All posts by csb10.top

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThere was plenty for the Pakistan bowlers to celebrate as they ran through the Bangladesh line-up•AFP

Mushfiqur Rahim said before the match that it was time for Bangladesh to stop aiming for “respectable losses” and show they can compete against the best. By the interval, their spinners had laid the groundwork for a confidence-building win at the start of the series, but those hopes fizzled out as Pakistan’s varied attack proved far superior. Barely seven overs into the chase, the result was a foregone conclusion.Pakistan’s ruthlessness wasn’t surprising. Their bowlers, especially the spinners, downed Sri Lanka in all three formats in the UAE barely a few days before they landed in Bangladesh. That they conceded their first boundary only in the ninth over was an example of their discipline.Pakistan had their anxious moments with the bat, struggling to post even 135 despite their brisk start, but with the ball in hand, they never gave the hosts an inch. There was an air of expectation from the packed, weekday crowd at the Shere Bangla Stadium when the Bangladesh openers walked out, but the chase had derailed once Pakistan had them struggling at 15 for 3 at the end of five overs.Umar Gul started the slide when he trapped Naeem Islam in front in the second over. Mohammad Hafeez then had Alok Kapali chipping to midwicket for a duck, and confusion in the calling led to Imrul Kayes’ run-out. Save for a drop at long-off by Umar Gul, Pakistan’s fielding was sharp.The more experienced duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim had a tougher task than they would have anticipated, but even they couldn’t display any resilience to make the chase more competitive. They didn’t have the luxury of time – the run-rate inched along at a rate comparable to modern Test cricket.Shakib lost his offstump trying to cut Hafeez, and that increased the pressure on Mushfiqur, who struggled to combat Saeed Ajmal’s parsimonious bowling from round the wicket. Mahmudullah nicked Aizaz Cheema’s first ball of the match, and with the required rate crossing 11, Mushfiqur perished trying to be innovative – a reverse paddle landed just short of short third man, but Nasir wasn’t interested in the single, leaving his captain stranded.A flat-batted swat in the ninth over by Nasir off Cheema gave Bangladesh a release, but it was only momentary as Bangladesh had to wait till the 16th over for their next boundary. The result was inevitable, and the only positive for Bangladesh was the fact that they batted out 20 overs.It wasn’t the easiest outing for Pakistan’s batsmen either. It was a tough initiation as Bangladesh played to their strength – spin – to restrict the tourists to 135. Pakistan started brightly after winning the toss, but the going got tough once the slower bowlers – five in all – began operating at either end on a typically dark Dhaka pitch.The captain Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t waste any time getting his spinners on, bringing in Abdur Razzak as early as the second over. The in-form Hafeez went on the attack and while he was around, Pakistan were motoring along at eight an over.The ninth over was significant for Bangladesh as Shakib managed to keep the aggressive Hafeez quiet for five balls. Determined to break the shackles, Hafeez attempted a slog and lost his wicket. Bangladesh took control after that wicket-maiden.Asad Shafiq and Shahid Afridi both perished in similar fashion, getting caught in the deep. The captain Misbah tried restoring some order but he kept running out of partners.The procession of wickets continued when Bangladesh went out to bat. With spin expected to dominate this tour, Bangladesh will have to figure out how to tackle Pakistan’s slower bowlers on pitches suited to their style.

The finals of the East Africa Premier League and East African Cup have been re-scheduled following last month’s postponement caused by a waterlogged outfield at Nairobi Gymkhana Club.Rwenzori Warriors will take on the Nile Knights in the final of the EAPL on Saturday December 3, while the Knights are also scheduled to tackle Kongonis in the EAC final a day later. Both games will take place at Nairobi Gymkhana Club.Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Sears said: “We are delighted to be able to re-schedule the matches and bring an exciting climax to the inaugural year of the East African competitions. The events have generated enormous interest throughout the region, the whole of Africa and beyond and we are already working on plans for next year.”The finals will be a fitting way to end the year and we look forward to two days of highly competitive cricket and crowning the first champions of the East African Cup and East Africa Premier League.”

Northamptonshire have announced that their chief executive, Mark Tagg, will leave the club at the end of October after eight years in the role.Tagg has been involved during a tough period for the domestic game where money has been tight and Northamptonshire are one of the smaller counties on the circuit. However, they were on the verge of promotion to Division One in the County Championship in the recent season but slipped up in the closing weeks and missed out by a point to Surrey.”I feel I have achieved what I came here to do and after eight years the time has come for me to move on, to explore new opportunities, and allow a new chief executive to continue to drive the club forward,” Tagg said.Martin Lawrence, the club’s cricket chairman, added: “In the rapidly changing world of professional sport it is vital for the club to continue to move forward and develop. Thanks to the good work over the last eight years we have many opportunities both on and off the field and the new chief executive will be appointed in the next few months to develop these.”

Mtutuzeli Nyoka, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) president, faces a second no-confidence vote after the board tabled the motion at a special general meeting on September 8. The meeting to vote on whether Nyoka will be removed as president will be held on October 15.CSA confirmed the notice had been sent to Nyoka’s office and to his lawyer, but Nyoka declined to comment when ESPNcricinfo inquired whether he had received the documentation.This is the second time in the space of eight months that CSA have attempted to oust their president. They first removed him in February but Nyoka challenged that decision in the South Gauteng High Court. It was found that the axing was unlawful and he was reinstated.The latest effort came after CSA’s annual conference, where Nyoka walked out of a board meeting, claiming there were issues on the agenda that he was not informed of. Nyoka’s lawyer, Bernard Matheson, said the items included a complaint against Nyoka for breaching media protocol, objections about the way he dealt with press releases, and an allegation that the national team was concerned that he had set a poor example.Nyoka informed the board he would lay criminal charges. “He did not say who those charges were against or what the charges were,” AJ Sooklal, head of CSA’s legal and governance committee, said.CSA hit back, claiming Nyoka had “brought the organisation into disrepute” and “treated the board in a contemptuous manner.” They also accused him of contravening the Companies Act by receiving his annual honorarium in advance without the consent of the board.The latest developments were part of the year-long spat between Nyoka and CSA chief executive Gerald Majola, which started when 4.7 million Rand ($671,428) were paid in bonuses after South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy. The payments were not processed through CSA’s remunerations committee (Remco) – although they were taxed – and were picked up as irregularities by CSA’s auditors Deloitte. An external investigation was set up to look into the matter.Eight weeks later, CSA moved the inquiry in-house because board members felt they had not exhausted their own procedures. A committee of inquiry was appointed under vice-president AK Khan. In November, the Khan Commission cleared Majola of any wrongdoing save for making “an error of judgment” by not declaring the payments through Remco.The first attempt to remove Nyoka came three months later, but when Nyoka returned to office in May, the matter was reopened. As part of his court battle, Nyoka asked that CSA undergo a forensic audit and KPMG were tasked with conducting it.The audit results were presented to the board on July 30. KPMG found that Majola could have breached the Companies’ Act in four instances and had to pass the matter on to a lawyer in order for CSA to take a decision. With the help of the South African Sports Council and Olympic Committee, Azhra Bham was appointed as the legal advisor.Bham delivered his findings orally to CSA the day before their AGM on August 20. The board issued Majola with a severe reprimand for his role in the bonus payments and resolved to institute better corporate governance measures. Nyoka did not attend the AGM for personal reasons and tried to get a copy of Bham’s report, which has not been released.The matter may end up in court again, further denting CSA’s reputation, and it has had consequences that directly affect cricket. With less than a month to go before the 2011-12 season starts, CSA is yet to announce sponsors for two of the three domestic competitions, the international Twenty20 team and all three international formats – Tests, ODIs and T20s. CSA’s commercial manager, Richard Glover, said the scandal had taken its toll because “the new sponsors want us to draw a line under the bonus saga before we make any announcements.” CSA’s only confirmed international sponsor is Castle Lager, who renewed and expanded their contract to include the Test and ODI teams in August.

Scorecard
Kenya took first-day honours against UAE in their Intercontinental Cup fixture in Nairobi. UAE would have hoped to get far more than 213 when they chose to bat, but faltered despite their top-order batsmen getting starts. Opener Abdul Rehman managed 23, while Saqib Ali scored 45 but the steady fall of wickets at the start meant UAE were reduced to 57 for 4 at one stage. Saqib’s contribution, though, was a significant one; he added 121 for the fifth wicket with captain Khurram Khan, who top-scored with 85. However, left-arm seamer Lucas Oluoch and left-arm spinner Hiren Varaiya brought Kenya right back, sharing seven wickets between them – including the last six to fall – to bowl out UAE for a modest total.Kenya lost Runish Gudhka in the first over but opener Rakep Patel gave the innings some impetus early on with a quickfire 36. Collins Obuya, the captain, was dismissed off what proved to be the last ball of the day, but holding fort was Dominic Wesonga with an unbeaten 34, following up on his two wickets.

ScorecardWicketkeeper Phil Mustard smashed an explosive century as the Durham Dynamos kept their semi-final hopes in the Clydesdale Bank 40 alive with an eight-wicket win over the Northamptonshire Steelbacks.The Steelbacks posted 247 for 7 from their 40 overs, with David Willey hammering 57 off 48 balls and Alex Wakely 55 off 43 deliveries. Paul Collingwood and Scott Borthwick took two wickets each at Northampton. Mustard then dominated the Northamptonshire attack in clattering a sensational 139 not out off 93 balls, including 11 fours and seven sixes, as the Dynamos easily reached their target with 58 deliveries to spare.The hosts won the toss and chose to bat and the in-form Wakely raced to 50 off just 34 balls as part of an opening partnership of 115 with Willey. Willey, who smashed four sixes, also completed a half-century – his coming off 43 deliveries, but Durham finally had a breakthrough when he departed when he was bowled by Ian Blackwell.Wakely soon followed when he was trapped lbw by Gareth Breese before David Sales (seven) went cheaply by chipping Borthwick to Dynamos captain Dale Benkenstein at mid-on. Rob Newton was to fall on 49 when he was left bamboozled by Borthwick’s googly and saw his off stump hit. Rob White plundered 39 before edging England international Graham Onions’ short delivery to Mustard.Former England man Collingwood then claimed the wickets of James Middlebrook (11) and Steelbacks captain Andrew Hall (19) in the final over. They were caught respectively by Will Smith at deep midwicket and Ben Stokes at long on as the Dynamos were set a target of 248.The visitors got off to a flying start in blasting 75 off the opening powerplay but Mark Stoneman was to perish on 27 when he launched Hall to David Burton at mid-on. Mustard hung around to quickly reach 50 off only 33 balls as the runs continued to flow for Durham and they were already more than half way towards their target by the end of the 14th over.Stokes, called into the England squad for the one-day international against Ireland, made 28 before he was well caught by White at mid-off off Willey. Mustard then completed his fourth century in one-day cricket off 81 deliveries as he and Collingwood, with an unbeaten 38, added 111 between them. Eventually the winning score came when Mustard smashed White for six over midwicket in the 31st over as he claimed his highest one-day score.

ScorecardKeith Barker hit a career-best 118 as Warwickshire piled up 521 against Sussexon day two of their County Championship clash at Edgbaston. The former Blackburn Rovers trainee completed his second successive first-class hundred on the ground – eight weeks after making 101 against Durham in his previous innings here – and featured in two milestones for this fixture.Warwickshire’s total is their highest in home matches with Sussex, surpassing 517 for 9 at Leamington Spa in 1910, while Barker’s partnership of 155 with Jeetan Patel set a new ninth-wicket record in meetings with the south coast county.Chris Woakes helped set up the run spree with an attractive half-century and the England seam bowler tightened Warwickshire’s grip by dismissing Ed Joyce and Luke Wells as the visitors closed on 103 for 3 in reply. Chris Nash provided some welcome respite for Sussex with 52 until he was bowled by Patel’s third delivery, but they are still 418 behind, needing a further 269to avoid the follow-on.The mauling may not have come as a surprise to a Sussex team who have been enveloped by a Birmingham jinx after registering only one championship victory at Edgbaston in 50 years. Michael Yardy was not helped by Amjad Khan’s absence from the match because of a heel injury, which effectively left the captain with a front-line attack of three bowlers who shared three-quarters of the workload.James Anyon emerged from the turmoil with a fifth wicket for 136, when Barker was last out angling a catch to Yardy at slip, and Monty Panesar shouldered the heaviest burden with 49 overs, although he did not add to his three wickets on the opening day.The game was still finely balanced when Warwickshire, having benefited from a number of dropped chances, resumed on 261 for 6 after an hour’s delay because of rain. The overnight partnership of Woakes and Tim Ambrose reached 127 before the former went for 74, cutting a ball from Anyon to Will Adkin at point.But Ambrose carried on until the afternoon before he was run out by a deflection from the bowler, Olly Rayner. While Woakes went for his shots in another innings confirming his allrounder status, Ambrose wore Sussex down, content with seven boundaries in more thanfour hours as he batted through 73 overs for 73.Barker’s innings was altogether different, a whirlwind of strokes with a six and 17 fours from 137 balls, and Patel was no less effective as he drove Panesar and Rayner for sixes before he was caught and bowled by Nash for 65.

The Pakistan board has voiced its concern over a growing interference from “a number of political functionaries” in the Shahid Afridi issue, which it said was “essentially an internal disciplinary matter”.”It is disappointing that despite Afridi pleading guilty to the offences, some political functionaries are extending their support with a view to influencing the disciplinary process being followed by PCB,” Ijaz Butt, the board’s chairman, said. “An understanding needs to be developed among all stakeholders, media and the politicians that no one is above the law and that, for maintaining discipline within the team, it is absolutely imperative that we carry out this process without any fear or favour.”PCB has been criticised for being ineffective in the past in the context of discipline. It would now appear an attempt by some forces to prevent the board from implementing the code of conduct may well damage Pakistan Cricket, if they continue to lend support to Afridi and exert undue pressure on PCB for their ‘non-cricketing’ interests.”Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister, was one politician who had pledged to get involved. “I will do whatever I can to resolve this issue, as I am equally a fan of Afridi,” Malik had said on Twitter. Malik had success in such matters in the past, having mediated a peace between former chairman Nasim Ashraf and Shoaib Akhtar in 2008.Butt, however, is also politically well-covered. He is appointed directly by the president of the country and board patron Asif Ali Zardari.

The absence of several senior players for the upcoming tour of the West Indies provides an ideal platform for fringe players to shine on the international stage, Suresh Raina, India’s captain for the limited-overs leg of the Caribbean tour, has said.”It’s a great opportunity for the youngsters who have done well in domestic cricket,” Raina told the media ahead of the team’s departure for the West Indies. “I am happy with the side, as we have some very good batsmen in Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, S Badrinath and Shikhar Dhawan, all of whom have done well in first-class cricket.”Raina, has led a similarly second-string Indian side in the past, for a tri-series Zimbabwe in May-June 2010, though India performed poorly on that tour, losing both matches against the hosts and one against Sri Lanka.This time, India are without the services of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan, who have all been rested, in addition to the ill Yuvraj Singh, and the injured duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir for the lone Twenty20 and the five ODIs that follow. MS Dhoni will take over the captaincy from Raina for the Tests, and Zaheer will return, but the other seniors will miss the Test leg as well.Raina said he has learnt a lot about the art of captaincy from Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Dhoni, and was prepared for the challenge.”West Indies have players like Gayle missing, but it will be a challenge for us,” Raina said. “There’s always pressure and we have done well under pressure. It’s for us as players to execute the plans of the coach well. We have to play our natural game.”The tour will be the first assignment for India’s newly-appointed coach Duncan Fletcher, who said he was a supporter of the rotation policy. “While I was in England [Fletcher coached England between 1999 and 2007], I started the rotation policy resting senior guys,” Fletcher said. “I was heavily criticised by the English authorities. It’s important to do that considering the heavy schedule. We need to look into the matter as we go into the future.”He said he looked forward to working with the youngsters, but cautioned against complacency. ” Any team playing at home is difficult to beat. We should not be complacent. There is a lot of talent in India and my job is to prepare these youngsters.”Yes, we would like to beat England in England and Australia in Australia. But the first job is the tour of the West Indies. It’s very important not to look too far down the road. India have a plan to stay at the top. The young players have the potential and this tour will show the depth of talent we have.”He also said that the club versus country debate is something that just has to be dealt with. “That’s the way it is in modern day sports. We have to ensure that all the players are fit enough.”India’s tour of the West Indies kicks off with a T20 game on Friday in Port of Spain.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has said that his side’s inability to capitalise on the key moments led to their seven-wicket loss against Pakistan in the second ODI in St Lucia.”We could have tried to squeeze their batsmen more and when we batted we got a good start, but did not capitalise on it,” Sammy said. “We weren’t rolled over today. We kept ourselves in the match right to the finish. There were moments when things could have gone either way, but we didn’t make it happen.”We have to find a way to win those tight situations. We have to win in Barbados to stay alive in the series, so we have to grab our chances.”Lendl Simmons was the only West Indies batsmen to score over 30, or manage a strike-rate in excess of 80. As a result, West Indies finished with a below-par score of 220 that was easily chased down. Even in the first ODI, West Indies’ made just 221, where only Darren Bravo who got past 30.Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi praised the “discipline” shown by his side and said Pakistan were reaping the benefits of sticking to the gameplan. “We made a plan at our team meeting and our guys stuck to it and that was good,” Afridi said.”I think our bowlers are doing a great job, and the fielding has improved because it is a very important area for us. Our batting has shown responsibility and we hope to maintain this discipline right throughout the series.”Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad, who was named the Man of the Match, anchored Pakistan’s chase with his second ODI century. “Shehzad is a very talented guy,” Afridi said, “and he showed that he is capable of performing. He took his time, but chasing a small total, he could afford to do that and we won the game.””We tried to keep wickets in hand,” Shehzad said, of the way he paced his innings. “It was not a huge total so I knew that I had to control my strokeplay and not get carried away.”The third ODI will be played on Thursday in Barbados. Pakistan lead the five-match series 2-0.