All posts by h716a5.icu

Kevin Pietersen has pressed England to investigate his suspicion that his England team mates Graeme Swann and James Anderson were feeding information to the parody Twitter account that ridiculed him

George Dobell08-Sep-2012Kevin Pietersen has pressed England to carry out a serious investigation into his suspicion that his England team-mates Graeme Swann and James Anderson were feeding information to the KP Genius parody Twitter account in a prolonged stalemate that continues to dog attempts to reintegrate him into the England team.Pietersen has made an England investigation a central part of any rapprochement. Initial meetings with the England coach, Andy Flower, a week ago failed to find immediate common ground for a resumption of his international career.The England selectors are due to announce in the next few days the Test squad to tour India. Pietersen was also not named in England’s list of central contracts for 2012-13 although it was indicated that other names could be added.The account, which suggested Pietersen was vainglorious and obsessed by money, was followed by several members of the team and, at times, even elicited a good-humoured response from Pietersen before his attitude abruptly changed as his relationships with the ECB and his England team-mates deteriorated.Richard Bailey, a cricket lover who shares a house with a couple of members of the Nottinghamshire team and is a friend of England’s T20 captain Stuart Broad, has admitted he was behind the account and insists no one else was involved.Broad has denied any involvement or knowledge of the account and it has subsequently been discontinued. An ESPNcricinfo investigation also exonerated Broad and suggested that Bailey was the only person responsible.But Pietersen remains convinced that other England players were involved – and he has made his feelings clear. If he is to reach what he views as a fair compromise with his reputation intact and with an admission of faults on both sides then it seems that he is not prepared to let this matter rest. Whether a dressing room could knit together again after such a lengthy dispute is questionable.Specifically he feels that the contents of private conversations between him, Anderson and Swann were referenced in various tweets. As a consequence, Pietersen feels he has been the victim of double standards after being disciplined for sending private messages to members of the South Africa touring party that contained derogatory comments about recently retired England Test captain Andrew Strauss.ESPNcricinfo is not aware that Pietersen has provided definite proof that either Swann or Anderson were directly involved.The episode is a headache that will not go away for Flower. Coming days before England depart for Sri Lanka in an attempt to defend their World T20 title and ahead of the naming of the Test squad for India, it is a distraction that he and the players could well do without. If Pietersen has hard evidence to support his views – and it is hard to see how he does – then the results could be devastating.With both sides apparently too entrenched in their views to accept an amnesty, it is also hard to see a happy ending to a saga that continues to damage the individuals and the England team.

Gautam Gambhir, who scored 92 runs in India’s tight win against Australia, has said the match should never have got as close as it did

Sidharth Monga at Adelaide Oval12-Feb-2012Gautam Gambhir, who scored 92 runs in India’s tight win against Australia, has said the match should never have got as close as it did. India needed 12 off the last four balls and Gambhir’s captain, MS Dhoni, hit a massive six under pressure to help India cross the line. Gambhir had fallen at 4 for 178 in the 35th over, leaving India 92 to get in 15.5 overs. Dhoni started slowly, scoring 2 off the first 16 balls he faced, but as wickets fell around him, he stayed calm and delivered the six when it was needed.”We should have finished this game in the 48th over,” Gambhir said. “We shouldn’t have taken the game to the 50th over, that’s my personal observation. I know it’s always easier to talk when you are in the dressing room, and it’s always tough in the middle, but my personal observation is we shouldn’t have let this game go into the last over. Obviously when you put yourself in that situation, someone has to pick his hand up and say, ‘I want to finish this game’. It shouldn’t have gone into the last over.”It was an interesting observation from Gambhir. Over the last few years, Dhoni has been India’s best ODI batsman, especially when it comes to finishing games off. He has his method of doing things: he takes the game deep, and more often than not it pays off. Gambhir, however, feels otherwise. He said that perhaps Dhoni wanted someone else to take the responsibility of going for the final assault.”I know it’s easier said than done,” Gambhir said. “It’s always different. The pressure on players in the middle is far more. It’s they who have to take that decision. It’s their game plan. I don’t know what was going through MS’s mind, but maybe he wanted to delay it, maybe he wanted someone else to take that responsibility. Cometh the hour, I think the most important shot of the match was made by him. Six balls, 13 runs, with the kind of shot he played, he has done a fantastic job, he has always been a finisher, but that’s his game plan. He wants to delay it.”Someone like me, if I was there, I wouldn’t have taken it to the last over, because I always feel that any runs in the last over is far more pressure than finishing one or two overs before. Even if you need five or six runs in the last over, the pressure is far more on the batting side. We are different human beings, we think differently, we have different gameplans.”Gambhir was asked if he was happy with the rotation policy, which has him sitting out every third game, and when India would start playing their best playing XI in this tournament. Gambhir said even tonight’s side was the best XI, and that it was not about big names.”To be honest, any [XI] – for me this is the best XI too,” Gambhir said. “For me, the best XI is if 11 players have the belief they can beat any opposition on the park. And this playing XI had the belief that they could beat Australia in Australia and in this ODI. For me, one or two individuals don’t make a difference. It’s about 11 people who have the belief that they can beat any opposition on that given day.”This XI had that belief that we can beat Australia today. For me this was the best playing XI. It’s not about names, it’s about people who can go out there and have that belief from No. 1 to No. 11. If they have the belief that ‘yes, we can win this game’, that’s the best playing XI. You don’t want names, you want people who can deliver. We have shown it, I think.”

A round-up of the fourth day of the final round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2011Water and Power Development Authority’s third defeat of the season – by 82 runs to National Bank of Pakistan – cost them a place in the Quaid-e-Azam Division One final. Set to chase 304 on the final day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a win would have given WAPDA six points and taken them to first place in the table. After losing opener Asif Khan for a duck, Rafatullah Mohmand and Imranullah Aslam set about building their chase. They scored briskly, taking WAPDA to 93 for 1 before left-arm spinner Raza Hasan had Aslam caught behind for 38. After Bilal Khilji fell quickly, Hasan struck again, bowling Mohmand for 51, to reduce WAPDA to 102 for 4.Ammer Sajjid and Ali Azmat attemped to revive their side’s fortunes, adding 57 before Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz bowled Azmat for 33. Hasan’s fellow left-arm spinner, Qaiser Abbas, took over from that point, taking four of the final five wickets to fall – Hasan grabbing the other – as WAPDA capitulated for 221 from 63.1 overs. Abbas ended up with 4 for 57, and 8 for 111 in the match.The result means the QEA final will take place between Pakistan International Airlines and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the National Stadium from December 20 to 24. The final will be a day-night game, and will be played using pink balls.Mohammad Imran and Prince Abbas took eight wickets between them to set up Sialkot’s 185-run win over Faisalabad at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Needing to make 380 on the final day for victory, Faisalabad were never in with a realistic chance of winning the game but instead of their batsmen settling in for the long haul, most of them chose to attack the bowling. Zeeshan Butt made 50 from 59 balls and Shoaib Shah a more patient 44 from 79, but given the approach of the majority – nine of the 11 batsmen had strike-rates over 60 – Faisalabad succumbed in 50.3 overs. Abbas ripped through the lower order to finish with 4 for 95, while Imran finished with 4 for 77.Battling half-centuries from Faraz Patel and Javed Mansoor helped Karachi Blues secure a draw with Islamabad at the National Stadium in Karachi. Having begun the day still trailing by five runs, Karachi needed a strong batting effort to save the game. Yasir Mushtaq fell early on the final morning but Patel and Mansoor were up for the fight, scraping together 98 runs before Mansoor fell leg-before to Nasrullah Khan for 56. At that point, the lead was only 93 but Patel fought on, batting for four hours and five minutes for his 77 as Karachi posted 303 and set Islamabad 170 to win. The openers added 78 in 25 overs as the game meandered to the close.

Afghanistan need to develop their infrastructure and play competitive matches with more regularity, coach Rashid Latif has said

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2011Afghanistan need to develop their infrastructure and play competitive matches with more regularity, coach Rashid Latif has said. His team did not play to potential in the recently-concluded series against Pakistan A, which they lost 3-0, a result Latif blamed on lack of match practice.”It is important that Afghan players play more on their home grounds,” Latif, who took over as coach last year, told AFP. “The situation in the country is improving, so it is imperative that Afghanistan has grounds where the players play regularly and not after gaps.”We did not perform to our potential [against Pakistan A]. We were capable of doing better than this, but the main reason [for the losses] is that we are not playing regularly. In the last ten years, Afghanistan has not built a ground and because of that players have to go to the UAE and Pakistan to play, which comes about after big gaps, and players tend to get unfit.”Afghanistan have rapidly ascended through the ranks in recent years. They qualified for last year’s World Twenty20, won the silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games in China after beating a second-string Pakistan team in the semi-finals and also won the Intercontinental Cup in their debut season.With the team doing well, Latif said better infrastructure was also required to groom the next generation of players. “It’s imperative that we have grounds in Afghanistan and with more playing facilities [so] we can have players from the next generation [coming through], and don’t have to rely on this set of players forever.”The ICC, the Asian Cricket Council and other Test nations, Latif said, should pay Afghanistan special attention, because “unlike other Associate countries, a big majority [of people in Afghanistan] play cricket. Countries like Sri Lanka, India, England and Australia need to give tours to Afghanistan, so that they learn more and more.”

Dale Steyn, South Africa’s premier fast bowler, has said the mandatory ball change after 34 overs in an ODI innings could benefit seamers this tournament

Firdose Moonda01-Mar-2011Dale Steyn, South Africa’s premier fast bowler, has said the mandatory ball change after 34 overs in an ODI innings could benefit seamers in this tournament. “The change of ball helped to get some reverse swing,” he said from Chandigarh. “We worked nicely on the second ball, and it has become clear that it’s going to play a massive role.”On Thursday, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the West Indies lost six wickets for 68 runs after the change of ball, with three of the scalps going Steyn’s way. The effect of the second ball was also pronounced in the game between England and India in Bangalore. England lost six wickets for 109 runs, as their slide was sparked by a spell from Zaheer Khan, who took three wickets. “He got [Andrew] Strauss and [Ian Bell] with reverse,” Steyn said.Conventional wisdom suggested that the batting team would benefit more from having a harder ball two-thirds of the way through their innings. New Zealand’s Danny Morrison said that in the subcontinent, it may prompt teams to take the Powerplay at the ball change. “In these conditions that makes a lot of sense, provided you have wickets in hand. That’s when you can launch,” Morrison said.Now, Steyn has added a new twist to the third Powerplay tale, which will come as good news to the seamers who may have felt that they were coming off second best to the spinners in this tournament. South Africa’s pace quartet of Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell have said that there is no substitute for out-and-out pace and that even if the conditions favour spinners, a genuine quick is still a threat.Dale Steyn expects the ball change to aid reverse-swing•AFPThey may be able to prove that on Thursday against Netherlands, who crumbled to the pace of Kemar Roach in Delhi. Steyn said that the Mohali pitch, where he’s only played during the IPL, may suit the pacemen more. “From the stats apparently it’s a bit better for fast bowling. I’ve heard it’s a bit of a quicker deck.” He’s right in that the quicks usually find a bit more life in the pitch at the PCA Stadium.Even if the conditions work to a seam bowler’s advantage, Steyn said there are still significant differences between bowling in the subcontinent and bowling in South Africa. “You’ve got to be more street-smart over here. The full, wide ball doesn’t bounce and finds the middle of the bat, it flies for four. In South Africa, it will bounce more and find the edge.” Steyn’s solution is in variation. “You can’t bowl every single ball at the same pace in the same place.” That’s why he has been “throwing in a few cutters to reduce the speed from 140 to 120 kmph.”Steyn and the rest of the South African team have had ample time to think about different strategies, having spent two weeks in India before their first game against West Indies and then a week in between their first and second match. With a packed international schedule, Steyn said the players have welcomed the break and used it to ensure all the squad members are at their peak.”There’s a nice competition going on, because with everyone being fit for selection we’re all competing for positions. When everyone is fit and there’s so much time, everyone has a point to prove in practice sessions. It makes the coach and selection panel’s job a bit difficult, but that’s good.”It’s also given players with niggles, such as Steyn, who hurt his right side during the warm-ups on Sunday, and JP Duminy, who had lower back pain, time to recover. Imran Tahir has also recovered from the respiratory tract infection he picked up. Although Tahir had an outstanding debut, conditions in Mohali may prompt Graeme Smith to leave out a spinner in favour of Tsotsobe, to give the left-armer some game time in the tournament. Tahir may get a few more days off but Steyn said if that is the case, it won’t be because South Africa are resting players. “It won’t be an easy game.”

The offspinner Nathan Lyon is the bolter in Australia’s 15-man squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka, which also includes the incumbent spinner Michael Beer

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2011The offspinner Nathan Lyon is the bolter in Australia’s 15-man squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka, which also includes the incumbent spinner Michael Beer. The pair will fight for the slow-bowling position for the first Test in Galle, after the selectors sprung another surprise by omitting the allrounder Steven Smith.The uncapped fast bowlers, Trent Copeland and James Pattinson, also made the cut, while Ben Hilfenhaus missed out following a disappointing Ashes campaign. As expected, Ryan Harris was named after recovering from injury, and he looms as a key part of a pace attack whose most experienced members are Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle.The selectors found room for both Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja, who are likely to battle for the No. 6 position. However, the major surprise came in the spin department, where Jason Krejza’s poor Australia A tour to Zimbabwe cost him a certain call-up, and resulted in the selectors naming two men without Cricket Australia contracts.Beer played the final Ashes Test in Sydney and although he only took one wicket, the selectors were encouraged by the way he bowled. The more remarkable selection was that of the South Australian Lyon, 23, who has played only four first-class matches and was not part of Australia A’s four-day squad in Zimbabwe.”Michael Beer retains his position in the squad following his debut in Sydney during the fifth Ashes Test where he bowled well, without much luck,” the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, said. “It will be an important tour for Michael on grounds where we expect spin to play a major role.”The squad also sees the inclusion of Nathan Lyon, a talented young spinner who impressed all last season and bowled extremely well on Australia A’s tour of Zimbabwe. Nathan may be a surprise selection, but he impressed all who have seen him in the last year and bowled beautifully during the one-day component of the A squad’s recent tour where he was named player of the series.”He is a young man with immense potential and we feel he will take this opportunity should he get the chance to play in Sri Lanka. Steven Smith is unlucky to have missed selection in this squad. We continue to see him as player of the future for Australia in all forms of the game but at this stage we do not feel he has cemented his position as a batsman in the top six or as a legspin bowler.”We feel he needs to continue to develop as a genuine allrounder in the shorter forms of the game and play more long-form cricket for New South Wales to push again for Test selection.Hilditch also said Krejza, who was preferred to Beer for a central contract this year, had fallen out of contention due to his poor results in Zimbabwe. He took six wickets at 41.33 in the two first-class games in Zimbabwe but struggled severely during a two-day tour match in which he took 0 for 96 from 19 overs, while Beer grabbed a six-wicket haul.”The intention of the national selection panel was to take Jason Krejza to Sri Lanka provided he proved he was bowling at his best,” Hilditch said. “He has had very limited opportunities in Sheffield Shield cricket so the Zimbabwe tour was very important for him. Unfortunately Jason did not bowl as well as we, or I am sure he, would have liked during this tour and therefore he has not been rewarded with selection.”There is also inexperience in the pace group, although Johnson, Siddle and Harris are the front-runners to play in the first Test. But they will feel the pressure from Copeland, 25, who has been an outstanding performer for New South Wales since his first-class debut early last year, and the 21-year old Pattinson from Victoria.”Trent has earned his position with some fine performances for New South Wales and has bowled very well on the Australia A tour,” Hilditch said. “James is a young fast bowler with the potential to play an important role for Australia in all three forms of the game and we look forward to watching his further development during this tour.”Ben Hilfenhaus did not have as good an Ashes series as he would have liked and we feel he needs to get back to his best, swinging the ball late and hitting the bat hard. We are sure he will do this and he will be very much in contention for selection on the upcoming tour to South Africa. Doug Bollinger has been left out of the Test squad. The NSP feels he needs to improve his ability to bowl spells at full intensity and maintain it over the course of a match, particularly in these days of back-to-back Tests.”The batting was a little more clear cut, given the axing of Simon Katich from the contract list. Phillip Hughes will open with Shane Watson and the Western Australia batsman Shaun Marsh will push for his first baggy green.”Shaun Marsh comes into the Australian Test squad and has been in our minds for some time as a player who could have a real impact at international level in all forms of the game,” Hilditch said. “Injury impacted at critical times last year however he has worked hard and is in our view ready to seize this opportunity.”Test squad: Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Trent Copeland, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Beer

West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo has won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2011West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo has been named the Emerging Player of the Year for 2011 at the ICC Awards ceremony in London. He had competition from his team-mate Darren Bravo and the Pakistan pair of Wahab Riaz and Azhar Ali.Bishoo, 25, played five Tests in the voting period – August 11, 2010 to August 3, 2011 – and took 21 wickets at an average of 35.42. He also picked up 19 wickets at 21.57 each in 11 ODIs.”I could not believe it when I was nominated for the ICC Emerging Player of the Year but to win it feels great,” Bishoo said. “I would like to dedicate the award to my father. He played a great role in my life and encouraged me to play cricket. After he died I made a promise to always give my best and reach for the top.”I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me along the way and also a special ‘thank you’ to the fans who have supported me. I hope I can continue to represent the West Indies with pride and improve my bowling and keep taking as many international wickets as I can. I’d like to thank the support staff and my team-mates of the West Indies and Guyana for all the support and guidance.””It has been a challenging start to my international career so far but it has been an enjoyable start. The highlights so far have been playing in the World Cup, playing my first Test match on home soil, and playing against India. I have learned a lot in a short space of time and want to continue learning.”Previous winners of the Emerging Player Award are Irfan Pathan (2004), Kevin Pietersen (2005), Ian Bell (2006), Shaun Tait (2007), Ajantha Mendis (2008), Peter Siddle (2009) and Steven Finn (2010).

Ian Bell made some easy runs against Haryana but appreciated the time in the middle and facing some quality spin at last

George Dobell in Ahmedabad08-Nov-2012When Ian Bell is an old man, reflecting on his career, it is unlikely he will recall his runs in this match against Haryana with particular pleasure. On a flat pitch and against a limited attack, England’s batsmen were rarely troubled. This was a case not so much stealing candy from a baby, as allowing the baby to pop the candy in your pocket to save you the bother. Batting is rarely more straightforward.England amassed 408 for the loss of just three wickets on the first day of the game, with all of their batsmen enjoying valuable time at the crease. While Kevin Pietersen will dominate the headlines after an imperious innings of 110, Alastair Cook, Nick Compton and Bell also recorded half-centuries, while Jonathan Trott fell only four short. None of them will have enjoyed many softer innings at first-class level.But even if this was not the most meaningful encounter, Bell, at least, faced a couple of challenges. Not only was he required to face the bulk of the bowling from Amit Mishra, the one quality spinner to have confronted England on the tour to date, but Bell was obliged to start his innings against him. Mishra did not come on until the 51st over and then claimed two wickets in his first six overs, dismissing both Compton and Trott leg before. But Bell dealt with him comfortably. Although his innings started with a mis-hit lofted shot over mid-on, Bell was soon skipping down the pitch to lift Mishra for two sixes and barely played a false stroke. He resumes on day two unbeaten on 57.”That was exactly what I needed going into the Test,” Bell said afterwards. “He’s a quality spinner. He’s played a lot of Test cricket. I know he didn’t bowl for quite a period of time, but it was nice for me to start against quality spin. That is pretty much what is going to happen in the Tests.”I feel confident coming down the wicket. It was a super wicket – it skidded on quite nicely – and I just want to be busy. We’ve talked a lot about using our feet – forwards and backwards – and it’s getting as much good footwork going as possible.”India’s tactic – and it does appear to be a deliberate tactic – of presenting England with little meaningful warm-up cricket may yet backfire. While it is true that England will go into the Test series having enjoyed little opportunity to bat against good quality spin bowling – or quality bowling of any type, really – they will have benefitted from time at the crease and with the confidence of runs under their belt. Sometimes clever tactics can prove too clever by half.Certainly that was the view taken by Bell. “We’ve faced a lot of seam on this trip so far,” he said. “But we can’t control that. We play what we come up against. Mishra bowled a few overs in the end which was great for me and KP to spend a bit of time against him. And there’s the new ball in the morning which is good for me and Samit Patel. The second new ball is going to be crucial over here as well as playing spin, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us in the morning.”England are also trying to see the bright side in the unavailability of three first choice bowlers for this game. While it seems most unlikely that Steven Finn, who has a thigh injury, will be fit to play in the first Test, England are hopeful that Graeme Swann, who has returned home due to family illness, and Stuart Broad, who has a heel injury, will both be available. Neither will, perhaps, have enjoyed the warm-up they may have desired, but Bell expressed a belief that the experience given to England’s second-string bowlers may prove valuable later in the series. England also rested James Anderson from this game.”If one of our main bowlers get injured in the first Test, we need backup,” Bell said. “These guys have overs under their belt which can only be a good thing for us. When we were in Australia, the reserve guys got an opportunity when we played Australia A in Tasmania and that helped us win the Ashes.”Pietersen is not injured. While the scoreboard may show that he retired hurt, it was only with a view to providing his colleagues with an opportunity to bat. It speaks volumes, however, that even after a commanding century, Pietersen was either not willing or not trusted to speak to the media. The last time he did so freely – the infamous “it’s not easy being me” press conference following the Headingley Test in August – precipitated chaos in English cricket and it seems there is some caution being extended to ensure there is no repeat.In his absence, it was left to Bell to describe Pietersen’s feeling upon completing a century. “Kevin is a guy who likes to get bat on ball so I think he’ll be happy to go into the Test with that innings under his belt,” Bell said. “Everything has gone pretty well. He’s trained well. He’s hit the ball well. I’m sure he’ll be a lot happier having scored a hundred, but he’ll be even happier if he scores a hundred in the next Test.”We don’t want to put too much pressure on him to be the main reason why we win a series. It would be great if he could come out and play some innings like he has in recent times, but as a batting unit if we all have a good series we give our bowlers the opportunity to take wickets. We know if he gets in, we know he can change a Test so we want him in the best nick he can be.”

Ally McCoist expected better from Rangers right-back James Tavernier against Motherwell on Saturday. 

The lowdown

Rangers survived an early red card for centre-back Leon Balogun in their 3-1 win at Fir Park, closing the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to three points ahead of Celtic’s trip to Ross County on Sunday afternoon.

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It was Tavernier who effectively sealed the victory when he converted a penalty on 62 minutes to establish a two-goal cushion.

Even as Giovanni van Bronckhorst rang the changes ahead of Thursday’s trip to RB Leipzig for the Europa League semi-final first leg, the skipper played the full 90 minutes for the 32nd time in 34 SPFL matches this season.

The latest

Speaking live on Sky Sports during the match, the Gers’ all-time leading goalscorer McCoist expressed his frustration at a Tavernier cross that was easily dealt with by Motherwell.

“It’s a really poor delivery from someone whose delivery is usually really good,” he said, as quoted by Ibrox News.

The verdict

Even though he scored, it’s fair to say that Tavernier could have played better.

The £6.3million-rated star is perhaps his side’s foremost creator, with a team-high 14 assists under his belt this season.

But even though he swung in seven crosses, he failed to create a chance on Saturday. Indeed, only two of his deliveries found a team-mate (via SofaScore).

Overall, 17 of his 51 passes (equating to 33%) and seven of his eight long balls, went astray.

He lost possession more than any other player on the pitch (29 times, two more than next-worst Borna Barisic).

The £24,000-per-week man may hope to be more effective when Rangers travel to Germany for perhaps the biggest game of their season so far.

In other news, the stats showed that this trio struggled most vs Motherwell.

Rajasthan Royals executed a well-calibrated chase against an off-colour Delhi Daredevils attack to register their second win in two games and move atop the IPL leaderboard

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar12-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRahul Dravid put the chase on track with characteristic elegance•AFPRajasthan Royals executed a well-calibrated chase against an off-colour Delhi Daredevils attack to register their second win in two games and move atop the IPL leaderboard. The senior players soaked up the pressure – Rahul Dravid set up the chase and Johan Botha anchored it – while the youngsters, Ashok Menaria and Ajinkya Rahane, batted with freedom to keep the required-rate under control. Ross Taylor added the finishing touches with his trademark leg-side lashes.While Rajasthan’s batting flowed seamlessly, their bowling was a tale of two halves. Their fortunes were typified by Shaun Tait’s four one-over spells. He got rid of Virender Sehwag and Aaron Finch – two parts of Delhi’s powerful top-order trinity – in his first two overs. David Warner, the third part, survived Tait and saw off a sublime spell from Shane Warne before counter-punching along with Venugopal Rao. Tait was either too short or too full in his last couple of overs, and allowed Delhi to haul themselves from 43 for 4 after 10 overs, to 151. Their bowlers, however, let them down.”I am used to facing all these fast bowlers.” – Sehwag’s emphatic declaration before the game set up his confrontation with Tait. The encounter was, however, was short. Sehwag cracked his first ball through point but Tait hit back immediately with sheer pace. Taking guard after Sehwag’s sizzle and fizzle, Finch barely saw the three thunderbolts – one of them touching 157 kph – that burst through his defences. One over of high impact – one spell out of the way.Botha and Siddharth Trivedi were not so menacing with the ball, and Tait returned for the fifth over. Finch promptly succumbed to another pacy bouncer, and Tait was off the attack again. Warne struck twice in his first over, nailing Unmukt Chand with a quick dipping legbreak, and Naman Ojha with a slower, looping delivery. Thereafter, Rajasthan let the pressure ease, allowing Warner and Rao to find an escape route. Rao checked in with a couple of controlled boundaries against spin before Warner preyed upon Trivedi’s poor lines.Warner plundered Tait’s indiscretions in length for three boundaries in his third over. He reached his 50 by cutting Warne in front of square before handing over the baton to his partner. Rao launched two successive slower balls from Trivedi for sixes over the off side, before Irfan Pathan slugged boundaries off Tait’s closing over to hustle Delhi to challenging total.Dravid ignited the chase with a series of boundaries off Ashok Dinda, but Amit Paunikar missed a wild slog to gift him a wicket. Pathan had shown signs of regaining his famous inswinger in Delhi’s first game. Today, however, he resorted to listless offcutters that Dravid pounced upon. With his seamers disappointing, Sehwag resorted to Roelof van der Merwe’s spin in the sixth over, and Dravid greeted him with two elegant boundaries. Fifty-seven had come off the Powerplay, and the game was heading Rajasthan’s way.van der Merwe gave Delhi an opening by getting Dravid to edge behind, but Botha and Menaria carried on without a fuss. With a stance and swagger reminiscent of Yuvraj Singh, Menaria camped on the back foot and looked to muscle anything too short or too full over midwicket. He thumped sixes off three consecutive overs before carving Pathan straight to cover. Botha was relentless though, in his new No. 3 avatar, executing paddle sweeps at will and keeping things under control. Rahane kept the flag flying, and though Morne Morkel uprooted his stumps in the 16th over it was too little too late.