JP Duminy led with an all-round performance to help South Africa pull off a 12-run win in the low-scoring opener of the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka

The Report by Firdose Moonda02-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa’s bowlers were miserly as only two Sri Lankan batsmen managed double-digit scores•AFP

Replay the manner in which South Africa were defeated four times on their tour of Sri Lanka so far and you would have expected them to lose this match as well. The top order failed, the middle order was exposed but only just hung together and the bowlers had too little to work with. But this time, they pulled off a heist despite all their deficiencies.JP Duminy followed up his half-century with a match-winning bowling performance while Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell finally showed capabilities of bowling at the death. Kumar Sangakkara’s 59 was one of only two double-figure scores on Sri Lanka’s card as the rest battled on a slow surface.South African fans would not have expected that, after their team seemed to have lost the match before the first innings powerplay was even complete. Sri Lanka’s offspinner Sachithra Senanayake plucked three wickets from a top order that has yet to find their confidence. Their bowlers, though, had theirs boosted after they defended a low total which required Sri Lanka to score just 37 runs in the last five overs.Sri Lanka looked set to chase down the total without much fuss when they scored 13 runs in the first two overs. Kusal Perera showed attacking intent but his temperament gave way when he mis-hit Morne Morkel to point.Dinesh Chandimal also seemed in a hurry. He hit two boundaries before bottom-edging Lonwabo Tsotsobe, after struggling with the extra bounce.With early setbacks, Sri Lanka’s seniors Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara knuckled down and tried to pick singles off Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir. But all the patience Dilshan showed in the ODI series vanished when Duminy was introduced, as in an attempt to take the bowler on, Dilshan only managed to offer AB de Villiers a catch at long-on.Sri Lanka needed to score 70 runs in the second-half of their innings but with the in-form Sangakkara at the crease, they would have thought it more than possible. While he found the boundary, the rest found the fielders.Angelo Mathews gave Duminy a tame return catch and then Jeevan Mendis swept him to deep square leg the next ball. Duminy didn’t complete a hat-trick but he wouldn’t mind that.Lahiru Thirimanne and Thisara Perera holed out within six balls of each other and suddenly, South Africa had the upper-hand. With 21 runs to defend off 12 balls, Parnell mixed up his pace in a double-wicket maiden and Morkel bowled a few full to ensure run-scoring opportunities were unavailable. Sangakkara hit two fours off the last over but he could not do it alone and in the end, Sri Lanka ended up with a worse batting performance than South Africa.That hardly seemed possible after Senanayake’s start. He exposed Quinton de Kock’s inexperience and had the young wicket-keeper batsman playing down the wrong line to one that straightened to get him lbw.Henry Davids also could not read Senanayake. After trying to work him to leg and push him to cover, he went for the sweep to a full delivery and was trapped in front. And then, Faf du Plessis’ lean series became leaner. After constant shuffling at the crease, he tried to play inside the line of a straighter one and was bowled.De Villiers and JP Duminy posted a small stand of 27 and Duminy took on the responsibility of anchoring the innings. He hung around for long enough to accelerate slightly and along with David Miller, helped South Africa manage 21 runs off the 16th and 17th over.Miller became Lasith Malinga’s 50th T20 victim but Duminy notched up a more favourable record. He brought up his fifty with a slog-sweep off an Ajantha Mendis full toss, which took over 1,000 T20 runs and made him South Africa’s leading scorer in the format, overtaking Graeme Smith, and giving the team a morale-boosting win during a tough tour.

Stuart Broad credits England’s selectors for their part in the side’s recent successes

George Dobell20-Aug-2013Administrators rarely receive credit for success. While they may be the first to blame after defeat, it tends to be the players who gain the plaudits after success. Administrators are usually the first to blame and the last to be praised.So it was notable that Stuart Broad, one of the heroes of England’s series-clinching victory in Durham, should credit England’s selectors for their part in the side’s recent successes.Broad, who rated his performance at Durham as “probably the best I have bowled in a Test”, credited England’s continuity of selection policy as vital to developing the spirit that has enabled the side to cope with the inevitable setbacks they will encounter and engendering a resilience and toughness he described as “unpleasant” to play against and “un-English.”While there was a time when England discarded players like other teams discarded socks – 29 men represented England in the 1989 Ashes – Broad felt that the shared experiences of recent times – the failures as well as the wins – had created a level of support and confidence in one another that helped cope with any challenges that arise.”When you have played a lot of cricket together and you are 30 for 3, which we have been a few times in this series, there is no panic in the changing room,” Broad said. “We know someone is going to step up.”That comes from awful experiences like in Jamaica when we got bowled out for 50. Those journeys along the way help grow a belief because you have the experience of when you are in trouble of getting out of it.”We had a great moment after the Durham game. We sat around having a beer in the changing room in a circle chatting about everything that had happened in the series. On Sky they were showing highlights of the 2009 series and a lot of the guys involved had played 16 Tests or so. The same group is still here and now we have played 60 or 70 Tests.”We have some good experience in the changing room. Anyone who has an idea will stand up and speak their mind, which is a strong place to be.”The changing room expects a lot all the time. If we have had a bad two hours we are honest, and say let’s sharpen our game.”When guys have played more cricket together, you can take honest feedback a lot better. When you have played two or three Tests and someone says ‘that is not what is expected of you,’ you go into your shell a bit. Now you can say, ‘sorry, I am better than that,’ and bowl better. We are honest. There are times when there might be disagreements, but it is international sport and sometimes that is what you need.”We are lucky we play in a time when selectors back players. It would have been different if we had this group of players in the 1990s. If they had two bad Tests they would be gone.”But now, because the selectors have backed a group of players, we have a collective experience and belief in each other.”It is that belief in one another that has, in part, created the resilience which has helped England go unbeaten for 12 successive Tests despite times – notably in Nagpur and Auckland – when they have had to fight hard for the draw.And while some sections of the media have found some aspects of England’s play – such as Broad’s decision not to ‘walk’ at Trent Bridge or the side’s delaying tactics there and at Old Trafford – unpalatable, Broad feels they are a characteristic of which to be proud. He feels they are symptomatic of a ruthlessness that has played a huge part in England’s improved form and believes that the supporters appreciate that quality.”One thing about this England team is we are tough,” Broad said. “We come through tricky times and we stand up and want to be counted. It is quite an un-English thing what this team has got. We want that to continue.”There is no doubt the country is proud of this team and what we have achieved because fans like winning teams. We are proud of that. We do have a win-at-all-costs mentality. We want to win, we want to make the fans happy.”Of course we always have a responsibility to the fans and youngsters growing up because you are role models. But you have to play hard and play fair. That is the spirit of the game and how it is defined. The whole ‘walking’ debacle I thought was pretty poor journalism because it was just one player who was picked up. I have named seven or eight Australians and four Englishmen where that has not happened in this series.”Certainly, the furore over Broad not walking at Trent Bridge was hard to fathom. While players on both sides have admitted not walking when they knew they had edged the ball this series – Brad Haddin admitted as much in the same game – some aspects of the media seemed to latch on to the Broad incident in a disproportionately strong way. One British tabloid even compared him to cycling’s drugs cheat Lance Armstrong.”We have been accused of all sorts,” Broad said. “Those sorts of things are not remembered. It is winning the series that will be remembered. All this [silicon] tape trollop that got talked about was irrelevant to us as a team. It does not affect whether we put the ball in the right place.”That stuff I hear is just embarrassing. The English public love winning especially against Australia. They know they are going to watch us fighting and trying to win this game because it is a huge game in the series. 4-0 is on our minds. We need to keep the cricket we have been playing going.”That cricket remains hard, uncompromising and, in Broad’s words, “unpleasant.” But it is fuelled by the experience of losing and wanting to avoid that pain in the future. And Broad hopes that the manner of Australia’s defeat in Durham – losing nine wickets in the final session of day four having earned a potentially match-winning position – may prove particularly damaging.”Any time you lose as a side it is damaging,” he said. “Australia will have felt they could have won that game. Looking at our point of view that gives us huge encouragement knowing we can win from positions when everyone thought we were in trouble. For us to turn it around in the way we did shows the character we have.”They are the moments that, the further we go in our careers, we can draw on. There might be moments in Australia when we are really behind the game, but we can remember coming back to win. We certainly talk about that sort of thing when we are out there and remember the sort of fight we need to show.”I certainly think we are an unpleasant team to play against at the minute. Teams will not come and play against us and enjoy the experience, which is what we want.”That Champions Trophy final was one of worst experiences I have had. Watching the Indians win a game we should have won. It is a feeling that sends you into a complete low as a player.”There is a huge hunger within this side to keep putting in strong performances. There is no bigger carrot this week than being first side to beat Australia 4-0. We met up as a team last night to discuss that. There could be a danger that we could just go and enjoy the week but no, we have got Twenty20 games, ODIs and another Test series against these boys.”We need to keep throwing punches and damaging these players. There is a lot of cricket against these guys and if we give them momentum they are a dangerous enough side to hurt us.”

Aaron Finch, the 26-year-old Victorian, ransacked England’s bowling with an eye-popping world record 156 as Australia secured their first victory in any format for 200 days.

The Report by Andrew McGlashan at the Ageas Bowl29-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch blazed a trail from ball one•AFP

Whether Australia can produce young batsmen who are able to occupy the crease in Test cricket remains up for debate. That they can produce batsmen who give it an almighty thump there is no doubt. Aaron Finch, the 26-year-old Victorian, ransacked England’s bowling with an eye-popping world record 156 as Australia secured their first victory in any format for 200 days.It was a ferocious display of hitting from Finch, who had six previous T20 caps, as he tore England’s attack to shreds with a brutal display, in the process going well past Brendon McCullum’s 123 as the highest score in an international Twenty20. Australia’s eventual 248 for 6 was the second-highest total in a T20 international – and the highest in a match involving two Test nations – only Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya was out of reach and for a while it appeared they may cross that landmark too.A couple of weeks ago in the Friends Life t20 quarter-final there was 200-plays-200 match and the consistency of the one-day pitches at the Ageas Bowl deserves much praise – 457 runs in 40 overs is value for money, even if to watch such a boundary-fest all the time would dull the senses. But to chase 249 would have bordered on miracle territory. England, not surprisingly, could not get close – although did pass 200 for only the fourth time in a T20 – despite Joe Root’s entertaining 90 off 49 balls. Tellingly, perhaps, England could only manage five sixes to Australia’s 18.Fourteen of those came off Finch’s bat, another of the records that he broke during the onslaught. He began with a six first ball, picked up effortlessly off Steven Finn, and it was a theme that would continue throughout. Each of Finch’s landmarks came up with a six; his half-century, from 26 balls; his hundred, off 47, beating McCullum’s record, and his 150.He was on track to beat Richard Levi’s 45-ball hundred against New Zealand, in Hamilton, as the fastest on the international stage but after reducing himself to a couple of singles had to settle for second spot when he launched his 47th delivery, from Stuart Broad, for another six. He was the first Australian to make a Twenty20 international hundred and it took him just 13 more deliveries to power past 150. By then, it had long since stopped being an even contest.The bowlers had no answers, although not for the first time there was an absence of yorkers – anything fractionally off target was dispatched over the boundaries with strength, timing and, occasionally, some finesse; although this was not an innings of deft touch and placement. Finch’s sixes over the off side, one struck as he slid outside leg stump, were perhaps the most breathtaking.Picking through the wreckage of England’s figures may seem a rather pointless task, but there are a couple of overs that stand out. Root’s only over cost 27 – he made the mistake of conceding a single to Shaun Marsh first ball – and Danny Briggs, on his home ground, was taken for 23 in his last, all by Finch. Following on from Martin Guptill’s huge innings in the one-day international here earlier in the season, this is not a favourite ground for England at the moment.The only England bowler to have an economy rate in single figures was Jade Dernbach, which itself will bring surprise from many. He finally removed Finch and also dumbfounded Shane Watson with a back-of-the-hand slower ball after his 37 off 16 balls, in a stand of 99 in seven overs, had gone almost unnoticed.Finch and Marsh had added 114 in nine overs for the second wicket having come together early following David Warner’s bizarre dismissal. Swinging with all his power, he top edged Broad’s second ball and, in the process, lost his bat which flew towards short fine-leg while Jos Buttler settled under the catch. Warner then had to walk back to collect his bat from an obliging England player who had picked it up. It was the high point of the innings for England.But the crowd had another moment to savour. The opening over of the chase, bowled by the much-missed (at least by the England supporters) Mitchell Johnson, cost 17 and included two wides and three boundaries. Johnson, though, recovered from those early problems by trapping Michael Lumb lbw and then having Eoin Morgan caught at point while he touched 93mph on the speed gun.But Josh Hazlewood created the most physical damage. Root needed treatment for a cut lip after a short ball from Hazlewood squeezed between his peak and grille. Warner, who had come close to inflicting something similar earlier in the tour, was the first Australian to go up to Root who, after a few minutes, did not seem overly troubled by the blow as he notched a 29-ball fifty and he later took 16 off Johnson’s last over much to the joy of the fans who stayed on to the bitter end.In the seventh over there was also a significant moment. Fawad Ahmed, the legspinner, delivered his first international over. It went for 10 and his four overs ended up costing 43. It was not really an evening to be a spinner. His story remains a remarkable one but, for one night at least, it was trumped.

Will Smith could take over the Hampshire captaincy after signing a two-year deal at the Ageas Bowl following his controversial release by county champions Durham.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2013Will Smith could take over the Hampshire captaincy after signing a two-year deal at the Ageas Bowl following his controversial release by county champions, Durham.Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams is unsure whether he will continue in the role for next season and Smith, who captained Durham to the 2009 Championship title, could be in line to replace him.Smith, a 30-year-old right-hander, also captained Durham University and is one of a number of candidates that could replace Adams if he steps aside after two years in the role.”No doubt I’ll sit down and see what’s best for the club,” Adams told the “There’s a part of captaincy that I find great and other parts that are tough.”Left-arm quick bowler James Tomlinson and allrounder Sean Ervine are also potential replacements, along with Australia’s T20 captain George Bailey, who is keen to return to Hampshire for a full season in 2014.Smith led Durham to their second consecutive County Championship title in 2009, his only season as captain, following his excellent year with the bat in 2008. He averaged 51.38 as Durham claimed their maiden title. But he has since failed to match that figure and despite playing 16 matches this year, a return of 786 runs at 30.23 wasn’t deemed good enough to earn a new deal.But Hampshire were quick to add him to a squad that is being refreshed following two lean years in first-class cricket. Smith has scored over 6000 first-class runs and will be a familiar face to many at the Ageas Bowl having played for British Universities with Adams and alongside Neil McKenzie and Ruel Brathwaite at Durham. Brathwaite, Smith and allrounder Matt Coles have all recently signed contracts with Hampshire.”I’m delighted to sign with Hampshire and really excited by the opportunity to represent a club for whom I have the upmost respect,” Smith said. “The Royals possess an immensely gifted squad of cricketers, which I am over the moon to now be a part of and looking forward to the team pursuit of winning some silverware in 2014.”Hampshire manager Giles White added: “We are looking forward to welcoming Will and his family to the club. Alongside his batting and fielding he brings a wealth of experience, having played his part in a number of championship winning sides.”Hampshire have also awarded promising young batsman Sean Terry with a full contract for two seasons. Terry, 22, has enjoyed a productive year for Hampshire second XI and also hit two half-centuries in the Championship in September.

Jonathan Trott has announced his retirement from international cricket following the series against West Indies but will continue to play domestically for Warwickshire

Andrew McGlashan04-May-20151:49

Dobell: Trott had highest peaks and lowest troughs imaginable

Jonathan Trott has announced his retirement from international cricket following the series against West Indies but will continue to play domestically for Warwickshire. He struggled in his new position as opener, making just 72 runs in six innings of which five were single-figure scores, after his return from a stress-related illness.His 52-Test career ended with innings of 0 and 9 in Barbados, bounced out in the first by Shannon Gabriel and lbw to Jerome Taylor in the second, and it was during the match that debate around his future started to swirl again, although it is understood Trott had decided during the preceding Test in Grenada that he would retire.”This was a tough decision to make but I don’t feel my game is at the level you need to be at to play for England,” Trott said. “I was honoured to be given the opportunity to come back and play international cricket again and I’m disappointed it didn’t work out. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me and given me the chance to represent England and to thank supporters for all their backing over the years. I also want to wish the lads all the very best for what will be an incredibly exciting summer.The West Indies series marked his recall to England colours following a 16-month absence after he left the 2013-14 Ashes tour following the Brisbane Test due to his illness. His first attempt at a first-class comeback was aborted at the start of the 2014 domestic season, but later in the summer he returned successfully for Warwickshire and finished in strong form as he averaged 47.69 in the County Championship with three hundreds.He was selected for the England Lions tour of South Africa where he made an unbeaten 211 in the first four-day match against South Africa A in Paarl. That secured him a spot on the West Indies tour where he was preferred as Alastair Cook’s opening partner ahead of Adam Lyth despite only previously opening once in his Test career.

Jonathan Trott career timeline

• August 2009 – A glorious international debut with a match-winning century at The Oval as England regain the Ashes

• May 2010 – Trott’s appetite for occupying the crease evident in eight-hour 226 against Bangladesh at Lord’s

• December 2010 – Following his Brisbane epic, Trott makes an unbeaten 168 in Melbourne that helps England’s to a crushing innings win and retaining the Ashes

• March 2012 – England are in the midst of a crisis batting against spin but Trott shows the way with 112 in Galle

• December 2012 – Scores a second-innings 143 in Nagpur that secures England a draw and an historic series victory in India

• August 2013 – 16 runs in two innings in the 3rd Ashes Test at Old Trafford confirms a lean run of form

• November 2013 – Bounced out twice by Mitchell Johnson in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba for just 10 and 9

• April 2014 – Aborts his first attempt at a comeback: ‘I have decided it is best for all involved that I continue my recovery on the sidelines for the time being,’ he said

• June 2014 – Returns to the Warwickshire first team in the T20 Blast

• September 2014 – After a century against Sussex in July, he finishes the season with two more hundreds

• January 2015 – Makes an unbeaten 211 for England against South Africa A in Paarl

• March 2015 – Named in England squad for tour of West Indies

• April 2015 – Returns to the Test team, opening the batting, but makes just 72 runs in six innings.

This West Indies series did not start well with a double failure in Antigua but he battled to a half-century in Grenada, forming England’s first century opening stand since March 2013, although he again failed in the second innings when he dragged on against Gabriel.Gabriel was the man who bounced out Trott on the opening morning in Barbados, although by then his mind was made up about the future. After being dismissed in the second innings he gave a little wave to the England supporters as he walked off.Trott’s overall figures Test figures took a hit as he struggled against Australia in the back-to-back Ashes and then in the series against West Indies, but he still finished with the impressive average of 44.08 – although that once stood above 50. His ODI career, which he was never likely to add to again even if his Test comeback had been a success, did finish above 50 – 51.25 from 68 matches – although his limited-overs performances often polarised opinion with his scoring rate under scrutiny. In 2011 he was named the ICC Cricketer of the Year.The highlights of his international career included a century on debut against Australia, at The Oval, in 2009 which helped win back the Ashes and his tally of 445 runs at 89.00 in the 2010-11 series down under, when England retained the urn, which included his 329-run stand with Cook in Brisbane. His highest Test score of 226 came against Bangladesh, at Lord’s, in 2010 and in that same year he scored 184 against Pakistan, again at Lord’s, during a world-record eighth-wicket stand of 332 with Stuart Broad.He made a second double hundred against Sri Lanka, at Cardiff, in 2011 and the last of his nine Test hundreds was against New Zealand, in Wellington, on the 2012-13 tour. Since then he had passed fifty just five times in 24 innings.The highest of his four ODI hundreds was 137 against Australia at Sydney in 2011 and he was part of the team which reached the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy where they lost to India at Edgbaston.”I’ve had incredible highs and some real lows in an England shirt but wouldn’t change a thing,” Trott said. “I look forward to continuing my career at Warwickshire and hopefully helping us win more silverware.”Cook added: “It has been an absolute honour to play alongside Trotty in every one of his 52 Tests. He can be incredibly proud of all he has achieved in his career and it is no coincidence that his time in international cricket has seen the team achieve some very special things often with Trotty at the heart of our success on and off the field.”To come back from events around the Brisbane Test in 2013 and earn a place back in this side is testament to his character and spirit and although things didn’t work out as we all hoped on this current tour, he gave absolutely everything to the three lions every time he wore the cap.”I speak on behalf of this current team and all those who have shared a dressing room with him over the years when I say it was a privilege to play alongside him. He’ll be sorely missed by all in England cricket and our supporters will thank him for some incredible memories. Trotty has a huge amount to offer English cricket and we wish him all the very best as he continues his career with Warwickshire.”

Tanwir Afzal named captain as Hong Kong announce squad for 2015-16 season and ICC World T20 qualifiers

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2015Fast-bowling allrounder Tanwir Afzal has been named captain of Hong Kong and allrounder Mark Chapman Afzal’s deputy for the upcoming ICC World T20 qualifiers. Afzal replaced Jamie Atkinson who resigned from the post earlier this month. .

Squad for the ICC World T20 qualifiers

Tanwir Afzal (capt), Mark Chapman (vc), Aizaz Khan, Anas Khan, Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Nawaz, Haseeb Amjad, Irfan Ahmed, Jamie Atkinson(wk), Kinchit Shah, Nadeem Ahmed, Nizakat Khan, Waqas Barkat, Waqas Khan

“The selectors have had a tough job, however, this would have to be one of the strongest squads we have ever had,” Charlie Burke, the director of Hong Kong cricket, said. “The T20 format best suited us and I’m confident that we will qualify for the World Twenty20 again. The tournament requires us to play our best cricket from the first match, hence we are going to the venues earlier to prepare and get the right balance in the team.””It’s great to have the likes of Anshuman (Rath), Chappy (Mark Chapman) and Kinchit (Shah) back as they are quality batsmen and very good fielders. The focus for the coming weeks will be fielding and game plans.”Hong Kong are drawn in Group A and will play Ireland, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, USA and Jersey. The top four teams in each of the two groups will progress to the quarter finals, and the top six qualify for the group stages of the ICC World Twenty 20 to be held in India in 2016.The HKCA have also announced the full squad for the 2015-16 season and named seven development playersThe full squad: Tanwir Afzal (captain), Adil Mehmood, Aizaz Khan, Ali Skhawat, Anas Khan, Anshuman Rath, Baber Hayat, Ehsan Nawaz, Haseeb Amjad, Irfan Ahmed, Ishtiaq Muhammad, Jamie Atkinson, Kinchit Shah, Manjinder Singh, Mark Chapman, Nadeem Ahmed, Niraj Patwari, Nizakat Khan, Waqas Barkat, Waqas KhanDevelopment squad: Awais Mohammad, Cameron McAulsan, Giacomo Lamplough, Karan Shah, LI Kai Ming, Nick Way, Raag Kapur

A look at the issues and agendas of the forthcoming elections in the Mumbai Cricket Association, between groups led by Sharad Pawar and Vijay Patil

Amol Karhadkar16-Jun-2015In his 14-year stint as a cricket administrator, Sharad Pawar has rarely lost an election in a cricket governing body but as he vies for his seventh term as president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, he faces stiff competition from erstwhile protégé, Vijay Patil. Patil’s Cricket First group is contesting the elections against the incumbent Pawar-Mahaddalkar group. Both parties addressed press conferences on the eve of the elections and shared information on their agendas and goals. These are a few excerpts.

Sharad Pawar on…

The perception that the MCA doesn’t back former cricketers within the administrative set-up
“Most of the colleagues in the managing committee are cricketers. They have played important games at the highest level, as well local games. They know how to play and run the game. I don’t know why there is such a perception.”Where the MCA stands in context of its perception in the BCCI
“Today in the BCCI, there are very few associations which are considered excellent. Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Delhi are considered to be a well-administered and controlled, and the BCCI always sees these associations differently than other associations.”Whether the MCA’s outdated voting pattern – believed to have resulted in greater political interference – should be modified
“The suggestion of allowing only those who have attended three or four AGMs can be considered if the newly elected body feels it needs to be acted upon.”Whether his group is losing supporting within the MCA
“I don’t think so. We still enjoy support. In a democratic election set-up, these things are bound to crop up. Everyone has a right to contest and after the elections we all are colleagues.”Ravi Savant, former BCCI vice-president and a member of the Pawar-Mahaddalkar panel, on the hurdles in improving facilities in the maidans
“Most of the grounds are heritage sites. But with women cricketers increasing across the city, we are trying to get these issues sorted at the earliest.”

Vijay Patil on…

His group Cricket First’s aspirations for a majority in the 17-member managing committee
“It’s a challenge but I think the basis of governance is a majority in the managing committee. Once you have that, your focus will be to kickstart all those things. It’s not going to happen overnight, because there are certain limitations, but we need to start implementing our policies and make it an open organisation.”The issues his campaign focusses on
“The first thing is the constitution, (it) has to be amended. You have to have a democratic system of governance which again hinges back to amending the constitution. Second thing is improvement of infrastructure on maidans. That is essential. The third is setting up infrastructure and the High Performance Centre. Thousands of young cricketers play on these maidans but there are some basic facilities that are lacking. So I think that’s something that needs to be done on a priority basis.”On the importance of maintaining infrastructure
“It’s not just about erecting the infrastructure, you really have to grind and water these centres. What makes an excellent facility is how you manage it, how you locate the right talent, how you use the best resources that are available. In Mumbai we are quite fortunate to have so many cricketers who played at the highest level and are excellent coaches. You have to use these resources well and involve them so that they can contribute meaningfully to the cause of Mumbai cricket.”

With the series tied 1-1 and both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in flux, tipping a winner for the third Test and the series is foolish

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando and Umar Farooq02-Jul-2015

Match facts

July 3 -7, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)1:51

Fernando: Kandy usually has more hours of rain than play

Big Picture

With the series tied, it’s tempting to invoke the idea of momentum. Pakistan have more experience, you might say, but Sri Lanka are more confident following the win at the P Sara Oval. But as unhelpful a gauge as momentum is normally, it’s even less useful for matches between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Already in this series, each team has proved capable of stirring highs and stinking lows. To add to this uncertainty: both teams are in flux. Pakistan will be forced to make at least two changes, and Sri Lanka, one. Tipping a winner is foolish. Better to defer to that classic captain’s press conference line: “Whoever scores more runs and takes more wickets will win.”But if you must begin to hypothesise on who will be better at what, it becomes apparent that certain laws of the cricket universe have been thrown into contention. Pakistan’s batting – no joke – seems to be more solid than the opposition’s. With Kumar Sangakkara unavailable, Angelo Mathews is the only man in Sri Lanka’s top seven with more than 20 Tests’ experience. Pakistan have two recent centurions in addition to Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.Just as surprisingly, Sri Lanka’s bowling might be the team’s stronger suit. Rangana Herath has only two wickets in two Tests, but while he holds the line at one end, Sri Lanka have bowlers who will hunt at the other. Tharindu Kaushal is a member of that critically endangered species: an unorthodox offspin bowler with a doosra, yet he’s fearless in attack. Dhammika Prasad has suddenly become a reliable seam bowler, capable of delivering sustained probing spells.Pakistan have changes to make to their attack, but will be encouraged by the enduring effectiveness of Yasir Shah in this series. At present, Sri Lanka don’t seem to know what to do with him. The latest theory was that they could hit him off his length, but even when he is struck for a boundary, Yasir’s accuracy and bite seems not to waver. His battle with a young top order promises to be as intriguing in Pallekele as it was in Galle and Colombo.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)


Sri Lanka: WLLLW

Pakistan: LWWDL
With Kumar Sangakkara unavailable, Angelo Mathews is the only batsman in Sri Lanka’s top seven who has played more than 20 Tests•AFP

In the spotlight

Dinesh Chandimal equalled a Sri Lanka record when he claimed six dismissals behind the stumps in the second innings at the P Sara Oval, but that’s not to say his keeping was flawless. There was the chance he wrongly did not attempt, reprieving eventual centurion Azhar Ali early in his innings, and another less damaging indiscretion towards the end of that innings. While other young batsmen have only their batting to worry about, Chandimal is tasked with developing in two disciplines. He’s also perhaps the most naturally talented of Sri Lanka’s top seven, but he has not hit a fifty in the series so far, and that will irk him.Younis Khan‘s tour of Sri Lanka hasn’t been as successful as past trips so far, with scores of 47, 6 and 40 from his three innings. In the second Test, he seemed genuinely troubled by the extra bounce and pace, and fell after extended hesitant periods. Pakistan have missed the Younis-Misbah partnership that has been the bedrock of so many of their good Test totals. After the second Test, Misbah said major contributions from himself and Younis were now overdue.

Team news

Upul Tharanga was drafted into the squad as replacement for Kumar Sangakkara, and despite other batsmen having been in the squad all along, it appears as if Tharanga will move straight into the No. 3 position. Kithuruwan Vithanage’s middle order spot is also under threat from Kusal Perera.The side strain Dushmantha Chameera sustained in Colombo has ruled him out of this match. Suranga Lakmal will likely replace him. If Sri Lanka opt for three seamers, as Lahiru Thirimanne said they were likely to do, Rangana Herath may have to sit out on form leaving Tharindu Kaushal as the sole spinner. Nuwan Pradeep would then step in as the third seamer.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Upul Tharanga, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Dhammika Prasad, 9 Tharindu Kaushal, 10 Rangana Herath/ Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Suranga LakmalPakistan suffered a setback with an injury to their in-form bowler Wahab Riaz in the last game and they will miss experienced opener Mohammad Hafeez for the Test, after the ICC set a deadline of July 6 for the official retest of his bowling action. Pakistan have brought in Rahat Ali in place of Wahab while Shan Masood, another opener who is already with the team, could replace Hafeez in the playing XI.Pakistan (likely): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Zulfiqar Babar, 10 Imran Khan/Rahat Ali, 11 Junaid Khan

Pitch and conditions

It has rained all week in Kandy, and matches and June matches at Pallekele are ripe for rain interruptions. In three Tests at the venue, there is yet to be a result here, largely because of the weather. The pitch is expected to be helpful for seamers on day one, so if there is cloud cover overhead as well, the captain winning the toss may opt to bowl.

Stats and trivia

• Of the batsmen in each squad, only Azhar Ali has hit a century at Pallekele. He struck a second-innings 136 in the most recent Test at the venue, in 2012.
• Upul Tharanga had top-scored in his most recent Test, with 92 and 45 against Pakistan in August last year. He was not named in the squad for the subsequent Test series.
• Yasir Shah is by a distance the highest wicket taker in the series, with 17 scalps at an average of 18.
• This match will be Sri Lanka’s first without both Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara since July 2002.

Quotes

“It’s good for seamers here, but spinners have also done well. Tharindu Kaushal bowled really well in the last match. It’s likely that we will play three seamers and a spinner in this match.”
“It’s not difficult to come back after a loss, but somehow it’s a reminder and an alert that we are not doing everything right.”

David Willey’s powerful run-a-ball 91 led Northamptonshire to a comfortable four-wicket win over Somerset at Wantage Road and kept their quest for a Royal London Cup quarter-final on track.

ECB/PA03-Aug-2015
ScorecardDavid Willey provided the foundation for Northamptonshire’s solid chase•Getty Images

David Willey’s powerful run-a-ball 91 led Northamptonshire to a comfortable four-wicket win over Somerset at Wantage Road and kept their quest for a Royal London Cup quarter-final on track.After the great escape against Worcestershire a day before, Northamptonshire won in far more comfortable circumstances thanks to Willey’s fine innings.His stand of 95 with Ben Duckett broke the back of a chase of 248 and despite a late-innings wobble, the victory was very straightforward.Willey was promoted to open the batting after a poor run of form but began circumspectly before getting into the groove – hitting five sixes in a thoroughly entertaining knock.Willey brought up his half-century in 52 balls. Another sweep just evaded mid-on running back as the part-time off-spin of Tom Cooper was introduced – but next ball he swung his fifth six into the Lynn Wilson centre.He said afterwards: “I like batting at the top of the innings and I’ve been in a bit of bad nick at the minute. I picked up a couple of things from the stats and made a couple of changes before the game and I got into better positions today.”I wanted to give myself a bit of time with it being quite a poor wicket and me being in not great touch and I knew if I batted through with the target only five an over we should win the game.”An imperious lofted straight drive over mid-off against Jim Allenby was perhaps the best stroke of his innings but he fell nine short of a third List A century when he was sharply caught and bowled by Max Waller.Duckett’s own half-century, made in 59 balls, was the perfect compliment to Willey’s power with two reverse sweeps and a sumptuous cover drive off Waller the pick of his strokes.He fell trying to drive a Peter Trego slower ball and was caught at extra-cover and two further wickets went down as Northamptonshire only won with an over to spare despite their cruise past 200.But it was still an easy victory and Graeme White’s second-best figures in List A cricket led another strong Northamptonshire’s fielding performance.The assistance available was evident immediately as he turned his second ball past the outside edge of Trego and into his off stump before changing ends to have Tom Abell caught behind for 35.White also lured Allenby into sweeping a chance to Josh Cobb at deep midwicket – Cobb throwing the ball back into play falling over the rope before receiving to complete the catch – and clean bowled Craig Overton to finish with 4 for 37.Spin did half of the bowling in the Somerset innings. Like White, Rob Keogh bowled his full allocation and made an important breakthrough, bowling Cooper for his first List A wicket. It ended a stand of 64 between Cooper and James Hildreth for the fourth wicket.Hildreth, following his rescue act for Somerset on Sunday against Gloucestershire, again made a half-century to steer his side’s innings having won the toss.He swept White for four to bring the hundred up in the 23rd over and went past fifty in 57 ball with four boundaries. However, trying to cut Cobb – the third spinner used by Alex Wakely – edged behind for 55.Overton soon followed for just three and at 194 for 7, Somerset were in danger of falling well short of a competitive score.However, Alex Barrow – who has endured a difficult season and was dropped from the Championship side – made a valuable 31 in 33 balls in his second game back in the first XI.He and Groenewald, who struck Cobb into the car park during his 24 in 20 balls, added 52 for the eighth wicket to get Somerset up to 247 – but it proved at least 20 runs too few.

With his England career now firmly behind him, Kevin Pietersen will return to his roots in Kwa-Zulu Natal this winter having signed to play for the Durban-based Sunfoil Dolphins in their Ram Slam T20 campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2015With his England career now firmly behind him, Kevin Pietersen will return to his roots in Kwa-Zulu Natal this winter having signed to play for the Durban-based Sunfoil Dolphins in their Ram Slam T20 campaign.Pietersen, who was educated at Maritzburg College and emigrated from South Africa in 2001, played two first-class matches for the Dolphins in October 2010 in the build-up to England’s successful Ashes campaign but has never yet played in the country’s T20 competition.”I’m very excited to return to Durban in a few weeks’ time and contribute towards the Sunfoil Dolphins’ cause,” Pietersen said. “Having grown up in KZN it is obviously a place that means something quite special to me and to have the opportunity to play there again is something I’m really looking forward to.”Pietersen, who scored a national-record 13,779 runs across all formats for England in the course of a nine-year career, has not played for England since being sacked in the aftermath of 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14.Clamours for a recall intensified earlier this season following England’s ignominious group-stage exit at the World Cup, with Pietersen warming to the theme with a career-best 355 not out for Surrey against Leicestershire at The Oval.However, Andrew Strauss, the incoming director of England cricket, closed the door on that prospect in a face-to-face meeting in May, before confirming this week that England had “moved on” from Pietersen in the wake of their 3-2 victory in the recent Ashes.South Africa’s Ram Slam will be the fifth domestic T20 competition that Pietersen has featured in, following stints with Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, St Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League and Surrey in the NatWest T20 Blast.”The Ram Slam T20 looks to be an exciting tournament and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the action for the first time this summer,” Pietersen said. “The Dolphins have some talented individuals and hopefully I can contribute towards the team’s success during my time with them.”Lance Klusener, the Dolphins head coach, believes that Pietersen can help his team win back the title they last held in 2013-14. Pietersen will be available for five Ram Slam matches in a two-week spell from late October until mid-November.”It’s very exciting to have a player of Kevin’s ability join us for a portion of the Ram Slam T20 tournament,” Klusener said. “We’ve won the tournament before and hopefully his presence will aid in us challenging for the title once more.”