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Bengal squandered an opportunity to dominate the Ranji match against Mumbai, and conceded a big lead

The Report by Siddhartha Talya at Brabourne Stadium02-Dec-2012
Scorecard
Ankeet Chavan’s 4-61 is his best haul so far in first-class cricket•Fotocorp

Bengal have never beaten Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, and at stumps on the second day it seemed they may have squandered another opportunity to end that winless run since 1949. Bengal have had a frustrating tournament so far, and the current game is threatening to head the way of their low-scoring encounter against Madhya Pradesh in the previous round, which they had lost. Having bowled Mumbai out for 297, Bengal should have got themselves into a position to take a lead, but their batsmen, barring opener Arindam Das, who stayed through to the finish to be stranded on 98, let them down. Ankeet Chavan, the left-arm spinner, picked up four for 61, his best haul in first-class cricket.The Brabourne Stadium track continued to offer assistance to the seamers, and helped the spinners derive extra bounce and sharp turn. But Bengal’s performance had less to do with the conditions than failing to seize on a second chance offered through slip-ups in the field from Mumbai. Three senior Bengal players, including their captain, were guilty of that. Manoj Tiwary, who did better than his counterpart Rohit Sharma, was given a life on 23 when Wasim Jaffer dropped a simple chance at slip. Wriddhiman Saha, the vice-captain, was bowled off a no-ball on nought and Subhomoy Das was put down at first slip on 19. Tiwary added just 16 more after his reprieve, and the other two fell the very next delivery.Mumbai came hard at Bengal. They rarely stationed more than two fielders in the deep, and showed the urgency in their approach, if not their fielding, to defend a gettable total. They began with four slips and a gully for Dhawal Kulkarni and the steady flow of wickets that followed enabled them to retain packed close-in fields against the seamers as well as the two specialist spinners. The first wicket, of Rohan Banerjee, was a slice of luck, however, as he was run out after being sent back while attempting a third run. Shortly after, the first ball Kulkarni bowled round the wicket got him the wicket of Writam Porel, who was caught at third slip.Tiwary is not one to look completely settled but he’s got a prolific record in domestic cricket to back up his style. His brief innings today had its fair share of plays and misses. It included a leading edge that wasn’t far from extra cover, an edge over the slips, an airy shot into the off side that almost carried, and a missed chance by Jaffer at slip off Chavan’s next ball. Tiwary counter-attacked, lofting Chavan for successive boundaries that over, one being a six over long-on. He added 72 with Arindam but loosely chipped a flighted delivery from Chavan to mid-off immediately after punching a short ball through cover for four.Chavan bowled consistently from the Club House end, and round the wicket, targeting some rough areas on the track. He averaged 63.5 for his four wickets on flat tracks in the two games before this, and his captain Rohit Sharma had an extended conversation with him on the eve of this game. “It was a pep talk. On my part, in the previous games my bowling wasn’t that good as such so I had to do well getting this game. Fortunately, the wicket favoured me and it happened,” Chavan said. “On that [flat] wicket, we needed patience and [were required to] just keep bowling, and if the batsman made a mistake, you could get him out. Here, you had chances of getting him out.”Saha was bowled by a flighted delivery from Ramesh Powar, only for the umpire to double-check for a no-ball and rule that Pawar had overstepped. But the next ball was even better, as Pawar got it to jump off a good length and rap Saha on the glove, resulting in a catch at short leg. Subhomoy looked promising during his innings, smashing Pawar over his head and welcoming Kulkarni in his new spell with an imperious drive down the ground. He, too, was put down, by Hiken Shah at second slip, but prodded again at one of Chavan’s deliveries that turned away to be caught at first slip. Bengal had slid to 132 for 5.There was still depth in Bengal’s batting, but Abhishek Jhunjhunwala nicked Avishkar Salvi after looking good with a couple of boundaries and Chavan trapped Laxmi Shukla in front while he tried to sweep. All this time, as wickets kept crushing Bengal’s hopes raised by partnerships that had looked encouraging, Arindam’s solidity and assuredness stood out at the other end.Arindam, playing his first game in this Ranji season, cashed in on the width provided by seamers to pierce the off-side field. He used his feet well against spin, though he, too, had some nervous moments when he edged to slip, but the ball had bounced before reaching the fielder as he had played it down with soft hands. As Mumbai spread the field to give him the single when Bengal were eight down, he still managed to find the ropes, once pulling Kulkarni handsomely past two men in the deep. But he was to be deprived of a ninth first-class ton, as Kshemal Waingankar nipped out the last two wickets and robbed Bengal of greater consolation.

The presence of a possible sixth day and the flat nature of the Wankhede pitch meant both Mumbai and Baroda set themselves up for the long haul in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final

The Report by Sidharth Monga07-Jan-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Abhishek Nayar scored his third hundred of the season•Fotocorp

The presence of a possible sixth day and the flat nature of the Wankhede pitch meant both Mumbai and Baroda set themselves up for the long haul in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final. Baroda stayed away from claiming the third new ball, and Mumbai showed no intent to go for quick runs and declare the innings closed: 252 runs came on the second day for the loss of three wickets, with final session representing a near ceasefire.However, that shouldn’t take away from another stellar effort from Mumbai’s most valuable player, Abhishek Nayar, who crossed 50 for the 10th time this season, converted it into a third century, and ended unbeaten on 852 runs, the fifth-highest tally this season. Three of the four mean ahead of him are already out of the tournament. Nayar has also fielded superbly and picked up 16 wickets to go with his runs.Mumbai began the day at 272 for 3 with Wasim Jaffer unbeaten on 137, but Jaffer never quite got going. After two dropped chances, Jaffer played on to be dismissed for 150. Mumbai were 286 for 4 then, and still needed runs to feel comfortable on a pitch that didn’t have much for the bowlers. Enter Nayar, who provided them momentum even as nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni enjoyed his rare chance at blocking and playing like a proper batsman.Kulkarni never looked in much trouble, but the runs on the slow pitch came off Nayar’s bat. He began sweeping and reverse-sweeping to distraction. Kulkarni grew a little adventurous, hit a straight six, and fell at the team score of 356 to bring in the last recognised batsman, wicketkeeper Aditya Tare. Tare, too, had a tough time scoring runs at the start, but Nayar kept manipulating fields with shots and style entirely his own. Against spin he played all kinds of sweeps, against pace he moved across and worked the ball to leg.Nayar scored 20 off the first 29 balls he faced, then moved to 42 off 62, and brought up the fifty with a nudge to leg. Immediately he reverse-swept a four to celebrate. While Tare persevered to score 31 off 102, Nayar went fluently and had reached 78 off 122. Baroda were trying to defend, but it was difficult to do so against the dexterous Nayar.Tare quickened up, brought up his fifty, but fell in the final session for 64. Nayar was 94 then off 155 balls, a healthy strike rate on a slow pitch, Mumbai were 479 for 6, but with more than 20 overs to go in the day they changed their strategy. Against deep-set fields Mumbai endeavoured to come back on the third day for no further loss, and Baroda tried to minimise damage, presumably, before they take new ball with bowlers fresh on a fresh day.Over the next 21.4 overs, only 45 runs came without any incident. Nayar added only 28 off 62 balls over that period, bringing up his 11th first-class hundred in the process, but indications were that he wasn’t done yet.

It would be a sad end to England’s campaign if West Indies spring a surprise against Australia on Wednesday

Abhishek Purohit in Mumbai12-Feb-2013The finalists of the 2009 Women’s World Cup, England and New Zealand, could have their last chance to qualify for the final of the 2013 edition snatched from them before they step onto the field at Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. If West Indies manage to surprise confirmed finalists Australia at the MIG Club ground in the suburb of Bandra in a morning start, the final on Sunday will be between the same sides.Though England left-arm spinner Holly Colvin said all that was in her side’s control was to go out and beat New Zealand under lights, there is no doubt that Charlotte Edwards and Co will be keeping a close eye on developments at MIG Club. The West Indies-Australia game will not be televised, though, and England and New Zealand will have to rely on score updates.West Indies have not beaten Australia in three previous ODIs, but those matches were back in the 1993, 2005 and 2009 World Cups. If Australia are shocked, and there has been no shortage of shocks in this tournament – courtesy Sri Lanka and West Indies – it will be an unfortunate way for defending champions England to exit.Apart from Australia, England are the only side who haven’t had a bad game in the tournament. Unlike Australia, who are undefeated, England lost twice, but they could have won those matches. Their one-wicket loss to Sri Lanka came off the last ball of the game. Their own last-wicket pair of Colvin and Anya Shrubsole took them within one stroke of ending Australia’s streak, only to fall short by two runs.Edwards’ side has showed character by roaring back from both the defeats, something the captain had said after the Sri Lanka match would not be hard for them to do. India were quelled by 32 runs, and West Indies were routed for 101 in a six-wicket win. Then, at the start of the Super Six stage, arrived the shattering defeat to old rivals Australia, as England failed to close the game after dismissing their opponents for 147.Edwards looked spent after that match. England had been in Mumbai all the while and she said getting away to Cuttack to play South Africa would be helpful. More than a thousand miles away from Mumbai, England bulldozed South Africa, who managed 77.Twice, England have had to regroup, and twice, they have done it. In 2009, they had hardly been tested on their way to the title. In 2013, the rest of the world has shown it’s catching up, and England have shown that champions will withstand blows and come back stronger.Tomorrow will be a big day personally for Edwards as well. She’s 33, the elder statesman of the game with most ODI runs, most ODI appearances and second-most as captain, and this might be her final World Cup. She has made no secret of what a successful defence of the title will mean, calling it a crowning glory in a 17-year long career. If Australia go down to West Indies, it will be a heartbreaking end to Edwards’ ambition.England have lost just three of their previous 15 ODIs to New Zealand, but will go into the game hoping Australia are able to avoid the West Indies banana peel. If they don’t, the last Super Six match will cease to be anything more than a practice game for the third-place playoff on Friday.

After receiving his second CSA contract McLaren knows he is being primed for a Test recall – something that’s been in the back of his mind for a long time

Firdose Moonda12-Mar-2013Ryan McLaren’s Test debut was memorable but not for anything he did. He was included in South Africa’s all-pace attack that was tasked with squaring the series against England in early 2010.They did the job emphatically and bowled England out for under 200 twice to ensure South Africa won by an innings and 74 runs. The nature of the victory may suggest McLaren played some sort of role but his was a bit-part.In the shadows of Dale Steyn taking a first innings five-for and seven overall, Morne Morkel finishing with the same match tally and Wayne Parnell debuting, McLaren bowled 13 overs all told and took one wicket. It was an important one because it was that of the top scorer, Paul Collingwood and it was brief glimpse into McLaren’s ability.For four years, there would be only those short, somewhat stolen moments because McLaren never nailed down a proper spot. Now, that could change. After receiving his second CSA contract McLaren knows he is being primed for a Test recall – something that’s been in the back of his mind for a long time.”I’d love to add to my one Test cap,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about and working towards very hard.” McLaren averaged 50.50 with the bat and 30.67 with the ball last season and has been included in South African recent A sides and limited-overs teams.He would bring to the Test XI a Shaun Pollock-like discipline and consistency as well as the ability to score runs in the lower middle-order. While it would seem only Kallis’ retirement would open a door for McLaren, he may not have to wait for that to make an appearance in whites. South Africa’s revolving door position – the No. 7 spot – is the only unsettled one and he could fill it. It has been used for an extra batsman so far but it could call for an extra bowler or an allrounder in future.Until then, McLaren has to bide his time in the other formats where he is finally being given a sustained run of matches. Prior to August 2012, McLaren had played 10 ODIs and five Twenty20s for South Africa but not much faith was invested in him. Albie Morkel was the preferred candidate and assembly line allrounders were fading out of fashion.McLaren became a substitute and was included in squads when there was a mild injury concern. Almost everyone knew that he was unlikely to play and he never did. Only recently, has team management seen real value in him.In recent months, McLaren has been seen in long consultation with Allan Donald as he worked on extensively on his bowling. The fruits of that have been obvious and he has taken 11 wickets in his last four ODIs. His use of the short ball has been exemplary, something he puts down to Donald’s influence. “Allan always encourages us to be more aggressive and that’s what I’ve been trying to do as well,” he said.As good performances mounted up, confidence in him swelled. McLaren now feels more secure as well. “I’ve been given a few more opportunities and I feel a bit more comfortable in the environment,” he said. “I’m just really enjoying it now under Gary Kirsten. He treats us all like adults and make us take responsibility for our own performances.”McLaren has always come across as mature and grounded, so much so that he would be happy to make way for Kallis at an event like the Champions Trophy because “it’s good for South Africa if Kallis plays as long as he can,” so it’s no surprise he is thriving in a grown-up environment. At 30, he is exactly that and hopes to have a few good years to offer South African cricket.McLaren has built up experience around the world, including a stint at Kent and at the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. This off-season, he will return to the IPL to represent the Kolkata Knight Riders and hopes to pick up new skills to take into his re-born international career. “It’s always helpful to play in different conditions and to share dressing rooms with players from around the world. I just want to learn as much as possible.”

Two men accused of the assault that left the New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder in an induced coma in hospital have appeared in the Christchurch District Court

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2013Two men accused of the assault that left the New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder in an induced coma in hospital have appeared in the Christchurch District Court.A 37-year-old builder has been charged with assaulting Ryder and also with reckless disregard for the safety of others. The younger man, a 20-year-old carpet layer, is facing two charges of assault, one shared with the older man.The defence counsel for the older man, Jonathan Eaton, asked for and received a two-week remand on bail for the two men until April 18. He also won an interim suppression order over the names and images of the accused.Eaton said the incident had not been a “Jesse Ryder hate crime” as some witnesses had described it. In his description of events, Eaton said the two men had been out at a family dinner at Aikmans Bar and had crossed paths in a “convivial” fashion with Ryder across the evening.”The eye witness accounts are wildly inaccurate and misleading,” he said. “It goes to show why the justice system and public demand that these matters be dealt with in court before a judge and a jury and not by the media in the court of public opinion.”Eaton also disputed reports of Ryder’s injuries, claiming the batsman had not received a fractured skull but a serious concussion, and had also not sustained a collapsed lung.Ryder was interviewed by police in hospital on Monday but so far has no recollection of events on the night. He was discharged on Wednesday and has flown back home to Wellington.Ryder was hospitalised and placed in the induced coma to recover from injuries sustained when he was the victim of what police alleged to be two assaults in the space of a few minutes after a night out at the end of the Wellington Firebirds’ season.

The SLC have appointed Ashley de Silva, their former director of cricket operations, as their acting CEO, before making a permanent decision

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Mar-2013Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Ashley de Silva to the position of acting CEO, with a view to giving him the official position in six months, SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga has confirmed. De Silva has been SLC’s director of cricket operations since 2008, and replaces Ajit Jayasekara, who retires at the end of the month.”Like in any organisation we will give him a probation period, which will be around six months, and at the end of that we hope he will be CEO permanently,” Ranatunga said.Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura, had emerged as the early frontrunner for the position, but was later disqualified due to his age. Warnapura turned 60 in March, falling foul of an SLC rule that has enforced employees’ retirement at 60 since 2009. He will continue in his present job as development manager for the Asian Cricket Council.In addition to de Silva’s experience as director of cricket operations, he also managed Sri Lanka’s Under-19 side on an assignment basis before 2008, and was the general manager of private communication company Suntel for five years. He played as a wicketkeeper batsman for Colombo Cricket Club from 1984 to 1996, and appeared in three Tests and four ODIs for Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s youth cricket coach, Carlton Bernadaus, has been appointed to the director of cricket operations role that de Silva vacated.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim praised his team for the attitude and commitment they showed in the 143-run win over Zimbabwe in Harare

Mohammad Isam29-Apr-2013The Bangladesh dressing room was a subdued enclosure after their 143-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final Test. The team had decided to skip celebrations as a mark of respect to the victims of the Savar building collapse tragedy, one of the worst industrial accidents in Bangladesh’s history, which has resulted in 389 deaths so far.”We dedicate this win to the Savar victims,” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said at the post-match press conference. “It probably contributes nothing [to their cause] but we didn’t celebrate after the win. We didn’t sing the team song. It is a very sad moment for us back home.”We were thinking about it during the match, and we discussed it when we got back to the hotel after the first day. We have been trying to keep in touch with everyone back home because it really is a disaster and we don’t want things like this to happen.”It was a tough five days of cricket for both sides, especially for Bangladesh who were smarting from a massive 335-run loss in the first match. There was a human tragedy playing out back home, and they were faced with the challenge of winning the second Test, something they had done only three times prior to this match in 13 years of their Test history.But they turned it around. Mushfiqur was adjudged Man of the Match for his two fifties, one of which could easily have been his third Test century. The 60 and 93 was nonetheless of great value to the team. His phlegmatic approach stood out, he rarely played a rash shot and did not let his emotions run the course of his innings. Shakib Al Hasan also scored two fifties, but the manner of his dismissals will be more remembered easily.”Winning a Test match is an amazing feeling, especially after coming back in this manner,” Mushfiqur said. “We could have won the first Test had we applied ourselves like we did in this game. It was never going to be easy against them, but we turned it around. It is great to be awarded the Man of the Match in a Test victory. Every player would tell you he dreams of this. It means a lot when your hard work pays off in this way.”The Bangladesh captain had special praise for Robiul Islam and Nasir Hossain for the crucial performances they turned in on the second day, which helped Bangladesh gain a 109-run lead. “Robiul bowled very well in both Tests,” he said. “He works very hard, and he is one guy who gives his 100% with every ball even if he doesn’t get a wicket. We needed a bowler like him. He got just rewards for his hard work.”The first innings in the second Test was very important for us. Remember, we hadn’t scored even 150 in both innings of the first Test. Tamim (Iqbal), Shakib and Nasir did well. I tried my best. Shiblu (Robiul) bowled very well in their first innings, and I think the 109-run lead was the turning point in this game,” he said.It was an important win for Mushfiqur as a captain, too. He can now experience what Habibul Bashar and Shakib Al Hasan have achieved as captains. Bashar was in charge when Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe at home in 2005, their maiden Test win. Shakib took Mashrafe Mortaza’s place as the captain in the 2009 series against West Indies, and played a vital part in the two wins.”It helps to do well as a captain. The confidence of a side is different when the captain scores some runs,” he said. “It sets an example, the attitude within the team changes. Nasir can play with responsibilities, and the younger ones will learn from him and our performance.”Mushfiqur didn’t want to comment on the umpiring but had some tough words for the hosts. Zimbabwe Cricket’s hospitality has irked the visitors, especially the lack of practice facilities on tour.”A visiting team doesn’t deserve the sort of practice facilities they gave us,” he said. “We had requested a morning session, but they said no. I had told the media before the second Test that we have to win to reply to such behaviour.”The side now heads to Bulawayo to play the limited-overs leg of the tour, which will bring an end to the Bangladesh season. It has been a season that has seen some big scores, some personal milestones and a drawn Test in Sri Lanka. But it will always be bookmarked by this win in Harare.

Two successive sixes off Sammy’s bowling, and from Brad Hodge’s bat, launched Rajasthan Royals into the second qualifier, where they will take on Mumbai Indians for a place in the final

The Report by Abhishek Purohit22-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrad Hodge turned it around from 57 for 5 (file photo)•BCCI

Three days ago, two successive sixes from Darren Sammy had launched Sunrisers Hyderabad into the IPL Eliminator. Three days later, two successive sixes off Sammy’s bowling, and from Brad Hodge’s bat, launched Rajasthan Royals into the second qualifier, where they will take on Mumbai Indians for a place in the final. The victory also meant Royals sealed their place in the 2013 Champions League Twenty20.Hodge’s was a blinder of an innings in many contexts. Prior to this, he had not spent a lot of time in the middle, Rahul Dravid preferring to use him as a finisher. He came in at 57 for 5 in a chase of 133 on a slow, uneven pitch, on which almost everyone had struggled for timing. He was up against the best attack of the season in a knockout situation. Royals had been up for a week against a spot-fixing controversy that had shaken their team and messed up their combinations.Hodge’s response was one befitting a man who has made the most Twenty20 runs in the world. When he cracked the second ball of the last over 96 metres into the crowd beyond the long-on boundary, he finished on 54 off 29. He hit five sixes on a pitch where the first one took 14.1 overs to come.This match was Royals’ after a start of 50 for 1 inside seven overs. Shane Watson was another batsman who was making a mockery of the difficulties posed by the pitch, pushing forward and getting boundaries with sheer power. His pull off the legspinner Karan Sharma was headed for six over deep midwicket when Sammy jumped several feet to intercept the ball, and turn the game.Royals lost a wicket each in the next three overs to slip to 57 for 5. Sammy did most of the damage, keeping it straight to hit the stumps, as Dishant Yagnik and Stuart Binny missed. Ajinkya Rahane popped one back to the other Sunrisers legspinner Amit Mishra.Fifty-eight were needed from 40 when Hodge tore into Karan, a bowler most sides had found difficult to get away. Two sixes and a four in the space of four deliveries. He followed it up with a straight six off Mishra in the next over. Sunrisers were visibly stunned, and Mishra, whose first three overs had gone for eight, was irritated.Sunrisers hung in, though, despite a wayward 18th over from Dale Steyn. Hodge tried to hit a six almost every ball off Thisara Perera in the 19th, and managed five runs. It came down to 10 needed off six, but Hodge needed two deliveries.Sunrisers did well to get to 132 from 67 for 3 after 14 overs. Royals went in without a spinner, but their various kinds of medium-pacers tied Sunrisers down with lack of pace and width.Vikramjeet Malik, playing his second match of the season, sent back Parthiv Patel and Hanuma Vihari in the space of four balls. Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White took their time to push on. White, especially, looked in good touch but both fell in trying to step up the pace of scoring.Sammy and Perera were going to be key at the death but again, both fell just as they were starting to dominate. Sammy came out swinging sixes but was run out by an accurate, powerful throw from the deep by the substitute Rahul Shukla for 29 off 21. Perera zoomed to 11 off 6 before edging behind.It was still not an easy target by any means and Royals’ inexperienced middle order seemed to blow it, but Hodge was lurking at No.7 to deliver the knockout punch.

Imran Farhat, the Pakistan batsman, has opted out of the tour to Zimbabwe citing personal reasons. He has been replaced by left-hand batsman Shan Masood in the squad for the two Test matches

Umar Farooq13-Aug-2013Imran Farhat, the Pakistan batsman, has opted out of the tour to Zimbabwe citing personal reasons. Farhat informed the national selection committee about his unavailability due to domestic matters that needed his immediate attention, which, ESPNcricinfo understands, relate to his wife’s health issues. He has been replaced by left-hand batsman Shan Masood in the squad for the two Test matches.Farhat, who was one of the five changes in the Test squad for this tour, was not part Pakistan’s original squad during their previous Test series, in South Africa. He was called in for the third Test of that series as a replacement for the injured Taufeeq Umar, and scored 30 and 43. That was his only Test appearance since featuring in the 2010 Test series in England.Masood, 23, made his first-class debut against Hyderabad in 2007 and has played 56 matches for his 3065 runs. The Kuwait-born Masood has been living in Karachi, and plays as an opening batsman for Habib Bank along with Farhat. He narrowly missed a double-century in his last first-class match, scoring 199, which is his best score in the long format. In the previous two seasons, he scored 846 runs at 33.84 and 1123 at 41.59.A five-day training camp has started at the NCA with only bowlers appearing for the conditioning training sessions. The Pakistan limited-overs squad will depart for Zimbabwe on August 19.

Hot Spot will be used for the remainder of the Ashes series despite tests reportedly showing that silicone tape on bats can disguise faint edges

Brydon Coverdale in Chester-le-Street08-Aug-2013Hot Spot will be used for the remainder of the Investec Ashes series despite tests reportedly showing that silicone tape on bats can disguise faint edges. The ICC’s general manager of cricket operations, Geoff Allardice, met with the management of both England and Australia in Durham on Wednesday to discuss concerns with the way DRS was operating and the outcome was that no changes would be made for the rest of this series.Earlier on Wednesday, the ICC had dismissed a report aired on Channel Nine in Australia that it was investigating the possible use of silicone tape on bats by players from both teams during this series. However, Channel Nine reported on Thursday that Hot Spot inventor Warren Brennan had raised “serious concerns” with the ICC that if tape was used on bats, edges could fail to show up on the technology.There have been a number of occasions during the Ashes when Hot Spot had failed to detect edges that have otherwise shown up on Snicko. Brennan will not comment publicly on the claims, but Curtin University engineer Dr Masood Khan has been conducting research into thermal infrared processing and has said that silicone tape has the capacity to disguise edges on Hot Spot.”The chemical composition of silicone tape makes it work as an inhibitor for most radiation,” Khan said. “Its physical characteristics also make it insensitive to minor physical impacts. Its chemical and physical features ensure an even conduction and dispersion of heat within its structure, meaning thermal changes caused by the impact of a ball as it hits the edge of a bat may remain unnoticed by a thermal infrared camera such as Hot Spot.”However, the ICC has said that after “very constructive” meetings between Allardice and the management of both teams, it was decided that Hot Spot would continue to be used.”We acknowledge that the DRS has not performed as effectively during the past three Tests as it has in other series,” Allardice said. “The purpose of my visit was to meet with the teams to listen to their feedback, and to identify potential improvements to DRS moving forward. It was very encouraging to hear both teams reiterate their support for the use of DRS. Some of the ideas that were suggested during the meetings could improve the system, and will be considered further by the ICC.”Hot Spot is an advanced technology that helps us to detect edges. It is conclusive – when there is a mark we know the bat has hit the ball. In working with the operator over several years, we know that the majority of edges are detected by Hot Spot, but there are occasions when a fine edge isn’t picked up.”If there is no mark on Hot Spot, the TV umpire can use replays from different angles to see whether the ball has deflected off the bat, and he can listen to the sound from the stump-microphone to determine whether the batsman has edged the ball. Either deflection or sound can be used by the TV umpire to make his final judgment.”While the ICC did not make any mention of silicone tape in its statement, it said it was looking into a number of ways to improve DRS. One which was trialed during the Old Trafford Test involved the TV umpire accessing replays using a multi-channel monitor system with its own dedicated operator and recording device, rather than relying on the existing TV producers to cue up replays.”The aim was to get more replay angles to the umpire, faster, so he will be able to make more accurate decisions and minimise delays to the game,” Allardice said. “The feedback from this trial has been very positive, and we now need to consider how this technology could be most effectively used as part of the DRS system.”An ongoing area of focus for the ICC is the training of our TV umpires. Several simulation activities have been conducted over the past 12 months and our elite panel training seminar next month will include several activities aimed at delivering more consistent interpretations of the images and sounds provided to the TV umpire.”Michael Clarke and Alastair Cook both reiterated their support for DRS on Wednesday and flatly dismissed suggestions their players could be using silicone tape, although they said there had clearly been issues during this series. Clarke said one such occurrence was when David Warner survived a review for a caught-behind decision at Old Trafford when he attempted a pull shot and Hot Spot showed no edge.”I asked Davey when he came off the field if he hit that and he said he did,” Clarke said. “I don’t know the reason why it’s not picking it up. I don’t know the answer to that question … I like DRS being there for the stinkers, the big inside edge, the blatant bat pads where you can see it’s a big lbw or big caught behind, I like it for that.”Cook said he was keen for Hot Spot to remain part of the DRS, even though problems had shown up during the series.”It still gives you more chance of getting the right decision and that’s why we are using it in the first place,” Cook said. “That’s what we’ve found really strange, some clear nicks that haven’t shown up on Hot Spot. It has been strange and we just can’t quite work out why it’s happening.”But like all these things there are always big evolutions and hopefully the technology can get it right. At the end of the day we’re just trying to get more decisions right so the umpires have less impact on the game. And you’re talking about decisions but hundreds and five-fors rather than decisions made by the umpire or the third umpire.One idea believed to have been discussed at Allardice’s meetings that does not concern Hot Spot is the possibility of players not losing a review if an lbw appeal shows “umpire’s call”. As well as problems with Hot Spot, the series has featured a number of very tight lbw decisions and Shane Watson said this week he believed reviews should give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman rather than to the umpire’s call.