All posts by h716a5.icu

On a day when Brendon McCullum shattered New Zealand batting records, coach Craig McMillan has described him as the most destructive batsman to have played for his country

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Hagley Oval26-Dec-2014On a day when Brendon McCullum shattered New Zealand batting records, coach Craig McMillan has described him as the most destructive batsman to have played for his country.McCullum’s hundred off 74 balls bettered his own record from the last Test match he played, in Sharjah. His innings strike rate of 145.52 was the highest for any innings greater than 150, in matches for which the number of balls have been recorded. He also scored 26 off one Suranga Lakmal over, equaling the New Zealand record that McMillan had himself set, in 2001.”The man is an x-factor player,” McMillan said of McCullum. “He has the ability to dominate and dismantle bowlers and change the tempo and the way an innings is heading very quickly. I think he’s the most destructive and domineering player to play for New Zealand, certainly that I’ve seen.”I don’t think I’ve got enough superlatives to describe that innings today. I thought it would be hard to beat what he did in Sharjah, which was a pretty special innings as well.”McCullum has had a prolific 2014, in which he has now hit a triple-ton, two double-hundreds and this 195, to amass 1164 runs in the year, at an average of 72.75. Those runs have also come quickly, at a strike rate of over 72, but McMillan suggested it was improved judgement that has seen him transform a Test batting record that had him averaging 35.21 before the start of this year.”One of the keys to his performance in Test match cricket over the last 12-18 months is the work he’s done on his defence. That might sound a little bit crazy when he’s belting the ball around the park as he has, but I think he’s tightened up in certain areas of his game, and kept the good balls out. When he gets any chance to score – and for McCullum the margins are so small for the bowlers – he really punishes you and makes you pay. We know he plays all around the wicket and has all the shots, but his option-taking, based around a sound defence, has taken his game to another level.”McMillan also reserved praise for James Neesham, who was involved in a 153-run fifth-wicket stand with McCullum, which came from just 117 balls. Neesham went on to make 85 from 80, but had been helped along by McCullum’s marathon assault, McMillan said.”James has been short of runs in that last tour, and today was a really important knock for him, just to see the confidence seeping back into his system. Batting with Brendon almost dragged him along and gave him the confidence to perhaps be a little more expressive.”It was probably the perfect situation for him to come to the crease and see McCullum at the other end. That just gives you confidence, regardless of how you’re playing, when you see someone at the other end make it look so easy, and playing the shots that Brendon was playing. I’m sure in their chat between overs, Brendon would have been relaying confidence to James, just to be nice and proactive, and to show good intent. And I think we saw that from him today. It was a really good innings and one that we needed from him.”New Zealand’s 429 for 7 – the fourth highest aggregate amassed on a single day in New Zealand – was lapped up by an 8000 strong Christchurch crowd. McMillan described it as the perfect way to reintroduce the city to Test cricket after an 11-year hiatus, during which the city has been through the trauma of two major earthquakes.”I think it has to sit right at the top, to be honest. It was a special day. A day of highlights. I think it was the kind of day that this venue and this city deserved, with what they’ve gone through over the last five years. Even in your wildest dreams you wouldn’t have picked a day of Test cricket like that, especially when the pitch is a little on the green side, and you lose the toss early on.”He also expected the surface to retain plenty of spice for when Sri Lanka bat, most likely on the second day. “We saw in that last over from Angelo Mathews that the ball is still seaming. The onus will go on our bowlers to hit the right lengths and attack the stumps. I think right throughout this game, there will be something there for the bowlers. There’s going to be pace and carry. The ball didn’t swing a lot today, but there’s certainly seam movement.”

For much of his Sri Lanka career, Kumar Sangakkara has had no equal at pre-match training but Kaushal Silva is offering a challenger for that crown

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Headingley18-Jun-20145:16

Sri Lanka would be happy with 0-0

Kaushal Silva had to do plenty of ducking and diving at Lord’s but was happy to wear a few blows•Getty ImagesFor much of his Sri Lanka career, Kumar Sangakkara has had no equal at pre-match training. He is almost always the last to leave the nets, sometimes by a matter of hours. Those hoping to meet or interview him must first watch him leave ball after ball, then watch him defend plenty more. He is accommodating enough to make their wait worthwhile.But in the last few months, a new challenger has arisen for Sangakkara’s crown of blood and sweat. Kaushal Silva was not the last to face a delivery at the Wednesday morning net session, but he did hang around with his pads on until the end of the session, looking hopefully for the coach to give him a few more balls. The foot of the nets has been a favourite haunt for him since being recalled to the Test side at the end of 2013.Since then, he has all but secured a long-term berth as opener, in as few as six Tests. In 11 innings, Silva has hit five fifties and a hundred. He had displayed aptitude for application and endurance in the series in the UAE in January, but at Lord’s he showcased a head for bounce and swing as well. The England bowlers attacked him with the short ball and bowled testing new-ball spells, but he emerged with a match tally of 120 – second only to Sangakkara from among the visiting batsmen.Few Sri Lanka batsmen arrive at the top level with such well-formed techniques, and Silva credits preparation for both his success this year, and the good run so far in England. He had also struck an unbeaten ton in the practice match against Northamptonshire.”When we were in Sri Lanka, I practiced using a granite slab, to emulate the pace you get on the pitches here. When you tilt the granite, you can also recreate movement off the seam. Also I practiced a lot against swinging deliveries on the bowling machine.”We were in England two weeks before the Northampton match, when we practiced in Sussex. That was incredibly helpful because we were able to come to terms with wickets and the ball here. We picked up the skill of leaving on length against the new ball, as well.”Like for Sangakkara, Silva’s father has been a major influence on his career. Sri Lanka top orders are often replete with homespun techniques, but Silva’s cricket is textbook – the result of countless hours of work with his father, who is an accredited cricket coach.”My father has watched almost every match I’ve played since I was young. He tells me what I’m doing well and what I’m doing wrong. I absorb a lot of what he says, because even when I play well, he might have some criticism. That’s important, because when you’re doing well, you don’t think about your faults. When you do have a closer look on the good days, that gives you a lot more insight into your game.”Silva had set his eyes on this series for some months, as he is not in the frame for ODI selection, and he is set to face his most difficult test yet, with the Headingley pitch expected to be faster and more seam friendly than Lord’s. He can have few better mentors than head coach Marvan Atapattu, who averaged 50.16 from four matches in England. Atapattu is also on trial on this tour, as Sri Lanka search for a new head coach.”Marvan has been telling us for some time which sorts of things work in these conditions, so we knew what we needed to work on. Things have turned out like he said, so that training has paid off.”Personally, I’ve always been someone who plays close to my body. Especially when they use the new ball, I’m thinking about not going after the balls outside a certain life. That is difficult. But you also have to try and score against the balls that are at your body. I think those things have helped me so far in England.”Despite an average of 55.09 since January, Silva sees room for improvement in his cricket. He and Dimuth Karunaratne have shown glimpses of promise as an opening partnership, without yet putting together the kind of substantial stand that might give Sri Lanka a definitive advantage in a Test.”I’m quite disappointed that I’ve got a few good starts and then not gone on to triple figures. The opening spells are the toughest. When you get through the toughest periods, and get out for 60, it’s a bit of a waste. I need to be watchful and try to shed the things that are preventing those big scores.”

Fierce rivalry takes on a more literal meaning when it is between South Africa and Australia

Firdose Moonda26-Aug-2014Australia ‘nudge the line a fair bit’ – Warner

David Warner has described sledging as “a form of the game” but he has conceded that the Australians occasionally do cross the line with their comments. Warner is not in Zimbabwe for the tri-series and was a guest on Fox Sports’ TV show on Tuesday night.
“We set a standard where we want to go out there and play aggressive and hard cricket and not cross the line,” Warner said. “There are some times you do nudge that line a fair bit and the odd occasion you might step over that, but you do have to realise that we’re out there to win. We do like to be aggressive and sledging is a form of the game when we’re out there. And it happens in all sports.”
Warner also expressed regret comments he made during Australia’s tour of South Africa in February, when he suggested AB de Villiers might use his wicketkeeping gloves to alter the condition of the ball. Warner was fined 15% of his match fee by the ICC for the comment. “Obviously with myself coming out and saying the comment about AB de Villiers probably wasn’t the smartest thing, and I regret saying that,” he said.

Fierce rivalry takes on a more literal meaning when it is between South Africa and Australia. Whether it is the actual blood on the floor from Mitchell Johnson breaking bones or the figurative kind – the howling of Faf du Plessis off the field as punishment for likening the Australia to a “pack of dogs,” in March – there’s something feral, almost brutal, about the competition between them.Five months ago, the rawness of their relationship was exposed not just in the du Plessis incident but by interaction between two of their best players. Michael Clarke and Dale Steyn were nose to nose after a decision did not go Australia’s way and the tension was more than any that had been seen between the two teams in a long time.That was the last time the duo duelled, Clarke has subsequently apologised for being “out of line,” and South Africa have in the words of ODI captain AB de Villiers “moved on,” without forgetting. “I didn’t know about that but apology accepted. It was a hard-fought series in SA, but there are definitely no hard feelings. We didn’t expect anything less,” de Villiers said ahead of their first meeting in the triangular series in Harare.He went one step further by inviting Australia to pick up where they left off because South Africa are ready to brush them off in every sense. “When I get sledged at the wicket, I don’t mind it at all. I really enjoy the challenge. I’m expecting to see more of that in this series,” de Villiers said. “There was lots of personal stuff. Certain guys take it in a different way. I laughed at a couple of chirps I heard. It’s part of the game and I see it in that way. But they can’t expect us to be mates with them off the field if they get very personal.”If anything, dangling the threat of a withdrawal of goodwill is certain to pique Australia’s interest but de Villiers has insisted South Africa are prepared. “In the same breath, we are also here to win this series so… whatever it takes,” he said.His men have geared themselves up not with extra net sessions or hours of video analysis but with a boot camp in beastliness. In their three days off, most of South Africa’s squad headed to the Victoria Falls River Lodge – a luxury tented camp on the banks of the Zambezi River – where they were surrounded by “hippos and crocodiles” and channelled their inner Dale Steyn.The leader of the pack had been in the bush for longer because he was rested for the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe and used the time to be daring. While fishing, he ended up hooking himself and if that wasn’t enough, he also jumped off the Zambezi River Bridge. Far from being concerned that he could render himself unavailable for the triangular, South Africa’s management encouraged him to get his adrenaline fix because they believe that is what he and the rest of the squad needs.”That is probably the reason he has been the No.1 bowler in the world for so long,” de Villiers said. “He has got that adventurous streak about him and he loves challenges. His kind of challenge is jumping of a bridge. That’s what he does at home in Cape Town too. He runs in the mountains there and there is always some sort of danger. And also some of the other guys, we also like adventure. We had hippos and crocodiles around us. It’s part of going to a game lodge and part of switching the mind off. We are all here very fresh.”Inevitably, there was also some focus on cricket and the elephant in the room walked in too, although not literally. “I don’t want any cricket conversation on those trips but it comes up all the time. The guys love the game and they love to talk about the game. Around the camp fire it came up a few times – how we are going to try and win this series,” de Villiers. “The lodge owner wanted to know a few things about why we haven’t won a World Cup.”If South Africa have an answer to that question, they are not saying what it is, except that they hope this time will be different. Meticulous planning sprinkled with some escapism is the recipe they are using this time and doubtless beating is Australia is part of what they see as being on the right road to success.But if the sense of bravado is not enough to let Australia know South Africa mean business, de Villiers, who has only scored 29 runs in three innings on this tour, had a personal warning for them too. “I am hitting the ball better than ever so I expect myself to make an impact in this series,” he said. “If I don’t I will be very disappointed.”

A calculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory

The Report by Abhishek Purohit06-May-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details8:46

Hattangadi: Pollard, Starc must be punished

A calculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory, their second on the trot at home. Rohit and Pollard came together at 84 for 4 in the tenth over and accelerated late to add 97 in the next ten. Combined with 25 extras, including 12 wides, it was well beyond Royal Challengers’ reach, though they had reached 94 for 1 in the tenth over. Harbhajan Singh then claimed Chris Gayle for 38, and Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers went soon after as the visitors’ challenge melted away.With one side of the ground smaller than the other, and a furiously quick outfield, both sides wanted to chase, and Royal Challengers did. Mumbai Indians’ top order of Ben Dunk, CM Gautam and Ambati Rayudu could not really get going on a pitch with pace and bounce, but the numerous extras served up by the Royal Challengers quick bowlers ensured the run-rate stayed reasonably high. The visitors hit back with quick wickets as the halfway mark of the innings approached, when Pollard joined Rohit.Rohit Sharma accelerated to hit an unbeaten 59 off 35•BCCIWith only Aditya Tare and the bowlers to come, the pair was forced to play cautiously for some time. The first five overs of the partnership produced only 29, despite some poor fielding. With about six overs left, Rohit and Pollard gradually opened up. Amid throwing his bat at Mitchell Starc in an ugly flare-up, Pollard contributed 43 off 31.Rohit cut loose in the penultimate over bowled by Varun Aaron. A couple of top-edges flew fine for six, there was a straight hit for four and a sliced six over deep cover as 24 came off the over. Rohit lofted Starc for four over extra cover off the last ball of the innings to surge to 59 off 35 as Mumbai Indians ended on 187 for 5.Gayle and Parthiv Patel responded with an opening stand of 53 in five overs. Parthiv did the early running before Gayle took Pawan Suyal for four successive boundaries in the third over. Rohit turned to Harbhajan, and after a quiet opening over, the offspinner had Parthiv bowled on the slog-sweep off the first ball of his second.Gayle wasn’t done yet. He swung Harbhajan for consecutive boundaries in the same over. Rohit persisted with Harbhajan, who sent down a tight third over. Harbhajan was given a fourth on the trot, the first four balls of which went for 12. Gayle attempted a slog-sweep off the fifth, missed and was bowled for 38 off 24.In walked de Villiers and calmly reverse-paddled Harbhajan first ball for four. When Mumbai Indians reprieved both batsmen in the space of four deliveries, it seemed the chances could cost them. Royal Challengers needed 72 off the last eight with Kohli and de Villiers looking good.However, de Villiers was bowled in the 13th over, missing after having backed too far across to Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli swatted Suyal straight to long-off in the next over. The asking-rate climbed rapidly now. Pollard ran out Yuvraj Singh, and though Rilee Rossouw tried, Royal Challengers had ceded too much ground with all those extras.

A round-up of IPL-related news on April 27, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2014Ricky Ponting in Mumbai camp
Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, has joined the Mumbai Indians in an “advisory role”. Ponting was a part of the Mumbai team that won the IPL last year, and he had even led the side in a few matches before the current captain Rohit Sharma took over.”I am looking forward to working with Mumbai Indians once again,” Ponting said.”I had a fantastic season last summer and understand how passionate our players are towards the franchise. I believe we have the fire in us and we will strive hard to put our best.”Ponting will be with Mumbai for their last two matches in the UAE.Bookies barred from venues
A list of bookies has been forwarded to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) by the IPL governing council to ensure the suspects are kept out of the venues and from the team hotels. Not that the bookies need to operate from a particular location but even the UAE government has taken steps to deny visas to people on the list who are wanting to travel to the country.”We’ve given them a list of bookies and the cooperation from the UAE cricket board and government has been excellent. Sheikh Nahyan has been very helpful in ensuring smooth conduct and success of the IPL. We’re immensely thankful to him,” Ranjib Biswal, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council, was quoted in the .Johnson, the leader
After a dream run over the last twelve months starting with the Mumbai Indians’ triumphant IPL 2013 campaign, Mitchell Johnson has returned to the Twenty20 league as one of the senior players in the Kings XI Punjab line-up. And Johnson had been preparing for the leadership role in his new franchise even before he joined the team.”Yes, that is something I had thought about doing before coming here and I spoke to the team about taking up that role as a senior international player. These young guys coming through are willing to learn and are very good listeners,” Johnson told . “I remember what I was like when I was their age – you look up to the senior guys for a bit of advice. Sandeep (Sharma) went for a couple of boundaries in his last over (18th of the innings) and I told him, ‘Just keep sticking to your guns’ because that’s how you learn to overcome situations. If I can keep helping the young guys, we will keep winning like this.”With four wins in as many games, Kings XI Punjab have emerged as the team to beat in the initial phase of the IPL’s seventh edition. The results haven’t surprised Johnson. “I remember sitting around with the Australian team on our tour to South Africa, watching the IPL auction. When it came to an end, I actually said that this seems like a very well-balanced and all-round side. It seems to be going on that way for us at the moment,” he said. “We’ve had some very good wins and tonight’s was one of the better ones. On that Abu Dhabi wicket, I think we pretty much got a par score and it was always going to be tough batting second on it. We’ve been sticking to our guns and have been going really well.”Maxwell’s energy infectious
Virender Sehwag has been considered as one with the most positive impact in all the dressing rooms he has been a part of. But when it comes to the Kings XI Punjab set-up, Sehwag feels Glenn Maxwell takes the cake as far as the positive impact is concerned.”It is great to have Maxwell with us in the team. After the match, he forgets what he did on the field, and is very humble,” Sehwag told the . “His positive energy is infectious, and he loves to play golf and goof around. It’s a great atmosphere in the dressing room with Maxwell being there.With 294 runs in four innings, Maxwell has emerged as the story of the tournament. His scores of 95, 89 and 95 in Kings XI Punjab’s first three matches helped the team from Mohali cruise past their opponents and top the points table. Even though Maxwell perished for 15 against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kings continued their winning run thanks to an all-round bowling effort.

Jammu and Kashmir have reached the Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time in over a decade, and face a tough challenge to go any further, in the form of a talented and in-form Punjab side

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria in Vadodara07-Jan-2014As soon as you enter the Laxmi Vilas Palace estate in Baroda, the thick cover of green cuts you off from sounds of the city. The dirt road that resembles a national park track winds past a palace, a golf course and a museum before opening up into a lush expanse called the Moti Baug cricket ground.A line of trees circumscribes the outfield and the chirping of birds is all you hear. If the calmness of the place still doesn’t hit you, there is also a (masoleum) next to the newly-built dressing rooms. Peacocks can be spotted and cranes have flown in from somewhere north, just like teams from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, the only ones playing the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals at a neutral venue. No fog here. No haze either. It’s a tranquil setting for a five-day match.J&K’s entry into the knockouts was anything but tranquil. Goa’s win against Andhra on New Year ‘s Day threatened to pip J&K to the second quarterfinal berth but Parvez Rasool and Co worked out their calculations and produced the goods the next day, to beat Goa in a photo finish – by a thousandth of a point.”It’s even more important to build [on the positives] as this is a good Punjab side and then we will be in Pool B next year,” Rasool said. “Everyone’s contributing. Three or four of our bowlers have more than 20 wickets, some batsmen have scored more than 350 runs. In the past, only one or two players used to perform and that didn’t really help the team. But this time, everyone is in good touch.”The challenge for J&K in Moti Baug is not easy. Punjab, who finished second in a tough draw ahead of teams like Delhi and Mumbai, are loaded with experience and talent.”It’s a quarterfinal,” Harbhajan Singh, who returns as the captain of the side, said. “We have played some good cricket and we don’t want to look at the opposition, who they are, where they come from. They have reached this level, so they must have done something good. Whether it’s J&K or Mumbai, you have to play well to beat any team in this competition.”Harbhajan sounded confident of his team’s chances given their all-round strength. On a pitch that is likely to aid seamers, Punjab will have the services of Manpreet Gony and the returning VRV Singh while their batting is solid with the presence of Jiwanjot Singh, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh and Yuvraj Singh.”We wanted to give him [VRV] a break, because he was coming from a major back surgery,” Harbhajan said. “So we didn’t want to put too much load on him. But from here onwards, we need him more often and he will be playing tomorrow. So is Gony, who was rested in the last game.”It’s great to see guys like Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot backing up their performances from last year, especially Jiwanjot. Manan Vohra is one of the top opening batsman I have seen in the recent past; he is not afraid to hit the ball and he has a good technique too. It was quite a challenging wicket where he scored 187 (against Jharkhand). Sandeep Sharma is another who has taken a lot of wickets. I hope they play for the country in the years to come.”Harbhajan himself hasn’t played too many matches – in the three games this season, he has picked up 18 wickets – but wants to make an impression. Faith, as the tattoo on his right hand says, is keeping him going. “Every game is an opportunity to do something really special, to keep knocking on the door,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get where I want to be.”For the next few days though, Moti Baug is all that will matter for Harbhajan. Mohammad Azharuddin once smacked the then fastest ODI century here, but in recent past, the pitch has been more of a bowlers’ haven. All three matches this season had results; in one of them, as many as 35 wickets fell in two days. There is a provision of a sixth day to get an outright result for the quarter-final but it’s hard to see the match lasting that long.

Sri Lanka are aware of Sachithra Senanayake’s value as a spinner and a lower-order batsman, and have persisted with him despite other options

Mohammad Isam19-Feb-2014Sachithra Senanayake’s two wickets in the first ODI against Bangladesh broke a run of five wicketless matches for him, all played against Pakistan in the UAE two months ago. But Sri Lanka are aware of his value as a spinner and a lower-order batsman, and have persisted with him despite other options.Senanayake was picked as the specialist spinner ahead of Ajantha Mendis, and proved his worth with the wickets of Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah in the same over as Bangladesh slipped from 133 for 4 to 133 for 6 in the 29th over. He was also effective earlier in the game with the bat, helping Thisara Perera add 82 runs for the ninth wicket after Sri Lanka had slumped to 67 for 8.”We have to handle the pressure,” Senanayake said. “Pitches here are really nice so we can bat through. If I get a chance, my mission is to bat till the last over. I feel I am lucky to be there in the end. We do basic things with Marvan Atapattu. He wants the bowlers to bat every day. I think because of that the bowlers are batting really well.”Senanayake had recently batted Sri Lanka to a win against Pakistan. With four runs required off five balls, he took a couple off Shahid Afridi before crashing the ball to the point boundary.There may have been a dearth of wickets, but Senanayake has concentrated on the basics. He attributed it to his mental strength. “I think I am a cool guy. I don’t take pressure,” he said.”There isn’t any competition. If captain and coaches want to go with me, I am satisfied. It is not a big issue for me. If Ajantha [Mendis] is doing well, he should play.”

A round-up of the Group A matches of the Ranji Trophy that took place on December 6, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2013
ScorecardPunjab’s Mandeep Singh scored 56 against Vidarbha•ESPNcricinfo LtdHalf-centuries from Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia helped Delhi end day one 268 for 6 against Odisha in Sambalpur. Manhas fell eight runs short of his third century of the season, while Bhatia was batting on 71 at stumps.Sent in to bat, Delhi were 9 for 2 after medium-pacer Suryakant Pradhan struck twice in the sixth over of their innings. First to go was Unmukt Chand for 3, followed by Virender Sehwag, who fell for a duck that left him with 69 runs in seven innings this season at an average of 11.50.Delhi recovered through Gautam Gambhir and Manhas, who put on 103 in 26.4 overs before Deepak Behera dismissed Gambhir for a 93-ball 32. Manhas added 40 for the fourth wicket with Vaibhav Rawal before he was out to Basant Mohanty for 92, having struck 18 fours and a six in his 115-ball knock.At this point, Delhi were 152 for 4 with just over half the scheduled day’s play – 46 overs – to go. Having scored at 3.45 an over for the first half of the day, Delhi’s run rate dropped to 2.52 over the second half. But they only lost two more wickets. The left-handed Rawal made 35, and wicketkeeper Rahul Yadav – who replaced Puneet Bisht – scored 11, as they forged useful stands of 31 and 37 with Bhatia. Bhatia, who hit 11 fours in his 141-ball innings, saw out the last 21 overs in the company of Varun Sood. The pair ended the day two short of a half-century stand.
ScorecardHaving chosen to bowl on a Lahli pitch known to assist the quicker bowlers, Karnataka dismissed Haryana for 247. The wicketkeeper Nitin Saini played the lone hand with his fifth first-class century, while none of the other batsmen passed fifty.After a 53-run opening stand between Rahul Dewan and Avi Barot, Karnataka’s seamers – the four of them would go on to bowl all but seven overs of Haryana’s innings, and take all ten wickets – struck to leave Haryana 104 for 4. Saini and Sachin Rana put on 72 for the fifth wicket, before Abhimanyu Mithun claimed his first wicket, dismissing Rana for 36, leaving Haryana at 176 for 5.Their lower order didn’t trouble Karnataka’s bowlers too much; between them, numbers seven to eleven made 11 runs. But they combined to add 71 with Saini, who scored over 62% of the 175 Haryana made while he was at the crease before he was last out for 109. Saini struck 11 fours and three sixes in his 152-ball innings.
ScorecardVidarbha bowled Punjab out for 184, before ending the day at a solid 75 for 1 in Mohali. The visitors were 109 behind at stumps, with Faiz Fazal and Ravi Jangid together in an unbroken 56-run partnership.Having chosen to field first, Vidarbha’s seamers quickly got to work. Left-armer Shrikant Wagh bowled Manan Vohra for 4, before Amol Jungade had Uday Kaul caught behind to leave Punjab 16 for 2. Punjab staged a brief recovery through Mandeep Singh, who made 56 and added 32 with Jiwanjot Singh and 37 with Taruwar Kohli, before they suffered a double-jolt. Mandeep first edged Wagh to wicketkeeper Urvesh Patel and Taruwar was run out the next ball; Punjab were 85 for 5. That soon became 117 for 7.Punjab eventually reached 184, with their last three wickets adding 67 runs. Sandeep Sharma made 20 of them, and VRV Singh smashed 30 off 13 balls.

Like last year, there is only a three-day break between the Adelaide and Perth Tests, but Siddle is hopeful he will be able to walk out with the team at the WACA this time around

Brydon Coverdale29-Nov-20130:00

Siddle: We don’t need a rest

If there was one image that signified Australia’s disappointment against South Africa last summer, it was the sight of Peter Siddle on his haunches at the end of the Adelaide Test. Depleted, dejected and, he later admitted, “a little bit delirious”, Siddle had delivered 63.5 overs in the match, the most by any Australia fast bowler this century. Australia fell two wickets short of a win, Siddle’s body couldn’t handle another Test four days later, and South Africa took the series with victory in Perth.Twelve months later, Siddle is preparing to return to the venue of his most exhausting Test experience, but in happier circumstances. Australia are 1-0 up in an Ashes series and Siddle’s workload in the first Test – 26.4 overs – is a vast improvement on the 53 he sent down at the Gabba last year. A four-day win in Brisbane also allowed an extra day of rest ahead of Adelaide, and all the Test fast men have sat out of the ongoing round of Sheffield Shield matches.There is always the chance of a fast bowler breaking down in Adelaide, as James Pattinson did early in last year’s match, but Siddle has his fingers crossed for a slightly easier time. Like last year, there is only a three-day break between the Adelaide and Perth Tests, but Siddle is hopeful he will be able to walk out with the team at the WACA this time around.”Going over to Adelaide you never expect a light workload,” Siddle said in Melbourne on Friday. “It’s always going to be hard work. Hopefully this year everyone’s fit. We’ve come off a lighter workload as a bowling unit so hopefully everyone gets through and there’s no hiccups at the start of the game [which would mean] a couple of us have to have big outings.”It’s about how you’re feeling, and I think we’re the biggest judge of that … We judge it in the end, like I did in Perth last year and said I wasn’t up to it. That’s the same thing that will happen around now no doubt. The selectors will pick the best team that’s 100% fit for that Test match … I couldn’t [back up] last time but we’d had a big workload earlier on. This time, it’s obviously been a lot lighter. We’ve just got to play it by ear.”Peter Siddle delivered 63.5 overs in Adelaide last year and missed the following Test•Getty ImagesThe one unknown this time is the new Adelaide Oval surface: for the first time in the venue’s 128-year Test history, a drop-in pitch will be used. Two Sheffield Shield matches have been played on the drop-ins this summer and the initial signs are not encouraging for fast bowlers. Across the two matches, spin bowlers have collectively taken 28 wickets at 41.39, while fast bowlers have tallied only 23 victims at 57.08. No fast bowler has taken more than three in an innings.Two matches is a small sample size, of course, and the second of those games – both draws – was getting close to a result when time ran out on the fourth afternoon. Johan Botha, the South Australia captain, said the pitch was “getting towards a result wicket, but you would still probably want a little more out of it on day one and two instead of losing only three or four wickets”. Siddle and his colleagues can expect plenty of hard work.”It doesn’t matter who you’re playing or what game it is over there, whether it’s a one-dayer or a Test match, it’s always tight,” Siddle said. “It is a tough ground to play at; the wicket can get pretty flat to bat on. But sometimes it can get a bit of turn, so the spinner will play a part. We don’t know what’s going to happen with these drop-ins, but hopefully it’s a good cricket wicket all round, the bowlers get a bit out of it and the batters can have a bit of fun out there.”We all saw Mitch bowl over in India on flatter wickets than we’re probably going to get in Adelaide and the pace and bounce he had on those wickets. We don’t know what’s going to be prepared for us. We’ll get over there, we’ll assess the wicket and see what plans we’ll go with.”Australia are expected to use the same attack in Adelaide as they did at the Gabba, although there is the chance of bringing in the allrounder James Faulkner for George Bailey as an extra bowling option. While Faulkner has a strong chance of playing some part in this Ashes series, Pattinson appears unlikely to take on England, despite the news that he will make his return from injury this weekend in club cricket in Melbourne.Pattinson is on the comeback trail from a back stress fracture and will turn out for Dandenong this weekend, though it will be as a batsman only. Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, said on Friday that Pattinson had a carefully planned programme for the coming month, after which his fitness would be reassessed, and he was not expected to play any Sheffield Shield cricket until the new year.

Ray Price, the Zimbabwe left-arm spinner, has retired from international cricket

Liam Brickhill at the Harare Sports Club28-Jul-2013Ray Price, the Zimbabwe left-arm spinner, has retired from international cricket. Price, 37, was included in Zimbabwe’s squad for their ongoing one-day series against India but won’t be travelling with the team to Bulawayo, the venue for the last two games.It was widely suspected that this series would be Price’s last for Zimbabwe, but with national contracts expiring after India’s visit, he has decided to call time on his career mid-series. “I was going to wait until my contract expired to call it a day but, yes, I’ve decided to retire from international cricket,” Price told ESPNcricinfo. “I won’t be going with the guys to Bulawayo. I’m retired.”There had been some confusion over Price’s place in the squad before the series because he wasn’t named in the initial list, but coach Andy Waller insisted that he had always been part of the team. Price was ever present during Zimbabwe’s net sessions in the lead-up to the India series, and it had been thought that he would be given a chance to bid farewell with one final match.That was not to be, however, and he will finish with exactly 100 wickets in 102 ODIs, to go with his 80 dismissals in 22 Tests and 13 scalps in 16 Twenty20 internationals.”Pricey’s called it a day,” Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said. “If he was going to play it was going to be here in Harare. We’re going to miss his experience, but in saying that it does give our young spinners who are coming through a great opportunity.”Price’s career straddled two distinct eras in Zimbabwean cricket. He debuted as a 23-year old in the third Test of the series against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club in 1999, but just as he established himself in the national side he threw in his lot with Heath Streak and the rebel cricketers and found himself ostracised. He left Zimbabwe for England and spent three and a half seasons with Worcestershire.His refusal of a new county contract in 2007 surprised many, and in November of that year he came out of exile and returned to Zimbabwe in the series against West Indies. Having left as something of a fringe player – particularly in one-day cricket – Price quickly re-established himself as a canny and economical bowler in ODIs.In 2009, he picked up 44 wickets at 20.61 and ascended to second in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers. He remained Zimbabwe’s senior bowler for several years, and was their leading performer at the 2011 World Cup in India with nine wickets at 18.77. His last match for Zimbabwe was the Bridgetown Test against West Indies in March this year, in which he took just one wicket as the team suffered a heavy defeat.As important as his bowling was the spirit Price brought to a team struggling to find its way after all the upheavals in Zimbabwean cricket. A fierce adversary, Price bowled left-arm spin with the attitude of a fast bowler, refusing to back down no matter who the opposition and helping instill some backbone in the side.”He’s a hell of a competitor,” Taylor said. “He’s a guy that plays with his heart on his sleeve. He leaves nothing out on the field, he’ll give you everything and he’s a real team man. Unfortunately age is not on his side anymore, and he’s moving on with his family.”We’ll miss him, but I’m sure he’ll still be in the picture with our young spinners coming through and I’m sure he’ll always be contributing somewhere along the line.”Though he will no longer be part of the national side, Price will still be a regular at Harare Sports Club. He runs the sports equipment shop at the ground, and will divide his time between the shop, his family and one of his favourite pursuits: fishing.