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Dawid Malan’s unbeaten 113, backed up by an impressive bowling display, earned Middlesex a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis win against Gloucestershire at Lord’s which keeps alive their hopes of qualifying for the YB40 semi-finals.

15-Aug-2013
ScorecardDawid Malan made a fine unbeaten hundred•Getty ImagesDawid Malan’s unbeaten 113, backed up by an impressive bowling display, earned Middlesex a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis win against Gloucestershire at Lord’s which keeps alive their hopes of qualifying for the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-finals.Gloucestershire’s own chances of making it out of Group C received a heavy blow as they could make only 186 for 9 in reply to Middlesex’s 206 for 5.A short shower, which interrupted the early part of the Middlesex innings, led to the match becoming a 38-over per side affair, with Gloucestershire’s target being adjusted to 206 under the Duckworth-Lewis calculations.Malan underpinned the Middlesex batting effort with his first hundred of a prolific YB40 season, facing 116 balls and hitting two sixes and nine fours in taking his run tally for the competition to 552 at an average of 78.85.Eoin Morgan, unusually becalmed as he laboured through 48 balls, was Middlesex’s next best scorer with 22 and at the halfway stage it seemed as if Gloucestershire, joint top of Group C when the match began with 13 points from their previous nine games, were well in contention. But Steven Finn and James Harris both snatched wickets in their opening overs and by the time they had finished their five-over new balls spells Gloucestershire’s batsmen were already struggling to keep up with the required rate.Finn, given fresh hope of an England Test return next week by news of Tim Bresnan’s stress fracture injury, had Hamish Marshall caught at point from the first ball of the innings, and then Harris pulled off a smart return catch to remove Chris Dent for 2. Much depended on Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger, whose 46 took his own YB40 run tally to 575 at 95.83, and for a while he was well supported by Ian Cockbain in a stand of 81 for the third wicket.But Cockbain then skied to mid-off, charging at Gareth Berg’s medium pace, and Klinger – who had also been dropped on 13 and 19 – was stumped as he went down the pitch to try to heave a ball from left-arm spinner Ravi Patel into the Grandstand.Patel then had Alex Gidman leg before wicket for 19 and Harris returned to bowl James Fuller for just 1. Benny Howell straight drove Toby Roland-Jones for six and swung him for another maximum next ball, but on 39 his bright effort ended with a skied catch to extra cover off the impressive Harris, who finished with 3 for 30.There were also two wickets for Roland-Jones as Gloucestershire’s late order swung with increasing desperation, with Gareth Roderick going for 13 and Ed Young for 12.Malan was the only Middlesex batsman to get on top of some disciplined but largely unthreatening Gloucestershire bowling, with slow left-armer Young perhaps the pick of the attack with some clever variations of pace.Paul Stirling fell to the first ball of the second over, inside-edging a drive into his stumps against Craig Miles, but Malan added 51 in just under 10 overs with Joe Denly for the second wicket before Denly was caught at extra cover for 21 from a leading edge as he looked to force medium-pacer Howell straight.Morgan looked completely out of touch on a two-paced pitch, struggling through 45 balls for a mere 15 runs before lofting Miles over long-on for six for what proved to be his only boundary. On 22, and having been very much the junior partner in a stand of 65 with Malan, he tried a big hit at Chris Dent’s occasional left-arm spin and skied to Klinger to end a curiously subdued innings from one of cricket’s most destructive one-day batsmen.Neil Dexter did manage to increase the scoring rate with 20 from 21 balls, helping Malan to put on a further 58 in eight overs for the fourth wicket, but he then mishit to point trying to slash away a ball from left-arm seamer David Payne.Gareth Berg fell cheaply, bowled for three by Fuller, but Malan celebrated reaching his first YB40 century of the season by swinging Payne for six over the long deep midwicket boundary and, in the final over of the innings from Fuller, he added a second six to the same area. With John Simpson also taking a four from Fuller’s last over, Middlesex’s total was pushed above 200.

New Zealand have accepted they must manage the later stages of Daniel Vettori’s career with care after he was ruled out of the Headingley Test

David Hopps23-May-2013Daniel Vettori’s distinguished Test career is not about to be “swept away”, in the words of his captain Brendon McCullum, but even as he returns to fitness New Zealand have accepted they must manage the later stages of his career with care after reluctantly ruling him out of the second Test against England at Headingley.Vettori was enthusiastic enough to jump on a plane and travel around the world to try to bail out New Zealand but not fit enough to play. He has sat on the bench throughout the 2013 IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore and now, eight months after his last New Zealand appearance at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, New Zealand are facing up to the fact that, at 34, his workload will never be the same again.”It’s something we’re going to have to discuss down the track,” McCullum admitted. “It’s going to be a rolling conversation that we need to have with Dan as to what he needs to prioritise with where he’s at in his career.”It would be nice to think that he’d be able to play every game in all three forms but it’s not realistic. I certainly see a place for him in the team. It would be silly for us to sweep away 112 Test matches, nearly 400 wickets and six Test centuries.”He jumped on a plane as soon as he got the phone call. He’s a great guy to have around, a tremendous player and he’s always keen to help out the NZ cricket team. But he didn’t scrub up that well today and the confidence to go into a five-day game with the workload he’s had was just a bridge too far.”It was a very rational decision from all of us on Dan. He wasn’t quite confident he’d be able to get through the entire five days and he didn’t want to let the team down.”McCullum was honest enough to admit that the wish to protect Vettori’s fitness for the Champions Trophy influenced their decision. When it comes to surviving a five-day Test, there is no substitute for match practice, especially if that substitute is in an inactive series at the IPL and a lifestyle based upon lightweight training sessions, internal flights and a room service menu.”I guess that was one of the things we looked at as well,” McCullum said. “In terms of his playing opportunity in this game, would we sacrifice the coming few weeks? That wasn’t the right thing for Dan or for us.”

Sussex haven’t won at The Oval since 1994 but have a chance to break that run after building up a good lead and asking Surrey to bat out the final day for a draw

Alex Winter at The Oval26-Apr-2013
ScorecardLuke Wells made his highest first-class score•Getty ImagesSussex haven’t won at The Oval since 1994 but have a chance to break that run after building up a good lead and asking Surrey to bat out the final day for a draw.Graeme Smith, Surrey’s captain, led an excellent riposte as his side faced 17 overs before the close with an unbeaten 43 in 46 balls. He will be relieved after failing in his first two innings for his new club but will know tomorrow’s biggest challenge may well be against Monty Panesar on a wearing wicket.Panesar may be the only hope for a positive result on a surface that appears to be getting slower and lower. Sussex would have liked more than their solitary success by the close, Steve Magoffin swinging a full ball into Rory Burns who drove and edged behind, but the reality is the wicket is not competitive enough.Panesar’s initial burst on the third evening did not suggest he can win the match on day four. Smith biffed his first over for 14, putting a full toss past mid-off, a half-volley past mid-on and a short ball through square leg. Smith has already negated a much-vaunted English spinner on this ground in the past 12 months – Graeme Swann finding no joy in the Test match last July – and Smith will undoubtedly seek to unsettle Panesar tomorrow en route to a morale-boosting draw.His side have been on the back foot for the past two days, having failed to take advantage of being 247 for 3 in their first innings. They crumbled to the second new ball, whereas Sussex thrived against it on the third morning and picked up the scoring rate.Luke Wells predicted a fresh ball would be easier to score against and so it proved as he and Ed Joyce extended their partnership to exactly 200 before Joyce, like he did in the season opener at Headingley, failed to move through the 90s and was bowled by a Gareth Batty slider. It was the high point in Batty’s day. He recorded an undesirable career record, with the most expensive innings figures he has sent down in the Championship.Matt Prior played around with him in a typically jaunty half-century in 36 balls. Batty tossed it up just outside off stump and went over extra-cover; he bowled straighter and went past fine leg; he bowled flatter and went past backward point. Prior was a breath of fresh air that broke up what was an uninspiring day as the contest between bat and ball that thrived on the second afternoon was totally lost.Luke Well was the beneficiary, going through to a career-best 208. The way he plays suggests that he is not one to waste opportunities. He took full advantage to become only the fourth Sussex batsman, after CB Fry, Murray Goodwin and Ranjitsinhji to make a double century against Surrey. It was also the highest individual score by anyone in a first-class match involving these two teams and the first Sussex double-hundred at The Oval since 1903.His century was completed off Vikram Solanki on Thursday and it was the same bowler that allowed Wells to flick to deep point to bring up his double hundred as he emulated his father, Alan – whose sole Test cap came at The Oval – and uncle, Colin, in scoring double centuries in the County Championship.”Luke was brilliant,” Sussex captain Ed Joyce said, “200 from a young man is an incredible achievement. It’s great that he’s got runs because he failed in the first game and didn’t look in great nick but it’s good to know that everyone’s now got a few.”He loves batting. When he got his hundred he was talking straight away about getting 150 and then 200. He just keeps going and it’s great to see because even if he’s in bad form, if he does get that score he’ll make it a big one. He’s got a bright future for sure.”

Jonathan Trott has said the team should aim to improve the 3-1 margin of victory they secured there in 2010-11

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2013England batsman Jonathan Trott has said the team shouldn’t try to recreate history when they visit Australia next winter.”It will be important to hopefully retain the Ashes over here, but then go to Australia and not try to emulate what happened,” Trott said, speaking to Alison Mitchell on ESPNcricinfo.”Try to do it again based on what we did last time, I think that would be quite dangerous. I don’t think there’s one recipe for everything. We need to go there and see how it goes, and who knows, try to win even more than before, not try to recreate history but just do it in its own way and set standards for ourselves.”England have a big year ahead, with two Ashes series within six months of each other, five Tests against New Zealand (three away and two home) and a Champions Trophy at home. They are currently No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings, just five points below South Africa.Trott, who scored a hundred and a half-century in England’s historic Test series win in India, has been rested from the ongoing one-day series. He backed Ashley Giles, his former Warwickshire coach, to do well in his role as England’s limited-overs coach, and said he was the “best man for the job”.”He’s done his years with Warwickshire and learnt about being a coach,” Trott said of Giles. “I think it can be quite tricky coming straight from being a player to being a coach. He knows the lines between being a mate and being a coach, and what’s expected of you and what’s expected of himself. So I think the English team of the future, in one-day cricket, is looking pretty good. There’s a lot of one-day cricket, another Champions Trophy – something we want to really do well in.”Trott credited Giles with helping him regain his focus while at Warwickshire and getting him ready for Test cricket. “He had a lot of experience to draw on from what happened in his career – media, pressure, and getting the most out of his talent. He probably saw me as a guy not doing things quite right and could probably do better. He sat me down and said, ‘I think you’re going about your business in the wrong fashion, maybe tinker with a few things here and there.'”

Thilan Samaraweera has indicated he would like to retire from international cricket in a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket, but the board is yet to accept his retirement

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Mar-2013Thilan Samaraweera has indicated he would like to retire from international cricket in a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket, but the board is yet to accept his retirement.”He has sent a letter saying he would like to retire from all three segments of the game, but we have told him to have a talk with the selectors before we make a final call,” SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said. Samaraweera is expected to meet with the selectors on Wednesday.Samaraweera was one of 22 players who signed their national contracts on Monday after a 24-hour lock out over the weekend, but he was not named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on Friday.At 36, Samaraweera was the oldest member of Sri Lanka’s touring party to Australia, where he was woeful with the bat, making 79 runs in six Test innings. He reclaimed form in Sri Lanka’s first class competition, hitting 464 runs at an average of 92.80 in four matches.Samaraweera was originally left out of Sri Lanka’s preliminary Test squad for the Bangladesh series, but was later called up when Mahela Jayawardene’s finger injury ruled him out of the series. He could not find a place in the final 16, however.Samaraweera’s decision was likely brought on as much by a lack of Tests for Sri Lanka in 2013, as his non-selection. Apart from the two home Tests in March against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka have only one away tour to Zimbabwe – which it is understood Samaraweera was unlikely to attend – before a scheduled year-end tour to Pakistan. He has also signed for a full county season with Worcestershire for 2013.Though he had received a central contract from SLC, the selectors had expressed a desire to build a youthful Test side in 2013, and Samaraweera was unlikely to play a major role in what little Test cricket Sri Lanka had scheduled.

Former selector Mohinder Amarnath has pointed the finger at the BCCI president, N Srinivasan, for overruling the selectors’ unanimous call for sacking of MS Dhoni as captain after the two whitewashes in England and in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2012Mohinder Amarnath, the former India selector, has said it was the BCCI president, N Srinivasan, who overruled the selectors’ unanimous call for sacking of MS Dhoni as captain after the two whitewashes in England and Australia. “The Board President did not approve the unanimous decision to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Amarnath told .Post the Test debacle in Australia, Amarnath said, the selectors wanted to appoint a young captain for the triangular one-day series that followed, but their decision was overturned.”We selected the team for the triangular series, selected 17 players but we did not select the captain,” he said. “The captain was selected by somebody else.”Asked whether he questioned the decision, Amarnath said, “When you respect a person you don’t ask questions. But my question is, you have a selection committee those who think what is best for Indian cricket then why they are not given a free hand.The selectors thought about stepping down then, Amarnath said, but decided against it as they, “did not want to create a big stir there as the team was playing abroad and the series was going on there.”There was massive speculation that this was the reason Amarnath’s term as a selector ended abruptly when he was actually expected to be the new chairman of the selectors. When asked about that, all Amarnath said was: “I don’t miss it.”Amarnath was asked to clarify a rumour doing the rounds that he was cited the BCCI constitution that stated he could not sack Dhoni without the higher-ups clearing it. “Neither will I say yes nor will I deny it, okay,” he responded. “I know the facts, and I will tell you the facts when I feel the time is right.” He did go on to say, though, that he was not aware of the constitution. Clause 13(a)(iv) of the BCCI constitution states that: “The President shall approve the composition of a team, selected by the Selection Committee.””When somebody becomes a selector, I don’t think you are aware of the constitution of the BCCI,” he said. “I was not aware. I don’t think even the current committee is aware of the constitution.”According to the , Amarnath, Narendra Hirwani and Raja Venkat, during a meeting in January this year for selecting the squad for the CB Series in Australia, wanted to sack Dhoni.”Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary and convener of the national selection committee, consulted BCCI president N Srinivasan who shot down the proposal. Srinivasan made it clear that though the majority of the selectors felt that Dhoni didn’t inspire confidence as Test skipper the time was not right to remove him,” a selector told the paper.Why does Amarnath think Dhoni doesn’t deserve a place in the Test side? “If you see his track record for the last one year as captain, I am talking about Test matches, not one-day, he hasn’t done anything,” Amarnath said. “You give a run to a guy. I am not saying you should remove a guy overnight, but if you see a guy is failing again and again, I don’t think it is going to be possible to continue with the same guy.”I think he should be replaced in Test cricket. I am not talking shorter versions. He is an asset there, he has done very well, he is a match-winner, but with the technique he has I don’t see him do any wonders in Test cricket.”You have to look at contribution of the players, where you are playing and what opposition you are playing. We have to move ahead with times, and we have to look forward. People who have contributed to the game, we respect them, we adore them, but what is important is future of Indian cricket and not to live in the past. Cricket has changed, age has everything to do in life. We have to look ahead.”I believe in fresh blood. I was looking forward for a guy like Virat Kohli to take over as captain in one day cricket. I think he is a fantastic player, he is the future.”When Amarnath spoke about moving forward, he was asked about Sachin Tendulkar and what his future should be. “Sachin has been a great cricketer, a great ambassador, he has achieved everything but I think they way he is playing we see a shadow of Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “And I don’t accept him to play in the same fashion as he has done in the past. Age is a factor. He is not alone. Look at all greats. Once you cross mid-30s, things become little bit difficult, a little bit more demanding. He is no exception. He has to take it very seriously, and I think the selectors have to have a word with him, what are his plans. Then they should take a call and then decide.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the final game in Group C between Sri Lanka and South Africa

The Preview by Firdose Moonda21-Sep-2012Match facts September 22, 2012
Start time 1530 local (1000 GMT)Morne Morkel and the South African attack will be hoping conditions remain favourable for bowling•AFPBig Picture Both sides have got their bullying out of the way, having beaten Zimbabwe by 82 runs and 10 wickets respectively, and Sri Lanka and South Africa are now ready to do business. That may sound odd considering that both having both already qualified for the Super Eights but neither have been challenged properly yet and will want to test themselves before a tough next round.Sri Lanka will be happy with the form of one of their most important bowlers, Ajantha Mendis. His 6 for 8 are figures unlikely to be repeated but Mendis showed he is back in a big way. He deceived the Zimbabwe batsmen with an assortment of carom balls and googlies and while the South African line-up may not be so easily hoodwinked, some of them are known to have a weakness against spin.South Africa’s middle order remains untested after only Richard Levi and Hashim Amla batted against Zimbabwe and they are yet to face any pressure, a catalyst for some of their worst major tournament showing. Sri Lanka will look to target that area of the opposition’s game because every other part of it seems solid.South Africa’s seamers were effective on the Hambantota pitch and even though their spinners were not called into action too much, they have enough options available to them to be able to afford one bowler having a bad day. The hosts have similar variation in their ranks, with enough allrounders to have all bases covered and with the advantage of their middle order having had a decent run.By all accounts the match-ups between the teams pre-empts a much closer contest than the group has seen so far. Even though it will not be decisive in terms of who the team play in the next round it will be important in determining who has more might for the big duels ahead.Form guide South Africa WLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLLWLWatch out for After captaining Sri Lanka to series defeats in South Africa last summer, Tillakaratne Dilshan may be pleased to see them on his home turf. Relieved of the armband and with a new opening partner, Dilshan seems to be enjoying his freedom and looked ominous against Zimbabwe. He had the full range on display, including the “Dilscoop” and will want to show South Africa some of what he is capable of but did not manage to do earlier in the year.Dale Steyn started the tournament with a delivery that measured 140 kph on the speed gun and does not show any sign of slowing down. Although Steyn called the Hambantota conditions “slippery” he acknowledged that it made a welcome change to play on a subcontinental pitch that has something in it for the seamers and will want to exploit that while it lasts.Team news Sri Lanka have an injury worry with their strike spinner, Ajantha Mendis, picking up a side strain after the Zimbabwe game. His fitness will be assessed on the day of the game. If he sits out, the offspinner Akila Dananjaya could be in line for his international debut.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dilshan Munaweera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Shaminda Eranga, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis/Akila DananjayaSouth Africa will also not have many reasons to change a winning XI, unless the stomach bug returns. After giving Zimbabwe a work over in their opening match, South Africa’s bowling attack would seem to need no tinkering. Their middle order remains untested and either Faf du Plessis or Justin Ontong could be brought in but they may want to give the current XI a run against tougher opposition.South Africa (probable): 1 Richard Levi, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Albie Morkel 8 Johan Botha 9 Robin Peterson 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Dale SteynPitch and conditions Both batsmen and bowlers have described the Hambantota surface as difficult to get in on but have admitted that there remains something in it for the quicks. Another hot, humid day awaits with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius and a bit of rain about for the afternoon and evening so the bounce and carry seen so far will likely stay around on the same pitch used for the first match – one that took much more turn than the one used last evening.Stats and trivia Ajantha Mendis’ six wickets against Zimbabwe on Tuesday saw him leapfrog Lasith Malinga as the highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in T20s. Mendis’ 46 wickets have come at an average of 9.84.South Africa have the best win-loss record of all teams in T20s. They have played 48 matches, won 31 and lost 16. Mahela Jayawardene needs six more for 1000 runs in T20 internationals.Quotes”South Africa are a good unit, but probably their lower middle order a little inexperienced. What we need to do is focus on our strengths. If we play to our strengths we’re going to give them a very good game rather than falling into their trap.””I don’t think there will be any drop in intensity for the Sri Lanka game. We’re in the beginning stages of a very, very big event, a tournament that we really want to win. You have to play well in every game and improve in every game.”

Seductive as it may be in these parts, it can take as little as an hour to tumble towards Test match defeat

Daniel Brettig In Barbados06-Apr-2012Seductive as it may be in these parts, it can take as little as an hour to tumble towards Test match defeat.Australian visits to the Caribbean are littered with matches in which the visitors’ cause was ruined in a day, or less. Allan Border’s 1991 tourists rumbled West Indies for 149 to begin the pivotal fourth Test in Bridgetown, then watched aghast as they in turn were routed for 134, handing the match and the series to Viv Richards’ ageing team.Four years later and Australia’s otherwise triumphant 2-1 win was sullied by a second innings capitulation for 105 on the most poisonous of Port of Spain pitches. Then in 1999 Steve Waugh’s first series as captain was punctuated by two unfathomable turnarounds in Kingston and Bridgetown, as a previously dormant home side sprang to Brian Lara-inspired life.The latest captain to lead Australia to the region, Michael Clarke, is well aware of these lessons of history, via the memories of older heads including Ricky Ponting (a tourist in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2008) the bowling coach Craig McDermott (1991 and briefly in 1995) and Justin Langer (1995, 1999 and 2003).As he prepared to command his side against a West Indies team that has shown plentiful signs of rejuvenation under the captain/coach axis of Darren Sammy and Ottis Gibson, Clarke emphasised the importance of every hour, every session and every day over the next three weeks. He does not want his men to be lulled, even momentarily, into the often lackadaisical rhythms of Caribbean life.”The most important thing I think about touring the West Indies is one bad hour can cost you a Test match,” Clarke said. “You need to be at your best for all five days to have any chance of winning the Test. Against a very talented opposition, you can’t afford to give good players too many chances, and too many opportunities in the game to run away with it.”That’s going to be our main focus to make sure we are switched on throughout the whole five days, starting Saturday, and we believe that’ll put us in a good position to win the Test series. Building consistency is our goal as a team and I said throughout the summer we played some really good cricket in patches, and some cricket against New Zealand and South Africa that we’d rather forget. So as a team we’re trying to become a little more consistent, and this is going to be a tough test for us but will give a good indication of where we’re at with the consistency.”The West Indian team has always had Clarke’s respect for its level of ability and athleticism. What he is now about to discover is whether or not Sammy and Gibson have added enough steel and unity to make that talent and athleticism work cohesively for five days. Sammy said the team had built up its character over the past year, and he was eager to put it to the test.”It’s not only me. The coach has a goal for the team,” Sammy said. “The fact we can go out on the field and look like a unit and have that never-say-die attitude, as you saw in the one-day series we’ve been under 100 for 5 a few games and still posted over 200 – that’s been the most important thing. The coach has stressed professionalism and you can see the team is improving.”For me as captain to get the guys to gel well, play together and go out there and execute the team plan because the more we think team the more results we will get. I’ve played since 2004 and I always try to get along with everybody. It’s just my character but it’s not just me. The guys have made a conscious effort to fight for the West Indies, I won’t take credit for that.”It’s just everybody making a conscious effort. We know what the fans expect. Even though we lose but if we lose fighting … in the transition period we have not won for a long time and everybody’s just making that effort to go out there and represent the region well.”To that end, Sammy implored his batsmen to produce enough runs for an increasingly accomplished bowling attack to defend. Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards are two young men facing Australia for the first time in Tests, but their captain’s expectations are clear.”Our batting has to play very crucial role in this series,” Sammy said. “The last Test match we played, in India, we scored over 500 runs. The batting has shown that they are capable of scoring runs, but it’s very important that the top six get the bulk of the runs – Kirk, Bravo, Shiv [Chanderpaul] and the two young openers. Last year Kirk got a hundred, Bravo got three. We do hope that come Saturday he digs in and finds a way to score, but it’s going to take a team effort to pile on the runs against the Aussies.”Otherwise it may be the hosts feeling the sting of one disastrous hour.

Dave Richardson, the former South Africa wicketkeeper and ICC general manager – cricket, has been recommended by the ICC board to succeed Haroon Lorgat as chief executive

Nagraj Gollapudi10-May-2012Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager (cricket) and former South Africa wicketkeeper, has been picked by the ICC board to succeed Haroon Lorgat as chief executive. Richardson, who will become the first former Test cricketer to occupy this position, was an unanimous choice over ECB chief executive David Collier – his closest competitor – because of his experience within the ICC.The ICC board will recommend Richardson’s name at the ICC annual conference in June, when Lorgat’s term ends. The nominations committee had met in Mumbai on Sunday to interview four candidates, including Collier, for the role and on Thursday obtained the ICC board’s support for Richardson.ICC president Sharad Pawar, who headed the nomination panel, said all four candidates were “good enough” but Richardson’s CV swung it in his favour. “What made Richardson the most suitable candidate was his knowledge of the ICC, and that was the most important thing,” Pawar told ESPNcricinfo. The other advantage, he said, was Richardson’s familiarity with the ICC board members, and vice versa.”He was an internal candidate. He is a former Test player and brings a lot of international cricket experience to the table,” Pawar said. “In addition he has been working with the ICC for quite long and is completely aware about the ICC operations and the members. All this only made it an unanimous decision.”Lorgat said he was happy to welcome a fellow South African to occupy the seat he will vacate on June 30. “He is experienced in the ways of the international game, both playing and in administration, which will hold him in good stead. He knows everybody and everyone knows him so he is a very familiar figure and it would provide a lot of comfort to members, to players, to stakeholders.”It is understood that though Richardson’s name was supported by almost all 13 members of the ICC board, things were much closer when the nomination committee discussed the issue after completing the extensive interview process on May 6 in Mumbai.”Things were very tight when it came to the nominations committee. There were only two candidates really as favourites – Richardson and Collier. The thing that swung it for David was his cricketing experience,” an ICC member board official revealed.That meeting was chaired by Pawar and attended by Alan Isaac (ICC vice-president), Julian Hunte (WICB president) and Keith Oliver (Cricket Scotland chairman). However, it was the presence of N Srinivasan and Giles Clarke – heads of the Indian and English boards who, it is understood, had been added to the panel at the last minute – that added intrigue to the selection process.There had been talk in the days leading up to Sunday that the BCCI and the ECB would enter into a deal to name Collier as the chief executive and allow the BCCI to nominate its candidate to the seat of ICC chairman when that post is created in 2014.Pawar, though, laughed off the theory. “What does the issue of the chairman have to do with the selection of the chief executive?” he asked.However, another ICC member board official did not rule out the possibility that there could have been some differences between Srinivasan and Clarke that might have forced the BCCI president to vote against Collier. “It is fair to say probably either Clarke or Srinivasan did not support Collier. If India and England both back the same candidate, do you think they are not going to convince the others at the table?” the official said.The official suggested that any alliance between Srnivasan and Clarke was not a deep one. “They are strong men, who want their way. Their collaboration was one of convenience,” the official said.According to this official, Richardson faced a big challenge in the form of India and England. He felt one possible factor for Lorgat not seeking another term was the increasing influence of Srinivasan and Clarke at the ICC board. “The future is not clear because here are some very different personalities at the ICC board who want increasingly to play the role of executive director in their style,” the official said. “I don’t know what role the chief executive will play. I do not even know what the role of this operational chairman means,” he said.For his part, Richardson called the nomination a “great honour.” “I am delighted with this opportunity and thank the ICC board for their approval. It has been a privilege to serve as ICC general manager, and that work will continue until such time as the ICC annual conference ratifies my nomination.”A qualified lawyer, Richardson has served as ICC general manager (cricket) for ten years and also played 42 Test matches and 122 ODIs for South Africa. After retiring from international cricket in 1998, Richardson was a business director with Octagon SA and a media commentator before becoming the ICC’s first general manager in January 2002.

Dhaka Gladiators became the winners of the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League on Wednesday evening by bringing out their A-game in the knockout stages of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2012
ScorecardLocal lad Anamul Haque impressed with an unbeaten 49•BPL T20Dhaka Gladiators won the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League by bringing out their A-game in the knockout stages of the tournament. They took only 15.4 overs to overhaul the Barisal Burners total and complete a eight-wicket win in front of a packed Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.The gulf between the two teams was evident as the Pakistan-heavy Gladiators had a lot more to offer with bat and ball compared to the top-heavy Burners, who could only score 140 for 7 in 20 overs. Gladiators’ young Anamul Haque was the only local player to impress, scoring 49 off 38 balls with five fours and a six. He sealed the victory for the home team with a lofted on-drive against left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam with 26 balls to spare.Anamul added 110 for the second wicket with the opener Imran Nazir, who hammered six fours and six sixes in his 43-ball 75. That partnership ensured victory for Gladiators, whose turnaround in the tournament in the knockout stages coincided with the arrival of Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal.The Burners’ defence of their modest total suffered because of poor catching. Mohammad Mithun, a wicketkeeper who was auctioned for $80,000, had a terrible time under the lights. Fielding in the deep, he dropped Nazimuddin twice at deep square-leg off consecutive Kabir Ali deliveries in the second over.Their problems weren’t restricted to poor catching and bowling. The Burners’ batting also suffered from early losses. As soon as Ahmed Shehzad fell for 28 in the fifth over by failing to clear mid-off, and Phil Mustard followed by getting trapped leg-before by Saeed Ajmal, it was all down to the captain Brad Hodge.The Australia batsman didn’t disappoint, hitting four boundaries and four sixes in his unbeaten 51-ball 70. Hodge, despite his efforts, couldn’t put together a decent partnership against a high quality bowling attack as the rest simply wilted.The Burners also benefited from some slip-ups in the field, with Gladiators’ Dhiman Ghosh topping the list of offenders. The wicketkeeper first dropped a skier from Shehzad before missing a stumping off Ajmal, but he made amends with a reflex catch off a ripper from Afridi. Later, even Afridi and Azhar Mahmood dropped a skier each.In the end, it was the Gladiators’ star power that took them through. Their efforts to keep some Dhaka players in the line-up paid off as Mohammad Ashraful, Elias Sunny and Anamul all performed well. It was disappointing that no Barisal-born players were given enough opportunities in the Burners line-ups throughout the tournament.But as far as a Twenty20 jamboree goes, some of the cricket was breathtaking, though the off-field issues will remain the talking point till the next edition.