All posts by h716a5.icu

Riki Wessels capped a wonderful week with a career-best unbeaten 95 as Nottinghamshire won for the second time in 24 hours

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge20-Jun-2014
ScorecardRiki Wessels came within one blow of Nottinghamshire’s first T20 hundred•Getty ImagesRiki Wessels capped a wonderful week with a career-best unbeaten 95 as Nottinghamshire won for the second time in 24 hours to keep alive their chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast.The South African had hit 74 off 48 balls as his side pulled off an unlikely run chase against Middlesex in the Championship on Tuesday and 66 off 31 deliveries in the T20 win at Leicester yesterday evening. His last four visits to the crease have yielded 306 runs, with a pause only to receive his county cap on the last morning of the Middlesex game.The only regret – and it was one that he did not linger over – was that he could not finish this evening by becoming the first Nottinghamshire batsman to score a T20 century (excluding the one Alex Hales hit wearing his England colours). He was on 94 with 13 balls still left in the Nottinghamshire innings but found team-mate Steven Mullaney hogging the strike, although Mullaney’s 24 off nine balls somewhat softened the blow.He said afterwards: “I did think about it [the hundred] but after Steven missed the first two or three balls he faced I came down the pitch and said, ‘mate, just try to hit it for four or six. I’m not really worried about getting a hundred myself,'”I said ‘let’s just try to get 200 on the board’ and to be fair that’s what he did, hitting six-four-six off the last three balls. It was a perfect way to finish the innings.”Wessels hit 10 fours and four sixes, facing only 51 balls, having arrived in the third over after Phil Jaques chopped one into his stumps facing Mark Footitt. He turned his fourth ball off his hips for four and, as it happens, scored a boundary every fourth ball, more or less, for the remainder of his innings.Two of his four sixes came off consecutive deliveries in the last of Footitt’s three expensive overs, the 18th of the innings and the one that more than any ensured that Nottinghamshire would post a formidable score for the second evening running after their county record 220 against Leicestershire.The over started with a wide, the damage from which was compounded by two more in overthrows, after which Wessels hit 19 off four deliveries, either side of another wide. James Taylor was caught at deep cover off the last ball but the over took Nottinghamshire from 155 for 3 to 178 for 4.It took Wessels to within one hit from overtaking Lumb’s 96 against Durham at Chester-le-Street in 2013 as the highest T20 score by a Nottinghamshire batsman, and another bumper Trent Bridge crowd – 9,383 this time – were willing him to do it.Chris Read faced two balls and was out, and poor Mullaney found himself jeered after swinging and missing at his first three balls from Mark Turner, albeit one of them called wide. Undeterred, he smacked the next one over cover for six and stole the strike with a single.There was an ironic cheer when Wessels at last got the strike back three balls into the final over, but there was clearly no thought from either batsman other than what was best for the team. Wessels drove, took the single on offer, and watched from the other end as Mullaney finished with a flourish.Derbyshire, whose wretched season shows little sign of improving, were 40 compared with the home side’s 58 after the Powerplay overs and had lost Stephen Moore to a farcical run out and Chesney Hughes to a superb middle-stump yorker from Luke Fletcher, from which point the required rate never fell below 12. Marcus North, their one real hope of changing the picture rapidly, fell for six when he tried to chip Samit Patel into a gap, instead finding that man Wessels at long-on, where he moved well to take a good low catch.Wayne Madsen and Gareth Cross played well, adding 103 in 53 balls for the fourth wicket, but meritorious a partnership though it was, it was not enough to create any realistic possibility of an upset. Cross made 54 from 39 balls before hitting Fletcher to Taylor at extra cover, Madsen 65 off 36 before he was caught square on the offside by Jaques off Harry Gurney, who not for the first time was Nottinghamshire’s best bowler.The purple patch Wessels is enjoying could not have come at a more timely moment for Nottinghamshire, given the arm injury suffered by Lumb, who is one of the county’s mainstays in the Twenty20 game but probably will not be fit until the last two group matches at the earliest.

After centuries from Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad scored centuries, Australia’s top order crumbled in the face of a massive target

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Oct-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAhmed Shehzad scored his second Test hundred•Getty ImagesAn Australian television promo for this series has cribbed from the film poster for Lawrence of Arabia. After four days of the Dubai Test match a suddenly mighty Pakistan have pushed Australia into a position where the avoidance of defeat seems even less likely than the taking of Aqaba.David Warner, Alex Doolan and the captain Michael Clarke all demonstrated different symptoms of Australia’s deeply entrenched malady against spin. The loss of Nathan Lyon completed a rush of four wickets for five runs, and left Chris Rogers clinging on at stumps in the company of Steve Smith. Ninety overs tomorrow seem far too many for a team so utterly and unexpectedly humiliated.So far, the loss of Saeed Ajmal has barely seemed to matter to Pakistan, so skilful have his proxies proven to be. Zulfiqur Babar and Yasir Shah ran rings around the Australian top order in the final session, much as Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad had done against their pacemen and spinners while establishing a gaping, 437-run advantage.Younis became Pakistan’s most prolific Test century-maker and also the first batsman in more than 40 years to post twin centuries against Australia – not since Glenn Turner did the trick in 1974 had a batsman saluted a century in each innings in the face of 11 baggy greens. The rarity of the feat was in line with the scarcely believable indignities being piled upon the same team that won the Ashes at home last summer before besting South Africa away.Shehzad had also soared to three figures before Younis completed his second of the match, at which point Misbah-ul-Haq declared. Steve O’Keefe claimed the only Pakistani wickets of the day, isolated moments of joy for Clarke’s tiring team.Australia’s bowlers struggled once more to pose significant dangers with either pace or spin. The lack of wickets or even appeals from the Australians has contrasted notably with their time at the batting crease in both innings, when Pakistan’s use of reverse swing and spin brought regular questions before the umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough.Mitchell Johnson occasionally beat the bat or struck the body, but neither batsman allowed these moments to affect them. Shehzad and Younis accelerated steadily after lunch, choosing the right moments to attack while also frustrating Australia’s bowlers with patient defence in between.It said much for the comfort of the batsmen that Clarke chanced an lbw referral for a Peter Siddle delivery that struck Younis well outside off stump and may have also hit the bat first. From there Shehzad sprinted towards his century, clattering four sixes along the way.But the shot of the day belonged to Younis, a low, skimming drive to the cover boundary from the bowling of Johnson. If Australia’s spearhead was unable to break through, the No. 1 spinner was barely used – Clarke ignored Lyon for much of the session in favour of O’Keefe. It had become a matter of damage limitation.After tea Shehzad perished attempting a reverse sweep at O’Keefe, but Younis was more successful in using the stroke against Lyon, on the way to a hundred that brought every spectator to their feet. Warner and Rogers began brightly against a token two overs of pace, but the introduction of Mohammad Hafeez and then Zulfiqur drew numerous false strokes.Even so, Rogers’ reprieve from an incorrect caught behind decision seemed likely to get Australia through to stumps unscathed. Little more than half an hour’s play remained when Warner danced fatally past a Zulfiqur delivery that carried on with the arm, and his exit opened up the wound.Doolan was transfixed on the crease and lbw for a duck, Clarke unable to get his bat out in front of pad against Yasir’s canny use of line and pace, and Lyon completing a dismal match by falling in similar fashion. There was the scantiest consolation in the fact that Smith twice eluded freak run outs after advancing down the pitch. Tomorrow he and Rogers must cross the sun’s anvil.

From getting Ronaldo onside to bloodying the nose of Pep and Klopp, these are the key objectives he needs to nail in his first season…

Erik ten Hag's gigantic task of getting the Manchester United juggernaut back on the road is as big as it gets in a footballing sense, and one that proved too big for David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With Manchester City and Liverpool setting a new standard and pulling further away from the chasing pack, a Premier League title challenge is beyond them, so what will success look like in Ten Hag’s first year in charge?

GOAL has had a look at seven areas that will define the Dutchman's first season at the helm.

(C)Getty ImagesHandling Ronaldo

Ronaldo is absolutely pivotal to United’s hopes.

He has been labelled the problem and the cure – but the benefits of a fully firing Ronaldo outweigh the negatives.

He proved once again last season that he remains a devastating centre forward with 24 goals in all competitions. And after United had to watch on as targets Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez joined City and Liverpool, they will have to rely on their veteran striker to provide the bulk of their firepower.

But it will be about Ten Hag finding a way to fit the Portuguese into his system while accepting that he will not press in the manner of modern forwards.

United will have to rely on other players picking up the slack in the knowledge that Ronaldo will deliver in front of goal.

It is a delicate balancing act – and one that could be absolutely critical to Ten Hag’s first season.

AdvertisementGettyRevitalise Rashford and Sancho

Jadon Sancho endured an underwhelming start to life at United – going from a key member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad to a major doubt for the World Cup.

He has it all to do to make Qatar – even after FIFA extended the squad lists to 26 players. But his priority is to kick start his United career.

Sancho was supposed to be the iconic winger United fans have been crying out for since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2009. He could still be that – and it was hardly ideal for him to see the manager who signed him get the sack a few months later.

He had some of his brighter moments under Ralf Rangnick and Ten Hag will need to build on that.

Marcus Rashford is another who needs some love from the new manager.

He is also fighting for his World Cup place and wants Ten Hag to let him establish himself on the left of attack.

He is hopeful he will finally get the sort of man-management and coaching he has lacked since bursting onto the scene six years ago.

If Ten Hag can get the best out of Rashford and Sancho, it would breathe new life into United’s attack.

GettyChampions League qualification

The absolute minimum requirement in his first season is to get United back to the top table of European football.

They have gone from being a club that would qualify for the Champions League on muscle memory alone, to one that has become all too used to missing out.

The problem for Ten Hag is that the battle for the top four maybe at its most fierce this season, with a rejuvenated Tottenham under Antonio Conte, Arsenal making strides and Chelsea a regular fixture.

Throw in West Ham – and maybe even a newly-monied Newcastle and United have a fight on their hands.

It would be hard to make any claim that the season was a success if United miss out on the Champions League for a second year in succession.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyA trophy… any trophy

It is five years since United last picked up some silverware. Five long years of false dawns and empty promises, reboots and reshuffles.

When Mourinho led them to the double of the Carabao Cup and Europa League in 2017, it felt like the good times were set to return.

He guided them to second place the following season and the FA Cup final.

In the meantime United have had to watch on as City and Liverpool have dominated and set new standards.

It has been painful viewing – and while Solskjaer came within a penalty shoot-out of delivering the Europa League, United have been nowhere near close enough to lifting major honours on a regular basis.

Ten Hag is used to picking up silverware – winning three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups in his time at Ajax.

He would join a select group of United managers if he can deliver any trophy at Old Trafford.

The New Zealand government has amended its Crimes Act 1961 to include match-fixing in it to give “greater certainty to law enforcement agencies and international sporting bodies”

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2014The New Zealand government has amended its Crimes Act 1961 to include match-fixing in it to give “greater certainty to law enforcement agencies and international sporting bodies”. While existing legislation might have covered match-fixing under other offences such as fraud, this amendment will for the first time deal directly with fixing as a crime.This was part of a new sports match-fixing policy announced by New Zealand sport and recreation minister Murray McCully. “New Zealand is not immune to the international risks of match-fixing, and we are taking pre-emptive steps to protect our well-deserved reputation for playing fair and the integrity of New Zealand sport,” Mr McCully said. “Today we have released the New Zealand Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption, and announced plans to amend the Crimes Act 1961 to ensure the most serious form of match-fixing is a criminal offence.”McCully said the new policy will provide a framework for proper regulation of betting. “The national match-fixing policy provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration across government, the sport sector and the betting industry to address match-fixing risks to New Zealand sport,” McCully said. “An important component of the policy is ensuring we have a strong legal framework around match-fixing, and ensuring it is subject to criminal sanctions.”We have therefore decided to amend the Crimes Act 1961 to ensure match-fixing is included. While match-fixing may already be covered by existing legislation, the decision to refer to it specifically in the Crimes Act gives greater certainty to law enforcement agencies and international sporting bodies.”There have been quite a few incidents of match- and spot-fixing in cricket around the world recently. In countries that don’t have clear laws against match-fixing, the onus of investigation and correction falls on sporting bodies, which don’t always have the resources to deal with it.

Batsman Stiaan van Zyl and offspinner Dane Piedt have been included in South Africa’s squad for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in July

Firdose Moonda03-Jun-2014South Africa squads

Test squad: Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla (capt), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Stiaan van Zyl, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Kyle Abbott, Quinton de Kock, Dane Piedt
ODI squad: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (capt), JP Duminy, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Vernon Philander, Faf du Plessis, Aaron Phangiso, Beuran Hendricks

A new-look South Africa Test squad, which sees maiden call-ups for batsman Stiaan van Zyl and offspinner Dane Piedt, will travel to Sri Lanka next month for Hashim Amla’s first assignment as captain. Also in the touring party are Quinton de Kock, Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell, who form part of the group that will take South Africa forward following the retirements of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis last summer.Kallis is part of the ODI squad, which Faf du Plessis makes a return to, in place of Smith. Ryan McLaren is the second all-rounder in the group with Aaron Phangiso as the second specialist spinner to back up Imran Tahir. Beuran Hendricks is the only uncapped player to be included in the ODI outfit, in place of Lonwabo Tsotsobe who misses the trip after undergoing ankle surgery. There was no place for Robin Peterson in either squad.”There is a lot of talent that is around and the responsibility is on us to nurture it and make sure that we set it up for success,” Andrew Hudson, convener of selectors said. “We want to make sure guys who perform at domestic level get recognised and more so guys who perform over a period of time.”Consistency is what earned van Zyl, a left-handed batsman, his place in the Test squad. Van Zyl was the top run-scorer in last season’s first-class competition with 933 runs, including three centuries, from 10 matches at an average of 58.31. That came after he finished second on the charts in the 2012-13 competition.Although van Zyl plays in the top-order at franchise level, he may find himself competing with Quinton de Kock for the No.7 spot in the Test team. Dean Elgar, who was used in the lower middle order in the past, is likely to be promoted to his preferred spot of opening the batting, in Smith’s place. “Dean has shown us that he can open and has done so. In all likelihood, he will open with Alviro,” Hudson said.South Africa may also choose to play a second specialist spinner, rather than an extra batsman, given the conditions. That would open the door for Piedt, who was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s first-class competition to make his Test debut. Piedt, an offspinner with a famed doosra, claimed 45 wickets at 19.93 and was picked ahead of Simon Harmer, who led the wicket-takers’ list in the 2011-12 season and was second last summer.Harmer has also played for the South Africa A side and was a non-playing member of the Test squad against Australia in March and told ESPNcricinfo last week he felt he “ticked all the boxes” for selection. Instead, he will likely be part of the A side that travels to Australia. Hudson said he is not out of the long-term plans.”We gave him a high performance top-up contract so he is also someone that we like,” Hudson said. “Dane Piedt has done it for the Cobras. He has had a fantastic season and we are delighted with his domestic form. It’s good to have an offspinner who can do something else with the ball and we think this is a wonderful opportunity to develop him.”Although the sub-continent may also have been a place for Harmer to get some experience, Hudson explained South Africa did not want to carry a bloated touring party. “Fifteen players is enough. When guys don’t play, sometimes it’s not good for them,” he said. “I’d rather have them in the academy and the A side than sitting and waiting for games. We’ve seen too much of guys who don’t play whose game just goes backwards.”Parnell is an example of exactly that. The left-armer’s early promise was offset by too much time on the sidelines and a spate of injuries, which he seems to have put behind him. He played eight matches for the Delhi Daredevils at the IPL and has returned to full fitness, thus meriting an inclusion in both the Test and ODI squad.South Africa’s fifty-over outfit is laden with left-armers. Also in the mix is Hendricks, who played at the World T20 in Bangladesh, and could form part of the 2015 World Cup squad. “It’s nice for Beuran to come in. He is someone that is on the up. Lets see where he is in six months time,” Hudson said.His hopes may depend on the progress Tsotosbe makes in his recovery. Hudson admitted not having him was a big blow to South Africa’s plans and they are hopeful of his availability later in the year. “I am concerned that we haven’t got Lopsy [Tsotsobe] now. I hope Lopsy will be back sooner rather than later,” Hudson said. “Part of this World Cup build-up is that you want those combinations working.”That is why Kallis is expected to play in most of the ODIs between July and the World Cup, which includes a series against Zimbabwe, a tri-series with Zimbabwe and Australia, limited-overs visits to both Australia and New Zealand and a home series against West Indies. “We want Jacques to play as part of the mix. He’s got to be playing and we’ll trying out different combinations,” Hudson said. “There will be guys who will come out of nowhere; who put their hands up but for the World Cup, I’m hoping the core stays pretty similar.”The 2015 World Cup and ODI cricket is the focus of the next eight months, which is also partly why South Africa’s captain in that format, AB de Villiers, was not elevated to Test captain. “The build up to the World Cup – we don’t want to disrupt that,” Hudson said. “AB’s captaincy has improved dramatically in the last while. We are delighted to support him and keep that momentum going.”

After a drawn T20 series, Ireland will be looking to beat West Indies to register their first victory against a Full Member since the 2011 World Cup and end their tour on a strong note

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan22-Feb-2014Match factsFebruary, Kingston
Start time 9.30am (14.30GMT)William Porterfield will be hoping to turn his patchy form around•West Indies CricketBig pictureAfter the T20 series was shared on grubby, low, slow pitches, West Indies and Ireland have a quick turnaround to a one-off ODI. Ireland will need to be pick themselves up after the disappointment of not chasing down 97 on Friday, which would have given them their first series victory against a Full Member. The frustration will be heightened because that is the sort of success they now expect, rather than just hope for.West Indies are firmly on notice. Their batting, especially, appears to have been caught out by the start of the home season, although they do have a bowling attack well suited to these types of pitches, which offers encouragement heading into the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.West Indies’ structure means that, for one match only, the captaincy will change hands as Dwayne Bravo takes over the role before handing it back to Darren Sammy for the T20 World Cup. It is a significantly different ODI squad from the T20 unit, with six players coming in, including the highly rated pace bowler Miguel Cummins.Ireland’s 50-over form was indifferent during the Nagico Super 50 but they were coming off a lengthy break. Although their batting struggled in Friday night’s chase, they have a strong top order: their previous ODI against a Full Member saw them notch up 269 for 7 against England.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
West IndiesWLLWL
Ireland WWLTWWatch out for…In his previous ODI, against New Zealand in Hamilton, Dwayne Bravo hit a stunning 106 off 81 balls – just the second century of his 154-match career. Someone of his talent warrants more hundreds; the lack of them caused by a mixture of batting in the middle order and a frustrating ability to play a wasteful shot. Now, as captain, hopefully he is ready to mould maturity with the immense natural talent he has. Throw in his skiddy medium pace, the ability to bowl a pinpoint yorker and his electric fielding, and he really should be the complete one-day cricketer.William Porterfield is in the midst of a slump. Since slamming 127 off 69 balls against USA in the World T20 qualifiers he has a top score of 38 in 13 innings. No captain wants to feel he is not contributing to the team cause. However, as he showed against England in Dublin, when he struck 112, he has the ability to make big scores at this level.Team newsThere will be a number of changes for West Indies between the formats. Chris Gayle has again been ruled out after missing the second T20 as a cautious approach is taken ahead of the World T20. Expect them to include plenty of bowlers who can take the pace off the ball.West Indies (possible) 1 Kieron Powell, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Kirk Edwards, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Jason Holder, 11 Nikita MillerIreland may want to consider bolstering the batting and Niall O’Brien, who was on the bench during the T20s, may be an option for them.Ireland (possible) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Gary Wilson (wk), 5 Niall O’Brien, 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Andrew Poynter, 8 Max Sorensen, 9 Alex Cusack, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 George DockrellPitch and conditionsThough Sabina Park is known as one of the few pitches in the Caribbean to retain pace and bounce, the surfaces for the T20s were dreadfully slow and it seems unlikely things will be much different for this match. West Indies rely heavily on spin these days, so probably do not mind, but it does make you pine for the days of the ball flying past the nose.Stats and trivia These teams have met four times in ODIs with West Indies winning three matches and one match ending without a result. The most recent contest between them was the 2011 World Cup. Ireland’s last victory against a Full Member in an ODI came against England in the 2011 World Cup although they tied against Pakistan last yearQuotes”He is really working hard on his fitness, but he was feeling just a little soreness in his lower back and we decided we are not going to take the chance.”
“We showed we are a match for the West Indies which is very pleasing.”

Kumar Sangakkara has confirmed he will represent Durham for two to three County Championship Division One matches in preparation for Sri Lanka’s tour of England

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Apr-2014Kumar Sangakkara has confirmed he will represent Durham for two to three Division One matches of the County Championship in preparation for Sri Lanka’s tour of England. He will likely miss Sri Lanka’s two ODIs in Ireland, but will join the squad before their first ODI against England on May 22. He may also be available for one of the two 50-over warm-up matches against Essex and Kent.Sangakkara had sought a short-term county contract in order to acclimatise to England’s early summer conditions and the Duke ball, but had to wait on clearance from the national selectors before confirming the deal with Durham. Sri Lanka play their limited-overs leg of the tour first and switch to Test mode via a first-class match against Northamptonshire starting June 5.Reigning county champions Durham are unlikely to have Sangakkara in their ranks when they face Somerset on April 20, but he might be available for their next game, against Yorkshire.The tour represents an opportunity for Sri Lanka to win their first Test in England since 2006. Sangakkara will also be set on improving an Test average of 30.58 from nine Tests in England – a figure that pales in comparison to his career average of 58.07.In February, Sangakkara said his decision to withhold his name from the IPL auction this year had been partly motivated by the desire to prepare for the England tour, as well as acknowledgement of a tight May schedule. During Sri Lanka’s most recent tour of England in 2011, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had missed a warm-up match due to IPL commitments.Sri Lanka play Tests at Lord’s and Headingley, the first of which begins on June 12.

Pakistan allrounders Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq have been ruled out of the South Africa tour with injuries and will return home immediately

Umar Farooq19-Nov-2013Pakistan allrounders Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq have been ruled out of the South Africa tour with injuries and will return home immediately. The tour selection committee hasn’t asked for replacements, reducing the squad to 15 members from 17.While Razzaq injured his hamstring while training, Malik aggravated the finger injury he picked up in the second T20 against South Africa in Dubai. He was struck by a rising delivery from Wayne Parnell.”The decision was taken by the tour selection committee after consultation with the team’s doctor and a South African doctor,” the PCB said in a statement. “Razzaq suffered from a severe hamstring injury while training the day before yesterday while Malik’s hand injury was exacerbated because of the travel stress. The tour selection committee has not asked for replacements.”Both players were retained for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa even though they failed to impress during the T20 series in the UAE. Razzaq was recalled since being dropped after the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka following his outburst against captain Mohammad Hafeez which fetched him a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

New Zealand will be without Ross Taylor and Tim Southee, who has a “slight hammy niggle”, for the first ODI against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2015Atapattu keeping Sri Lanka’s options open

Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu has said his team will be flexible about where to bat Mahela Jayawardene in the upcoming ODIs against New Zealand, as well as in the World Cup. When Jayawardene can be slotted in as opener, it will give Sri Lanka the chance to play the extra spinner, he said.
“Having Mahela in the squad gives us the opportunity to bat him in the middle order or let him open if we want to. [Regular opener] Dimuth [Karunaratne] is in the squad, so depending on the oppositions and the conditions we’ll decide if we want Mahela in the middle or at the top, which would mean we can play another spinner in the middle order.”
Atapattu said Lasith Malinga not being fit till the last couple of ODIs of the New Zealand series also gave the team a chance to explore their options. “If at all [we rest anyone in view of the World Cup], it’ll be fast bowlers. Malinga is also not ready till the last one-dayers. That’s a bit of a setback for us because he has been a champion bowler, especially at the death, But it’s a good chance for the others, we’ve got 17 players here, it’s a chance for us to see how the others go.”

New Zealand will be without Ross Taylor and Tim Southee, who has a “slight hammy niggle”, for the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Christchurch, batting coach Craig McMillan has said. The injury is nothing to worry about, he said.”Ross has gone home to spend a couple of days with the family. He won’t be part of this first game. Tim Southee has gone home as well for a couple of days’ rest. It’s important that we give some of the players a bit of R&R, a little rest before we get into a really hectic season.”Tim had a slight hammy niggle before that second Test in Wellington. It’s just a little bit of time to recover, as much physically as mentally. There have been a couple of long tours thrown in as well and Tim’s played pretty much every format. Just a couple of days’ R&R and he’ll come back when we head north.”No injury problem [for Taylor]. You’ll find most players have got niggles and have tape around certain parts of the body. It’s part of being a professional cricketer. There are very few players playing at bang on 100%. No major issues.”New Zealand will play the Sri Lanka series with the same squad that they selected for the World Cup. Fast bowler Kyle Mills, who had to return home from the series against Pakistan in the UAE in December with a groin strain, is part of the World Cup squad, but is not back to full fitness yet. He will not feature in the first ODI, either, McMillan said.”He’s still resting but he’s not far off. He’s been bowling, I think he’s coming off full runs,” McMillan said. “So I think he’ll join us as we head north and he’s looking forward to some game time.”To cover for Southee and Mills’ absence, Matt Henry, who missed out on the World Cup 15, has been added to the squad. However, he’s being brought in “just in case”, McMillan said, with Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan and Trent Boult set to make the playing eleven. “Adam, Mitch, Trent, all three likely to play. Matt Henry is going to come in as cover. Obviously he was very unlucky not to make the [World Cup] squad. He’ll come out and join us tomorrow, he’s playing for Canterbury today at Rangiora [in the Ford Trophy].”

A round-up of the second day’s play of the eighth-round Group B games of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Yashpal Singh scored 67•ESPNcricinfo LtdSeamer Nishan Singh ran through Railways’ batting order to take his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, as Services took a narrow but potentially crucial lead at the Jamia Millia Ground. Railways hadn’t added to their overnight 85 when they lost their sixth wicket off the second ball of the day, as Suraj Yadav got Ashish Yadav caught behind. Nishan took the next four wickets, dismissing Nitin Bhille for a 128-ball 21 before wrecking the tail to finish with 5 for 21.Services too lost regular wickets, mainly to medium-pacers Anureet Singh and Krishnakant Upadhyay, but ended the day with a 44-run lead thanks to Yashpal Singh, who struck eight fours and a six in a 139-ball 67.Railways captain Murali Kartik didn’t bowl during the Services innings. The former India left-arm spinner, who is playing his sixth match of the season, has only bowled 40 overs so far.
ScorecardRajasthan’s openers resisted Tamil Nadu’s unrelenting spin examination to end the day unbeaten and give their side hope in their hunt for the first-innings lead. Replying to Tamil Nadu’s 318, the openers Siddharth Saraf and Vineet Saxena played through 47 overs to reach 89 for no loss at stumps. Tamil Nadu’s spinners bowled 39 of those overs.Resuming on 231 for 5, Tamil Nadu lost overnight half-centurions R Prasanna and Vijay Shankar early, before a 39 from Malolan Rangarajan and 15 from captain L Balaji pushed their total to 318. After Pankaj Singh dismissed Shankar to complete his five-for, Rajasthan’s spinners took the remaining wickets, with left-armer Aristh Singhvi finishing with 3 for 83.There was no play in Kanpur between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh due to fog.Read the full report of Baroda v Saurashtra here: Yusuf, Utkarsh put Baroda on top