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Will be available for the first four matches of the four-day competition ahead of the 50-over and Twenty20 events

Cricinfo staff02-Nov-2009Ravi Bopara, the England batsman, has been signed up by Auckland for the domestic cricket season. Bopara, 24, will be available for the first four matches of the four-day competition, starting next week, ahead of the 50-over and Twenty20 events.”We had only been looking for someone for the Twenty20 but he’s very keen to come out for a longer period,” Auckland chief executive Andrew Eade told the .After being left out of the final Ashes Test following a dreadful run of form, Bopara recently lost his one-day spot for the tour to South Africa. He has vowed to return to the England Test side a better player after being dropped following a torrid series against Australia. At the start of the home season he was promoted to No. 3 and responded with consecutive centuries against West Indies, but found life much harder against Australia. His technique was exposed outside the off stump and he was also trapped leg before on three occasions.Eade said it was Bopara’s idea to land in New Zealand as soon as possible. “He is keen to come and contribute over a longer period for us, which is great. He has exactly the right skill set we want, a hard-hitting batsman with a bit of bowling to back that up.”

BJ Watling is in line for his Test debut after replacing Peter Fulton for the series-deciding third Test against Pakistan in Napier

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009The in-form BJ Watling is in line for his Test debut after replacing Peter Fulton for the series-deciding third Test against Pakistan in Napier from Friday. New Zealand’s selectors avoided wholesale changes after they were dismissed for 99 and 263 in the loss in Wellington on Sunday, with Watling the only new face in the 13-man outfit.”I had a fair idea I was in the mix but you are always shocked and excited when you get the call-up,” said Watling, who played two Twenty20 internationals in the UAE last month. He has performed well in the State Shield and scored 90 and 136 in the most recent rounds of the Plunket Shield. The selector Mark Greatbatch said Watling showed outstanding potential as a developing batsman.”He’s a quality young player with good technique,” Greatbatch said. “With the series at one-all we need to regroup and we believe Watling can add strength at the top.”There was a lot of discussion about the batting line-up, but this was not a time for wholesale change. We are aiming to give guys the opportunity to succeed.”Fulton managed 42 runs in the opening two games, which was only marginally worse than the return of Grant Elliott and slightly better than Tim McIntosh. Ross Taylor has been the key local batsman in the series, scoring 280 runs, including 97 in the second innings in Wellington.Greatbatch added that New Zealand might make some changes to their batting order, pushing Flynn – who batted at No.3 in Wellington – down the order, and Martin Guptill to No.3 from his opening slot.New Zealand squad Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Daryl Tuffey, Iain O’Brien, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel, Tim Southee.

Graeme Smith has admitted the decision over Makhaya Ntini’s is a “sensitive” issue, but he didn’t give the struggling fast bowler his unqualified support

Andrew McGlashan in Cape Town02-Jan-2010Graeme Smith has admitted the decision over Makhaya Ntini’s place in South Africa’s line-up is a “sensitive” issue, but unlike during the build-up to the previous Test at Durban he didn’t give the struggling fast bowler his unqualified support.Two days on from the Kingsmead Test, Smith confirmed that Ntini would retain his place in the starting line-up at the expense of Friedel de Wet, but after a performance where he went wicketless through 29 overs the captain was no longer able to offer that backing. The decision over Ntini’s fate was being taken on Saturday afternoon and the news is unlikely to be good for one of South Africa’s most famous sportsmen.”It’s a sensitive issue in South Africa, and that’s being honest,” Smith said. “Makhaya is an ‘icon’, through the country, not only the most iconic player of colour that we have, but also one of our most iconic cricketers in terms of performance over the last decade.”When senior players are at the point where there are a lot of questions being asked about them it’s always a terrible, tough time for any leadership group to manage. We’ve really tried to support Makhaya and give him as much as we can behind the scenes.”He’s been working hard at his game. Let’s hope there’s confidence left in him for the future. It’s always tough when a guy hasn’t taken a wicket in a game to say you’ve seen improvements.”Such has been the focus on Ntini throughout this series – from the build-up to his 100th cap at Centurion to his decline in form – that Smith showed his exasperation at endlessly having to defend his strike bowler when asked again about his chances. But Ntini is more than just another cricketer in South Africa which is why the issue is so significant.”England have played him well. They’ve had good tactics against him, and Makhaya probably hasn’t been at his best,” Smith said. “We’ve worked on a few things with him this week. Let’s see what happens.”Makhaya will fall into the same place as everyone else. We want to pick the best team for tomorrow. Obviously it is a sensitive issue. We want to make the right decision, so we can win a Test match over the next five days.”In the set-up of South Africa cricket the final decision on the team rests with coach Mickey Arthur once he is given a squad by the selectors, headed by Mike Procter. The triangle of Arthur, Procter and Smith has had few issues over the last year and this major selection call will test the cohesiveness of the home side.”Mickey is meeting with the selection panel this afternoon. We’ll have the team by tonight and announce it [in the] morning,” Smith said. “As far as I know, the selection process is that Mickey will have the final call.”I’ll have an input. But since I’ve been captain, I can’t remember having a vote in the selection. I’m not passing the buck … it’s always been that way.”Either decision will come with significant consequences. If Ntini somehow survives the axe it will create an inescapable feeling that more than purely cricket reasons are behind the decision, but if he is omitted, as looks likely, it will be a tough road back for a player who means so much to this country.There is no black cricketer making a huge push for selection in the near future. Only Lonwabo Tsotsobe, the left-arm paceman who has played three ODIs, is close to the national set-up and he isn’t considered a realistic Test option at the moment. The coming weeks and months will show how free of outside influences South African cricket has become.

Niranjan Shah, the IPL vice-president, has said he would plead his case with the IPL governing council

Cricinfo staff16-Feb-2010Ravindra Jadeja, who was banned from the IPL 2010 season for allegedly trying to negotiate a contract outside of Rajasthan Royals, has received support from Niranjan Shah, the IPL vice-president. Shah, also the president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA), whom Jadeja represents in domestic tournaments, said he would request the IPL’s governing council to consider the case.”We are hoping that everything will be fine in the coming days and Jadeja will be able to take part in the IPL3 for his franchise,” Shah was quoted as saying in the . “We will see if his ban can be reduced to a couple of matches and not for the entire tournament.”Earlier, Jadeja had pleaded his innocence saying that he had sought prior approval from the BCCI, before deciding to negotiate with other franchises. In his letter to the BCCI, reportedly written two weeks before Saturday’s ban, Jadeja said his contract with Rajasthan had expired on December 31, 2009 and that they did not give him any indications they were going to renew his contract.”It is my understanding that my contract with Rajasthan Royals has expired and they have not at any stage offered me a renewal for Season 2010,” Jadeja said in the letter. “In addition, I have never refused until this day to sign such a contract. Hence, I believe I am free to sign a contract with any franchisee.”

Shane Bond and Scott Styris have returned to the New Zealand squad for the one-dayers and the Twenty20s against Australia starting next week

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010The experienced pair of Shane Bond and Scott Styris have returned to the New Zealand squad for the one-dayers and the Twenty20s against Australia starting next week. The players to miss out from the pool that was picked for the recent Bangladesh series are the fast bowling pair of Andy McKay (injured) and Ian Butler.Bond comes back into the national squad for the first time since he tore an abdominal muscle during his Man-of-the-Match performance in the Dunedin Test against Pakistan last November. Australia are among Bond’s favourite opponents, particularly in the one-day format where he has 35 wickets at 14.45 in 12 matches against them, including five four-wicket hauls.”We are very happy with Shane’s progress,” Mark Greatbatch, national selector and coach, said. “He’s had five or six games now with Canterbury and club cricket and he’s ready to go.”He’s very, very excited about playing for New Zealand again in the one-dayers and Twenty20s again against Australia and has always saved his best for them so is looking forward to getting stuck in and helping us.”The other comeback man, Styris, had fared poorly in New Zealand’s limited-overs contests against Pakistan in November and was left out of the home series against Bangladesh. “Scott’s had really good domestic form,” Greatbatch said. ” We’ve asked him to go away and try and extend his game and we fell that he’s done that so he gets an opportunity in the first two one-dayer’s as part of the 13 man squad to play Australia.”The series gets underway on February 26 with the first of two Twenty20s, followed by five ODIs.New Zealand Daniel Vettori (capt), Shane Bond, Neil Broom, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Peter Ingram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey

Half-centuries from Ashen Fernando and captain Dinesh Walpita helped S. Thomas’ College fight out a draw against Royal College in the Inter School’s Annual Big Match

Cricinfo staff13-Mar-2010
Scorecard
Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dinesh Walpita – both captains starred in all-round efforts – share the trophy•Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Half-centuries from Ashen Fernando and captain Dinesh Walpita, backed by a useful lower-order effort by Chamod Pathirana, helped St Thomas’ College fight out a draw against Royal College at the Sinhalese Sports Club in the Inter Schools Annual Big Match. Royal College’s performance had been led by example from their captain Bhanuka Rajapakse, who starred in an all-round effort, and so did Walpita for St Thomas’ College.Royal College, led by opener Ramith Rambukwella’s blistering 165, which came off 148 balls and included 21 fours and five sixes, cruised to 288 for 4 on the third day and declared to set St Thomas’ College a challenging target of 258. St Thomas’ College, though, went about trying to save the game, as Walpita batted steadily, striking nine fours in his 128-ball 51. There were, however, moments of trepidation as Royal College nipped out the first three wickets for 53. Walpita, determined to battle through to a draw, added 69 in 22.3 overs with Fernando, who contributed 55.Still, Royal College never had victory out of sight and fought back through Rajapakse, who dismissed Walpita and wicketkeeper Sachin Peiris of consecutive deliveries to reduce the opposition to 123 for 5. The next two wickets, though not adding too many, did manage to bat 11 overs, and Pathirana, with Neomal Wickramasekera, played out a further 46 balls before play concluded.It was St Thomas’ College who had grabbed the advantage at the end of the first innings, gaining a lead of 31. Walpita, after putting Royal College in, took four wickets to help limit his opponents to 283 for 9. Rajapaksa, too, played a captain’s hand, scoring 68 off 60 balls. In reply, Pasan Wijewardene (99) and Nuwan Kavinda (86) were involved in a 159-run partnership to help their team get past 283 and post 314, though Rajapakse and Manisha Thanthirigoda, sharing eight wickets, had fought back.The tables turned in the second innings, but some determined batting by St Thomas’ College on the final day helped them save the game.

A round-up of the third set of matches in the SLC Inter-Provincial Tournament 2009-10

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Apr-2010Offspinner Sachithra Senanayake continued his outstanding form for the 2009-10 season by bowling Ruhuna to their first win in the Inter-provincial four-day tournament. His haul of eight wickets coupled with a career-best knock of 89 off 108 balls enabled Ruhuna to thrash Wayamba by an innings and 63 runs at Colts Cricket Club.Ruhuna never lost their grip on the game after dismissing Wayamba for 161. Sri Lanka one-day opener Mahela Udawatte’s pleasing knock of 90 off 106 balls was the only redeeming feature of the Wayamba innings. Despite interruptions due to bad weather, Ruhuna managed to build a substantial first-innings lead of 298, through contributions from Geeth Alwis who scored 123, and half-centuries from Sri Lanka’s only uncapped player in their World Twenty20 side Dinesh Chandimal and Senanayake.Wayamba, once again, fared disastrously in their second innings to be dismissed for 235, with the major contributions coming from Jeevantha Kulatunga (85) and Shalika Karunanayake (95 n.o.). Senanayake picked up four wickets in each innings and was well supported by fast-medium bowler Tharanga Lakshitha, who ended up taking seven wickets in the match. Senanayake has captured 113 wickets so far in all three forms of domestic cricket for Sinhalese SC and Ruhuna and has been one of the most prolific wicket-takers for the season.Basnahira North went to the top of the table with their second win of the tournament, getting the better of their southern rivals Basnahira South by eight wickets in Moratuwa. Their first-innings lead of 97 proved crucial, as they were left to chase only 163 in the fourth innings.An unbroken third-wicket stand of 118 between Dimuth Karunanayake (84) and Kaushal Silva (52) saw them home. Basnahira South were put out for totals of 224 and 259, rocked by the pace of Sri Lanka Test fast bowler Dammika Prasad who took 6 for 74 in the second innings and eight wickets in the match, and the offspin of Sachitra Serasinghe, who took four wickets in the first innings.In-form opener Dilshan Munaweera reached his second successive century, scoring 136 off 109 balls to give Basnahira North the edge. Munaweera is the leading run-getter in the tournament so far with 412 at an average of 101. Basnahira North, led by Sri Lanka one-d ay batsman Thilina Kandamby, remain the only unbeaten team in the competition with two wins and a draw, and their current form indicates they are firm favourites to win the title.

Gloucestershire were left on the brink of their third consecutive County
Championship win after rain and bad light wiped out 22 overs on the third day at
Bristol

12-May-2010
Scorecard
Gemaal Hussain found life tougher going in the second innings after picking up three cheap wickets in the first•Getty Images

Gloucestershire were left on the brink of their third consecutive County
Championship win after rain and bad light wiped out 22 overs on the third day at
Bristol.Leicestershire’s last-wicket pair of Jaques Du Toit and Matthew Hoggard safely
negotiated 79 balls to leave their side 282 for 9 at the close after
following on. That meant a lead of just eight runs.Openers Paul Nixon (63) and Matt Boyce (62) were the main contributors, while
Anthony Ireland (three for 84) was the most successful bowler. Leicestershire faced a backs-to-the-wall fight from the start of a day which began with them 122 without loss, but still 152 behind.Boyce could add only three to his overnight score before the ninth ball of the
morning saw him caught by Alex Gidman at first slip to give Gemaal Hussain his
30th Championship wicket of the season.It was 125 for one and after four runs had been added there was a break for
rain in which eight overs were lost. Nixon was in no mood to surrender his wicket lightly on the resumption and scored only three runs in the first 15 overs of the day before edging Anthony Ireland for a boundary.The total had moved to 150 for one at lunch, with Nixon having progressed from
an overnight 50 to 58. Having added five more to his score after the interval,
the veteran wicketkeeper top edged a pull shot off Ireland and was well caught
by Will Porterfield at backward square.Nixon had faced 205 deliveries, but his colleagues could not match his
application. Andrew McDonald had made only 12 when hooking a short ball from
Gidman down the throat of James Franklin at deep square.Will Jefferson had dropped down the order to number five because of a twisted
ankle and had to bat with a runner. He was lbw for nine driving at Jon Lewis to
make the score 205 for 4.That was the first over with the second new ball and it soon brought another
breakthrough as, without a run added, James Taylor was bowled playing a loose
shot at Franklin, having played well for his 39.Franklin took his second wicket when Tim New, on nine, was caught low in the
slips by Chris Dent after edging a drive. At 219 for 6 with the ball still
new, Leicestershire were staring down the barrel of defeat inside three days.Du Toit and Claude Henderson did their best to avoid that ignominy, putting on
27 before more rain wiped out a further 10 overs. That partnership extended to
54 before Henderson (29) cut Ireland to the diving Chris Taylor at point.Nathan Buck followed next ball, pushing forward to Ireland. Andrew Harris
failed to trouble the scorers, but Gloucestershire could not force a win, even
though Gidman claimed the extra half hour, which bad light curtailed with a
possible four more overs remaining.

A stunning late assault from Darren Sammy couldn’t prevent South Africa sealing a 17-run victory set-up by fifties from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in a high-scoring game at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta24-May-2010

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOnce Chris Gayle fell to Morne Morkel, South Africa looked to have the result certain•Getty Images

A stunning late assault from Darren Sammy couldn’t prevent South Africa sealing a 17-run victory set-up by fifties from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in a high-scoring game at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium.The match had looked all but over after West Indies had slipped to 236 for 8 in the 45th over, still 65 short of their target but Sammy launched six sixes and two fours on his way to the fastest ODI fifty by a West Indian – from 20 balls. He took the equation to 18 needed off 13 but successive run outs sealed a tense result that had looked a formality for almost the whole game.Earlier South Africa batted with typical efficiency to post 300 for 5. There was no Sammy-style assault on the bowling at any point in their innings, instead slowly and methodically they advanced to an imposing position. Amla pierced the off-side ring with a series of punchy drives early on, before working the ball around with total ease to progress serenely to 92 of 95 balls. Kallis was similarly authoritative, making 85 from 89 balls with just four fours. With David Miller underlining his promise to finish the innings with a quick-fire 26, South Africa reached the 300 mark which looked well clear of what West Indies could chase.Chris Gayle, so often the inspiration in the Caribbean, lifted West Indies’ hopes with a couple of crunching blows early on – including one murderous thump over extra cover off Lonwabo Tsotsobe – but with his dismissal to Morne Morkel there was a collective groan as the vocal crowd realised their main hope of a contest had vanished.The reliance of the home side on their captain is similar to the days where Brian Lara’s fortunes determined West Indies’ but Sammy’s performance, alongside a skilful 74 from Dwayne Bravo, proved the pool of talent runs a little deeper.Ramnaresh Sarwan could have made a real difference, but in the over following Gayle’s fall, he pulled a hamstring running a sharp single and hobbled off the field. It left West Indies without a senior batsman and with question marks lingering over the fitness of a number players in the side. Sarwan had been left out of the team for Zimbabwe’s tour in March on fitness grounds and he hasn’t returned in top condition. Dale Richards, into the side for Andre Fletcher, struggled through the second half of his innings with a pulled muscle himself and earlier Nikita Miller was forced off in the middle of his third over with a rib injury.Each blow proved important as West Indies ultimately fell short. For all the West Indies’ self-inflicted faults, South Africa were impressive. The local supporters must have recognised something faintly familiar about Morkel’s performance. Until Sammy got hold of him at the end Morkel recalled memories of local-boy Curtly Ambrose, as he used his long levers to extract bounce that no other bowler could find on his way to three wickets.Through the middle overs West Indies’ middle order were choked, not only by the quality of South Africa’s bowling and fielding, but by their lack of deftness and ability to work singles. The contrast with Amla and Kallis could not be more apparent. Narsingh Deonarine, batting ahead of Bravo, picked the fielders with frustrating frequency before ending his own anguish by chipping Tsotsobe tamely to mid on.Richards, meanwhile, though never looking dominant, had worked his way to 51 and shared a useful partnership Bravo, but could never quite resist the vice South Africa were slowly closing on his side. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket with West Indies pleading, once again, for a big-hitting miracle. By the time the Batting Powerplay was taken in the 36th over, West Indies needed 9.53 an over and Pollard ended up toe-ending Steyn soon after to be smartly caught by Johan Botha sliding in off the long on boundary.It was Bravo who first gave something for the home crowds to cheer about – and set an example for his team-mates to follow. His 74 came quicker than a run a ball but featured just three fours. He ran superbly and almost laid the foundations for an unexpected victory. His dismissal brought a vaguely farcical scenario where Sarwan took an eternity to drag himself on to the field, only to fall first ball and hobble all the way back off.At that stage the game was as good as done but Sammy had other ideas. He took to his impossible mission with gusto but ended up crestfallen as Miller – using Pollard as a runner – attempted a single to Smith at cover, only for Smith to throw down the stumps and secure a result Sammy had almost ambushed.

Sourav Ganguly will captain an MCC team including Brian Lara against Pakistan, at Lord’s, on June 27 to mark the start of their tour of England

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2010Sourav Ganguly will captain an MCC team that includes Brian Lara against Pakistan at Lord’s on June 27. The match marks the start of Pakistan’s tour of England, and is part of the MCC’s sponsorship of the neutral series against Australia under the Spirit of Cricket banner.It will be the first time the MCC has played a Twenty20 match at Lord’s and the team also includes Chaminda Vass, who is currently playing for Northamptonshire, Ian Harvey and Victoria batsman Aiden Blizzard. Glenn Querl, an MCC Young Cricketer, who has played for the Unicorns in the CB40 this season is also included.”MCC is delighted to welcome to Lord’s a Pakistani side who have a proven track record in Twenty20 cricket,” John Stephenson, MCC’s head of cricket, said. “Shahid Afridi’s men will face an exciting MCC team comprising world class performers and up-and-coming talent.”Brian Lara is one of the finest batsmen to have ever played the game and Sourav Ganguly is a world-leading Twenty20 cricketer. The match will provide spectators with a fantastic opportunity to see wonderful cricket and great cricketers.”Pakistan’s tour includes two Twenty20 internationals and two Tests against Australia before they face England in four Tests, two Twenty20s and five ODIs.