The PCB held the first meeting of its general gody in over a decade, on Friday, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2011The PCB held the first meeting of its general body in over a decade, on Friday. The meeting was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore as per clause 17 of the PCB Constitution.The board said it was the first time the PCB general body had met since 1998, but one was held in the administration of Tauqir Zia in early 2000. A total of 73 members, made up of 18 full members, 53 associate members and two honorary members – former board chairmen Khalid Mehmood and Zia – attended the meeting.The meeting discussed the PCB’s annual report, as well as the audited accounts and budget estimates, and recommended to the governing board various measures to improve the standard of the game. Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, also talked about the need to continue developing the women’s game in Pakistan, given the achievements of the Pakistan women’s team recently. Representatives of blind and deaf cricket were also involved in the meeting.The general body is a larger, more representative body of stakeholders from around the country designed to ensure development and representation in areas such as interior Sindh and Baluchistan, where the game is not as developed as in other provinces and regions. It is supposed to meet once or twice a year and acts as the board’s parliament, where the governing board is the senate.

Victoria’s seamers Peter Siddle and Jayde Herrick helped seal a 185-run win over South Australia at the MCG, sharing seven wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2011
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Victoria’s seamers Peter Siddle and Jayde Herrick helped seal a 185-run win over South Australia at the MCG, sharing seven wickets. Opener Daniel Harris fought hard with 96 but was short of support from the other end as South Australia faltered in their chase of 380. They had been reduced to 22 for 2 at stumps on the third day and Siddle didn’t take too long to effect a breakthrough on the fourth, bowling Cameron Borgas for 10. Aiden Blizzard and Harris tried to revive the innings with a 67-run stand but the bowlers kept the pressure on with timely wickets. There was still hope at 148 for 4 for South Australia but persistent strikes, with bowlers Jon Holland and Steve Gilmour chipping in, shot them out for 194 – the last six wickets falling for 48.Victoria are now third on the points table with three wins and three losses.

As part of the ongoing Wisden City Cup, a promising young cricketer from outside the existing structure of the counties and ECB Premier Leagues will be fast-tracked into a potential career as a professional cricketer this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2011As part of the ongoing Wisden City Cup, a promising young cricketer from outside the existing structure of the counties and ECB Premier Leagues will be fast-tracked into a potential career as a professional cricketer this summer.The WCC was set up to foster the playing and watching of cricket in Britain’s inner cities, with the initial competition held in North London. At the end of the current season, one member of the Leicester-London Combined XI that will play a Twenty20 against MCC Young Cricketers on Sunday September 11 at Grace Road will be picked to become an MCC Young Cricketer himself in 2012.”The Wisden City Cup is doing some great work in reaching out to find undiscovered talent,” said Mark Alleyne, the former England cricketer and current head coach of MCC who will select the lucky player.”MCC Young Cricketers exists to identify promising players and support them through to the first-class game, so the coming together of the two is a perfect fit. I’m looking forward to seeing the ability on show this year and working with their best player next season.”The player picked will receive access to world-class facilities and top coaching at Lord’s, and could also play in the Second Eleven Championship and Second Eleven Trophy, in which the MCC Young Cricketers take part. Recent alumni of the Young Cricketers programme include Darren Sammy, the current West Indies captain, Ross Taylor and Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales.

Ian Cockbain made a career-best 72 as Gloucestershire kept themselves in with a chance of stopping Division Two leaders Middlesex registering a fourth successive win

07-May-2011
ScorecardMiddlesex’s 100% record in County Championship Division Two came to an end
at Bristol, where a career-best 93 from Will Gidman ensured a draw for
Gloucestershire.Middlesex looked the more likely victors when Gidman was joined in the middle by Liam Norwell with Gloucestershire on 263 for 8 and holding a lead of 215. But Gidman, who struck 10 fours and a six, and teenager Norwell (26) put on 75 for the ninth wicket and Gloucestershire were eventually bowled out for 347.That left Middlesex requiring 300 in 50 overs to register a fourth successive
win, but the visitors effectively gave up the chase after openers Chris Rogers
and Scott Newman were both dismissed by Jon Lewis inside seven overs.They had reached 123 for 4 with 20 overs remaining when umpires Mark Benson
and Nick Cook took the players off for bad light, and no resumption was
possible.Earlier, after rain had delayed the start of play by 45 minutes, Middlesex took
three wickets in the first 13 overs to raise their hopes of another victory. Chris Taylor, who had not added to his overnight 60, and Lewis were both caught behind by John Simpson off Corey Collymore, while David Payne also edged to Simpson, this time off Tim Murtagh.Middlesex took the second new ball soon after, but needed 15 overs with it
before the partnership between Gidman and Norwell was ended. Former Durham player Gidman advanced to a 135-ball half-century and then upped the tempo with some superb strokeplay, which included a six cut over backward square off Neil Dexter.He surpassed his previous best for Gloucestershire of 89 and had a maiden
hundred within sight when he miscued a drive of Toby Roland-Jones to Scott
Newman at mid-off.Hamish Marshall, who had retired hurt yesterday with a fractured right thumb,
came out to bat and help Norwell prolong Gloucestershire’s innings. Norwell managed to keep Marshall off strike, and pulled two boundaries through midwicket, before he was bowled having a big swing at a delivery from Collymore, who finished with 4 for 57.Middlesex needed a major contribution from Rogers or Newman to have realistic
hope of chasing down their target, but Lewis accounted for them both cheaply. Rogers had made 5 when he was caught low at first slip by Alex Gidman, and Newman was on 16 when he pulled to Kane Williamson on the backward square-leg boundary.Dawid Malan hit six fours in his 39 before being bowled by Lewis, while Dan
Housego made 45 before he was caught behind off Will Gidman. Another two overs
were possible after Housego’s dismissal before bad light ended play. Middlesex took 11 points from the game and third-placed Gloucestershire took 10.

Michael Hussey has given a cautious thumbs-up to some of the proposed new rules for next season’s Big Bash League

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2011Michael Hussey has given a cautious thumbs-up to some of the proposed new rules for next season’s Big Bash League. The eight-team tournament might include features such as a super-over in which the batting team has its runs doubled, and the possibility that spectators could keep balls hit into the crowd.Cricket Australia asked fans to voice their opinions on the ideas via an online survey last week, seven months before the tournament is expected to kick off. Hussey has just arrived back in Perth after playing a key role in the IPL final victory for Chennai Super Kings, and he said the concept of the super-over “sounds all right”.”Who calls which over it is? The captain? I’d like it if I was batting, I’d call the super over as soon as I got out there,” Hussey said. “I haven’t thought about it too much but the concept sounds all right, especially if there was a Chris Gayle at the crease. He had a couple of overs in the IPL where he went for 27 and 34 runs off overs. It could almost be game over if he had one of those overs.”Hussey said the idea of fans being able to keep balls hit into the crowd had some merit. However, he said it was important the batsman was not disadvantaged for having cleared the fence.”It depends how green the wicket is,” he said. “If it gets to the 15th over and the wicket is still green, I don’t want a new ball coming out, that’s for sure. But I think it’s a good idea, a bit like baseball, maybe a souvenir for a kid out there. They are going to need a lot of back-up balls of the same over range. I don’t think it’s the worst idea.”Another proposal would allow bowlers to send down two bouncers per over, which Hussey said was fair for what has otherwise been seen as a batsman’s game. Hussey has never played a Big Bash match for Western Australia, having been on international duties during December and January ever since the tournament began.He’s just as unlikely to feature in this summer’s tournament, with the eight city-based sides almost certain to be without Australia’s star players due to international commitments. That looms as a potential problem for the Big Bash League, which Hussey said would never be as big as the IPL.”It won’t be of the same magnitude because of the volume of money they spend on their tournament compared with what we could spend on ours,” Hussey said. “But I think in terms of the quality of cricket we can definitely compete, attract some overseas players.”I guess we are a little limited in that we can’t attract all countries because when they play domestically clashes with our summer. But we can attract some real quality international players and we know that our first class system and our core players are very, very good.”

South Africa stalwarts Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher have both left the Warriors franchise and will re-join Cobras

Firdose Moonda21-Jun-2011South Africa stalwarts Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher have both left the Warriors franchise and will re-join Cobras. The pair, who live in Cape Town, both want to spend more time at home and cite that as the main reason for the move.Kallis played most of his cricket in Cape Town and moved to Warriors in 2008-09 after a dispute with the Cobras management. Boucher, who grew up in East London and played for Warriors throughout his career, had a stint with Cobras in the 2007-08 season and then went back to the province of his birth, following the same dispute. Boucher will now return to Cape Town, where he has lived for the past few years.”For me Warriors is one of the best-run franchises in the country. It was a huge and difficult decision for me to leave,” Boucher said. “Cape Town is my home and I do need to be based there, to explore business opportunities for my future.”Boucher’s departure means that Warriors captain Davy Jacobs will have to take on the responsibility of keeping all the time. Jacobs, who played for Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded IPL, did not keep for Warriors during their Pro20 campaign last season because Boucher was available for the full tournament.The Warriors squad includes six nationally contracted players: Johan Botha, Colin Ingram, Wayne Parnell, Ashwell Prince, Rusty Theron and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. They have awarded 14 franchise contracts, two of which have gone to former internationals Makhaya Ntini and Nicky Boje. Warriors regulars Andrew Birch, Bevan Bennett, Garnett Kruger, Lyall Meyer, Jon-Jon and Kelly Smuts, and Craig Thyssen all received contracts.Two semi-professional contracts were given to up-and coming-players, right-arm medium-fast bowler Aya Gqamame and Eastern Province Player of the Year Athi Dyili. “It is a very good sign that the newly-contracted players are youngsters that are truly homegrown,” Chris Nenzani, the Eastern Cape Cricket chairman, said.Warriors won their first two trophies since the franchise system was implemented in the 2009-10 season, when they claimed the MTN40 and Standard Bank Pro20 crowns, but failed to defend their titles last season. Their head coach, Russell Domingo, has been appointed assistant coach of the national team and Warriors have not yet announced his replacement.

England prevailed by 16 runs in a thrilling finale to Sri Lanka’s tour, the bowling attack operating as a unit to defend 268 as the visitors were dismissed for 252 in the penultimate over

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill09-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Tim Bresnan picked up three wickets as England sealed a 3-2 series win with a 16-run victory at Old Trafford•Getty Images

Four one-sided games preceded this match at Old Trafford, but with the series at stake, England and Sri Lanka traded blows in a see-sawing encounter that had no clear winner until the closing minutes of the match. England prevailed by 16 runs in a thrilling finale to Sri Lanka’s tour, the bowling attack operating as a unit to defend 268 as the visitors were dismissed for 252 in the penultimate over.Two fluent partnerships, first between Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter, then from Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan, bookended by clutches of wickets, had carried England’s innings. However, offspinner Suraj Randiv helped himself to 5 for 42 to spark a collapse of 6 for 40 as the hosts slipped after being well-positioned to score over 300.Sri Lanka, who showed their vulnerability against the new ball at The Oval, when they stumbled to 15 for 4, and Trent Bridge, when the damage was 20 for 4, once again struggled first up. They needed two fighting stands of their own: the first a counter-attacking 94 between Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara, and the second, a backs-to-the-wall 102 between Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis to get close before Jade Dernbach’s two wickets in consecutive balls sealed the result.Tim Bresnan had done the early damage to Sri Lanka, catching the edge of debutant Dimuth Karunaratne’s bat before Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has managed just 17 runs in five innings since coming back from a fractured thumb, hooked him straight to Dernbach at fine leg. Sri Lanka were wobbling at 12 for 2 and soon lost Mahela Jayawardene, who had been given a reprieve when he was badly dropped by Dernbach but chipped straight to Alastair Cook at mid-off not long afterwards.With England surging, Chandimal, who hit a match-winning – and controversial – century at Lord’s, provided a stylish counterpunch, displaying all the temerity of youth in a series of crisply-hit strokes, stepping out to thrash mighty sixes off both Bresnan and Swann. With Sangakkara ticking along in unpretentious style at the other end, Sri Lanka’s chase was put back on track.Chandimal eventually tried one shot too many, however, and was beaten in the flight by Swann and stumped for a 64-ball 54. When Sangakkara chopped the impressive Bresnan onto his stumps to be out for 48, Sri Lanka were 131 for 5 in the 30th over and England appeared to have complete control.Mathews and Mendis slowly pulled their side out of the mire, and Sri Lanka needed 116 from 18 overs when the batting Powerplay was taken. The batsmen managed to take a boundary from all but one of the Powerplay overs, milking 37 with the field restrictions in place and as they found fluency, the pressure was back on England.Mathews took their stand past 100 with a firm clip to the wide long-on boundary but Pietersen then kept his nerve to hold a good catch running in from the midwicket boundary – and looking into the sun – to get rid of Mendis for a career-best 48. It was now Sri Lanka’s turn to panic; Nuwan Kulasekara and Randiv falling in consecutive deliveries as they stumbled to 246 for 8.Unbelievably, Lasith Malinga strode to the crease and charged down the track to mow the first ball he faced high over long-on for six and the match hung in the balance once more. Cook tossed the ball to Dernbach for the 49th over, with 17 needed, and a contest that could have gone to the wire came to an abrupt end as he deceived Mathews with a slower one that took the leading edge and looped to point. Next ball he fired a searing yorker at the base of Malinga’s stumps to spark frenzied celebrations.

Smart stats

• In eight home series since the start of 2008, England have won six. Three of them have been won by a margin of 3-2 and their worst loss was the 6-1 loss to Australia in 2009. This is England’s second bilateral-series win against Sri Lanka after the 5-0 home defeat in 2006.

• Jonathan Trott’s 72 is his 12th half-century in 29 innings in ODIs. His average of 52.44 is comfortably the highest among all England batsmen with 1000-plus runs in ODIs.

• The 118-run stand between Trott and Eoin Morgan is the second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket for England in ODIs against Sri Lanka. The highest is 154 between Graeme Hick and Neil Fairbrother in 1999.

• From a score of 213 for 3, England lost six wickets for the addition of just 40 runs. The 40 runs added is fifth on the list of least runs added between wickets five and nine for England against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

• The 102-run stand between Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis is the highest sixth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against England in ODIs surpassing the previous best of 93 between Russell Arnold and Kumar Sangakkara in 2003.

There had been a suspicion before the game that this could be a low-scoring encounter as this was the first international match at Old Trafford since the pitch was rotated 90 degrees. What was once the best strip in the country had now lost much of its pace and bounce, but Kieswetter and Cook showed that a hard new ball could still bring runs as the first Powerplay brought no less than 75 runs, 38 of them in boundaries.England looked to press home their advantage by taking the batting Powerplay in the 13th over after Sri Lanka had set the field back in defence, but it was the Sri Lankans who profited from the restrictions as Cook ran past a fizzing Randiv offspinner to be stumped for 31. Dhammika Prasad removed Kieswetter and Pietersen in quick succession as England lost 3 for 10 in 19 deliveries, but Trott and Morgan settled quickly and complemented each other well in their contrasting styles to keep England on course for a challenging total.They didn’t score many boundaries – England only hit five after the ninth over – but both rotated the strike with ease; Trott reaching a 63-ball fifty and Morgan following him to the landmark soon after, from 54 deliveries. A total of over 300 looked a given, but Dilshan got the vital breakthrough when Morgan was beaten by flight and spin to be stumped for 57.That opened up England’s middle order, and a succession of batsmen fell trying to force the pace before they had been given a chance to adjust to the variable pitch. Randiv bowled with exceptional control as the batsmen tried to get after him, removing Ian Bell and Trott – via a fortuitous inside edge that rolled back onto the stumps, and had his fourth and fifth wickets in the space of three deliveries as Samit Patel and Tim Bresnan both fell to failed slogs.There was a feeling that England had wasted an opportunity when a much more substantial total had loomed, but the good work of the bowlers powered them to a rousing win to extend their successful summer.

Andre Adams, swinging the ball into the bat at a deceptively gentle pace that could best be described as the slower side of medium, and seemingly occasionally reversing it to boot, enabled Nottinghamshire to bowl out Somerset for 177 in this rain-affected

Jeremy James at Taunton19-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Craig Kieswetter was bowled for 10 by Charlie Shreck•Getty Images

Andre Adams, swinging the ball into the bat at a deceptively gentle pace that could best be described as the slower side of medium, and seemingly occasionally reversing it to boot, enabled Nottinghamshire to bowl out Somerset for 177 in this rain-affected match.He finished with an exceptional return of 6 for 33. An indication of the assistance he and Charlie Shreck obtained was that six of the eight wickets that fell came through a single stump being plucked out of the ground.Adams recently signed a new two-year contract with Nottinghamshire, and no wonder. He is a bowler to utilise the swing at Trent Bridge – and, clearly, elsewhere. Somerset, two down overnight, or rather on Wednesday night as there was no play on the second day, lost, in relatively quick succession to Adams, Nick Compton, whose off stump was removed, James Hildreth, likewise, although he did make the second highest score of 35, and Jos Buttler and Alfonso Thomas in identical manner.If techniques were suspect – Hildreth, for one, played an airy-fairy shot – then nothing should be taken away from the bowling. For there was no cloud cover and this, lest we forget, was Taunton, where many a batsman comes in the sure knowledge and confidence that a return to form will follow. Buttler, it should be added, looked the class batsman he so clearly already is, striking eight fours in 43, the majority attractive front foot drives, until he succumbed to the dreaded Adams.Shreck took his one wicket of the innings when Craig Kieswetter had his leg stump knocked out, the ball conceivably coming off the inside edge. George Dockrell, the Dubliner making his Championship debut, became Adams’ fifth victim, leg before, and Charl Willoughby, after a couple of characteristic swishes, nowhere near the line of the ball, also had his off stump removed. Not quite career-best figures for Adams, but he and his coach, Mick Newell, were not bothered about that.”There is more carry at Trent Bridge and so Andre has to adjust his line when we are away from there,” said Newell. “He is a similar bowler to Alfonso Thomas – his economy rate is good and he bowls hardly any rubbish. We don’t have a great record on this ground, but there are clearly more ‘result’ pitches being prepared here now. At Trent Bridge we roll the square a lot to try to improve the pace in the pitch. Here, the groundsman tries almost to under-prepare the surfaces.”Newell’s intention on the final day will be to try to bowl Somerset out, as opposed to setting up a declaration with opponents with whom his relations are strained following their trying t20 quarter-final earlier this month. When Nottinghamshire went in before tea, Alex Hales and the left handed Karl Turner put on 50 in eight overs before the former was athletically held by Kieswetter, diving to his right off Kirby.Turner, missed at second slip by Marcus Trescothick when on 28, had added eight more runs when he was nicely taken low at mid-on off Thomas. Kieswetter then held another acrobatic catch to remove Darren Bravo, this time to his left. Who said anything about iron gloves? This was Knottesque. And who said anything about Samit Patel not being trim? He looked the part both in terms of his figure and his batting. An unbeaten 70 with 11 fours was the best innings thus far, if hardly a match-winning one.

A career-best 144 from captain Alviro Petersen in a record score of 328 for
4 helped Glamorgan to a convincing Clydesdale Bank 40 victory over Lancashire
Lightning at Colwyn Bay

21-Aug-2011
ScorecardA career-best 144 from captain Alviro Petersen in a record score of 328 for
4 helped Glamorgan to a convincing Clydesdale Bank 40 victory over Lancashire
Lightning at Colwyn Bay.The South African shared in a record opening stand of 199 with Gareth Rees
(76). His century came off only 89 balls and included 10 sixes – one which
smashed the window of Lancashire’s dressing room. In all there were 18 sixes in the Dragons innings, and in total 208 runs came in a clatter of boundaries.Even when Petersen was out the momentum continued with Stewart Walters
plundering a half-century from just 19 balls. In reply Lancashire could only make 259 all out in 30.4 overs to slip to a 73-run defeat. Glamorgan were indebted to slow left armer Dean Cosker, who recorded impressive figures of four wickets for 43 runs from seven overs.Glamorgan’s total was all the more impressive considering the match was reduced
to a 33 overs a side contest because of rain. The Dragons were set on their way when they reached 50 in only seven overs with Petersen the main aggressor – he reached his 50 from only 36 balls, including two sixes.He struck Oliver Newby for three consecutive sixes in an over before Rees got
in on the act hitting Stephen Parry for two sixes as the 150 came up in the 19th
over. Rees also lofted Steven Croft for six onto the pavilion roof before Petersen
reached his first one-day hundred for the Dragons from 76 balls.When the total become 184 the stand beat the previous best for the first
wicket, passing the 181 made by Jimmy Maher and Robert Croft against Essex at
Sophia Gardens in 2003.But the first wicket stand was ended when Rees, who had gone to a run-a-ball
half-century, was caught on the boundary at long-on. The Dragons took the batting powerplay but Petersen fell to the first delivery when he holed out at long-off.Glamorgan lost Chris Cooke and Mark Wallace but Walters and Graham Wagg, who
put on 75 in 25 balls, ensured Lancashire would have to chase nearly 10 an over
for victory. In the urgent need for quick runs Lancashire lost Tom Smith in only the first
over when he was caught at midwicket attempting a sweep off Nick James.A breezy half-century from 20 balls from Stephen Moore kept the Lightning up
with the required rate but he was bowled by Will Owen and 82 for two became 103
for three when Karl Brown was stumped off Cosker.Steven Croft and Paul Horton put on 94 runs in 10 overs as they attempted to
get Lancashire back in the game – but their momentum was checked when Cosker
bowled Croft, who scored 85 in 55 balls. Cosker also accounted for Paul Horton and Luke Procter as the pressure became too much for the Lightning.

Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, has admitted the 2011 season fell well below the club’s expectations

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2011Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, has admitted the 2011 season fell well below the club’s expectations and he has already started planning for next summer with the signing of Derbyshire allrounder Greg Smith.The county finished seventh in Division Two of the County Championship and failed to qualify for the knockout stages of both the Clydesdale Bank 40 and Friends Life t20. The team suffered having failed to fill the hole left by Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, and early-season attempts to sign Peter Siddle were unsuccessful. Grayson is now looking ahead and picked out the performances of a number of youngsters – such as legspinner Tom Craddock and left-arm quick Reece Topley – as a sign of a brighter future.”At the start of 2011, myself and the cricket Committee set the objectives of gaining promotion to Division One and securing a one-day trophy,” Grayson said. “Defeats in the opening two Championship games have cost us dearly and from then on we were always playing catch-up.”There is no denying the fact that a number of players have been inconsistent this season,” he added. “However, we have a very talented and determined squad with a number of exciting players coming through the ranks. This season has seen the arrival of the likes of Reece Topley, Tymal Mills, Adam Wheater and Tom Craddock. We hope we can further progress the young blood we have at the Club and develop the winning combination that was missing in 2011.”Over the winter months the squad will take a much needed break and will prepare for what we hope will be a successful 2012 season across all formats of the game. We have to aim for promotion, it’s where we need and want to be and despite comments elsewhere, the County Championship remains our number one priority.”Smith, meanwhile, will bring some experience to the middle order plus the ability to bowl both seam-up and offspin. “Greg is a cricketer that I admire. He is a very talented all-rounder and has a great character for the dressing room which I feel will benefit us,” Grayson said. “He is a very good cricketer who will fit in well with the team and I look forward to working with him at Essex.”