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Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza dominated the Bangladesh bowlers towards the end of the second day but the bottom line remains that Zimbabwe are 390 runs behind Bangladesh’s 503

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong13-Nov-2014Taking eight wickets in two sessions and seeing out the last 24 overs of the second day would have been pleasing for Zimbabwe. After losing an early wicket, the unbeaten batsmen, Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza, dominated the Bangladesh bowlers towards the end. But the bottom line remains that Zimbabwe are 390 runs behind Bangladesh’s 503.Raza knows it all too well and is prepared to dig in deep in the third morning. How to go about this job has been shown by the Bangladesh batsmen, who have demonstrated an overall consistency in the last couple of weeks. Raza remains hopeful of a massive turnaround in the game, as every Zimbabwe player should, but Bangladesh have only lost one Test match after scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings.”I do see a result in this game,” Raza said. “It has to go our way. We are definitely playing as though we want to win this game. For that to happen we have to bat out of our socks. Hopefully as the days go on and the ball starts to creep low then you never know. Coming into today, they were 303 for two. No one would have thought they would have been 500-odd all out. Having said that, the last partnership had 50-odd runs on the board so if you take that away it could have been 460. We will keep believing.”I think Bangladesh were hoping for a few more wickets then they had. We will definitely take the confidence from 113 for one. We will take the last session as well. We have toiled hard under the sun and I think the correct way has been shown to us by Bangladesh. They have done it so consistently. To me it is just a matter of time to start clicking, hopefully we can take the momentum ahead in the next day and the day after.”‘We have to be patient’ – Rubel

Rubel Hossain enjoyed hitting four sixes on the second afternoon but is aware of the hard work that lies ahead as a bowler.
The Chittagong wicket is arguably Bangladesh’s most batting-friendly wicket, evident in the 19 draws out of 43 first-class matches. The last two Tests here have been high-scoring draws, with Kumar Sangakkara scoring 319 and 105 in February.
“Batting is fun,” Rubel said. “It was the last wicket so I played a few shots. I timed the ball well, so I felt really good. Never thought I could bat like that though. It was a good wicket so it worked.
“Our target was to make a big score and play until the tea break. The wicket is very good for batting. There wasn’t much swing or turn. Maybe we can understand on the third or fourth day how much it will break. Tomorrow morning, if we can take early wickets, then maybe we can have some control. The main thing is that we have to be patient here. Getting wickets will be tough, so we have to be patient.”
It is still too early to be negative in a Test match, especially having made 503 runs. Bangladesh remain on course as the only trouble they faced was in the last 24 overs of the day.

Raza hit all his boundaries in the second session in front of the wicket. He drove through the covers at the start of his innings against Shafiul Islam and pulled Rubel Hossain quite easily. However what would please him was his proper use of his feet. He charged Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan at every opportunity, and even when it didn’t come off, he could at least get the ball away as he had thrown his body behind the it.On the third day, he said he will have to bat with more savvy about the pitch and bowling as he expects the ball to start keeping low.”There as a basic plan but the thing is there are things I work hard in the nets when it comes to the game. You don’t really say anything to yourself, you just see and play accordingly. On a track that I thought wasn’t turning, using my feet is part of the plan. The plan will be to see ball and hit ball. I don’t think anything needs to change for tomorrow. My instincts will be slightly to bat smarter, and take where it can take me.”As the sun beats down on the surface, and as the players run on the tracks there will definitely be [breaking in the pitch]. There already are a few cracks and some are actually creeping low and some are bouncing low. I expect it to play slightly differently tomorrow.”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2013
ScorecardA storming final day lifted Tasmania from the bottom rungs of the Sheffield Shield table to the top, their victory over a free-falling Victoria handing the Tigers a third consecutive appearance in the final and the priceless advantage of hosting it.Set 337 to win and host the final themselves after leading the table for much of the summer, the Bushrangers lost their wickets in two clumps either side of an 80-run stand between David Hussey and Peter Handscomb. James Faulkner again showed his knack for vital wickets, claiming five as Tasmania maintained their standing as the most consistent domestic side in the country.Tasmania had a stiff task ahead of them at the start of the day to achieve a result on a good pitch, but bold innings by the youngster Jordan Silk – a century in only his second Shield appearance – and Ricky Ponting allowed captain George Bailey to declare for the second time in the match.They ultimately won with more than 10 overs to spare, before Queensland’s win over Western Australia in Perth ensured the final would be played between the Tigers and the Bulls for the second season in a row, only this time in Hobart rather than Brisbane.

Thilan Samaraweera was on the brink of a first century for Worcestershire in the County Championship when rain wiped out nearly 60 overs on day two at New Road.

09-May-2013
ScorecardRain prevented Thilan Samaraweera bringing up his first ton for Worcestershire•AFPThilan Samaraweera was on the brink of a first century for Worcestershire in the County Championship when rain wiped out nearly 60 overs on day two at New Road.Samaraweera, the 36-year-old Sri Lankan, underlined his international pedigree by moving on to an unbeaten 92 before the weather closed in with his side on 294 for 7 and edging towards a promising position.After four floods at the ground during the winter, the first pitch of the season has helped all the bowlers, with inconsistent bounce for the seamers and some turn for Jigar Naik, who posted the fourth five-wicket return of his career.Naik’s offspin took the four wickets to fall on the shortened second day, giving him overall figures of 5 for 98.Having gone into the second day on 198 for 3, Worcestershire continued their steady progress with the third half-century stand of the innings before Naik made an impact in cold and windy conditions.Alexei Kervezee found some form for the first time this season in making 35 but clipped a catch to Matt Boyce at short-leg and when Neil Pinner found Michael Thornely at short midwicket, Naik had two wickets in seven balls.Michael Johnson held up Naik for a while but was bowled swinging across the line; Gareth Andrew followed him next ball, caught behind.Worcestershire avoided any further trouble in a short session after lunch. Shaaiq Choudhry reached 15 not out as Samaraweera’s marathon stretched towards five hours, featuring only eight boundaries.

Graeme Smith’s side completed their summer of dominance with an innings victory over Pakistan

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran24-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dale Steyn was among the wickets yet again•Getty ImagesFor the two decades since their return from sporting isolation, South Africa have been among the top teams in the world, without ever having a sustained run as the undisputed No. 1. Even in the recent successes, an element of ruthlessness was missing, highlighted by the lack of consecutive Test victories over a four-year span ending with the hard-fought series victory over Australia.Graeme Smith’s men have been unrelenting in correcting that anomaly over the home summer. Not only have they won all five Tests, they have utterly dominated almost all of them, as the margins suggest: innings and 27 runs, innings and 193 runs, 211 runs, four wickets and today at Centurion, innings and 18 runs. None of those matches went to the fifth day, the opposition was outclassed in the batting, bowling and fielding, and the near-perfect summer silenced any debate over which was the best side in the world – South Africa now enjoy a 10-point lead over second-placed England. It also quelled murmurs over South Africa’s less than impressive record at home in recent years.Smart stats

South Africa won all five Tests in their home season. For only the third time since their readmission, they won three or more Tests in a series. The previous two such series came against West Indies in 1998 and 2003-04.

Pakistan suffered a whitewash in a series of three or more matches for the fourth time since 2000. Their three previous series whitewashes came against Australia.

Dale Steyn became the third-highest wicket-taker for South Africa after going past Allan Donald. Only Shaun Pollock (421) and Makhaya Ntini (390) are ahead of Steyn.

Kyle Abbott’s match haul of 9 for 68 is the third best by a South African bowler on Test debut and the best for South Africa since their readmission.

Abbott’s 9 for 68 is also the third best performance by a South African bowler against Pakistan. Abbott’s performance is also the best by a bowler on debut against Pakistan.

South Africa improved on their outstanding record in Centurion (14 wins and one defeat). The win-loss ratio of 14 is the best for a venue since South Africa’s readmission (min 15 Tests played).

It has been all one-way traffic over the past couple of months, and it looked like that would be the case on Sunday as well. There were plenty of cracks in the Centurion pitch making the odd ball swerve dramatically, and there was a bit of unpredictable bounce as well. And Dale Steyn removed Pakistan’s man for a crisis, Younis Khan, early with another of his typical have-to-poke-at outswingers.Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat, however, kept the South African pace battery at bay for a couple of hours. Ali, who had only one substantial score in five previous innings, capitalised on the deliveries on his pads, and was happy to otherwise push around for the singles. He looked to leave as many deliveries as he could, and defended solidly as he patiently made his way to an unbeaten 27 by lunch.Farhat, who couldn’t open the innings after having been struck on the hand yesterday, continued to show the confidence he had at the start of the first innings, crashing the ball past point repeatedly. He was not shy of the pull shot either when South Africa’s quicks pitched it short.Still, despite their defiance, as has been the case all summer, a Pakistan batting collapse never seemed far away. What will hurt them is that this time the slide began due to a run-out. Soon after lunch, there was confusion whether to go for the second or not, and by the time Ali was sent back, a bullet throw from Steyn at fine leg had arrived, and the dogged partnership was over.That opened the gates for a slew of wickets. Debutant Kyle Abbott got yet another wicket behind the stumps as Farhat edged through to the keeper, before Rory Kleinveldt finally had reward for his persistence. Misbah-ul-Haq nicked one through to AB de Villiers, and soon after Asad Shafiq gave away his wicket by punching a catch to Vernon Philander at mid-off.With an hour still left till tea, and Pakistan’s tail notoriously fragile, there was a genuine chance that the match would finish before the session was scheduled to. Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been hopeless with the bat all the series, and Saeed Ajmal, who put up some resistance in Newlands as well, made sure the collapse didn’t extend beyond four wickets, playing out the 13 overs till the break.Steyn returned to whip out two wickets, to go past the great Allan Donald’s Test haul of 330 wickets, and was one away from yet another five-for. Abbott got his ninth wicket of the match when he got the other debutant Ehsan Adil to steer a catch to third man.That left Steyn and Abbott chasing the final wicket for personal milestones, and though Pakistan’s last pair, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Irfan, attempted many an agricultural swipe, the final strike just didn’t arrive. The frustration increased for South Africa as despite a bunch of chances, Rahat and Irfan batted out eight overs. Smith finally tossed the ball to his spinner, Robin Peterson, who finished off the game in his first over, getting Rahat lbw.It completed a miserable series for Pakistan, whose batting has consistently let them down on the testing surfaces in South Africa. In this match, no batsman made a half-century, and in the series no batsman aggregated 200 runs.For the home side, it was only the third time since their return that they have won three or more Tests in the series. And there was another record for Smith to savour as he became the first captain to win 50 Tests.Not only have the results been magnificent for South Africa, they have been achieved through a eye-catching brand of cricket that combines aggression, grace and efficiency. South Africa fans, lap it up.

A round-up of the Faysal Bank One-Day Cup matches on March 13, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2013Group AIn Ghari Khuda Bakhsh, Karachi Dolphins crushed Bahawalpur Stags by ten wickets in a one-sided contest that lasted just 26.2 overs. The defeat left the Stags at the bottom of the points table.Batting first, the Stags couldn’t find any momentum in their innings. The openers put on 22 runs, which turned out to be the most productive partnership, and they kept losing wickets thereafter. There were only four other double-digit stands. They were bowled out for 91 in 20 overs, with offspinner Atif Maqbool being the chief destroyer, taking three wickets. All other bowlers, except seamer Mohammad Sami, were among the wickets.The Dolphins openers smashed six sixes and nine fours in reply to chase down the target quickly. They eventually reached it in the seventh over. Shahzaib Hasan was unbeaten on 53 off 22 deliveries.An unbeaten 98 off 74 deliveries from middle-order batsman Kashif Naved steered Multan Tigers to a six-wicket victory over Hyderabad Hawks in a high-scoring match at the Niaz Stadium. Despite the loss, the Hawks still topped the points table.Chasing 315 the Tigers lost their first wicket, that of Sohaib Maqsood, on 11. But a series of productive stands helped them stay on course. Besides Kashif, Zeeshan Ashraf, Rameez Alam and Saeed Anwar jnr scored half-centuries.Kashif had come in to bat at 163 for 3, and anchored the innings from there. He was involved in two partnerships of 89 and 63 runs, the second one unbroken, to guide his side to the target in the 48th over.The Hawks’ innings, after they were put in to bat, was built on a 149-run opening stand between Sharjeel Khan (86) and Azeem Ghumman (64), and a fourth-wicket stand of 88 runs. Rizwan Ahmed and Faisal Athar were the other chief contributors, scoring 77 and 47 respectively at more than a run a ball.Quetta Bears’ last-wicket pair added 26 runs to help them edge Sialkot Stallions by one wicket in a closely fought game in Mirpur Khas.After having been put in to bat, Sialkot Stallions started losing wickets from the outset. Seamer Faizullah and Shahzad Tareen took six wickets between them and reduced Stallions to 85 for 8. A 58-run stand between No. 8 Ali Khan, who scored 51 off 71 deliveries, and Bilawal Bhatti repaired the damage to an extent. Ali added another 33 runs with No. 11 Bilal Asif to take them 176.The Bears started positively in reply with a 53-run opening stand. Although they suffered a slight collapse, losing four wickets for 33 runs, they were still in control of their chase at 152 for 5. But then they lost four wickets for a single run and the advantage was lost. Their last pair of Nazar Hussain and Faizullah, however, took them to victory.Group BSix wickets between seamer Ikramullah Khan and legspinner Yasir Shah helped Abbottabad Falcons bowl Faisalabad Wolves out for 104, and set up an eight-wicket win in Mirpur.The pair destroyed the top half of the Wolves’ line-up, after the Falcons had put their opponents in to bat. Five of the batsmen scored in single digits, and no one scored more than 17. In reply, the Falcons raced to victory in the 15th over, led by a 46-ball 54 from opener Mir Azam. Seamer Samiullah Khan took both the wickets to fall.The other matches, between Lahore Lions and Islamabad Leopards in Islamabad, and Rawalpindi Rams and Karachi Zebras in Rawalpindi, were washed out.

Sudip Chatterjee’s composed, unbeaten 91 aided by vital contributions from opener Arindam Das and wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami helped Bengal kick off their Ranji Trophy season on a decent note

The Report by Amol Karhadkar in Vadodara07-Dec-2014
ScorecardFile photo – Opener Arindam Das made 54•FotocorpChatterjee to have ‘sleepless night’ nine short of maiden century

Sudip Chatterjee has been dismissed in the nineties twice in his short first-class career so far. He is understandably going to have a “sleepless” night after ending the first day on an unbeaten 91 in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy opener against Baroda. “I am excited to be in with a chance to score my first century,” Chatterjee said. “I hope I can complete it tomorrow and continue to build on it.”
Chatterjee was dismissed on 96 against Railways last season and on 99 in East Zone’s Duleep Trophy quarter-final against West Zone in October. “The hundred did play on mind but I was more focused on batting out the whole day, so didn’t really go for it,” Chatterjee said.
Son of a garment retailer, Chatterjee hails from a middle-class background in Kolkata. According to him, his parents have made lots of sacrifices to let him pursue his passion and he is keen to justify their faith in his talent. He wants to cement his place in the side by putting up a “big score” and help Bengal bat Baroda out of the game.

Sudip Chatterjee’s composed, unbeaten 91 aided by vital contributions from opener Arindam Das and wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami helped Bengal kick off their Ranji Trophy season on a decent note. The top order justified their captain Laxmi Shukla’s decision to bat against Baroda by finishing the opening day on 255 for 3.Munaf Patel did extract some bounce early in the morning but once the Bengal openers played him cautiously, the other two seamers, Gagandeep Singh and Abhijit Karambelkar, couldn’t do much with the new ball. With the left- and right-hand combination of Rohan Banerjee and Das rotating strike at will, Baroda captain Aditya Waghmode was forced to introduce spin early.Swapnil Singh, the left-arm spinner making a comeback to first-class cricket after three years, created a chance early in his spell but Pinal Shah missed a regulation stumping opportunity against Das. The batsman was on 25 in a total of 54.Swapnil was finally rewarded for his accurate line as he forced Banerjee to offer a sharp chance at forward short-leg and Kedar Devdhar didn’t falter. While Das continued to gain confidence, Chatterjee carried his good form from the Duleep Trophy by getting off the blocks in no time.Soon after lunch, Chatterjee cut Yusuf Pathan for two boundaries in an over. Immediately after that, Das completed his 23rd fifty by pulling a short one from Gagandeep to the square-leg rope. But in the seamer’s next over, Das’ front-foot prod ended up in an edge to Pinal.In came Manoj Tiwary and didn’t waste any time in dancing down the wicket off Yusuf and hitting him for a one-bounce boundary to long-on. Waghmode brought Munaf back for his third stint and the bowler responded by bowling the spell of the day. Munaf executed his key strength of bowling a tight line and stifled both Tiwary and Chatterjee. It resulted in Tiwary missing out on a straight one and being adjudged lbw. With Munaf running in full steam, Chatterjee and Goswami played him out carefully. The fast bowler’s third spell read 5-4-4-1.Once Munaf was taken off, Goswami started expressing himself freely. His cuts against spinners and drives against seamers, especially Karambelkar, were a treat to watch. Goswami and Chatterjee appeared in little trouble all along their unbeaten 111-run partnership.However, despite the Baroda bowlers starting to tire in the final session, the Bengal batsmen didn’t try to score quicker. Baroda not only delayed the new ball till the end of the 88th over but also didn’t bowl Munaf at all in the session.

It was brash, it was brilliant and it came almost out of the blue. Even by his own extreme standards, Kevin Pietersen’s 21st Test century was one of his most remarkable

The Report by David Hopps04-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKevin Pietersen was at his unique best at Headingley to haul England back into the match•Getty ImagesIt was brash, it was brilliant and it came almost out of the blue. Even by his own extreme standards, Kevin Pietersen’s 21st Test century was one of his most remarkable. It took a Test series that had been characterised throughout by South African discipline and English subjugation and it turned it thoroughly, thrillingly, on its head.As ever with Pietersen’s greatest innings, it grew not just from innate talent but a colossal belief in his own ability. Shortly after tea, he became the fastest batsman, in terms of time, to 7000 Test runs – beating South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, his compatriot and not exactly his biggest fan, by almost a year. He gazed upon his statistic, adorned with his own image, on the big screen as if drawing new energy, new belief, from the magnitude of his achievement.One point that has not been stressed enough about Pietersen’s retirement from England’s one-day side after a stand-off with England’s management is that feelgood is not just beneficial to him, but essential to all he achieves. When the ego is not fed, the magic departs.He was comparatively restrained up to tea, making 43 from 83 balls, but in a prolonged final session of 3 hours 10 minutes something clicked. He destroyed the finest attack in Test cricket, surfing on a wave of self-belief. There was still something in the pitch but it became an irrelevance. In that final session, England made 168 runs in 42 overs and Pietersen got 106 of them. Nobody can suggest this Test is not alive after that. South Africa suffered a further blow shortly before the close when captain Graeme Smith had to be helped from the field after injuring his left knee in chasing a ball to the boundary.Perhaps South Africa should not have tried to bounce Pietersen out immediately after tea. It was a legitimate tactic and, if Hashim Amla had held on at short leg when Pietersen was 52, a push off his hip against Morne Morkel, Smith’s gambit would have succeeded. It fell to earth.Pietersen then imagined himself invincible. It must be the sort of feeling most of us only ever recognise after about three drinks when the music is playing, except in Pietersen’s case, the more he sups the better it gets. He flung his front leg to the leg side, to haul a succession of short balls from Morkel riskily above and beyond three boundary catchers, causing South Africa to abandon the ploy prematurely; he stood tall to drill Dale Steyn through point; and he met Jacques Kallis with the whippiest of straight drives.As the Test series was transformed, he lacerated Vernon Philander through the offside to reach 99 and then, next ball, stole a single to midwicket for his 100, leaving him level with his captain, Andrew Strauss and one behind those at the top of the pile: Colin Cowdrey, Geoff Boycott and Wally Hammond. His high-hurdle celebration was regarded by some South Africans as rather tasteless, and after he had raised his bat to his wife in the crowd, his hug of celebration with the diminutive James Taylor, on debut, was amusingly chaste. How do you hug a man on public view who you barely know and who is more than a foot shorter than you are? Carefully, according to Pietersen.Taylor played dutifully on his Test debut, a predominantly back-foot player, like most small batsmen, who fell half-an-hour before the close when he chopped on against Morkel for a considered 34, in a stand of 147, that provided a careful counterpoint to the mayhem around him. He must have observed Pietersen, 22 yards away, and imagined a different world.Smart stats

Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 149 is his third century and second-highest score against South Africa. In ten Tests against South Africa, he has scored 805 runs at an average of 50.31.

Pietersen became the eighth England batsman to pass the 7000-run mark. He achieved the feat in his 88th Test. Both Pietersen and Wally Hammond, the quickest England batsman to the 7000-run mark, are the only batsmen on the list with 50-plus averages.

Pietersen’s century is his 21st in Tests. It brings him level second on the list of England batsmen with the most Test hundreds.

Pietersen is one run short of equalling the record of Hammond and Len Hutton for the most 150-plus scores (10) by an England batsman. Pietersen currently has nine such scores including three double-centuries.

The 147-run stand between Pietersen and James Taylor is the fourth-highest fifth-wicket stand for England against South Africa and the highest since South Africa’s readmission.

On 110, Pietersen lashed Steyn so fiercely back towards him that it was a relief the bowler was not struck. Every onlooker, English or South African alike, would have had their most memorable moment. This might be a bit left field: on 143, he failed to spot a googly from Imran Tahir. No matter, he concluded, I will switch hit the next one. He missed it. He probably never read it. He probably did not even try to. But it spoke volumes about how he believes that attitude can conquer all.Until Pietersen deemed what had passed before immaterial, the suspicion was growing that South Africa’s accession to the No 1 Test ranking by winning this three-Test series was only a matter of time. South Africa looked purposeful; England slightly listless. It was the draining feeling when a side suspected that in the home conditions where it had normally been so dominant, it had finally met its match.Pietersen’s conviction contrasted vividly with the dismissals of Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell as England struggled to break the shackles. Smith’s catch at first slip, as Steyn dismissed Trott for 35, came from a cross-batted carve at a length ball and worse was to when Bell, who had announced himself by lofting the legspinner Tahir imperiously for a straight six, chased a curly outswinger from Kallis that swung wide and early.It was an abysmal shot by Bell, one of the weakest of his 79-Test career, especially considering that his dismissal brought in Taylor, on debut, only five minutes before tea. It did at least allow Taylor to make his first Test runs by the interval, an off drive against a long half-volley from Tahir that would have settled his nerves.Strauss was the first wicket to fall after lunch, a laborious innings coming to grief when Steyn, who had bowled too wide at him, finally found a tight enough line to force a catch at the wicket. Alastair Cook fell in a rain-affected morning, the sort of Headingley morning when the fancy dressers would have been better coming as frogmen than paying homage, as many did, to the Leeds DJ, TV personality and eccentric, Sir Jimmy Savile, who died last year.Cook was lbw pushing forward to Philander, the sort of low-trajectory bowler with an ability to swing the ball at a good length who often succeeds at Headingley. He stayed around for an umpiring review, however, which predictably was entirely wasted when the ball was shown to be hitting middle, two thirds of the way up. There might have been a glimmer of hope that the ball was pitching outside leg but it was a wasted review.Batting relationships, as well as the status of players within a side, can often be revealed by attitudes to reviewing decisions that even in real time seem to have a high probability of being out. Cook is not only one of the most valued wickets in the England side, which gives him a slightly greater claim to a review, he is also Strauss’ heir apparent and the relationship between the two men is strong. It all tipped England into a review that Strauss must have agreed to against his better instincts.

Kings XI Punjab kept themselves in contention for a place in the playoffs with a comfortable victory set up by their seamers in Dharamsala

The Report by Siddhartha Talya17-May-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Praveen Kumar dismissed Chennai Super Kings’ openers during an economical spell•AFPKings XI Punjab kept themselves in contention for a place in the playoffs with a comfortable victory set up by their seamers in Dharamsala. In conditions conducive to swing and movement, Praveen Kumar and Parvinder Awana stymied Chennai Super Kings, who finished their league campaign on a disappointing note. Super Kings are still hanging by a thread in this IPL though, and are at the mercy of other results.Kings XI’s decision to go in with a four-pronged pace attack paid off and despite a Super Kings fightback led by Dwayne Bravo, a target of 121 proved easy to scale down. Adam Gilchrist, returning to lead his side after a lay-off of nearly a month due to a hamstring injury, smashed an unbeaten half-century to see his team home in front of a full house at the picturesque HPCA Stadium.Gilchrist, after winning the toss, had no doubts about putting Super Kings in and Praveen went about justifying that decision. Several IPL venues around the country have supported movement off the pitch but here there was genuine swing on offer. The Super Kings openers were confident when the ball was pitched up but indecisive when the length was just held back a touch. Praveen sensed that early and beat M Vijay, before having him caught behind when he tried to play an expansive shot.Michael Hussey faced a tough time against Ryan Harris, pushing and prodding at away-going deliveries before nicking one to the keeper off Praveen. Suresh Raina was dropped on 2 at slip by Piyush Chawla and he went on to strike two sixes off Azhar Mahmood – one launched over long-off, the other top-edged over fine leg. But Raina chased a wide one that same over, and was snapped up by Gilchrist. Super Kings were in trouble when a nippy Parvinder Awana, who also got excellent carry, dismissed MS Dhoni to make it 46 for 4, but Bravo fought back.Bravo waited for an opening, provided by the spin of Piyush Chawla, dispatching a long hop over midwicket and creaming him through point. He then went after David Hussey, smashing his offspinners for consecutive sixes towards cow corner. Though Awana continued to be miserly, going for just 12 in his four-over spell and picking up two wickets, Mahmood faced an assault at the death. Albie Morkel hammered him for a six and a four, and Bravo was able to put together stands of 32 and 34 with Ravindra Jadeja and Morkel. His 48 gave Super Kings something to defend but Kings XI were the happier bunch at the halfway mark.Gilchrist ensured the advantage remained with Kings XI. Though Ben Hilfenhaus and Morkel found some assistance under overcast skies, it wasn’t as much as the first innings. Kings XI approached the chase positively and an early burst prevented Super Kings from applying any serious pressure. Mandeep Singh, albeit a little fortuitously, slashed Hilfenhaus for a couple of boundaries in the first over and Gilchrist drove Morkel powerfully twice in the second. When R Ashwin was brought on in the sixth, he was pulled and swept by Gilchrist for two fours.Mandeep fell after a half-century stand, and Nitin Saini and David Hussey lost their wickets playing avoidable shots but Kings XI were always on track while Gilchrist stayed. He was determined to see his team through, was cautious when the need arose and ruthless when an opportunity came. He slashed Bravo over point, and then tore into Yo Mahesh, whose generous dose of short balls and length deliveries were promptly dispatched. He was thrashed for two sixes over square leg and two more fours in an over that fetched 22, and the result from there on was a foregone conclusion.

New South Wales finished their Ryobi Cup league campaign with a victory – by 49 runs via D/L method – against South Australia to secure their position in the elimination final

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2013
ScorecardSean Abbott starred with both bat and ball for New South Wales•Getty ImagesNew South Wales finished their Ryobi Cup league campaign with a victory – by 49 runs via D/L method – against South Australia to secure their position in the elimination final. NSW and Victoria will face off in the elimination final on October 24, with Queensland waiting for the winner of that match for the overall final on October 27.After winning the toss at Drummoyne Oval, the NSW openers put on 30 in 4.1 overs. David Warner led the quick start with 32 off 23 balls, and after he was dismissed in the seventh over with the score on 3 for 52, Nic Maddinson and Kurtis Patterson added 101 for the fourth wicket.Once Maddinson fell on 75 and Ben Rohrer was dismissed first ball, it was left to Sean Abbott and Steve O’Keefe to keep the innings going. They did so with scores of 50 and 31 as NSW finished on 8 for 252 in 42 overs. Joe Mennie was the pick of the bowlers for South Australia with 4 for 58.Chasing a revised target of 248 in 41 overs, South Australia’s reply started inauspiciously as Matt Weaver fell for a two-ball duck. Michael Klinger and Tom Cooper put on 73 for the second wicket but Abbott broke that stand in the 14th over. South Australia then suffered a double-blow with the score on 113, and the middle order faltered as four wickets fell in the space of 26 runs. Nathan Lyon and Abbott took three wicket each, and Tim Ludeman’s 29-ball 34 was not enough as South Australia were dismissed for 198.

The BCCI is believed to have offered Nimbus Communications a settlement in its dispute over broadcast rights for cricket in India, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Tariq Engineer20-Feb-2012The BCCI is believed to have offered Nimbus Communications a settlement in its dispute over broadcast rights for cricket in India, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The board had terminated Nimbus’ contract in December, following which Nimbus filed a claim for damages of close to Rs 600 crores (approx. $121 million) in the arbitration process currently under way.Two BCCI officials contacted by ESPNcricinfo said they were not aware of the board offering such a settlement. However, a resolution of this issue would mean one less case for the BCCI to fight and would save the board the trouble of finding a new rights holder at a time when the Indian economy is slowing down.The settlement, this reporter understands, requires Nimbus to drop their claim for damages, which rests mainly on two contentions: that the Indian team rested top players for home series, contrary to the contract, and that there was no India-Pakistan series as stipulated. In return, the board will restore the broadcast rights to Nimbus. The agreement would need to be ratified by Nimbus’ shareholders to be accepted.Nimbus had secured the rights to Indian cricket for four years in January 2010, its second consecutive four-year deal with the Indian board. The agreement was valued at approximately Rs 2000 crore (then $436 million) for a minimum of 64 international matches and 312 days of domestic cricket until 2014. The deal was terminated after the BCCI claimed Nimbus had defaulted on payments and the matter then went into arbitration.A day after the contract was terminated, Nimbus released a statement saying it had “acted in compliance of its contractual obligations and variations agreed between the parties from time to time”. The company had reportedly asked the BCCI for an extension to their payment deadline, but the board turned down the request and decided to scrap their deal at its working committee meeting in New Delhi on December 12, 2011.The BCCI also tried to invoke the bank guarantees worth Rs 1600 crore (approximately $300 million) given by Nimbus, but the Bombay High Court ruled against them. However, in January the High Court gave Nimbus four weeks to deposit Rs 305 crores (approx. US$61 million) – the amount the board has claimed in unpaid dues – with the court as security.