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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.

Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Test cricket at the conclusion of the series against Pakistan in August, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jul-2014Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Test cricket at the conclusion of the series against Pakistan in August, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced. He will continue to be available for ODI cricket only, having also retired from T20 internationals in April this year.Jayawardene, 37, has been a cornerstone of the Sri Lanka batting order since his debut against India in 1997, and has amassed 11493 Test runs in his career, which is currently joint-highest for a Sri Lanka batsman alongside Kumar Sangakkara. He has played 145 Tests, and if fit and selected, will finish on 149, at the P Sara Oval match which begins on August 14. Jayawardene has hit 33 hundreds and 48 fifties in 244 innings.”It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honour representing my country during the past 18 years,” Jayawardene said. “But I believe this is the right time.”Jayawardene has been in good Test-match form in 2014, averaging 75.77 in his six most recent matches. But with no home Tests scheduled for almost a year, and only two Tests in New Zealand remaining before the 2015 World Cup, he had alerted chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya of his wish to walk away from the longest format.”He called me and said that he wants to play four more matches and retire from Test cricket, concentrating on ODI cricket until the World Cup,” Jayasuriya said. “I think he is the best person to judge that. He has given outstanding service to Sri Lankan cricket, and is now giving a youngster a chance to come in and play Test cricket.”Jayawardene also led the Sri Lanka team from 2006 to 2009, and again for 12 months from early 2012 to 2013. His first captaincy stint was among Sri Lanka’s most successful stretches of Test cricket, as the team won 15 of 28 matches and lost only seven. Renowned for his aggressive, innovative strategy, Jayawardene is regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s best leaders, and perhaps the team’s best tactician. He has played in 56 Test victories in all.Among the most remarkable statistics of his career is his home average of 61.12, and his exploits in Sri Lanka have been key to his team’s success at home since the turn of the century. Many of his best innings have come on bone-dry surfaces, where other batsmen have been unsuccessful. An excellent technique against spin bowling and a sharp cricket mind have been major themes in his cricket, and have seen him play match-defining innings, particularly in low-scoring games.Jayawardene has hundreds against every Test side, and in every Test-playing country apart from South Africa, where he has struggled most. His away average of 41.50, and his modest returns on faster, bouncier surfaces have been the major criticisms leveled at his cricket. He has, however, had some success in England, where he has two hundreds at Lord’s. Jayawardene hit 174 runs at 43.50 in his most recent series in England.He has also excelled as a slip fielder throughout his career, sitting third on the all-time catches list, with 197 takes. He has been particularly sharp while fielding to spin bowling, with the Muttiah Muralitharan-Jayawardene partnership the most prolific bowler-fielder combination in Test history. He has completed catches more regularly than the other four fielders in the Test top five, with an average 0.75 catches per innings.Apart from holding the Sri Lankan record for most runs, most catches and most Tests, Jayawardene has also made the highest score by a Sri Lankan – his 374 against South Africa in 2006. A still presence at the crease, and blessed with strong, supple wrists, Jayawardene is also known as one of the game’s foremost stylists, with strokes all around the wicket, both classical and modern.He had also been perhaps the most popular schoolboy cricketer of the 90s, for Nalanda College. He leaves the game in 2014 as a Sri Lankan great.

The Pakistan Super League, the PCB’s proposed franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, will not kick off this year

Umar Farooq26-Aug-2014The Pakistan Super League (PSL), the PCB’s proposed franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, will not kick off this year. This is the second time in the last 18 months the tournament has been shelved. Earlier it was over logistic problems, this time it is mainly due to the “paucity of lead time” in the face of issues with the bidding process.The PCB was planning to hold the PSL this winter, between December 2014 and January 2015, with the UAE as a potential venue for the five-team T20 competition. The board invited parties to acquire the PSL rights, but quality of the bids meant the PCB has decided to put it on hold.There were six companies that showed interest in bidding but only two – Haier and Aman Foundation – showed the capability to provide a bank guarantee of US$3 million before taking part in the bid process. The board was due to open bids earlier this month but decided to delay the process by 10 days, before postponing it indefinitely.”The PCB chairman [Shaharyar Khan] explained to the representatives of both the bidders as to why it had become extremely difficult to organise the inaugural PSL edition this year,” the PCB said in a press release. “Chief among the reasons behind taking this decision was the paucity of lead time.”The PCB Chairman thanked both the bidders on understanding the board’s predicament, while communicating to them cancellation of the bidding process, simultaneously handing back the financial proposals, bid security and bid participation fee to the bidders unopened.””The PCB is committed to holding the PSL, and I hope that both Haier and Aman Foundation shall take part in the bidding when the tendering process is reinitiated shortly,” Shaharyar Khan said in the statement. “The board meanwhile is finalising a window in the future tours programme, which affords it sufficient lead time to launch PSL well and make the event a success.”During Zaka Ashraf regime, the PSL business model – unveiled in January – was expected to fetch the PCB “in excess of $100 million”. The PCB had also announced the base prices of players for a proposed auction, though it didn’t reveal the pool of players who had signed up for the tournament.The launching the PSL has not been a straightforward business for the PCB so far, as no international cricket has been played in Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.

The scenes at the Wankhede Stadium were scarcely believable as Mumbai Indians’ turnaround of a campaign that had begun so disastrously culminated in the most fairy-tale of finishes

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2014Mumbai Indians were the defending IPL champions, but their performance in the UAE leg of the tournament barely lent justice to that seeding. Five successive losses were how they began their campaign but since the shift to India, Mumbai knocked off seven wins, the last of which was achieved facing humongous odds and in an incredible blaze of glory.The equation before them was 190 in 14.3 overs. By the end of the 10th over, Mumbai were tackling a required rate of 15.5. But Corey Anderson’s frenetic 44-ball 95 kept Wankhede rumbling. It became 9 off 3 balls and Anderson was stranded in the non-strikers’ end after failing to beat long-off.Ambati Rayudu lurched between euphoria and agony when he struck the next ball – a leg stump full toss from James Faulkner – for six but then was run out looking for the winning runs. He sank to his knees thinking Mumbai had fallen short of the playoffs. The 14.3 overs were up and Mumbai could only tie with the target. However, the net-run rate equation allowed for one more ball, one more shot for the home side. If this was sent to the boundary, they would progress. In came Aditya Tare and smote another leg-stump full toss over square leg to cue manic celebrations.”We showed today that nothing is impossible,” said the Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma, “A performance like this doesn’t come everyday. This is for the people of Mumbai and our supporters all across [the world]. Anderson was just unbelievable. The kind of shots he played was amazing, and Rayudu came in and played a little cameo there, and hats off to Tare because hitting a six in the last ball and it was simply superb.”Rohit said his team had been inspired by their recent Champions League T20 triumph. After an initial loss and one game rained out, Mumbai required a perfect sheet to get into the final and that is what they accomplished to complete the double of a CLT20 title to go along with the IPL.

I think it gave hope to us in the middle and to the boys in the change room as wellCorey Anderson on the Wankhede crowd

“We did it in the Champions League too. We were in the same situation to qualify [for the final], so we had that belief in ourselves that we can do it and we proved it today. At the start of the tournament I said that this team has got all the potential to come out and perform like that and we showed it tonight. The first half is done [having qualified for the playoffs]. The remaining half is still there so brighter things are yet to come.”Anderson, on whom Mumbai shelled $750,000, never found his feet in the tournament. Noted for his power-hitting, his strike rate languished at 118 until the night that mattered most for his side. He came out with the score on 19 for 1 and relied solely on his power to enact one of the most poignant victories in seven years for Mumbai. Anderson believed the energy of a roaring Wankhede spurred their side towards victory as that 14.3-over mark approached.”Little bit before [the last 10 balls] some of them started realising we’ve got a chance here,” Anderson said. “I think it gave hope to us in the middle and to the boys in the change room as well. It was just nice to be out there when it all finished as well.”I’m glad I could do something to bring them [Mumbai supporters] to their feet. Some other boys played some massive knocks tonight. Rayudu came in and smashed it and that last ball from Tare as well. It sort of never stopped the whole way.”It was just about staying still and backing yourself. I think when you complicate things is when it starts getting frustrating and you miss balls and I think I did that a couple of ones near the end. It’s a pretty special feeling to do it in front of the home crowd.”Rajasthan Royals had entered this match requiring a victory, or a narrow-enough loss to pip their opponents on net run-rate. They were noticeably buoyed when Michael Hussey and the dangerous Kieron Pollard were sent back in the sixth over. But in the face of a steady onslaught, the bowlers unravelled and the dugout grew tenser as they watched ball after poor ball being clobbered to the boundary. Rahul Dravid, the team mentor, said they could not execute their lengths but conceded reining a man like Anderson after he had got on a roll was always going to be difficult.

Peter Moores has dismissed suggestions that his new assistant, Paul Farbrace, should feel morally bound to sit out the Sri Lanka tour this summer

David Hopps02-May-20146:11

#PoliteEnquiries: Would Nick Compton pose naked? The man himself answers yours questions

Peter Moores has dismissed suggestions that his new assistant, Paul Farbrace, should feel morally bound to sit out the Sri Lanka tour this summer because England poached him from their opponents so soon after he took charge.Farbrace had been in charge of Sri Lanka for barely three months, a period in which they won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, before England persuaded him to abandon a job he had only just begun and join Moores in a new-look England coaching structure.Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, conceded that the circumstances were “not nice” when he joined Durham this week for a brief stint ahead of the Sri Lanka tour but stopped short of criticising Farbrace, who he maintained was “a top guy and a wonderful coach”.Moores also waved aside suggestions that England should make a moral gesture, pointing out that Farbrace was English and that there was a patriotic lure in his new role.”I don’t think he should miss the Sri Lanka tour,” Moores said. “Paul has made his decision and he has come in. One of the key things was for him to be in at the start of something new.”Of course I understand why some people are uncomfortable, but the key message – and I am sure Paul won’t mind me saying – is that he loved his time in Sri Lanka. He has been there twice and he went back because he loved the people, he loved the way they played their cricket and some of those senior players he has a great relationship with.”I can understand why people aren’t happy with him because he went there and was very successful. But there was a draw to come and do something in his home country and for anybody who is a patriotic bloke, as Paul is, it becomes something he wants to do. I think over time the players will understand that – they are playing for their country after all.Paul Farbrace was working with Sri Lanka’s players a few weeks ago•AFP”We go back a long way with so I know his philosophies about coaching and they are similar to mine which I think is really important. That is about trying to create a situation where people feel free to go and play – and that is quite challenging in an international environment but I think he fits. I think the players will enjoy having him. He is an all-round coach, he covers a lot of bases, and has got great knowledge of one day cricket in particular.”Sangakkara was also reluctant to be too critical. “Paul is a big loss for us,” he said. “He could understand how Sri Lanka works and his impact was really important for us in those three months. The circumstances surrounding how he left were unfortunate, it was probably not nice, but England will gain hugely from Paul.”He’s a top guy and a wonderful coach. He’s very good with people and sometimes that’s more important than having all the knowledge in the world.”Moores dismissed fears that Ben Stokes could miss the entire summer after his contretemps with a locker during a one-day match in Barbados in March. Stokes fractured his right hand when he lashed out after being dismissed for a golden duck. He issued an emotional apology to the team in the dressing room as he realised that he would miss World Twenty20″I don’t think he will miss the entire season. They are very confident about how he’s progressing. The impression I have is that they are not saying his recovery isn’t going to plan. It is going in stages as everything does so we have to just go with it.”He’s still got a bit of work to do yet – he isn’t on the coaches’ radar yet. I don’t know with him. It was a complicated injury so it takes a bit more time. If he is not ready to play in the first Test then he isn’t.”Moores has inherited other injury concerns. Stuart Broad is likely to miss the limited-overs section of Sri Lanka’s tour and play Championship cricket in an attempt to be fit for the first Test at Lord’s in June after seeking a rest cure for tendonitis in his knee.”Obviously Broady is having a break to recharge and get his niggles sorted with a view to him playing a couple of rounds of county cricket but he is struggling for the one day series,” he said. “With all these things we will have to monitor how it progresses, but at the moment, we are looking at the Tests for Broad. As with all key players you are desperate to pick them if you can but you have to be realistic we need to make sure he is fully fit.”Sussex are also hopeful that Matt Prior will return as a batsman against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday as he seeks to rid himself of persistent Achilles trouble, but Moores was unable to commit himself to when Prior might return.”We are upping his volume to see when he can get some cricket in, but realistically with Matt it is about preparing to compete for the Test matches so we have a bit more time. I wouldn’t put a timescale on his return. We want to see him play cricket, Test matches don’t start for a while and he has to show he can get through a game without it flaring up.”Steve Finn’s form is also heartening, but does not yet warrant a return in one-day cricket. Here is another player being targeted at the Tests. Moores plans chats with Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket. and judging by Fraser’s comments on ESPNcricinfo’s County Show he will receive a positive but cautious assessment: progress is being made, but there remains work to be done.”There is a general perception we should give him long enough in county cricket to really get to where he wants to be before he goes and plays for England again,” Moores said. “I would accept that if that is the general view – that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want him in my team but I think the key here is that you have to take some advice on where a player is at.”We don’t have to cross the bridge of the first Test yet and what I do like is him taking wickets in county cricket. Having not watched him yet live but have watched the video clips, he looks like he’s bowling the sort of balls you want to see a fast bowler bowling. That is exciting for us because he was missed in the winter.”

Rookie legspinner Scott Borthwick is poised to make a Test debut in Sydney as England reach the final Test in Sydney with the Ashes long gone

George Dobell01-Jan-20140:00

Borthwick ready for Aussie onslaught

England will make the first tentative steps into a new age as they reach the final Test in Sydney with the series long gone and a growing acceptance that the team that has served them so well needs refreshing.To that end, Scott Borthwick looks set to become the first legspinner capped by England since Ian Salisbury was recalled against Pakistan in December 2000, a brief flirtation with leg spin which also saw Chris Schofield play two Tests earlier that year.The fast bowler Boyd Rankin and the middle-order batsman Garry Ballance are also pushing for inclusion. If all three play, it will be the first time England have had three debutants in the same Test since Nagpur in March 2006 when Monty Panesar, Ian Blackwell and Alastair Cook all won their first caps.It would complete a rapid rise to prominence for Borthwick. He had been due to return to the UK on Monday having played Grade cricket in Sydney – he played alongside Brad Haddin in one game – and is still due on the Lions tour of Sri Lanka in March. Now, at 23, he is going to be given the opportunity of filling the rather large shoes of Graeme Swann.England are asking a great deal. With 28 wickets at 38 apiece in the last Championship season, Borthwick was 14th in the Durham bowling averages. While his batting was a revelation – promoted to No. 3 from No. 8 he scored 1,022 Championship runs – he is being picked more with a view to his spin bowling than his batting. He will, however, stiffen the tail – he could well bat at No. 8 – and improve England’s fielding.The experience of Simon Kerrigan is a concern. Kerrigan, who has a significantly better first-class bowling record than Borthwick (a bowling average of 26.68 compared to 31.29, albeit on generally more helpful Old Trafford surfaces) endured a horrendous debut at The Oval at the end of the previous series after he appeared to wilt in the face of a ferocious assault from Australia’s batsmen.It seems inevitable Australia will target Borthwick in the same manner, with Haddin, described as “a good fella” by Borthwick, suggesting the young legspinner will be “monstered”.”Leg-spin is hard,” Borthwick admitted phlegmatically on Wednesday. “You’ve got to accept you are going to bowl bad balls, and blokes are going to come after you. You’ve got to a bit of fight, try to get competitive and spin the ball past them. When batters do come at you, it gives you a chance to get wickets.”England skipped nets but still plan to make a sprint start in Sydney•Getty ImagesWhether he plays as the main spinner or fulfils a role alongside Monty Panesar, who has reportedly been complaining of a tight calf, or even James Tredwell remains to be seen. The days when Sydney offered much turn are gone, so England could utilise Joe Root, who out-bowled Panesar in Melbourne, as the second spinner.The relative success of Ben Stokes might yet be remembered as the only light amid the gloom of this series for England. While his century at Perth was the most memorable of his achievements, he has also shown burgeoning ability with the ball. Again, it would be a big ask, but he could be used as one of only three seamers if England feel the need to play two spinners.If Rankin plays it is likely to be in place of Tim Bresnan and if Ballance plays it is likely to be instead of Michael Carberry. That would necessitate Root moving back up to the opening position – his third batting position of the series – and might well see Ian Bell promoted to the No. 3 position. Root has already batted in every position between two and seven in his 15 Tests and the dropping of Carberry, like the dropping of Nick Compton before him, would be an admission of failure on the behalf of the selectors.Ballance looks a fine prospect. While he arrived on the tour carrying more weight than might be expected from a professional cricketer in this age, he scored 1,251 Championship runs in the 2013 season and has a first-class average of 53.33. The fact that he is Zimbabwe born will provoke some, although he was schooled in England, but of more relevance is the fact that he appears to have a solid game without obvious faults and, aged 24, could play a role for much of the next decade.There were some raised eyebrows when England opted to skip nets and concentrate on fielding practice on Wednesday. To some, England’s performances in this series have underlined how much work they have in front of them, though in reality there is little that one more net session could do to restore the balance of power at this stage.It may be pertinent to note that when England won the final Test of the 2002-03 series having gone into the game 4-0 down, they spent the preceding days indulging thoroughly at New Year and enjoying games of football instead of nets. Sometimes a break is of more value than another net session.While England explore new players, it might also prove worthwhile exploring the system and the coaches that are meant to produce them.Since Jonathan Trott made his Test debut in 2009, England have brought 13 new players into their Test side. While several, the likes of Steven Finn and James Taylor, may come again, there should be a concern that of them all, perhaps only Root and Stokes have adapted to the level with anything like comfort.It is hard to avoid the conclusion that a gap has developed between domestic and international cricket that was not there when Matt Prior, Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Trott were scoring centuries on Test debut or when Bell and Kevin Pietersen were scoring half-centuries and James Anderson was taking a five-wicket haul.The lack of developing young spinners and fast bowlers is a particular concern. The ECB have employed specialist coaches for several years in such positions but, while national head coaches and captains are subject to great public scrutiny, those operating at developmental level seem to live a somewhat cosy life just below the radar. But it is faults at those levels that eventually weaken the national side.

Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar has backed up his good form in the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup with a chart-topping performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2014Karnataka have already won this year’s Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup, and are now in the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Their captain Vinay Kumar has been instrumental to their success, taking 17 wickets in the Ranji knockout stage and a ten-wicket haul in the Irani Cup.Vinay has backed that up with 23 wickets at 10.30 to top the Vijay Hazare bowling charts. “I would say I’m at my best at the moment. I am happy with the way I’m performing,” Vinay said on the eve of Karnataka’s Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final against Jharkhand.After a difficult one-day series against Australia last year, Vinay lost his place in the national team but was hopeful of making a comeback. “I’ve been performing well in whatever matches I played. Be it Ranji or Irani, I’ve been doing well. The rest is up to the selectors. Every match is important for me and I want to contribute in our team’s win.”The pitches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout phase have been favourable to seamers, which Vinay felt would prepare batsmen for overseas conditions. “It’s challenging for batsmen where they can improve their batting. When we go abroad, these kind of wickets will definitely help them perform really well. If we play 10 games, we get these kind of wickets in only one or two games.”

Mohammed Shami’s reverse swing and West Indies’ self-destruction led to the visitors crumbling after lunch from the promising advantage of 138 for 2

The Report by Abhishek Purohit06-Nov-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammed Shami picked up 4 for 71 on Test debut•BCCIPost-lunch session. A big partnership getting bigger. Suddenly, the game turns on its head. How often has reverse swing done that to a match on the subcontinent? How often have West Indies self-destructed? The umpires changed the ball after 40 overs at Eden Gardens, the replacement reversed appreciably, and the debutant Mohammed Shami bowled Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin in successive overs. In between those dismissals, Darren Bravo ran himself out and Darren Sammy torpedoed his own counter-attack, and the promising advantage of 138 for 2 lay squandered. Soon, Shami uprooted fellow debutant Sheldon Cottrell’s off stump to end the innings on 234 and finish with four wickets.Shami was the form bowler from the recent ODI series against Australia, and was handed a debut ahead of the experienced Ishant Sharma – who ironically presented Shami with his Test cap – and the quicker Umesh Yadav. And how he repaid his captain’s faith. Shami bowled consistently in the late 130s on a slow pitch, and was a different proposition with the ball scuffed up, finding movement that had not been there for him with the new one.It was a proper bat-first pitch at Eden Gardens, slightly uneven and expected to deteriorate later. There was little threat from the new ball and the lack of pace also hampered the spinners. The West Indies openers, however, failed to capitalise on favourable conditions and departed within the first hour. A tentative Chris Gayle succumbed to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s away-swing, and the solid Kieran Powell was done in on the pull by Shami’s pace.Samuels and Bravo put on 91 for the third wicket to bring West Indies back. Bravo came in to defend and defend, while Samuels took care of the scoring, hitting 56 of his brisk 65 in boundaries before his dismissal sparked the collapse. Every now and then both batsmen attacked the spinners, who were not much of a worry despite the odd delivery turning or kicking or keeping low. Samuels continued to pierce the off-side field against the quicks.It was Samuels’ desire to keep hitting off the back foot that gave India the opening. Even as Samuels set himself up for a punch through the off side, Shami swerved one through the gate from good length. In the next over Bravo, having resolutely blocked his way to 23 off 96, decided now was the time for a casual single to square leg, even though there was a fielder there and though Shivnarine Chanderpaul wasn’t interested. Suicidal was the only word for it. In the next over, with so much reverse happening, West Indies realised having a keeper batting at No 6 wasn’t ideal. Feet not moving, Ramdin was caught on the crease as another one zipped in late. He belatedly tried to chop it, but it had sneaked through by then.At the other end, Pragyan Ojha was cursing his luck. He’d had Samuels, on 60, dropped by Dhoni, then had a close leg-before shout turned down against Sammy. But Ojha did not have to wait for too long because the West Indies captain gave it away. With long-off on the boundary, Sammy tried sending Ojha over, only to find the fielder with precision.In his 199th Test, Sachin Tendulkar gave a disappointingly moderate Eden crowd another reason to cheer at the stroke of tea. Landing his legbreaks and googlies with control in his opening over, Tendulkar trapped Shane Shillingford – also dropped by Dhoni off Ojha – in front for his 46th Test wicket. Chanderpaul, playing his 149th Test, was left to survey and salvage something from another familiar West Indies collapse. He tried to do it his way, turning the strike over and trusting the tail. But R Ashwin eventually sneaked an offbreak past his back-foot defence to end his resistance on 36.India’s openers brought the deficit below 200 in the 12 overs they faced. Tino Best and Sheldon Cottrell, in particular, worked up plenty of pace but did not make the batsmen play enough. They also overdid the short ball, which, despite their speeds, was safely defended or avoided on this pitch. Shillingford sent down a few steady overs, but India’s real test will come when the ball starts to reverse.

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.

England opener Nick Compton missed out on the chance to press his Ashes claims as Tony Palladino celebrated his return from injury with a four wicket haul for Derbyshire on a rain affected second day against Somerset at Derby.

22-Jun-2013
ScorecardTony Palladino gave Derbyshire the edge with four wickets•PA PhotosEngland opener Nick Compton missed out on the chance to press his Ashes claims as Tony Palladino celebrated his return from injury with a four wicket haul for Derbyshire on a rain affected second day against Somerset at Derby.Compton made only 15 before he fell to Palladino, who took 4 for 75, and now has a possible three more first-class innings before the opening Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on July 10.It was another struggle for Somerset’s batsmen on a day when 45 overs were lost, with only skipper Marcus Trescothick reaching 50 as Derbyshire reduced them to 180 for 6 at the close, still 86 behind.It had been a different story at the start with Compton and Trescothick playing confidently until the first of three rain delays held up play for 35 minutes and when the game resumed, Derbyshire’s bowlers took control.Palladino had been out for seven weeks with a side strain and Derbyshire’s leading wicket-taker for the last two seasons showed how much the team has missed him when he sent back Compton with the total on 56.Compton, who had scored a century in the previous Championship match against Durham at Taunton, had failed to hit a boundary in his 70-minute innings which ended when he edged a drive and was caught by Wes Durston at first slip.Trescothick had looked in command but Derbyshire’s seamers bowled with discipline to restrict his scoring opportunities to the extent that he took 21 overs to move from 35 to 50.The game was held up briefly when one of the sightscreens was blown over before Tim Groenewald got the wicket Derbyshire wanted when Trescothick pushed at one that left him and was caught at third slip which was the first of five wickets to fall for 65 runs.South African batsman Dean Elgar looked to be set when he drove Palladino tamely to cover and Craig Kieswetter’s brief innings was ended when Palladino had him caught behind four overs later.A lot now rested on James Hildreth who timed the ball well to hit five fours in his 36 but he also fell to a poor shot when he played across the line at Palladino and was lbw.Alex Barrow also went cheaply and after a two-and-a-half hour break for rain, only three more overs were possible with Palladino having Peter Trego dropped at second slip before another shower drove the players back to the pavilion for the last time.