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Bermuda endured a nightmarish first day in their Intercontinental Shield match against United Arab Emirates, crumbling for 56 after opting to bat first and then conceding a 136-run lead as UAE closed on 192 for 2

Cricinfo staff06-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Bermuda endured a nightmarish first day in their Intercontinental Shield match against United Arab Emirates, crumbling for 56 after opting to bat first and then conceding a 136-run lead as UAE closed on 192 for 2, opener Arshad Ali unbeaten on 75.Bermuda’s troubles started early, as their opening pair of Chris Foggo and Fiqre Crockwell were parted in the second over. What followed was carnage, the highest partnership of the innings a mere 18 as every batsman apart from Foggo was dismissed for six runs or less.The wickets were shared around by UAE’s bowlers, but left-arm spinners Shadeep Silva and Ahmed Raza proved particularly destructive. Raza found himself on a hat-trick in the 21st over as Foggo, who struck three fours and a six in his 29, and Stefan Kelly departed in consecutive balls.Joshua Gilbert survived the hat-trick ball, and he and Jordan DeSilva survived another 10 overs before Amjad Javed returned to trap DeSilva lbw and Gilbert was run out four balls later.Bermuda deflated further as Abdul Rehman and Arshad put on a steady 94 for the first wicket before Rehman was pinned infront by Rodney Trott for 65. Arshad then added 46 with captain Khurram Khan, registering his seventh first-class fifty and securing UAE’s dominance with an unbeaten 52-run stand in Saqib Ali’s company.

Anthony Ireland claimed five wickets as promotion-chasing Gloucestershire bowled out Middlesex for 236 on the opening day of the County Championship Division Two match in Bristol

28-Jun-2010

ScorecardAnthony Ireland prospered on a good day for Gloucestershire’s bowlers•PA Photos

Anthony Ireland claimed five wickets as promotion-chasing Gloucestershire bowled out Middlesex for 236 on the opening day of the County Championship Division Two match in Bristol.But 19-year-old Josh Davey ensured Middlesex gained one batting point with a fine 61 on his Championship debut. Davey received good support from fellow debutant Toby Roland-Jones, who contributed 19 to a ninth-wicket partnership of 53, which was broken when Roland-Jones miscued a pull to give Ireland his fifth wicket.Ireland finished with 5 for 25 from 11 overs, while there was good support from Gloucestershire’s four other seam bowlers. Gemaal Hussain took 2 for 70 and there were also two wickets for Jon Lewis. Gloucestershire reached the close on 81 for 2 with Chris Dent unbeaten on 13 and Hamish Marshall not out 21.After Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman won the toss, his decision to insert Middlesex looked like it might backfire as Sam Robson and Scott Newman put together an opening stand of 63. Robson was reprieved before a run had been scored when James Franklin dropped a difficult chance at gully off Lewis.Steve Kirby had both batsmen playing and missing during an impressive spell from the Pavilion End, but Robson and Newman otherwise remained largely untroubled. The game changed dramatically in the 50 minutes before lunch, as Gloucestershire took five wickets for 34 runs in 11 overs.Newman was the first to go when he edged Hussain to Gidman, who took an excellent low catch at first slip. Gidman took another sharp catch to dismiss Owais Shah off Lewis, and two wickets fell in the next over as Ireland had Robson lbw for 39 and Neil Dexter caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty.Gloucestershire had more to celebrate from the last ball before lunch when John Simpson edged Ireland to Hamish Marshall at second slip. Dawid Malan and Davey hinted at a Middlesex revival with a partnership of 37 for the sixth wicket, but Malan departed for 29 when he was caught at cover by Chris Taylor off Franklin.Ireland claimed his fourth wicket when Tom Smith fended a delivery into the hands of Kadeer Ali at short leg, and it became 181 for 8 when Tim Murtagh snicked a drive off Hussain into the gloves of Batty. Davey and Roland-Jones responded well and Davey reached his half-century with a hook off Kirby for three runs. His maiden fifty came from 102 balls and contained eight fours.The pair guided Middlesex to 224 for 8 at tea, but both were dismissed within three overs of the resumption. Roland-Jones top-edged a pull to Kirby and Davey then thick-edged a drive off Lewis to Franklin at gully.Gloucestershire’s reply got off to a good start as Ali and Batty took the score to 28 without loss off nine overs before light rain forced the players from the field. But when they returned Pedro Collins struck twice, bowling Ali with a ball which kept low and then trapping Batty lbw for 20.

Matthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day against Derbyshire

03-Aug-2010
ScorecardMatthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day of their County Championship Division Two match against bottom of the table Derbyshire at Grace Road.The two seamers had Derbyshire reeling at 68 for 8 at lunch and it needed a battling innings of 85 from Dan Redfern to spearhead a recovery that steered the visitors to a total of 182. By the close, Leicestershire had regained the momentum reaching 117 for 1 with opener Matt Boyce still there on 51 having shared half-century partnerships with Greg Smith and Jacques du Toit.Derbyshire’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired on them in a remarkable morning session. The ball swung and seamed and half the side were out inside 17 overs with only 37 runs on the board. Wayne Madsen, the only player to reach double figures in the 29 overs before lunch, was dropped on 4 off the bowling of Nathan Buck to prevent Derbyshire’s position being even worse.Hoggard, who bowled 15 overs unchanged, and Malik exploited the helpful conditions superbly. Skipper Hoggard took the first three wickets in his opening seven overs. Chris Rogers was trapped lbw, Madsen chased an away swinger and was caught behind for 14 and Garry Park edged low to second slip.When Malik replaced Buck at the Pavilion End he immediately had Greg Smith lbw with the fourth ball of his first over before Hoggard picked up his fourth wicket at his next visit. Chesney Hughes was also adjudged lbw offering no shot.Malik plunged Derbyshire deeper into trouble by picking up three more wickets in his last three overs before lunch. Robin Peterson, Lee Goddard and Steffan Jones all fell to driven edges leaving Malik with eye-catching figures of four for seven in seven overs while Hoggard had 4 for 43.It was a different story after lunch as Redfern led the fight back and Derbyshire’s last two wickets added 115 runs in 29 overs. Redfern and Tim Groenewald shared the bulk of that with a ninth-wicket stand of 89. Redfern reached 50 off 83 balls to post his best score of the season, the innings containing six fours and a six off Malik that flew high over wicketkeeper Tom New’s head.Groenewald was finally bowled by Buck and Redfern’s excellent innings came to an end when he was caught at mid-wicket off Claude Henderson having made 85 off 121 balls.Boyce and Smith shared a half-century opening stand when Leicestershire replied before Smith was bowled by his namesake, Derbyshire’s Greg Smith, for 21. Boyce reached 50 with nine boundaries and was still there at the close alongside du Toit, the second-wicket pair having added another 63 runs to put the home side in a strong position.

Former West Indies seamer Pedro Collins did the damage in more ways than one as Middlesex had the better of the first day

16-Aug-2010
ScorecardFormer West Indies seamer Pedro Collins did the damage in more ways than one as Middlesex had the better of the first day of their County Championship clash with Glamorgan at Cardiff. Collins not only finished with figures of 4 for 55, as Glamorgan were bowled out for 198, but he was also responsible for breaking Jamie Dalrymple’s thumb on his right hand. The Glamorgan skipper is almost certain to miss the rest of the season.Responding to Glamorgan, who won the toss, Middlesex finished the day on 68 for 2 in their first innings, 130 behind with Scott Newman on 40. The leaders were soon in trouble after electing to bat when Mark Cosgrove went for a first-ball duck edging the perfect out-swinger from Collins behind.And matters did not improve for the Welsh county as they found themselves 8 for 3. Tim Murtagh broke through twice in consecutive overs. First, Gareth Rees was caught at short leg by Scott Newman and then Ben Wright edged to Dawid Malan at first slip. Murtagh produced a fine opening spell of 9-6-10-2.Dalrymple and Tom Maynard set about some repairs in a stand of 50 for the fourth wicket. Maynard was the dominant partner striking seven boundaries in his 37. But just before lunch the 21-year-old was adjudged leg before playing round his pad.Though Dalrymple and James Allenby attempted a second rescue mission either side of lunch the wickets carried on falling at regular intervals. Allenby was caught behind from a Collins out-swinger.From 90 for 5 Glamorgan were soon 117 for seven as Collins struck again twice in three balls claiming the wickets of Mark Wallace, who was out tamely, caught at fine leg, and Dalrymple who edged a lifting ball to Neil Dexter at second slip. It was a double blow for Dalrymple, as that was also the ball which broke his thumb.Skipper Dexter got in the action to take the wickets of James Harris, caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson standing up, and Robert Croft, well caught in the gully by Owais Shah. But after that the tail wagged impressively as Cosker and Harrison compiled their record stand.Harrison hit Dexter over long on twice for six and four as Glamorgan reached 150 and when the partnership went past 60 they had set a new record for the county beating the 10th-wicket partnership by George Lavis and Wilf Jones at Cardiff Arms Park in 1960.Glamorgan’s innings came to a close from the first ball after tea when Harrison was caught at point off Murtagh to leave his side stranded two runs short of a batting point.Glamorgan dropped both Newman, on 12, and Simpson at fine leg and gully respectively before fighting back to have Middlesex 39 for 2. First Simpson was leg before to Allenby and Shah was caught behind off James Harris.

The roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation

George Dobell at Edgbaston 02-Sep-2010
ScorecardChris Woakes registered career-best match figures of 11 for 97 to bowl Warwickshire to a 95-run win at Edgbaston•Getty Images

The roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation. The 95-run win sees Warwickshire move 18 points ahead of Kent and out of the reach of Essex. Hampshire, too, are now in the thick of the fight.Warwickhire are not assured of safety but, with one game remaining, they have their fate in their own hands. They’ve won three of their last five championship games and will be strengthened by the return of Ian Bell for their final championship game at The Rose Bowl.”We’ve given ourselves a great chance,” Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said after the game. “It’s not a done deal, but we’re getting there. It’s getting towards being miraculous.”But, if we do stay up, we’re not going to let it paper over any cracks. We still know that we have to recruit and develop and I want to see more competition for places in the batting department.
“But one thing I am pleased about is that we haven’t just died. We’ve shown a lot of fight and, in the last couple of games [against Essex and Kent] I’d say the difference has been that we’ve been the side who wanted it more.”I know some people have compared this team to one we had here in 2007 [that suffered relegation under the leadership of Mark Greatbatch]. But there’s a big difference. In 2007 the side rolled over. This time we’ve showing some fight.” It’s worth noting, too, that Warwickshire have now won as many games this season as they did in 2004, the year they won the championship.It was entirely typical of this extraordinary game that Kent’s tenth-wicket pair should have thwarted Warwickshire for an hour on the final morning. A century from Martin van Jaarsveld showed, once and for all, that this pitch holds no particular demons, while for the second time in the match, Matt Coles showed a well organised technique.Their colleagues showed far less fight. Darren Stevens clipped to midwicket, Azhar Mahmood tried to work an outswinger to the leg side and edged to slip, while Simon Cook became the eighth Kent ‘duck’ of the game when he was utterly bamboozled by a swinging delivery that struck the batsman on the boot.While Kent’s batting – the admirable van Jaarsveld apart – was surprisingly brittle, the bowling of Chris Woakes and Neil Carter was simply irrepressible. The pair took 19 wickets between them, with Woakes finishing with career-best match figures of 11 for 97 and Carter taking his fourth five-wicket haul of the summer and to finish with 8 for 106 in the game.It’s been a remarkable summer for Carter. The final wicket, that of Coles, who spooned a catch to cover when he changed his mind about pulling, gave Carter the fourth five-wicket haul of the season while the wicket of Alex Blake, drawn into edging a perfect delivery that swung away from him, gave Carter his 50th wicket of the campaign.It was the first time in his ten-year county career that the 35-year-old has achieved such a feat and the first time a Warwickshire seamer had taken 50 championshiph wickets in a summer since Tim Munton did so in 1999.For Woakes, however, this performance may prove well timed. He has shown rare class with bat and ball in this match and, aged 21, underlined the impression that he has the skill and temperament to go far. That may well include a trip to Australia in the Academy squad this winter.If England are looking for back-up for James Anderson, they need not look much further than Woakes. He may not quite have Anderson’s pace – though Woakes has certainly added a yard this season – but he’ll swing the ball in most conditions and has the ability to score vital runs at Test level.Kent, meanwhile, have to regroup quickly if they are to avoid relegation. They have two games left – against Hampshire and Yorkshire – but, on this form, will struggle to alter the momentum of their season.Their batsmen would do well to follow the example of Van Jaarsveld. His century (147 balls, 14 fours) was not littered with glorious strokes or outrageous moments, but rather showed up the merits of playing straight and remaining patient. They are qualities which any batsmen, regardless of talent, should be able to replicate. The ease with which he recorded his second championship century of the season showed what might have been if only his colleagues could have matched his resilience and determination. Kent will need such qualities in abundance if they are to escape relegation.

Jacob Ball, the medium-pacer, who was part of the England Under-19 team at the World Cup earlier this year, has signed a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Jacob Ball, the medium-pacer, who was part of the England Under-19 team at the World Cup earlier this year, has signed a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire. In his second game for the Notts, he grabbed 3-32 against Leicestershire in the domestic 40-over competition. His achievements also include a five-for against Sri Lanka in an Under-19 Test in Scarborough in July this year.”This contract means everything to me because it shows that the work that I have put in over the past couple of years has helped to push my case,” Ball said. “Spending last winter in Australia really helped me to improve my strength and conditioning and my bowling technique and I want to keep progressing at Notts.”Ball, 19, is the nephew of former England and Notts wicketkeeper Bruce French. “Jake has made good progress and his selection for England Under 19s earlier this year demonstrates that he is one to watch,” said Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell.

Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the Indian team’s selection committee, has termed the victory over Australia in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam as a confidence-booster ahead of the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2010Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the Indian team’s selection committee, has termed the victory over Australia in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam a confidence-booster ahead of the World Cup. India went into the game without five first-choice players and their inexperienced bowling attack conceded 289, but the young batting line-up responded calmly to complete India’s highest successful chase against Australia.The victory was set up by Virat Kohli 118, and there were half-centuries from Yuvraj Singh, who has struggled for form and fitness over the past few months, and Suresh Raina.”It was an important win in the context of the World Cup because it creates confidence in the team,” Srikkanth told the newspaper . “When you win against the No. 1 one-day team in the world chasing a record total, it is all the more satisfying.”The way we approached the game was fantastic. The good sign is that the youngsters are putting up their hands and taking up responsibility. It has proved that we have strong bench strength. It’s always heartening to see youngsters winning matches for you. It is a good sign for any country.”Injuries and fitness concerns have meant India have only sporadically fielded top players like Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in recent one-day tournaments. With the 2011 World Cup set to begin in four months, the selectors have a rotation policy in place for one-dayers to ensure the first-choice stars are fit and fresh for the competition.Following the Australia series, India play five ODIs at home against New Zealand and five more in South Africa, apart from three-Test series against both teams. Srikkanth said there was a plan in place to manage the personnel in the lead-up to the World Cup.”We have held meetings with the captain, coach, team management and the BCCI,” Srikkanth said. “We know what they are doing with the board. We have drawn up a beautiful plan in coordination with all sides concerned. We’re on track.”

Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2010Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, which offered no help to the fast bowlers or spinners and produced a draw, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches.”These days foreign teams come to India secure in the knowledge that it is the best place to get runs,” he told the . “Gary Kirsten told me that when he came to play a Test series in India, the best place to bat was as an opener, because once the spinners came on, batting became difficult. But now, every wicket has been re-laid and the black soil has made the wickets pretty firm. It just doesn’t turn and the wicket plays well even on the final day.”He was critical of the curator, saying he “deserves to be given the contract to build national highways”.Harbhajan has had more success with the bat than the ball in the series, having scored back-to-back centuries but taken just six wickets in the first two Tests. In the Hyderabad Test, he and Sreesanth put together a 105-run partnership for the last wicket in India’s first innings, which Harbhajan thinks signifies how flat the wicket was. “Even our No. 11 was playing like Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “So we should give all the credit to the groundsmen.”India’s bowlers have failed to take 20 wickets in each of the two Test matches and India captain MS Dhoni had blamed the pitches for failing to produce results and said teams would “have to play 10 days” to get a result.

Rain foils India’s practice session

India’s preparations for the third Test against New Zealand on Saturday are being scuppered by the Nagpur weather, as a heavy downpour washed out Thursday’s practice session. New Zealand finished their practice session before the weather struck on Thursday and have the afternoon slot for Friday’s nets. The Regional Meteorological Centre predicted that the clouds would clear by Friday afternoon

Harbhajan said flat pitches had become a recurring problem in Test series in India. “I can’t remember the last time I bowled on a turning track where the ball spun and bounced,” he said. “I think Kanpur was the last and we got the desired result against South Africa in 2008. I don’t suggest we play on bad wickets. But we should play to our strength, and our strength, over the years, has been spin bowling.”India go into the deciding Test at Nagpur, on Saturday, without Zaheer Khan, which will increase the pressure on Harbhajan to spearhead the attack. Harbhajan’s centuries have elicited suggestions he is turning into an allrounder, but his bowling has received criticism from some quarters. “I think I have bowled well in the last two Tests,” he said. “But the way our critics think, you bowl well only when you take wickets. When I took four wickets in the first innings in Hyderabad, I bowled well. But on the final day, when I took just one wicket, I was in the line of fire. Some days, I can bowl a few full tosses and get five wickets. Figures do not always do justice.”India came into the series ranked No.1 in the ICC Test rankings, with New Zealand at No.8, and having recently beaten Australia 2-0 at home, anything less than a win in Nagpur would be considered a disappointment. But Harbhajan still has his hopes up. “Hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar will get his 50th Test hundred, I’ll get another hundred and pick up 7 to 8 wickets and India will win.”

Round-up of the fourth day of the fifth round of Division Two of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2010Peshawar barely hung on for a draw against Pakistan Television at the Arab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. A century from Raheel Majeed and his 154-run stand with Awais Zia had propelled PT to 271 for 7 in just 38.4 overs. Both scored at better than a run-a-ball and were intent on trying to force a win, as PT extended their lead to 322. And Peshawar were brave enough to make a dash for it. In a thrilling chase, opener Gauhar Ali set the tone with 48 off 54, while Sajjad Ahmed (67 in 97) and captain Akbar Badshah (80 in 100) consolidated what Gauhar had begun. At 224 for 4, there was still hope for Peshawar, on the back foot since conceding a first-innings lead, but a collapse followed where five wickets fell for 46. Seamer Saad Altaf and left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza shared six wickets and took their side to the brink of a win, but the last-wicket pair of Mohammad Farooq and Sajjad Ahmed batted out a nervy phase to draw the game. Peshawar are second from bottom, while PT are seventh.

Irfan Pathan is not just optimistic about making a comeback to the India team; he is confident he will be back

Tariq Engineer20-Dec-2010Irfan Pathan is not optimistic about making a comeback to the India team; he is confident he will be back. It has been two weeks since he resumed bowling, as he recovers from a stress reaction in his back that kept him out of the Ranji Trophy, and, more importantly, India’s list of 30 probables for the 2011 World Cup. Despite not making the squad, Irfan remains undaunted.”I have that confidence because I have started bowling and I see it [the ball] is doing something,’ Irfan told ESPNcricinfo. “I am working on something that was missing over the last two years. I am pretty sure it is going to make a big difference. If you look at my age, I am just 26. There are lots of years left in my bag.”He is thrilled his brother Yusuf has made the 30-strong squad, saying it was great news for the family that “if one Pathan brother is not there, another one is there”. He described Yusuf’s match-winning innings of 123 in the fourth ODI against New Zealand as “one of the best innings played by any cricketer”.Irfan said he is about 20 or 30 days away from being ready to play a competitive game and is willing to play cricket outside the country if he gets an offer. His goal, however, is to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic one-day tournament that will be held in February, strangely, at the same time as the World Cup. “I want to make sure I make an impact in that,” he said.The injury, he admits, has been particularly frustrating, coming as it does before a World Cup at home. But he accepts injuries are a part of a cricketer’s life and believes he has coped with the situation well. “I knew because of my injury [I would not make the squad]. I need to first sort it [the injury] out. To be fit, and then match-fit. The BCCI knows about my injury. And I knew that if I have not played any matches due to injury, it will be difficult to get into the 30. By the time I play, it will be January-end and the World Cup is in February. I won’t be match-fit, and you have to be playing matches to be picked.”One thing that has kept his spirits up is the support he has received not just from his friends and family, but from the BCCI itself. “They have really looked after me. They sent me to Australia, and done all the check-ups. They have been really helpful. The National Cricket Academy has also been really helpful. Physios and trainers looked after me really well. That means I am still in the frame.”The Baroda Cricket Association has also extended their help to Pathan and he expects to receive his certificate of fitness from the BCCI by the end of next month and his voice conveys a definite sense of excitement and confidence as he talks about planning a couple of bowling sessions with his long-time coach, TA Sekhar to help him nail down his old form once he is fully fit.Irfan, who last played a Test for India in 2008, believes he was losing his height in his delivery stride, and has modified his workout so that he has a more stable core, allowing him to keep his shape better. He disagrees with those who claim he needs to develop more pace, saying he was never an out-and-out quick. His strength has always been his ability to shape the ball and his record proves his effectiveness. “Batsmen are not my relatives, that they have just given me wickets.”At the same time, he is focused on getting his zip back and his pace up to around 132 kph – his normal speed. “People keep quiet once you start performing. I never run away from criticism. It is always going to be there. But I am pretty confident I am going to change all the talk.”He does not believe he has anything to prove anymore but just wants to go back to being a kid who enjoys playing cricket for India, be it Twenty20 games or Test cricket. To do so he has even given up on his favourite indulgence – food – to make sure he isn’t overweight when he starts playing again. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t go to night clubs all the time and enjoy parties. But I love food. I am a foodie. I like going to restaurants with music where I can talk to my friends. But now I am not eating too much. I am eating healthy and I feel light, I feel strong.”