Category Uncategorized

Cri-zelda Brits, South Africa women’s team captain, is confident her side will do well in the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Stellenbosch despite losing allrounder Johmari Logtenberg from original squad.Logtenberg, who was South Africa’s vice-captain, has quit cricket to concentrate on golf. “We decided as a team that we would focus on what’s important, and that’s the World Cup,” Brits told supercricket website. “We are sorry about Johmari, but we can’t look back.””It’s a pity about Johmari, but her retirement provides opportunities for other players,” said South African Women’s Cricket president Kerri Laing.South Africa will be hosting the qualifiers, scheduled between February 18 and 24, after the tournament was moved from Pakistan last November following the imposition of emergency in the country.Brits said the postponement had meant that some of the players had got the chance to play provincial matches ahead of the tournament. She reckoned Ireland would be South Africa’s toughest opponents among the seven teams they would up against in the tournament. “We haven’t seen much of them and our match against them in the 2005 World Cup was washed out, but I think they are pretty good, although I don’t think they’ve played much recently.” Ireland and South Africa are in different pools for the qualifiers and can only face each other in the semi-finals or the final.South Africa’s first match of the qualifiers is against Bermuda on February 18.

Sunil Gavaskar has apologised for the remark he made about David Hookes’ death when criticising Australia’s on-field behavior, saying the comment was “uncalled for and inappropriate”. He did not, however, alter his claim that the Australian team would be more admired if they watched their manners during matches.”I do regret it … on the breakfast show I do with ESPN, I read out a statement regretting what I had said,” Gavaskar told Melbourne radio station SEN. “On live television and radio, sometimes you respond on the spur of the moment with a remark that can cause hurt and pain to others.”I realise and I accept that what I said was uncalled for and inappropriate. Having said that, I hope they [Hookes’ family and friends] have the bigness of heart to forgive me for what I said about David Hookes.”On a television show last week, Gavaskar warned the Australians could get “whacked” in a bar if they operated the same way off the field as they did on it and his comments followed Ricky Ponting’s complaint Gavaskar acted badly during his playing days. Allan Border , Darren Lehmann, Glenn McGrath and Brad Hodge all joined the backlash over Gavaskar’s linking of Hookes’ death to poor on-field behaviour.Gavaskar said he had not spoken to Ponting since his comments about Hookes, but hoped to have a friendly chat with him. “I am not at loggerheads with Ricky Ponting, I admire him for his batting and for the way he has come back after the Ashes loss. Cricketers hardly ever hold too much against each other. I’m pretty certain the next time Ricky and I meet up, we’ll be fine, we’ll be able to shake hands, share a joke and carry on with our lives.”Gavaskar also addressed his earlier comments about the Australian team – that they were “not popular winners” because of sometimes “awful” on-field behaviour – which drew a sharp response from Ponting. “What I was trying to say, the West Indies in the 1970s and 80s … they were winning just about everything, but they were universally admired,” he said. “There are so many champions who are universally admired, like your Rod Laver, today there is Roger Federer. The Australian team can also be universally admired if they can only curb their behaviour on some occasions.”

West Indies A have made two changes to their 13-man squad for the final three one-day matches against England A. Patrick Browne, the wicketkeeper, and Alan Richardson, the seamer, have been replaced by Carlton Baugh and Tino Best.The series is currently level at 1-1 after West Indies won the opening match at St Lucia before England levelled the series at the same venue by 57 runs.The next match takes place at the 3Ws Oval in Cave Hill on March 14, before the final two matches at the Windward Cricket Ground on March 17 and 19.West Indies A squad Sylvester Joseph (capt), Carlton Baugh, Gavin Tonge, Marlon Samuels, Tino Best, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ryan Hinds, Darren Sammy, Omari Banks, Dale Richards, Lendl Simmonds, Richard Kelly

Auckland 325 (Canning 106, Gillespie 6-81) and 209 for 3 (Jones 114) beat Wellington 235 (Adams 5-39) and 297 (Woodcock 106, Nevin 68, Walmsley 5-94) by 7 wickets
ScorecardA century to Richard Jones ensured that Auckland wrapped up the State Championship against Wellington on the last day of the final at Eden Park’s Outer Oval. Chasing 208 and beginning the day on 52 for 1, Auckland did it in style, winning by seven wickets.After a lengthy stint with Wellington that culminated in him representing New Zealand last season, Jones returned to Auckland this season with little success, but his unbeaten 114 lessened the impact of earlier failures. Auckland were deserveing winners, having not only set the pace in the final, but having been the first-class cricket front-runners since the competition began in December.At stumps on day three, Wellington were 111 for 4 in their second innings, a lead of just 21 runs. When that became 114 for 5 early on day four, Wellington were on their last legs as Chris Nevin joined Luke Woodcock at the crease.Last season, Wellington’s middle order was its strength, with Nevin being a key man. Like Jones, Nevin has struggled with the bat this season after an injury forced him to relinquish the wicketkeeping gloves mid-season but he found form when it mattered most, scoring 68 in a partnership of 110 with Woodcock, whose 106 took a painstaking 446 minutes.They enabled Wellington to post a score that they may have considered decent at the toss. When the captain, Matthew Bell, and coach, Vaughan Johnson, reflect, their decision to bat first will inevitably be revisited. The justification given by Johnson was that the pitch, which had been used for a previous match, would be hardest to bat on last and just two front-line quicks were included as a result. With Jeetan Patel, Wellington’s anticipated trump card, taking just one wicket in 48 overs in the match, that decision backfired.Auckland’s success this season was based on a team made up primarily of allrounders and a batting order that has had more rotations that a Shane Warne legbreak.In the final, the captain, Brooke Walker, promoted himself from his station at the tail to bat at No. 4. A legspinner by trade, Walker bowled only 20.2 overs in the final and often filled the role of stock bowler. As they have done all season, it was the pacemen who did the damage: Andre Adams took 5 for 39 in the first innings and Kerry Walmsley snared 5 for 94 in the second. Between them they sent down a mammoth 65 of the 112 overs in Wellington’s second innings.Other match highlights were Tama Canning’s 106 to rescue Auckland’s first innings and the 6 for 81 taken by Wellington’s Mark Gillespie.

Scorecard

Nathan Bracken lifted New South Wales’s prospects of an unlikely win, by skittling through Western Australia’s top-order on the third day at Perth.In the final session of the day, Bracken produced a lethal display of swing bowling picking all five wickets to fall. By stumps, WA were 223 for 5 and led by 330 runs – a lead that is not yet out of sight in a high-scoring match.New South Wales desperately need a victory to put their Pura Cup defence back on track, and when Steve Waugh declared the first innings 107 runs in arrears, he was relying on a fighting performance from his bowlers.That didn’t happen immediately, as Justin Langer and Michael Hussey cracked along to 157 in double-quick time. But Hussey played the ball onto his stumps for 71, and Bracken had made his incision. Bracken removed the first-innings centurion Chris Rogers for 2, also playing on, before following up with the big wicket of Langer for 94. Murray Goodwin was caught behind for 25, before Marcus North was trapped lbw just before stumps.NSW had resumed on 204 for 2, and in pursuit of quick runs. Simon Katich and Dominic Thornely put on 101 for the third wicket, before Steve Waugh thumped a 53-ball half-century.

Embarrassing is the word New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent uses to describe the bowler-dominated National Bank Series with India this summer.Embarrassing because, like the strokemakers on both sides, the batsmen have been unable to buy a run, and with the World Cup on the horizon, failures are not really on the wish list for batsmen competing for spots.However, the chances are that Napier’s McLean Park may provide some much needed relief on Sunday.At the moment, a score of 200 would be welcomed by all and sundry, but in reality local history suggests a score of much higher will be required to win.If it is of the standard required, the relief will be shared by both sides.Vincent spoke to CricInfo today of the frustrations that are being similarly shared by the batsmen of the two sides.”It’s tough. You try so hard, you train so hard, the mindset of the wickets does play in the back of your mind a little bit.”You have the positive intent, but when the ball moves around a little bit you think two things: do I go out and guts it out a little bit or do I go out and swing the bat a little bit, and get a lucky 30, 40 or 50, which would have been the top score.”All he wants to do is hit a couple of firm cover drives, play a couple of pulls and hook shots, just to feel the ball off the middle of the bat.Vincent described what has happened during the series as “freaky.”Wellington was always going to be a little juicy but Hamilton was unexpected as was the drop-in pitch used at Eden Park.Complicating the situation in all games was the fact the bowlers were also doing so well.”As a batsman it’s embarrassing. That’s the only way I can describe it.”You go out there and you are armoured up, you’ve trained for hours and hours and you go out there. You face 15 balls for 10 runs and 120 is either the score you have made or you are chasing.”It’s been an embarrassing start to the season, apart from Mark Richardson who has shown such good application, but so many of the stroke players: you look at [Nathan] Astle, [Craig] McMillan, myself and even [Mathew] Sinclair to a degree, we’re all strokemakers and it cuts our game out a little bit.””It’s embarrassing. Kids say, ‘Louie you’re a legend’ and stuff like that and I’ve been 10 this week and 10 last week, and how is that going to be inspirational for an up and coming batsman?”As professional batsmen we’ve got to get smarter and do the job a bit better in our own conditions,” he said.India are equally afflicted and there wouldn’t be a cricket lover in New Zealand who has not been disappointed in seeing the Indians in full cry.But Vincent added that there was a responsibility for the batsmen to get smarter.”If we’re playing games in our own backyard we want to win and have the conditions in our favour. So as batters we have to get smarter.”We’re looking forward to Napier, it was optional today but everyone decided to make it a full team practice. Everyone needs to hit as many balls as possible. Guys know they have to keep working and keep strong,” he said.Vincent also spoke about the consequences of not scoring as the requirements demand.There was undoubtedly a feeling of pressure building up on the batsmen and he said it was only natural that if he didn’t perform the selectors might want to look at someone else.”You love playing for your country and if you nick out here and nick out there, get a rough decision, or something, then you’re four games without scoring then hold on! If you don’t score in the next game then you might be having a rest and someone else comes in.”That’s part of professional sport, it’s never going to be roses all the time. You’ve got to take the good and bad.”But for me, I just want to raise the bat and get the feeling of doing something for your country and because I haven’t done that it’s tough and it gets personal as well because it becomes emotional. When you haven’t done anything, it is really hard work,” he said.Despite the batting frustrations there was a buzz in the New Zealand side and Vincent said that while they were sitting around feeling a little flat today after the Auckland win, coach Denis Aberhart reminded the players that while the cricket wouldn’t win any beauty contests, New Zealand had still won two Tests and the first One-Day International.It was better to be in New Zealand’s position than India, he had told them.There was also a feeling that the World Cup was occupying the minds of the players already. It was something that affected the team in 1992 when New Zealand co-hosted the event and played such inspirational cricket that bad form against England in the preceding series, disappeared the moment the World Cup started.Vincent said it was great to see players like Jacob Oram stepping up.”We’re a good team. I can’t help thinking about the World Cup – and having a fully fit squad, I think it’s going to be our best chance.”We’re not playing in Asia where it is hot and you get run down, we’re playing in conditions where it is going to suit us with pace and bounce. We always seem to struggle in Asia,” he said.At the moment the New Zealanders are also struggling at home, but hopefully Napier will ease the burden and allow the cricket of both teams to flourish.

After tonight, any remaining doubts about Australian supremacy in world cricket must’ve been set right after what happened at Old Trafford. The world champions simply rose to a class of their own against England.

For me, the most exciting sight in cricket is two great fast bowlers running in with a new ball and four or five slip fielders waiting to swallow it up. It really must have shattered England openers’ confidence, already shaken by the Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target, when McGrath and Gillespie started roaring in with that field setting.Steve Waugh is surely a worthy leader of worthy men. He didn’t cringe from using up his pace duo to break England’s back having them bowl flat out for the first 17 overs.His decision, earlier in the day, to bat first under overcast conditions had me scratching my head, wondering what’s he up to? Then losing 3 wickets for just 27 runs seemed to further ridicule his decision. However, in the end all my apprehensions were laid to rest after this amazing and thoroughly professional display by his team.Now back to McGrath and Gillespie, I’d say they are now the best new-ball attack in the world. I say this not because the wet and windy conditions at Old Trafford came as icing on the cake. The way they ripped through the English top-order was a sight for sore eyes.

After England’s performance in the NatWest Series, I think it’s high time the ECB arranges for the maximum possible limited over games, if they are in earnest to put up a good show in the next world cup. This is the only way their young players can accustom themselves to the rigours of one-day cricket.After the burst by the pacers, Warne and Symonds had absolutely no problem in brushing off any remaining resistance and making England slide to their lowest total in ODIs.I used to think that age plays a major part in enervating a player’s physical and mental ability. But Steve Waugh has proved me totally wrong. At 36, he is as strong, both physically and mentally as one can be.

When Australia was 27 for 3, any player could have panicked, especially when Caddick and Gough were bowling magnificently. But perhaps the word ‘panic’ is not there in Steve’s dictionary. He played calmly; building useful partnerships with Bevan and Martyn, to once more lead his side out of trouble. I can’t even remember how many times he has led from the front.I think Bevan should’ve stayed a bit longer, having got on the right platform to build up his innings. But then England, especially Mullally, did bowl well against him, not allowing him the width he so cherishes and frustrated him enough to give his wicket away.Anyhow, today’s match will be long remembered for the Aussies sheer professionalism. They worked hard in batting, bowling and fielding to completely destroy a poor English outfit.

With England out of the reckoning, Pakistan has a place in the final to meet these awesome Australians. It won’t be easy for Pakistan to beat the world champions but under the newfound confidence and led by Waqar, they are certainly capable of giving them a run for their money. I do remember WC99 debacle, but this time it won’t be a one sided final.But we still have two matches against Australia left before the final and I, for one, am eagerly awaiting these. A good showing would a great morale booster for the Pakistan side.

Ed:Mudassar Nazar is a veteran of 76 tests and 122 ODIs. He is currently the chief coach of Pakistan’s National and Regional Cricket Academies. In view of the overwhelming interest of users in CricInfo’s articles, we have invited him to write for us.

Former USA vice-captain Timroy Allen’s career revival took another step forward on Monday with his inclusion, alongside 11 other players, for phase two of the ICC Americas Combine at the Indianapolis World Sports Park.The 12 players, including four provisional selections, will take part in the second phase of the trial, between September 25 and 27, before a final 14-man squad is picked for the WICB Nagico Super50 domestic tournament in January 2016. The second phase will see players participate in two 50-over and two Twenty20 matches.Allen captained the winning side in a 25-over trial match on Monday, taking two wickets in another sharp opening spell, following on from his impressive performances with bat and ball on Sunday.”It’s tough to describe the feeling,” Allen told ESPNcricinfo after his selection. “It’s a lot of guys here so you have to do something exceptional for them to actually say this guy’s going to be a part of it. So I was really excited. My heart was beating really fast prior to that but after that, I kind of relaxed a little bit and you come back to a realization that more than likely you impressed a couple of the coaches.”The main group is dominated by fast bowlers with the selection of Jasdeep Singh, Jeremy Gordon and Ali Khan along with Allen. Jasdeep backed up his strong performances at the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland with another solid display. Gordon, who arrived late to the trial from Toronto, bowled a hostile spell to snare two wickets on Monday. Ali Khan, who is yet to make his international debut for USA, consistently stood out with his pace and ability to bowl yorkers.Two batsmen and two spinners were also included in the main group. USA’s Alex Amsterdam made the cut after top-scoring in both trial matches, while Anirrudh Reddy Saddi backed up a decent effort on Sunday with 36 on Monday, before retiring to give others a chance to bat.The squad also includes left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed, who was left out of USA’s squad for the Ireland tour, and legspinner Prumjot Panesar from the San Francisco Bay Area, who beat more heralded slow bowlers with his flight and accuracy.The ICC had initially committed to naming a maximum of eight players for the second phase. However, after naming the first eight, fast bowling coach Courtney Walsh said that four more players would get an opportunity because the phase one competition was “so good, so tight and so close”.Fast bowler David Pieters and batsmen Krishneal Goel, Shiva Vashishat and Srimantha Wijeyratne were invited back as provisional selections. According to the four players, the ICC informed them that if they are able to pay their own way to come back for phase two – as all players were required to do for phase one – they would be given an opportunity to compete. Under the previously announced conditions of the trial, only the top eight players would be invited back to participate in week two, with their travel and accommodation paid for by the ICC.”I’ve never been involved in something so structured and professional starting from just the way they had sports performance analysts testing our athletic abilities,” Vashishat said. “They tested our skills with drills that we’ve never done before and quite honestly a lot of us did very bad but it was something new and speaking with Mike [Young] and working with Courtney, working with all these great coaches that we have here was a great, great experience.”Even the people that didn’t get selected, I know they’re going to take all this information back and turn into better cricketers.”

India took their series-winning streak to ten as they survived a scare when defending 231. Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis were dominant in taking South Africa to 118 for 1 in ten overs in the dew, but with a changed drier ball India took four wickets for 15 to scuttle the chase. Jasprit Bumrah was the main difference between the two sides with figures of 4-0-17-2 on a night that 432 runs were scored.Marco Jansen gave India one final scare on a breakout tour with successive sixes in the 16th over, but the fact that India could be assured of winning only after they had taken their eighth wicket underlines how difficult it is to defend totals in the night in India. Which is what makes the assault from Hardik Pandya – second-quickest T20I fifty for India – and Tilak Varma – 73 off 42 – all the more important as they turned around an innings that had begun to plateau.Four India batters, including Hardik and Tilak, hit a boundary first ball; Hardik was the most dangerous of them all, scoring 31 off his first seven balls and ending up with 63 off 25.Samson, Abhishek give India flying startWith Shubman Gill missing because of a foot injury, Sanju Samson served another reminder of his graceful, effortless hitting when the pace is on and the field is up. Abhishek Sharma was his usual self, charging at Lungi Ngidi first ball he faced and scoring 34 off 21. The two added 63 in 5.3 overs.Sanju Samson made 37 in 22 balls•BCCI

South Africa crawl backThat India got off to this start without South Africa bowling poorly was a sign the pitch was good to bat on. George Linde further emphasised it with three straight overs for 19 runs. He also got Samson out bowled with one that pitched leg and hit off. Samson scored 10 off 9 outside the powerplay, which is why despite all the languid grace he is not the first-choice opener. Suryakumar Yadav’s year ended without an international half-century as Linde shut him up and Corbin Bosch lapped up the consequent wicket.Hardik, Tilak turn the game aroundHardik, though, must have immediately made South Africa regret getting Suryakumar out. Like Abhishek and Tilak before him, he charged at a fast bowler first ball and went one better, hitting a six. He didn’t stop there. In the next over he rearranged Linde’s figures with two sixes and two fours. Not one of those balls was overpitched.Tilak hadn’t exactly been slow before Hardik, but now India went both barrels at the bowling. The two added 105 in 7.2 overs, often managing to hit sixes without getting close to the pitch of the ball, which suggested they would need each of those extra runs when they bowled. Shivam Dube also hit a six first ball to make sure South Africa didn’t escape even when the duo got out.Quinton de Kock gave South Africa a blazing start in the powerplay•BCCI

De Kock, Brevis threaten IndiaIn his 100th T20I, having copped a fair few blows on the fingers when keeping, de Kock stunned the crowd in the densest stadium in the world. First he got the better of Arshdeep Singh, scoring 32 off his first two overs and correcting his match-up against him, which previously read 56 balls, 66 runs and five dismissals.Reeza Hendricks’ ordinary career as a T20I opener continued when he gave Varun his first wicket in the seventh over, which only proved to be beneficial for South Africa. Brevis and de Kock teamed up to make Varun’s next over his joint-worst in T20Is, taking 23 off it. Hardik then got half a taste of his own medicine, which made it 42 runs in the two overs leading up to the drinks break and a ball change.Bumrah starts a never-ending slideBumrah bowled the first of his three remaining overs with the drier ball, and immediately had de Kock hitting an offcutter back to him. Somehow the ball stuck in his arms, and India got some room to breathe. Hardik bowled smartly to deny Brevis a hit into the shorter straight boundaries, getting him caught at deep midwicket with a slower bouncer.Varun Chakravarthy took two wickets in two overs to dent South Africa•BCCI

Varun’s night turned again as he had both Aiden Markram and Donovon Ferreira in successive balls. Markram had just managed the rare feat of successfully charging at Varun when he went down for a lap shot and was given lbw with an umpire’s call on impact. An identical wrong’un bowled Ferreira through the gate.David Miller did his reputation of being just a good frontrunner no harm as he fell for 18 off 14, but India still couldn’t breathe easy. One last time, on a tour that he has been the standout player and has played every match of, Jansen got stuck into Varun, making his the costliest four-for in T20Is.Fifty-five off the last four might have still been entertained had Bumrah not had two overs remaining. He got Jansen with a slower ball to seal the win for India.

Scorecard

Bangladesh defeated a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) XI by four wickets in a day-night Twenty20 game in Hamilton to pick up their first win of the tour. After the Bangladeshi bowlers had restricted NZC XI to a modest 133, Farhad Reza’s 17-ball 31 propelled the visitors to a win with three overs to spare.Sent in, NZC XI had a slow start reaching 19 for 2 in 5.3 overs. They were propped up by James Marshall and Scott Styris who added 39 for the fifth wicket. Marshall top scored with an unbeaten 33, which included one six and a four. For the Bangladeshis, opening bowler Shahadat Hossain took 3 for 15 off his four overs.The visitors’ chase began poorly with the openers falling cheaply but the next five batsmen contributed with scores over 20 to ensure victory. Three run-outs had threatened to derail the Bangladeshis’ reply, but Reza and Mehrab Hossain jnr added 47 for the sixth wicket to ease their side’s concerns. Michael Mason was the most effective NZC XI bowler, conceding only 21 runs off his four overs.After having lost two of their three previous games of the tour – with one match abandoned, the Bangladeshis will take some confidence from this win, which comes ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday.The game was a charity match to help raise funds for people affected by Cyclone Sidr, which ripped through Bangladesh in November and killed more than 3000 people. The ICC also donated US$250,000 to the Bangladesh Relief Fund at the start of the match.