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Offspinner Anisa Mohammed carried her fine form from the ODI series into the Twenty20 format as she helped set up a comfortable four-wicket win for West Indies in the second T20 game in St Andrew’s

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2011
ScorecardOffspinner Anisa Mohammed carried her fine form from the ODI series into the Twenty20 format as she helped set up a comfortable four-wicket win for West Indies in the second T20 game in St Andrew’s.Pakistan elected to bat, but started poorly losing openers Javeria Khan and Nida Dar – both to Pearl Etienne – with just 10 runs on the board. They never recovered from the poor start and lost their remaining eight wickets for just 55 runs. Mohammed ran through the middle and lower order, picking up four wickets, as Pakistan was routed for 65 in just under 19 overs.West Indies’ chase started poorly as their openers too departed early with the score on just three. Merissa Aguilleira (11) and Deandra Dottin (10) steadied the innings, and Stacy-Ann King, who top scored with an unbeaten 32, stayed firm to carry her side to victory.West Indies lead the four-match series 2-0. The next game will be played at Providence on September 10.

N Srinivasan, the new president of the BCCI, has said the board does not intend to take any special measures to address India’s poor performance on the recent tour of England

Tariq Engineer19-Sep-2011Despite India not winning a single international match on their tour of England, N Srinivasan, the new BCCI president, has said the board is not planning a special inquiry into the team’s poor performance. India were beaten 0-4 in the Test series, 0-3 in the five-match ODI series and lost the solitary Twenty20 as well in England. The board and players faced criticism for poor preparation, poor form, questionable selection and a spate of injuries that could be put down to poor management and bad luck.”I don’t like to lose,” Srinivasan said after the board’s annual general meeting in Mumbai. “And the BCCI can’t wait to get back to the top spot. But we have not formed any committee to look into it [the tour of England].”The India players have had a hectic schedule in 2011. Following the end of the tour of South Africa in January, they played the World Cup, the IPL and the tour of West Indies before travelling to England without a significant rest in between any assignment. Players such as Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir carried injuries through the IPL, while Zaheer Khan turned up in England looking unfit.Injuries meant the balance of India’s side was severely affected in all formats of the game. They failed to score more than 300 in eight Test innings and their bowling attack struggled to contain England’s batsmen in all formats.Srinivasan, however, disagreed with the argument that India played too much cricket, saying the BCCI had compared the number of days other countries play to that of India, and found not much of a difference. “It must be mentioned that, except for a few players, most don’t play all three formats of the game,” Srinivasan said. “And the players who do play all three formats were not the ones who got injured [in England].”We have an excellent facility at the National Cricket Academy (NCA),” Srinivasan said, when asked about injury management. “As good as any in the world. Players can go there and get themselves rehabilitated.” According to him, no player was selected for the national side without being cleared by the NCA first.When asked about how the BCCI plans to manage player injuries during the IPL, Srinivasan said that Sundar Raman, the league’s chief executive officer, had been instructed to ensure the franchises report injuries to the NCA.Srinivasan said the team had performed worse than expected, but pointed out that two months ago the team had won the World Cup. “We did not have our best team together from the beginning [in England].”

Michael Hussey’s Twenty20 Champions League duty for Chennai Super Kings has ruled him out of Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield opener, against Tasmania at the WACA ground

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2011Michael Hussey’s Twenty20 Champions League duty for Chennai Super Kings has ruled him out of Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield opener, against Tasmania at the WACA ground from Tuesday.Having been the undisputed man of the series for Australia against Sri Lanka in September, plucking the match award in all three Tests, Hussey flew direct from Sri Lanka to India for the CLT20, and then back to Perth in time to train with the Warriors ahead of their first domestic fixture.However the national selectors have decided to withdraw Hussey from the match, allowing him time to rest and rejoin his family before flying off again as part of the Australia ODI squad to face South Africa. Their decision reflects the impact of the CLT20 on player schedules, for Ricky Ponting, Xavier Doherty and Mitchell Johnson, all due to fly to South Africa at the conclusion of the Shield match, will take part having missed the T20 event.Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s general manager, said the call was made with consideration to Hussey’s workload, but also his outstanding batting form of recent times. As a point of contrast, Ponting has played nine days of cricket since the start of the Sri Lanka Test series – returning home mid-series for the birth of his second child – while Hussey has been involved in 18.”The NSP took into account all the various factors in making this decision,” Brown said. “Michael was Man of the Match in all three Test matches on Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka and has just returned from the CLT20, so his recent workload has been significant. Looking at all the coming international fixtures, it was decided that it is best for Michael if he sits out this week’s Sheffield Shield fixture in Perth, in advance of his Friday night flight to South Africa.”Queensland, meanwhile, have been dealt a one-two punch on the eve of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the Gabba, losing the captain James Hopes and young batsman Chris Lynn to injury.Hopes suffered a jarred knee in the Bulls’ limited overs victory over the Bushrangers on Sunday night, while Lynn sustained a hamstring strain. It was thought prudent to keep the duo out of the match given that another one day fixture against Tasmania in Mackay following closely on the heels of the Shield game.Chris Hartley, the Bulls’ wicketkeeper, will captain the hosts in place of Hopes, having also deputised at times last summer.The withdrawals took place on the same day that CA announced the healthcare group Bupa had signed on as the Shield’s sponsor for the next three summers. The conglomerate replaces Weetbix after its own three-year association expired.”Health, sport and physical activity are a logical mix – CA and Bupa objectives are closely aligned, with each being committed to promotion of healthy lifestyles,” James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, said. “In particular, we are both committed to promoting physical activity as an important contributor to life-long good health.”The Sheffield Shield has a rich tradition, is a critically important part of Australian cricket’s success and it is pleasing to have Bupa’s support promoting its continued success.”The company had previously been engaged by CA as the provider of health insurance for the national team.

Jayde Herrick and Glenn Maxwell combined to run through Tasmania’s top order and give Victoria the edge at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2011
ScorecardJayde Herrick and Glenn Maxwell combined to run through Tasmania’s top order and give Victoria the edge at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The pair picked up six wickets between them to reduce Tasmania to 67 for 6, before Alex Doolan stalled Victoria’s charge with an unbeaten 73. Doolan was kept company by Luke Butterworth, who ended the day on 42 not out. Their unbroken stand stood at 103 at stumps, with Tasmania still 192 behind.Earlier in the day, Victoria pushed on from 299 for 6 to 362, on the back of a century from Matthew Wade. Victoria lost Clint McKay off the third ball of the morning, but Wade and James Pattinson – who remained unbeaten on 27 – made sure the side got past 350. James Faulkner, Xavier Doherty and Evan Gulbis finished with three wickets each for Tasmania.

It was the older players who dominated the opening night of the brand-new Big Bash League, on which the Sydney Sixers thumped the Brisbane Heat at the Sydney Cricket Ground

Alex Malcolm 16-Dec-2011
ScorecardStuart MacGill showed he had not lost his abilities•Getty Images

Who said Twenty20 was a young man’s game? The bright lights, fluorescent pink uniforms, fireworks and cheerleaders were all pitched at the younger audience. But it was the older players who dominated the opening night of the brand-new Big Bash League, on which the Sydney Sixers thumped the Brisbane Heat at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Forty-year-old Stuart MacGill, playing his first professional match since retiring in May 2008, and 35-year-old Brett Lee bowled tight spells to restrict the Heat to 8 for 139 from their 20 overs before Sixers captain, the 34-year-old Australia Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, made 76 off just 59 balls to help steer his side home by seven wickets.On a sluggish surface, the Sixers drew first blood, literally, when Lee struck Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand keeper-batsman, square between the eyes. McCullum, who is the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 internationals, was forced to retire hurt with blood pouring from the bridge of his nose.The Sixers quicks mixed up their pace well as Heat pair Matthew Hayden and James Hopes battled to find any fluency with their stroke-play. Hopes was the first to fall when he holed out at long-off to a Dwayne Bravo slower ball.Then MacGill took control. In three years out of the game it seemed he had gained more control than he ever had. He bowled with wonderful guile and skill. Given he had only played a handful of Grade games in preparation for the tournament he showed that skilled players never lose their ability.First he defeated McCullum in flight, tossing the ball above McCullum’s swollen eyes and getting him to advance and miscue to long off.Then MacGill clean bowled his former Test team-mate Hayden for 29 with one that dipped and spun back sharply. Hayden looked rusty in his 28-ball stay. He showed brief glimpses of his abilities and will undoubtedly be better for the time in the middle.MacGill finished with 2 for 21 from four quality overs, and might have had three wickets if Brett Lee had not unfortunately fallen onto the rope and dropped the ball after he had taken a brilliant catch off Andrew Robinson.Dan Christian, a New South Welshman who lives in Adelaide but is representing Brisbane for this Big Bash tournament only, was the only Heat batsman to get going. He made 32 from 22 before holing out in the deep of Mitchell Starc. Peter Forrest fell in the same manner, Steven Smith completing an outstanding catch while having to play hop-scotch to avoid stepping on the rope.The Sixers captain, Haddin, then made a mockery of a slow surface by playing with fluency and sublime timing. His 76 included five fours and five enormous sixes. He clubbed 16 from one Alistair McDermott over, first lofting straight for six, then backing away and lofting over cover for four, before pulling the last ball over fine leg and into the stands. He later thumped consecutive sixes off Nathan Hauritz, the second hitting the upper deck of the Ladies’ Stand. He fell to the only ball he mis-hit, but the damage was done. The Sixers cruised home with nine balls to spare, and without using the services of Dwayne Bravo or Ed Cowan.The Sixers look a sharp outfit with plenty of experience and depth, and they have started the tournament in fine fashion.

A round-up of matches from the Caribbean T20 on January 17

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2012Windward Islands surged to their third win in as many games and cemented their spot at the head of Group A with a 22-run win against Leeward Islands at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Batting first, Windward were on their way quickly, through an electric 42-run opening stand in three overs between Johnson Charles and Miles Bascombe. Gavin Tonge then helped Leeward recover ground with three quick strikes. Justin Athanaze shackled Windward in the middle overs with a spell of 3 for 12 in four overs, while Devon Smith anchored proceedings with 31 off 29 balls. Darren Sammy and Shane Shillingford provided the closing fireworks, slugging four sixes and three fours in all, off the 25 balls they faced between the two of them. Windward were bowled out for 157 with a ball to spare.Leeward’s chase was propelled in ideal fashion by their openers Kieran Powell and Austin Richards, their 45-run stand coming off 6.1 overs. Chesney Hughes maintained the momentum with 25 off 13 balls, but the innings slumped once Shillingford’s offspin came into the picture. He had Hughes stumped and proceeded to slice through the middle order to finish with 4 for 22. Three run-outs did not help Leeward’s cause, and they were bowled out in the 20th over. They have now lost three of their four games.The only solace for Leeward came from Canada who remained winless after three games, thanks to an eight-wicket loss against Guyana at the Kensington Oval. Canada gave a creditable account of themselves with the bat, with Ruvindu Gunasekara (38 off 28) and Jimmy Hansra (40 off 36) providing the platform for a score of 143 for 7. But the total proved insufficient for their bowlers to defend, and Guyana sped to the target in 17 overs. Narsingh Deonarine was the top scorer, with 52 off 32 balls including four fours and two sixes.

Jos Buttler hammered a 56-ball hundred as England Lions won the 1st unofficial ODI against Sri Lanka A by 68 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2012
ScorecardFile photo: Jos Buttler struck the first limited-overs century of his career•Getty Images

Somerset’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler confirmed some of his potential as one of the most promising of England’s one-day prospects, with the first limited-overs century of his career against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla. Buttler hammered a 56-ball hundred to build on the good work from another tyro, Alex Hales, and his Somerset team-mate Craig Kieswetter as England Lions racked up 335 for 5 on their way to a 68-run win in the first unofficial ODI.Another fresh face, that of Nathan Buck, did the damage with the ball, outshining the more experienced opening pair of Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes to take 4 for 39 as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 267. Samit Patel also chipped in with three wickets to remind the selectors of his ample abilities ahead of England’s forthcoming one-day commitments in the United Arab Emirates.Sri Lanka A, whose line-up included full internationals of the calibre of Surav Randiv, Thilina Kandamby and Seekkuge Prasanna, got their reply off to a brisk start but lost wickets at regular intervals. Despite contributions right down the order, they were bowled out with 27 balls of their innings remaining, with Kandamby’s 54 the top score.England’s performance showcased the talents of several of their next generation. Hales, who fell six short of his own hundred, and Buttler have already played in a handful of Twenty20 internationals, while James Taylor, the Lions captain, and Jonny Bairstow have been introduced to one-day international cricket in the last 12 months.Taylor had expressed the hope that England’s batsmen would click in Sri Lanka but, after losing the toss and being put in, the Lions fell to 47 for 2 in the 10th over. Following Joe Root’s dismissal for 18, Taylor managed just 5, to bring his tally in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to 181 from eight innings. That brought Bairstow to wicket, however, and he and Hales put on 120 in 23 overs to regain the momentum, before the Yorkshire man fell to Kosala Kulasakera for 47.Hales went shortly after but Kieswetter helped up the tempo with a 38-ball 50 – before becoming Thilan Thushara’s third wicket – as he and Buttler added 100 in 12 overs. The 21-year-old Buttler then saw to it that England would post an unassailable total, adding 56 in partnership with Patel from the final four overs – of which Patel’s contribution amounted to a seven-ball 5.

The emerging allrounder Mitchell Marsh has suffered a major setback after being told he must not bowl for the rest of this season due to a stress injury in his back

Brydon Coverdale17-Feb-2012

Australia squad for Brisbane ODI

Ricky Ponting (captain), David Warner (vice-captain), George Bailey, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, Ben Hilfenhaus, Jon Holland, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade

The emerging allrounder Mitchell Marsh has suffered a major setback after being told he must not bowl for the rest of this season due to a stress injury in his back. As a result, Marsh will not play in the remainder of the Commonwealth Bank Series but his time-frame for a comeback won’t be determined until he has scans in Melbourne on Saturday.Marsh, 20, has been part of Australia’s squad throughout the tri-series but could not oust his fellow allrounder Daniel Christian from the side. After a lengthy spell in the SCG nets on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s match against Sri Lanka, Marsh told the team physio Alex Kountouris of pain in his back and scans revealed the problem.”Mitch complained of quite significant lower-back pain during yesterday’s training session at the SCG,” Kountouris said. “After assessing him and considering his age we organised scans in Sydney last night that have confirmed our suspicions of a lower-back bone stress injury.
“He will have further scans tomorrow in Melbourne to determine the extent of the injury, which will help outline the period of rest required from cricket. We expect that he will not play as a bowler for the remainder of this season but will be in a position to provide further information once we have the results of tomorrow’s scans.”Michael Clarke will not return to the squad for the next CB Series fixture, against India in Brisbane on February 19, as he has not yet fully recovered from a right hamstring injury. George Bailey, the Tasmania batsman, has been added to the squad as a standby batsman. Ricky Ponting will continue to captain the team in Clarke’s absence.Victorian spinner Jon Holland, who was called up as backup for Xavier Doherty, will remain in the squad, though Doherty recovered from back spasms to play against Sri Lanka in Sydney on February 17.Clarke, who missed the game against Sri Lanka with a grade one hamstring strain, had initially said he hoped to be back for the Brisbane match, but will sit it out on advice from Kountouris. “Michael Clarke is progressing well in his recovery from a right hamstring injury but remains unavailable for selection in Brisbane,” Kountouris said. “His availability for the ODI in Hobart will be determined early next week.”
Bailey had captained Australia in the Twenty20s against India, without having played a game for Australia before, and has now been earmarked for a spot in the one-day team. “This selection is recognition that the national selection panel consider George the next batsman in line for Australian one-day selection,” Mickey Arthur, Australia coach and member of the selection panel, said.

Delhi Daredevils have picked Victoria allrounder Glenn Maxwell and South Africa batsman Gulam Bodi in their squad for the upcoming IPL season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2012Delhi Daredevils have picked Victoria allrounder Glenn Maxwell and South Africa batsman Gulam Bodi in their squad for the upcoming IPL season, in place of Colin Ingram and Travis Birt.Maxwell, 23, has played 14 List A games, averaging 25.44 and has picked up nine wickets at 37.55 in the format. He holds the record for the fastest half-century, off 17 balls, in domestic List A cricket in Australia. He’s also played 11 first-class matches, a format he’s fared better in, and as many Twenty20 games.”When Aashish [Kapoor, the Daredevils team manager] and I watched Glenn in the Emerging Players’ Tournament in Australia in July last, we saw him as a player of immense potential who loves being in the contest,” the Daredevils team mentor TA Sekar said in a release. “When we watched him bat, we were reminded of how we had spotted David Warner in 2008. We believe Glenn will play for Australia soon.”Besides being a dashing batsman, Glenn is a solid offspinner and an amazing fielder, with infectious enthusiasm,” Sekar said. “A multi-skilled player like him will add immense value to the side.”Bodi, 33, has played two ODIs and a Twenty20 for South Africa. He made his first-class debut in 1996-97 and since then has played 131 List A matches in which he’s averaged 32.40. He’s also played 64 Twenty20s, averaging 29.29 with a highest of 98 not out. Sekar said he remains a middle-order option.”Gulam was the best available replacement, given that we had to find someone within Birt’s base price,” he said. “Just the other day, he made a belligerent 90 off 51 balls with seven fours and five sixes for the Lions against the Warriors in the Twenty20 Challenge in South Africa.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who had an injured groin, but four other overseas players performed roles expected of them to give the campaign a successful start

The Report by George Binoy07-Apr-2012Royal Challengers Bangalore 157 for 8 (de Villiers 64*, Bracewell 3-32) beat Delhi Daredevils 137 for 7 (Murali 3-25) by 20 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAB de Villiers scored a well-paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional•Associated Press

Royal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who had an injured groin, but four other overseas players performed roles expected of them to give the campaign a successful start in front of a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium. AB de Villiers prevented Royal Challengers from finishing on a below-par score with a well paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional, while Muttiah Muralitharan, in his first game in these colours, confounded Delhi Daredevils’ batsmen during an incisive, economical and match-turning spell.Delhi Daredevils’ major Indian stars also failed, with Irfan Pathan leaking 47 runs in a wicketless spell and Virender Sehwag making a duck in the chase. The visitors were competitive due to Doug Bracewell’s performance with the ball and in the field, Morne Morkel’s pace and bounce, and a cameo from Naman Ojha. That collective effort, however, was no match for the wealth of talent and experience of Royal Challengers’ overseas performers.De Villiers began his innings with Royal Challengers on 46 for 2 in six overs, and watched that platform erode because of regular wickets at the other end. That start had been given by Andrew McDonald, who targeted Irfan and the straight boundary to take 19 runs off the third over. McDonald’s flurry ended when Bracewell sprinted back and to his right from mid-on, watching the ball over his head, and lunged full length to hold stupendous catch with one hand.De Villiers scored at a run a ball for his first 22 deliveries, losing three partners on the way, and then launched Bracewell over extra cover to bring up the team’s 100 in the 14th over. And then he began to turn it on, mixing deft glances and sweeps to the fine-leg boundary with audacious reverse-hits to third man. He hit Irfan for two such boundaries, getting into position early and reverse-swatting full tosses, one over the rope and the other short of it. De Villiers crashed another straight drive past the bowler, Bracewell, in the final over but could not get on strike for the final three deliveries, and so Royal Challengers could not get past 160. Bracewell finished the innings clinically for Daredevils, taking wickets with the final two balls to end on 3 for 32.It was a heartening performance from Daredevils, considering they had lost Umesh Yadav to an injury after he bowled two overs for eight runs.The start of Daredevils’ chase was promising as well, with Aaron Finch threading the first three balls from Zaheer Khan to the boundary between point and cover. Sehwag, however, slapped his first ball to cover point and was caught. McDonald was economical at first change for Royal Challengers but Finch and Ojha steadied the chase, reaching 46 for 1 after six overs.It was at this point that Daniel Vettori and Murali began to bowl in tandem, and peg Daredevils back. Finch was dropped at short third man in Vettori’s first over, and Ojha by wicketkeeper de Villiers off Murali’s first ball. Two balls later, however, Murali had Ojha edging to slip. And in his next over, he had Finch lbw, reducing Daredevils to 68 for 3 after ten overs. Vettori and Murali were so effective that, after scoring 12 runs off his first three balls, Finch was dismissed for 24 off 25.The pressure created by Murali’s first spell of 3-0-11-3 was so much that Daredevils struggled to rediscover their momentum. Irfan struck a few big blows towards the end to spoil some bowling analyses but it had been Royal Challengers’ game since the 13th over of the chase, when the asking-rate inched over 10 while the spinners were being parsimonious.