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A round-up of the third day’s action of the second round of the WICB Four-Day Competition 2009-10

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2010Narsingh Deonarine orchestrated a late collapse as Guyana roared back into contention against Trinidad & Tobago at the Vivian Richards Stadium. T&T held the aces, beginning their second innings with a 143-run lead and piling on the runs to reach 131 for 2. Despite losing first-innings centurion Lendl Simmons early, and Justin Guillen a little later, T&T prospered through a 92-run stand between Daren Ganga and Jason Mohammed. That’s when Deonarine intervened to have Jason caught at short-leg, triggering a manic collapse where five wickets fell for eight runs in five overs. Sherwin Ganga joined his brother at the crease, but a misunderstanding left them stranded at the same end, Sherwin sacrificing his wicket. Dave Mohammed was out without troubling the scorers after which Ravi Rampaul spooned one to mid-off to leave the innings in disarray. Deonarine capped the collapse that he had engineered, the way he had begun it, by getting Daren Ganga to nick to short leg. Deonarine’s heroics stole the thunder from T&T left-arm spinner Imran Khan who ran through the Guyana lower order to secure his side the first-innings advantage. His unpredictable mix of left-arm leg breaks and topspinners proved hard to read as overnight batsman Vishaul Singh found out. Rampaul dismissed Denoarine to put Guyana in strife, from which Imran never let them recover. Derwin Christian and Esuan Crandon tried to launch a recovery and survived to add vital 40s, before Imran ran through the tail, as four wickets fell for 18 runs. T&T were smiling then, but the chaos in the closing stages of play wiped the smiles off their faces.Rain proved to be Jamaica’s biggest obstacle on the third day at Warner Park in a match where they have dominated Leeward Islands from the outset. Torrential overnight rain and persistent drizzles through the day prompted Jamaica’s overnight declaration, 191 runs ahead in the first innings. Play eventually began in the evening, and Jamaica pushed forward in their quest for victory in the 21 overs of play that were possible. Daren Powell and David Bernard, wary of the time that their side had lost in the game, bowled with aggressive intent to remove both openers for ducks. Kieran Powell was the first to go, caught spectacularly by a diving Nikita Miller in the slips off Daren. Bernard then did his bit, getting Montcin Hodge to join his opening partner in the hutch, edging one to forward short leg. Bernard kept up the pace, striking Tonito Willett in the box, forcing the batsman to retire on five. Runako Morton struck an unbeaten 42 and, in the company of Steve Liburd, denied Jamaica further success, but the bowlers will push hard for a win on the fourth day.Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges were forced to cool their heels indoors all day as rain washed out third day’s play in Charlestown. The heavens had opener even before players reached the ground, and continued unabated beyond the lunch break, at which point the umpires called off play for the day.

Dirk Nannes has decided to become a limited-overs specialist and has retired from the first-class game

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010Dirk Nannes, the left-arm fast bowler, has decided to become a limited-overs specialist and has retired from the first-class game. Nannes has completed only one Sheffield Shield match for Victoria this season due to injury, but has remained a threat in the one-day and Twenty20 arena, including being part of Australia’s plans.”This decision will allow me to concentrate on 50-over and Twenty20 cricket and extend my career with Victoria and Australia,” he said. “Hopefully I can continue to make a strong contribution in the shorter forms of the game for a number of seasons to come.”Nannes struggled with a hamstring tendon injury at the start of the summer but returned to help Victoria win the domestic Twenty20 tournament and gain a spot in the Champions League. He will also link up with Delhi in the IPL next month and is in contention for a spot in Australia’s side for the World Twenty20.Now 33, Nannes focussed on skiing and snowboarding in his early 20s and didn’t debut for Victoria until 2006. In 23 first-class games he took 93 wickets at 25.02.”Dirk has been an important player for us across all forms of cricket in recent years but has struggled to get on the field in four-day games this season,” Cricket Victoria’s chief executive Tony Dodemaide said. “In light of this and taking into account his age and desire to play the shorter formats for as long as possible, we’ve accepted his position and look forward to him helping Victoria achieve even more success in the future.”

Brad Haddin and Shane Watson are the latest members of Australia’s one-day squad to be rested with both men to sit out of the third and fourth ODIs against West Indies

Cricinfo staff09-Feb-2010Brad Haddin and Shane Watson are the latest members of Australia’s one-day squad to be rested with both men to sit out of the third and fourth ODIs against West Indies. Tim Paine will join the squad for his first international appearances since he broke a finger on Australia’s one-day tour of India in October.Paine made an impressive start to his ODI career after coming in for the injured Haddin during the series in England and he is likely to open the batting with Shaun Marsh. Haddin has not missed an international game since the first Test of the summer and he is the only Australian to have played every match in that time.The other addition to Australia’s 13-man squad is Adam Voges, who was with the group for the limited-overs series against Pakistan but only played the final match. Watson was rested from two games against Pakistan but Australia are keen to be extra cautious with him due to his importance as an opening batsman and bowler in the Test and one-day formats.”After a busy international summer, and with an upcoming tour of New Zealand in mind, the national selection panel has taken the opportunity to manage the workloads of Brad Haddin and Shane Watson for the next two matches of the Commonwealth Bank Series,” the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. “Tim Paine and Adam Voges are the players added to the squad.”Paine thoroughly deserves another chance behind the stumps for Australia in ODI cricket after playing so well in England, the ICC Champions Trophy and India late last year. Voges was unlucky to miss selection for the opening two matches of the Commonwealth Bank Series against the West Indies but now has a chance to press for selection.”Australia hold a 2-0 lead after convincing wins over West Indies in the opening games at the MCG and Adelaide Oval. The squad has been named for Friday’s third match in Sydney and Sunday’s fourth game in Brisbane and the selectors will reassess ahead of the fifth and final ODI in Melbourne on February 19.Australia squad Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Adam Voges, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.

Michael Clarke will take part in the Test tour of New Zealand after being named in the 14-man squad a couple of days after leaving the one-day trip

Cricinfo staff10-Mar-2010Cricket Australia hope Michael Clarke will take part in the Test tour of New Zealand but will not know for certain until the end of the week. Clarke left the current one-day trip and returned to Sydney on Tuesday due to “personal issues” involving his fiancée Lara Bingle, who is at the centre of a nude photo scandal.Clarke has been given leave but Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s deputy, is unsure when the vice-captain will be back. “I’ve talked to him over the last few days and we have a Test tour looming,” Brown said at the SCG. “I would hope he’s part of that group. But unless he’s ready to go, there’s no point going.”We’ll talk again over the next couple of days and our intention hopefully is to get him back in the side for the Test match.” The opening game begins in Wellington on March 19 and there is an expectation from those closer to the team that Clarke will be with the squad by then.Steven Smith and Ryan Harris have been selected for their first Test tours while Marcus North, who has been out of form in 2010, has won a reprieve. North’s position was the most contentious but Australia’s selectors have extra batting cover in Smith and Phillip Hughes.North has not scored a half-century in first-class cricket this year and was out for 8 early in Western Australia’s first innings at the Gabba on Wednesday morning. “As far as Marcus is concerned, he had a sensational South African and Ashes tour,” Hilditch said. “He’d be disappointed with the last few Test matches and the Shield since then, but we think he deserves to be on the tour.”Smith, the batsman-legspinner, and Hughes have been in outstanding form for New South Wales and are seen as long-term prospects – Smith is 20 and Hughes 21 – while Harris sealed his place by taking 27 wickets in 10 one-day internationals. Australia are still without Ben Hilfenhaus, who has missed most of the season with a knee injury, and Peter Siddle is out with a back stress fracture.”The core of the squad is the Australian Test team that performed so well during the Australian summer in defeating West Indies and Pakistan,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “Ryan Harris, having overcome injuries at the start of the season, has played really well for Australia in the shorter formats of the game.” Hilditch sees him as a man who can hurt England during next summer’s Ashes.Hughes has 953 runs at 56.05 in the Sheffield Shield this summer while Smith has started New South Wales’ game against Tasmania with 672 at 74.66, including 177 in his previous match in Hobart. “Phillip Hughes has also been in excellent form at state level and richly deserves his selection on the back of another fantastic season,” Hildtich said.”Steve Smith has had an excellent Shield season, including a big century against Tasmania recently, and of course has already demonstrated his ability to cope with the pressure of international cricket. He adds great flexibility to the squad with his exciting stroke-play, legspin bowling and gifted fielding.”Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Phillip Hughes, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.

Simon Katich hasn’t so much been flying under the radar as crawling under it

Brydon Coverdale in Hamilton29-Mar-2010Simon Katich hasn’t so much been flying under the radar as crawling under it. His almost six-hour century sent the odd punter to sleep on the Seddon Park hill on a dozy Monday away from the office but it was the perfect innings for the circumstances. Australia wanted an unassailable lead and Katich set them on the path towards it with a hundred that was as painstaking as Ross Taylor’s was breathtaking.If he turns out to be the match-winner, it will be well-deserved. Nothing tells the story of Katich’s reliability like his triumph on Allan Border Medal night last month. The Australian players select their best contributors after every Test and Katich’s team-mates didn’t grant him the maximum three votes in any of the 14 matches during the award period. Still, he was named Test Player of the Year, a triumph of attrition over attraction.There’s every chance he will get the three votes after this game. His 88 in the first innings saved Australia’s blushes while his top-order friends threw their wickets away, and his 106 in the second has given them a strong chance of victory. As usual he was overshadowed, first when Shane Watson made 65 of the 85-run opening stand and then when Michael Hussey proved more fluent in the early stages of their partnership. Katich didn’t find the boundary until his 138th delivery, when he drove cleanly through extra cover and made viewers wonder why he hadn’t tried it earlier.In backyards across Australia few children imagine themselves as Katich, shuffling across their plastic stumps and squirting singles to square leg. The handful who do will at least never lose their tennis ball over the neighbour’s fence. It’s a method that has worked for Katich since his return to the side in 2008 and the proof is in a list of all-time averages for Test openers. Of every player who has opened in at least 20 innings, Katich’s average of 55.08 puts him sixth on the tally, behind legends like Jack Hobbs and Len Hutton. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, the bar against which modern Australian openers are measured, sit 13th and 17th.Fittingly, the only Australian above Katich is Bob Simpson, the man who Katich credits as having helped him overcome a technical flaw four years ago when he was striving to regain his place in the Test team. Since Katich won a position as an opener on the tour of the West Indies two years ago, he has been Australia’s leading run scorer, well clear of Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting. It was a lack of consistency that cost him his place after a disappointing Ashes tour in 2005 and a more mature, more relaxed Katich has been on display following his return.”I stick to my limitations,” Katich said after his 347-minute innings. “I know the limitations of my game and given that the game was in the balance I didn’t want to take any undue risks, and make sure that I set a platform for the rest of the team. When you do bat at the top of the order it’s easy to think someone else will get the runs, but you’ve just got to make sure you get out there and lay the foundations just in case that doesn’t happen.”That solid base was built before lunch in a session that featured the equivalent of almost 33 overs of dot balls. In the first over after the break, Katich struck two consecutive boundaries having managed three in his previous 176 deliveries, and even Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf were wondering what the batsman had eaten at lunch.”The umpires were sort of joking that I might have got a bit ahead of myself,” Katich said. “They said, ‘What’s happened?’ That was when I got to about 60. Even they noticed it. They said, ‘Is that the same bloke down there?’ I did have a bit more fun after 50, that’s for sure. The first 50 wasn’t great but after that, from 50 onwards I felt like I played quite well.”He did, and there were even a couple of aerial drives down the ground that jolted the spectators out of their slumber. Perhaps Katich’s team-mates will wake up as well, and Australia’s Test Player of the Year will finally be their Man of the Match.

The BCCI’s working committee has unanimously approved all the decisions taken by the IPL governing council last Monday

Nagraj Gollapudi02-May-2010The BCCI’s working committee, meeting for the first time since the IPL controversies broke out three weeks ago, has unanimously approved all the decisions taken by the IPL governing council last Monday. Those include the specific decisions pertaining to Lalit Modi, the suspended chairman.The governing council had, at that meeting, served Modi a showcause notice and given him 15 days – expiring on May 11 – to respond to the five specific charges pressed on him. The charges relate to the 2008 bids for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the broadcasting deal and the facilitation fee, rigging of bids for new franchises in 2010, the sale of internet rights, and Modi’s “behavior”.While the endorsement of those decisions was said to be unanimous, an otherwise routine meeting took a surprising turn when Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, raised the issue of the distribution of the IPL’s revenues. Dalmiya’s control of the BCCI ended in 2005 when his candidate, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, was defeated by Sharad Pawar, with the help of Modi and Shashank Manohar, the current board chief, and he has maintained a relatively low profile since then.At Sunday’s meeting, held at the BCCI office in Mumbai, Dalmiya’s is believed to have sought details on the mechanism of how the IPL money was distributed at various levels including the franchises and the staging associations. He was asked to submit a written query, which would be discussed in the near future. “Yes, what you heard is correct,” Dalmiya told Cricinfo, when asked if he’d sought a break-up of the IPL monies.It is also understood that Dalmiya held a separate informal meeting afterwards, with Manohar, N Srinivasan, the board secretary and Arun Jaitley, the president of the Delhi association and a member of the disciplinary committee that will handle the Modi issue. The discussion is believed to have included the controversial IPL broadcasting issue, which involved a facilitation fee of $80 million paid by Multi Screen Media Singapore to World Sports Group Mauritius (who had bought the original global rights when the league was formed). Dalmiya, it can be recalled, was the man who brokered the first big TV deals for the BCCI and organized the two World Cups to be held so far on the subcontinent.

Two wickets in the last 11 overs from captain Glen Chapple gave Lancashire a
real boost on a hard-fought opening day of their County Championship
Division One match against Essex at Old Trafford

Cricinfo staff24-May-2010

ScorecardTwo wickets in the last 11 overs from captain Glen Chapple gave Lancashire a
real boost on a hard-fought opening day of their County Championship
Division One match against Essex at Old Trafford.After the visitors were invited to bat despite a covering of grass on the
track, Ryan ten Doeschate top scored with 85 as they closed on 251 for 6. Openers Billy Godleman and Jaik Mickleburgh, who shared 73 for the first wicket, both hit 39, off 74 and 95 balls respectively, but they fell to left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan either side of lunch.Kerrigan had left-hander Godleman caught at mid-wicket by Stephen Moore in the
26th over and trapped Mickleburgh lbw two overs into the afternoon session to
leave the score at 86 for two in the 32nd.Matthew Walker (42) and Ten Doeschate later shared 66 in 17 overs for the
fourth wicket before the former chopped on to Sajid Mahmood after tea. Essex looked as if they would claim the day’s honours until Chapple trapped James Foster and Ten Doeschate, who hit 13 fours in 123 balls, lbw late in the day.Chapple finished with two for 41 from 18 overs and Kerrigan 2 for 71 from
33. There was a hint of swing for Lancashire’s bowlers – certainly after the ball
was changed midway through the morning by the umpires – but not as much as has
been on offer early in previous Championship fixtures here.Runs did not flow for Essex, however, because the likes of Chapple, Mahmood,
Daren Powell, Kerrigan and Kyle Hogg all bowled with control throughout the
day. Mark Pettini and Walker added 44 for the third wicket in 20 overs before Hogg
got had the former well caught low down by gully fielder Mark Chilton. At that
stage the visitors were 130 for 3.That united Walker and all-rounder Ten Doeschate. They navigated their side to
tea with the addition of another 39 runs, playing well straight and through the
covers. Ten Doeschate reached his 50 off 52 balls in the early evening sunshine but his
alliance with Walker was broken when the former Kent man was cramped for room
trying to cut Mahmood. That left Essex at 196 for 4.England hopeful Ravi Bopara has been named in the Essex side and will replace
unbeaten Grant Flower when Essex take the field on day two. Bopara was at Downing Street today with the rest of England’s victorious World Twenty20 squad.