Victoria are closing in on hosting the Sheffield Shield final after taking a 151-run lead over Queensland on the second day in Brisbane

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2010
ScorecardClint McKay’s 3 for 50 hurt Queensland•Getty Images

Victoria are closing in on hosting the Sheffield Shield final after taking a 151-run lead over Queensland on the second day in Brisbane. The Bulls were dismissed for 170 in reply to Victoria’s 316 and the visitors lost Chris Rogers as they finished on 1 for 5.Pitches at the Gabba usually get better as the game goes on but the Bushrangers, who moved into the final with the first-innings points, already have a significant advantage in the top-of-the-table clash. The Bulls were never allowed to get going in their chase and were relieved when Chris Hartley, the No.6, compiled 47 as they scraped past the follow-on figure of 166.Clint McKay was a key man with 3 for 50, removing Ryan Broad, Wade Townsend and Craig Philipson. Damien Wright was also important with 3 for 41 and Darren Pattinson claimed the valuable double of James Hopes (16) and Chris Simpson (4) to prevent a local recovery.Hopes had taken five wickets early in the day as Victoria resumed on 6 for 265 and added 51. John Hastings was caught behind in the opening over and Hopes then picked up McKay for 6 to finish with 5 for 66.Michael Hill was 32 not out while Pattinson (17) was the last man out, giving Luke Feldman his second wicket. Feldman struck again in the final over of the day to remove Rogers with a yorker to give his side some hope of a comeback.

Ricky Ponting believes Australia’s pace attack is the best in the world and hasn’t ruled out Shaun Tait being used in one-day internationals

Brydon Coverdale06-Feb-2010Ricky Ponting believes Australia’s pace attack is the best in the world and hasn’t ruled out Shaun Tait being used in one-day internationals after breaking the 160kph barrier in Friday night’s Twenty20 win. Tait’s Man-of-the-Match performance in his first game for Australia in a year served as another reminder of the depth in the country’s fast-bowling ranks, which has been tested over the past few months.Brett Lee (elbow) hasn’t played since the early stages of the India tour in October, Stuart Clark (back) knows his international career is all but over, Peter Siddle (back) is out for the season and Ben Hilfenhaus (knee) has not appeared for Australia since the first Test of the summer. Throw in Nathan Bracken’s knee surgery and fringe player Brett Geeves being out with back stress fractures and Australia’s attack at times has looked more like a state list than an international group.It is the success of those new men that has thrilled Ponting. Since Clint McKay’s debut in November no Australian has taken more than his 17 ODI wickets, Ryan Harris has played four one-dayers and already has a Player-of-the-Series title, Doug Bollinger continues to make himself a star and Shane Watson’s bowling has improved dramatically.”I think the depth that we’ve got now as far as our fast-bowling goes is outstanding,” Ponting said ahead of the first ODI against West Indies. “It would have to be the best group of fast bowlers anywhere in the world right at the moment. We were most stretched in India in the one-day series we had over there a few months ago and we had probably five or six of our guys injured and back in Australia but … the depth is terrific.”It’s hard to argue with Ponting after Australia’s Twenty20 win against Pakistan when Tait, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson were all regularly in the 150kph region. Having three men in one side capable of those speeds is almost unheard of and Tait and Nannes are not even part of the ODI side.Tait has given up playing first-class cricket so he can keep fresh for the short formats and could be a key player at May’s World Twenty20. However, Ponting has not ruled out bringing Tait in to the one-day squad with one eye looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup, after Tait starred at the 2007 tournament with 23 wickets at 20.30.”We saw in our last World Cup campaign in the 50-over game just how valuable he can be there,” Ponting said. “He was probably our best bowler through that tournament and we used him in different roles as a real strike bowler, as Michael [Clarke] did last night.”He definitely is somebody that you have to manage particularly well, so I’m sure with the World T20 coming up that they’ll be doing everything in their power to make sure he’s right for that. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t play 50-over cricket for us.”Friday’s game demonstrated that loads of sixes and massive totals aren’t all that the fans want from the shorter formats. When Tait stumbled over from his third ball, straining with the extra effort to hit 160.7kph, the crowd roared as the speed was displayed on the big screen. It was a sight that pleased Ponting, who was a spectator having retired from Twenty20 cricket.”There were three guys last night all pushing 150, or two guys pushing 150 and Taity pushing 160,” Ponting said. “That’s great to have around your group. You’ve got incredible strike-power then and all of those guys are a good chance of playing 50-over cricket for us as well and it adds a lot to the spectacle of the game, when you see bowlers bowling that sort of pace.”

The West Indies bowler has said his determination to perform well at the international level stems from the fear that every game he plays may be his last

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010West Indies bowler Darren Sammy has said his determination to perform well at the international level stems from the fear that every game he plays may be his last.”It’s a constant reminder that this could be my last game so I have to go out and do well for myself and the region,” Sammy said. “I am competing with [Dwayne] Bravo, who is one of our senior players, so it’s always difficult to cement my place in the squad. It’s up to me to go out there and be consistent in my performances and that’s what I’m striving to do.”Sammy, 26, was at the forefront of West Indies’ emphatic 141-run victory in the third ODI against Zimbabwe in Kingstown. He picked up 4 for 26 during West Indies’ defence of 245 to take the Man-of-the-Match award and, more importantly, give the hosts a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.”Today the wicket had some grass on it and it was aiding seam bowling,” Sammy said. “I was getting some movement off the seam and we put the ball in the right areas and we got results.”Having taken 5 for 26 against the same opponents in the lone Twenty20 international earlier, and 7 for 66 against England on his Test debut, he narrowly missed becoming the first West Indian to take five-fors in all three formats of the game at the international level. However, he said the only way he could become a fixture in the side was to improve with every performance.”I have to keep improving so that I can be a permanent fixture in the eleven and in the West Indies squad. So far I have been doing a good job in terms of doing the job I have been asked to do. In Test cricket I have three five-wicket hauls, one in Twenty20 and I almost got one here today in a 50-over game.”Sammy would have had five wickets had captain Chris Gayle not dropped a relatively straightforward catch at slip from Graeme Cremer, having earlier taken a superb one-handed effort to dismiss Greg Lamb off Kemar Roach. However, he praised Sammy’s effort which ensured the win.”Well done Darren Sammy, he could have got five wickets and it was my fault he didn’t,” Gayle said. “It was definitely a team effort and I am very happy with the result. I am sure Zimbabwe will come back hard at us and we shouldn’t get carried away now.”

South Africa’s tour to West Indies after the World Twenty20 faces changes after a general election was called in Trinidad and Tobago for May 24

Cricinfo staff20-Apr-2010South Africa’s tour to West Indies after the World Twenty20 faces changes after a general election was called in Trinidad and Tobago for May 24 when the teams are due to be playing their one-day series.Port of Spain was set to host two Twenty20 internationals on May 19 and 20 followed by the first two ODIs on May 23 and 25, but now these matches will be shifted to alternative islands to avoid a clash with the election.The West Indies board is currently in discussions with ICC, Cricket South Africa and the relevant island boards and will announce the adjusted schedule shortly.South Africa’s tour comprises the two match Twenty20 series, a five-match ODI contest followed by three Tests.

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan’s appeal against the indefinite ban imposed on him by the PCB was adjourned after his lawyer said he was given the documents detailing the allegations at the last minute

Cricinfo staff08-May-2010Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan’s appeal against the indefinite ban imposed on him by the PCB was adjourned after his lawyer said he was given the documents detailing the allegations at the last minute. The appeal will now be heard on May 15, the same day as the hearing for Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who were banned for a year by the Pakistan board. The appeals are being heard by Irfan Qadir, a retired judge appointed by the PCB.”The tribunal wanted us to argue on the allegations against Younis five minutes after handing them to us, so we requested for the adjournment because we have to study these statements,” Ahmed Qayyum, Younis’ lawyer, told AFP.Seven Pakistan players were penalised, for various reasons, by the PCB in the aftermath of a winless tour of Australia. Younis and Mohammad Yousuf, who has retired from international cricket, were banned indefinitely. Malik and Naved were banned for a year while the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi were fined and placed on a six-month probation. Each of the players, with the exception of Yousuf, have appealed against the punishments.Younis and Yousuf were accused of “infighting” and having a “negative influence” on the team. Qayyum also criticised the leaking of the inquiry committee report, upon which the penalties were based, to the media. “We have also raised objection on the leakage of the report and it’s very clear that it’s done with a malafide intentions against Younis.”The one-man tribunal has adjourned the hearing on Younis’ appeal until May 15 and on that day appeals against Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan will also be heard,” PCB legal adviser Talib Rizvi told reporters in Lahore.

Peter Borren has been named the Netherlands captain for two ICC tournaments and the solitary ODI against Scotland

Cricinfo staff07-Jun-2010Peter Borren has been named the Netherlands captain for two ICC tournaments and an ODI. Borren will lead the team in the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup in Deventer, Scotland, from June 10 to June 13, the ODI against Scotland on June 15, and the World Cricket League (WCL) Division 1 tournament, to be held in the Netherlands from June 30 to July 10.The team for the WCL includes two county players, Ryan ten Doeschate (Essex) and Alexei Kervezee (Worcestershire), whose participation is uncertain as the tournament clashes with the English county season.Intercontinental Cup squad: Peter Borren (capt), Wesley Barresi, Mudassar Bukhari, Bart Schilperoord, Tom de Grooth, Mark Jonkman, Maurits Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Ruud Nijman, Pieter Seelaar, Tim Gruijters, Eric Szwarczynski.WCL squad: Peter Borren (capt), Bas Zuiderent, Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom Cooper, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom de Grooth, Mark Jonkman, Maurits Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Alexei Kervezee, Bradley Kruger, Pieter Seelaar, Nick Statham, Eric Szwarczynski.ODI squad: Peter Borren (capt), Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom Cooper, Alexei Kervezee, Tom de Grooth, Mark Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Bradley Kruger, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Ryan ten Doeschate, Bas Zuiderent.

Mexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Sunday

Tony Munro15-Jun-2010
ScorecardMexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Monday.This was despite the efforts of Man-of-the-Match, Ben Smith, who hit 104 from 127 balls to provide the base for Costa Rica’s 186 from 46.5 overs. Smith struck two sixes and 12 boundaries in his stay which lasted for all but the first four balls of the Costa Rican innings. Smith entered in the first over when Barry Ashworth was bowled, and flourished while all around him succumbed to Tushar Gupta (5 for 32) and Tarun Sharma (2 for 28 from 10 overs).At one stage, Costa Rica were 13 for 4 and then 41 for 5 before Richard Illingworth and Sam Arthur survived long enough with Smith to enable 34 for the sixth wicket and 47 for the seventh wicket to be added. Garth Tweedale (10) and David Crisp (11) were the only batsmen apart from Smith to reach double figures, however their contributions and 36 wides were enough for Costa Rica to reach 186 from 46.5 overs.Mexico began their run chase in an attacking mindset, notching 59 in nine overs before losing James Garrity who was bowled after hitting 34 in 30 balls including five fours. When Tarundeep Singh was caught by Ashworth for a solid 33, Mexico were 91 for 3 after 17 overs – on target in terms of run-rate but in need of a partnership of substance.That came from Tarun Sharma (45 from 58 balls including a six and four boundaries) who put on 51 with Theodore Wucherpfennig (14). Cameos from Hugh van Belle (14 from 13 balls) and Roger Sherman (23 from 21 balls) allowed Mexico to ease home with 14.5 overs to spare. Tim Baker was Costa Rica’s main wicket-taker, removing Mexico’s first three in returning 3 for 43.On Tuesday, Falkland Islands play their first match against Costa Rica.

International cricket’s most intense rivalry is back after nearly a year in cold storage

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla18-Jun-2010International cricket’s most intense rivalry is back after nearly a year in cold storage. A glut of matches in the middle of the previous decade had taken the edge off, perhaps reaching its lowest ebb during a drab series on lifeless pitches when Pakistan visited India in late 2007. That contest had a famous flash point in Kanpur, when two men with volatile temperaments clashed – Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi had a verbal spat, after which the two players collided when Gambhir was going for a single leading to another heated argument.At that stage, Gambhir was an angry young man still trying to establish himself in the Indian side after a stop-start career over five years, while Afridi was the senior most player in the Pakistan team, reportedly sulking over being passed up for captaincy and for whom maturity seemed forever elusive.Today, Gambhir has made himself a vital part of the Indian batting machine in all formats; a versatile player capable of playing in second gear or fifth. Coach Gary Kirsten helped him shed his insecurity about his place in the XI; a dream run of eight centuries in 13 Tests lifted him to the No. 1 ranking, and the weakness outside off stump which made people question his ability at the international level has been ironed out.In a line-up lacking the experience of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, he has already spoken of the extra pressure on him at the top of the order, stressing after the Bangladesh victory that one of the top three needs to play a long innings for the team to succeed on the trying Dambulla track.Afridi, meanwhile, has emerged as the most important player in Pakistan, elevated to captain even in a format he hasn’t played for four years, and charged with the weighty responsibility of keeping together a dressing-room pulling in different directions.His storied career has seen a few more highs and lows, from the sobered down batting allied with canny legspin that fetched him Man-of-the-Match awards in the semi-finals and finals of Pakistan’s glorious 2009 World Twenty20 campaign, to the infamous ball-biting incident of abysmal Australian tour.Importantly, in a tournament where the quality of floodlights has grabbed as many headlines as the play on the field, both batsmen have already played substantial innings batting second.Gambhir was happy that the easy opener against Bangladesh means defeat in the pressure-cooker match against Pakistan won’t be the end of the tournament for India. “It’s an important match, more pressure will be on Pakistan since its do-or-die for them,” he said. “We will try and continue the momentum gained from the win against Bangladesh. Playing Pakistan is a big game. Hopefully we will deliver the goods.”The good news for Pakistan was that during practice Afridi showed no signs of the cramps that hampered him as he carved out a classic one-day innings in the tournament’s first match. His practice was a carefree hitting session, carting the Sri Lankan net bowlers and his team-mates around.Unlike the previous time these two sides clashed, in the Champions Trophy in South Africa last September, when several Pakistan players were quite vocal about how badly they wanted to beat India, the build-up to this match has been somewhat subdued. Afridi did not join in the hype that precedes every India-Pakistan clash. “We know what to expect from India – we need to be at the top of our game to compete,” he dead-batted to the media.Afridi has played against India more often than any other team in one-dayers, playing them everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Toronto, but it’s unlikely he has done so in front of an empty stadium. The stands were nearly deserted during the India-Bangladesh game, and in an effort to avoid a repeat for what should be a keenly followed match on television, the organisers have allowed spectators free entry into most sections of the stands.