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Durham hold nerve for final-over win

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ScorecardYorkshire recovered from 42 for 5 but still lost by two runs to Durham in an exciting finish to their opening Friends Life t20 match at Headingley.Needing 14 off the last over to reach their target of 143, Yorkshire appeared to have the game in the bag as Azeem Rafiq drove leg-spinner Scott Borthwick’s first ball for six and lashed the next to the extra-cover boundary for two. But only two runs came off the next two deliveries and when Rafiq let the fifth ball go by outside off stump it mean four were required from the last delivery, which the batsman could only hit for a single.Durham’s opening bowlers, Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions, made it tough for Yorkshire early on with a couple of wickets each, Rushworth having Andrew Gale and new signing, South Africa international David Miller, caught by Gordon Muchall at slip before he had conceded a run. Onions bowled Phil Jaques and trapped Joe Root lbw while Mitch Claydon got in on the act by dismissing Gary Ballance lbw.Richard Pyrah, in his first outing since breaking a bone in his hand in the opening Championship match of the season, led the fightback in a 57-run stand in eight overs with wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy. Three fours and a six rushed Pyrah to 22 off 11 balls but when he had reached 32 Liam Plunkett had him caught on the midwicket boundary.With 22 wanted from three overs at 121 for 6, Yorkshire looked favourites but Borthwick brought a dramatic turnabout by bowling Brophy and Mitchell Starc with consecutive deliveries. Ryan Sidebottom survived an lbw shout off the hat-trick ball but Yorkshire had left themselves with just a little too much to do.After Durham, put in to bat, had taken 49 off the six power-play overs for the early loss of Herschelle Gibbs, Yorkshire’s bowlers did well to restrict the visitors’ score to 142 for 6.Australia paceman Starc claimed two wickets for 21 off his four overs, but Moin Ashraf also impressed with 2 for 28, pinning Durham’s latest signing, Johann Myburgh, lbw for ten, and bowling top-scorer, Ben Stokes, for 36 with a low full-toss. Stokes faced 28 balls and struck five boundaries.Durham’s most fruitful part was 41 in five overs for the second wicket between Phil Mustard and Stokes, the latter rapping three fours in four balls off Sidebottom in an over which cost 16. The partnership was ended by Pyrah, Mustard driving his second ball to Starc on the cover boundary to depart for 19 from 14 deliveries with four fours.An athletic catch by Ashraf at mid-off accounted for Dale Benkenstein for a threatening 25 from 17 balls with two fours and a six and Muchall was unbeaten, also for 25, from 24 balls with two boundaries.

Notts wrap up second victory

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ScorecardNottinghamshire were held up by rain and further defiance from Durham’s last pair before clinching their second win from two games in the County Championship by 114 runs.Needing to take one wicket on the final day they were driven back to the pavilion by rain after just two overs. And, following a 30-minute break, No. 11 batsman Mitch Claydon proceeded to his maiden half-century to keep Durham’s slim hopes of victory alive.The Australian’s previous best for Durham was 40 out of an all-out total of 114 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2008. Claydon was sent in below Graham Onions, who was dropped in the slips by Nottinghamshire after they claimed the extra half hour on the third evening.Resuming on 18, with the total on 203 for 9, Claydon took 10 off Andy Carter’s opening over today. The visitors persisted with Carter even though Claydon kept clattering him to the boundary.Andre Adams was also unable to grab the scalp he wanted to complete a five-wicket haul and eventually made way for the left-arm spin of Samit Patel. There were eight fours in Claydon’s 53-ball half-century, but after 50 runs had been added he was caught at long-on by Luke Fletcher off Patel for 55.

Sammy heroics in vain as Australia draw series

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrett Lee’s early strikes set Australia on the winning path•Associated Press

Somehow, a 2-2 draw seemed a fitting result for a series that was so closely fought. That was the outcome after Australia’s best all-round performance of the tour so far finished in a 30-run win, although the West Indies captain Darren Sammy did his best to carry the hosts home on his shoulders with a powerful 84 that gave his team unexpected hope. But in the end, Australia had more performers: half-centuries to David Warner, Shane Watson and Peter Forrest set up a big total of 281 for 9 and Brett Lee led a disciplined bowling display to wrap up the victory.It left the series with a sense of symmetry: it began with an Australian win, then a West Indian victory, then a tie, then a West Indies win and ended as it started, with an Australian victory. It must also have left both teams unsatisfied, Australia at their inability to gel through the middle of the series and beat the No.8-ranked ODI side, and West Indies at missing a rare opportunity to secure a series win over Australia.Sammy nearly got them there, though. He and Andre Russell came together at 118 for 7 but they didn’t give up, and Sammy blasted sixes here, there and everywhere on his way to a 20-ball half-century, equalling his own West Indian record. Even after the departure of Russell, who was lbw on review to Xavier Doherty for 41, Sammy kept the West Indian dream alive until he was the last man out, caught at deep midwicket with 31 still needed from 17 balls.Perhaps Sammy made a tactical error by sending Australia in, considering the strong West Indian victory batting first at the same venue two days ago. His bowlers were unable to pick up cheap top-order wickets and the hosts were always on the back foot, right from the first few boundaries struck by Warner and Watson in their 118-run partnership, their first century opening stand together.The West Indies bowlers did what they could and prevented Australia from the 300-plus score that at one stage looked inevitable, but it was eight years since West Indies had chased down such a high target in an ODI and their task looked as tall as the Pitons that dominate St Lucia’s landscape. When Lee struck in each of his first two overs, local shoulders slumped even more.

Smart stats

  • West Indies drew their first bilateral series against Australia in 13 years. In 1999, they had tied the home series 3-3. However, their last series win was in 1995, when they went on to take the series 4-1.

  • The top three Australian batsmen scored half-centuries. It is the seventh time overall and the first time against West Indies that the top three Australian batsmen have made fifty-plus scores.

  • The 118-run stand between David Warner and Shane Watson is the fifth-highest opening stand for Australia against West Indies. It is also Australia’s second-highest opening stand in ODIs played in West Indies.

  • The 101-run stand between Darren Sammy and Andre Russell is the highest eighth-wicket stand for West Indies in ODIs. The run-rate during the partnership (10.27) is the fourth-highest ever for a century stand for West Indies. It is also the highest ever run-rate for a century stand in ODIs against Australia.

  • Sammy’s strike rate of 168.00 during his 84 off 50 balls is the highest for a fifty-plus score by a West Indian batsman in ODIs against Australia.

The St Lucian opener Johnson Charles fell for a fifth-ball duck when he top-edged an attempted pull and was caught and bowled by Lee, and West Indies were 5 for 2 when Marlon Samuels gloved behind in Lee’s next over. The run-rate became almost non-existent as Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo tried to steady, but on 3 from 21 balls, Bravo edged behind off Clint McKay.The wickets kept falling. Dwayne Bravo drove Watson to cover for 19 and Barath top-edged an attempted slog-sweep off Doherty for 42. That left a mountain of work for Kieron Pollard, who after a while lost his partner Carlton Baugh (13) to a catch at fine-leg that almost cost Australia their wicketkeeper, as Matthew Wade ran back and collided heavily with the catcher Ben Hilfenhaus.Wade appeared to be in severe pain but slowly righted himself and resumed his place behind the stumps. Pollard gave the fans something to cheer with a couple of huge sixes before he was caught in the deep for 33, which brought Sammy and Russell together.In the end, Australia just had too many runs. Their score was set up by Warner and Watson, who gave Australia comfortably their best start of the series and left Sammy wondering about the wisdom of his decision at the toss.Warner’s 61-ball innings of 69 was easily his most fluent of the tour and the highlight was a long, flat six that he had pulled off Dwayne Bravo, and he was also strong through the off side when the bowlers dropped short. He was the quicker scorer in the partnership but Australia’s tempo slowed when he tried to slog sweep Sunil Narine but misjudged the flight and saw a toe-edge lob to backward point.Watson showed his intent early by cutting Kemar Roach for six and he was also strong through the leg side. He had an lbw decision against him on 27 overturned on review and went on to bring up his half-century from 65 balls. On 66, Watson steered a catch to third man off Russell but he had given Australia a very solid platform.Either side of a rain delay, Forrest was steady and brought up his first half-century of the tour. His highlight was a cracking cover-drive perfectly placed to find the boundary off Marlon Samuels, who bowled as much medium-pace as offspin, his numerous quicker balls clocking almost 120kph.Despite Forrest’s runs he never looked like demolishing the West Indies attack and on 53 from 68 balls, he pulled Russell to midwicket. Russell was outstanding in the field and collected 4 for 61, and even found himself on a hat-trick after David Hussey gloved behind the ball after Forrest fell. The hat-trick didn’t eventuate, but he at least halted Australia’s progress.Wade and Michael Hussey chipped in with some late boundaries but Roach (3 for 53) grabbed two wickets in the last over to prevent Australia getting any closer to 300. In the end, it didn’t matter. They had enough. And a tightly-contested series got the most appropriate result.

Allround Central knock out South

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Central Zone qualified for the semi-final of the Deodhar Trophy after an allround performance against South Zone in the opening game of the tournament at Mohali.Chasing a modest total, Central Zone maintained a brisk run-rate to overhaul the target in the 40th over. Jalaj Saxena, who made 32 runs off 26 balls, and Naman Ojha, with 26 runs from 23 balls, set-up the platform with an attacking start to the chase against a weak South Zone bowling line-up. Only India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who took 2 for 39, exercised some control over the batsmen. A half-century from Mohammad Kaif and solid contributions from Ashok Menaria (37) and a cameo by skipper Piyush Chawla (34 runs off 25 balls) knocked South Zone out of the competition.A number of South Zone batsmen squandered starts to give the Central Zone bowlers an upper hand after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had removed openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha with only 40 runs on the board. Dinesh Karthik, the South Zone skipper, steadied the innings with a half-century, but the spin duo of Chawla and Saxena accounted for five wickets between them to derail the South’s innings. Umesh Yadav, who was playing his first game after recovering from the shin injury he picked up in Australia, bowled a steady 10-over spell for 35 runs and picked up the wicket of D Ravi Teja.Central Zone now travel to Dharamsala to play North Zone in the second semi-final on March 18.

Sajjad ton makes it Punjab's day

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ScorecardAn unbeaten century from Aamer Sajjad, and half-centuries from Taufeeq Umar and Usman Salahuddin, put Punjab in a position of strength at the end of the first day of the Pentangular Cup final, in Lahore. The spotlight after the first day’s play was on Sind captain Danish Kaneria, whose name was mentioned in an English court in relation to the Mervyn Westfield spot-fixing case. During the game, though, it was Sajjad who shone.He came to the wicket as early as the fourth over, and batted through the day, facing 270 deliveries to reach 119 not out. Sajjad was first given company by Taufeeq Umar, who was coming off a disappointing Test series for Pakistan, against England in the UAE. Taufeeq reached a half-century and added 102 runs with Sajjad before being dismissed by Kaneria.Salahuddin had scored centuries in each of his last three matches, and once again began compiling an innings. He shared a 116-run stand with Sajjad, but was bowled by Kaneria on 67. Sajjad survived till the end of the day and has the opportunity to take Punjab to an imposing total on the second day.

Briggs and Buttler in line for ODI call up

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England are set to shake-up their ODI squad for the four-match series against Pakistan that starts in Abu Dhabi on February 13. Somerset’s Jos Buttler and Danny Briggs of Hampshire could earn a call-up to the ODI squad for the first time.Buttler, 21, has been in good form recently for England Lions. He and 20-year-old Briggs are the players most likely to win a call-up to the squad, while Ian Bell may pay the price for England’s limited-overs failings. Bell has passed 50 only once in his last 14 ODI innings and has looked distinctly uncomfortable against Saeed Ajmal’s spin bowling in the current Test series. James Anderson is also far from certain to be included.England have two aims: to improve their chequered ODI form and build a side that can challenge for the World Cup in Australasia in early 2015. But those aims may not be completely compatible with England likely to include a third spinner for this series in conditions that will differ markedly from those anticipated at the World Cup.England have a mixed ODI record. While their home form remains impressive – they won series against both World Cup finalists, India and Sri Lanka, at home in 2011 – their away form is grim. They lost all five matches against India in October and 14 of their last 20 outside England. They have won just five and tied the other.Their record in Asia is even more gruesome. Since December 12, 2005, England have won just 12 of 38 ODIs in Aisa and four of those victories came against Bangladesh and the Netherlands.Buttler struck two centuries in his last four innings for the Lions against Sri Lanka A, including one from 56 deliveries. He broke into England’s T20 side towards the end of the English season after impressing in several important games – notably the CB40 final and the FPt20 quarter-final. He is seen as having the big-match temperament and the big-hitting game to prove a destructive ODI player. And can also keep wicket.

Possible changes to England ODI squad

  • OUT: Ian Bell, Scott Borthwick, Stuart Meaker, Chris Woakes

  • IN: Danny Briggs, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan

The squad is also likely to contain at least three spinners with Briggs the most likely to join Graeme Swann and Samit Patel. The legspinner Scott Borthwick, with his extra batting ability, is another possibility, though Briggs’ superior control gives him an edge. Moeen Ali, who is currently playing domestic cricket in for Moors Sports Club in Sri Lanka, would be another option.Monty Panesar is also an outside bet to win a recall. He played the last of his 26 ODIs in 2007 but he is bowling well with 14 wickets in two Tests and, aged just 29, should still be fit in 2015.In a bid to improve the tempo of England’s batting, Kevin Pietersen is likely to be given another opportunity to open the innings, with Craig Kieswetter dropping down to bat at No. 5. While England hope Pietersen can exploit the Powerplay overs, Kieswetter is also seen as an accomplished hitter of the older, softer ball.Both may require productive series to silence their critics. Kieswetter has only passed 50 once in his last 24 ODIs, while Pietersen has not made a score of 80 or more since November 2008. Indeed, in that period, he has only passed 50 three times in 34 innings. But England have invested a lot of time in both of them and would be loathe to change tactics now.The likes of Steven Davies, James Taylor and Joe Root are also vying for places but Tom Maynard and Jason Roy have experienced difficult Lions tours and may have to wait a little longer for an opportunity.England (possible): Alastair Cook (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter (wkt), Samit Patel, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, Jonny Bairstow, Jade Dernbach, Danny Briggs, Ravi Bopara.

All-round Rhinos ease to win over Rocks

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Mid West Rhinos put in an all-round team performance and eased to a seven-wicket win over Southern Rocks at the Kwekwe Sports Club. The Rhinos put the Rocks in to bat and kept striking at regular intervals, eventually bowling them out for 211 in 48.3 overs. That the Rocks even got past 200 was only due to their captain Richmond Mutumbami, who scored a fluent 82. While the Rhinos bowlers shared the wickets around, new-ball bowler Richard Muzhange finished with the best figures: 3 for 30. In the chase, Rhinos’ top three, Vusi Sibanda, Steve Marillier and Gary Ballance, all scored half-centuries to make sure their side got home comfortably in the 43rd over.Mashonaland Eagles continued their dominance in the tournament, beating Mountaineers by 59 runs in a rain-hit encounter at the Harare Sports Club. After being put in, the Eagles got to 218 – a commendable total when you consider their start. They were reduced to 11 for 4 and 80 for 6 by Tendai Chatara, who claimed a five-for. However, Sikandar Raza and Elton Chigumbura, batting at Nos. 7 and 8, made 58 each to set up the competitive total. Mountaineer’s chase didn’t quite get going at any stage, and needing a revised target of 193 from 33 overs, they could manage only 133 for 8. Kyle Jarvis, with 3 for 39, was the most effective of the Eagles’ bowlers.

Hesson's Kenyan baptism of fire

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Mike Hesson, who took over as Kenya’s coach in July, has told the Otago Times that he arrived to find players in dispute with the board and that his first role was to act as a mediator between the two factions.Hesson quit after six years as coach of Otago and moved his family to Nairobi to take up the two-year contract. He was in no doubt as to the challenge ahead of him after Kenya’s dismal performance at the World Cup.”We had eight players on strike seeking better pay and work conditions, including most of our fast bowlers,” he said. “After a brief settling-in period I ended up acting as a go-between for the board and players. It meant trying to master Swahili fairly fast. I understand more than I speak but I’m getting the hang of it.”Basically the players weren’t getting the greatest of advice. There are lots of issues here based on tribal loyalty. You respect what your elders tell you out of blind faith.”Hesson said the situation had now been resolved and that the 18 fully-contracted players “who live well by African standards; they’re probably in the top half of earners in the country”.He had already seen what he has to work with on matches with Namibia and Zimbabwe and is now focussing on next year’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka with two spots up for grabs for Associates.

SLC elections postponed by a week

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Sri Lanka Cricket’s elections scheduled for December 27 have been postponed by one week and will now take place on January 3, 2012.The Ministry of Sports which is conducting the elections stated on Friday that it was postponing the election to enable the new office-bearers to run their affairs for the full term of one year.”If we hold elections before December 31st, there should be another election on or before March 31, 2012, according to the Sports Law in the country,” Ranjani Jayakody, the Director-General at the Ministry of Sport said. “There’s no point having two elections within four months. So we decided to put it off by a few days. If the election is held in 2012, the new officials can run their affairs throughout the year and according to the Sports Law, they can stay in office till March 2013.”Nominations will be called from November 24 and will close on December 9, 2011.Sri Lanka Cricket has been administered by government appointed interim committees since 2004.

Amir pleads guilty to spot-fixing

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Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler, has pleaded guilty to spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in 2010. He said there was “extreme pressure” on him and cited threats to his place in the side if he did not participate in the fixing.He now faces a ‘Newton Hearing’ later this week at which Justice Cooke, without the presence of a jury, will determine his level of punishmentAmir gave his plea at the pre-trial at Southwark Crown Court on September 16, which had preceded the full trial attended by Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Reporting restrictions under the United Kingdom’s laws meant Amir’s plea could not be published so as not to bias a jury ruling on the other two players.All three players faced charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test during which they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif were found guilty by a jury at the Southwark Crown Court on both counts on November 1.Amir’s basis of plea agreed by the prosecution was:

  • The defendant’s involvement was limited to the final Test match at Lord’s between August 26 and 29, 2010.
  • This was the defendant’s first and only involvement and was, therefore, an isolated and one-off event.
  • The defendant only became involved as a result of pressure (not amounting to physical threats) and influence, to the effect that, if he did not become involved, he would suffer serious professional implications to his future career.

“Amir wants to make it clear he wants to take full responsibility for what he did by bowling two deliberate no-balls,” Amir’s barrister Ben Emmerson QC said at the pre-trial. “This vulnerable 18-year-old boy, as he was then, was subjected to extreme pressure from those upon whom he should have been able to rely. He recognises the damage he has caused Pakistan cricket and he wishes to do his best to put that right.”Prosecution evidence, however, suggested that rather than being an innocent, naïve rookie who was taken advantage of, Amir seemed a willing conspirator, with text messages of fixing talk sent to two different Pakistan numbers that were recovered by police.Of further significance was Amir’s basis of plea – he owned up only to fixing the two no-balls at Lord’s. This was questioned by the judge, Justice Cooke, because there was evidence to be presented by the prosecution that showed suspicious behaviour connected to other matches that summer, chiefly the third Test at The Oval.On August 17, the eve of the Oval Test, Amir texted a Pakistani number with his bank details and asked why they were needed at that time.On the same day, Amir had a conversation by text with a Pakistani unknown. It went: “How much and what needs to be done?” Then: “This is going to be too much mate.” The Pakistani unknown said in one: “So in first three, bowl however you want, and in the last two, do eight runs?” These messages were translated from Urdu and were thought to be a repetition of instructions he had received at some point.When the police raids were carried out on the Saturday evening of the Lord’s Test at the Marriott Regents Park Hotel, Amir sent a text to another Pakistan number from the phone of Azhar Majeed, the older brother of Mazhar, to say: “Amir here, don’t call my phone, ICC-police have taken my phone, are you able to delete those calls you made to me? If you can do it okay, don’t reply.” During the trial, the prosecution also accused Azhar Majeed of being involved in fixing matches.Amir was also “well at it” – as chief prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC put it – before and during the Lord’s Test with Mazhar Majeed. There were 65 forms of contact between Butt and Majeed, and Amir and Majeed in the 36 hours leading up to the Lord’s Test. Asif was not in touch then.The jury watched footage on TV sets in the court of Amir’s behaviour after his no-balls. He repeatedly checked his spikes and Butt placed sawdust around the crease. Jafferjee called it “a performance”. Two experts said the likelihood of correctly predicting when three no-balls would be delivered had a probability of a one in 1.5 million chance.Amir was the Player of the Series for the Tests in England, having taken five-wicket hauls in his last two matches. His involvement in fixing cost him an ICC Emerging Player of the Year nomination.