 overs.”Mitchell comes in for Steve O’Keefe, who I thought did a really good job in his debut,” Lehmann said. “Disappointing for him personally but obviously we think the left-arm quick with the reverse here and the conditions might be a better factor for us.”