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That both India and Sri Lanka have rested their main players for the Zimbabwe tri-series is a small mercy, as some new contests might be seen

Sidharth Monga29-May-2010

Match Facts

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Start time 0900 (0700 GMT)
India look to rebound against Sri Lanka after a disappointing loss to Zimbabwe•AFP

The Big Picture

The greatest rivalry of our times resumes. Wait, when did it stop in the first place? Starting with the Asia Cup in July 2008, India and Sri Lanka have faced each other in a whopping 22 ODIs, six Tests, and four Twenty20s. The beauty of it is, what starts in Zimbabwe heralds a new beginning. By August 15, presuming these two teams make the finals of the three events they are playing, they will have played each other in seven more ODIs and three more Tests. And, whisper it lightly, there is a 20-day break for both the teams during the same period, which is a prime candidate for a hurriedly planned five-match bilateral.

Don’t be surprised, though, if crowds in Zimbabwe and folks on TV give this rarest of rare contests a miss and find better things to do on a Sunday afternoon. That both the sides have rested their main players for the Zimbabwe tri-series is a small mercy, as some new contests might be seen.The Indian selectors, though, have taken the whole rotation philosophy too seriously and forgotten to send a proper squad. At last glance, rotation in cricket meant resting important players in turns, one or two or three at a time. And even when players are rested en masse, the selectors usually ensure they send a balanced squad, unlike the one sent by India, which is made up of four specialist batsmen, two wicketkeeper-batsmen, three bits-and-pieces spinners, and six bowlers.Sri Lanka, for example, have rested Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya, but they have Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera and Jeevan Mendis, among others, as like-for-like replacements. After India proved to be the equals of Zimbabwe, the minnows of the tournament, Sri Lanka clearly are the strongest side. It will take the young Indian side, three of whom made their debuts on Friday, and only four of whom have played a Test, some regrouping to compete with Sri Lanka.

Form guide (most recent first)

India LLWWL
Sri Lanka WLWWW

Watch out for…

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s loss of form has been sudden and inexplicable. Perhaps he got used to India on low and flat tracks and found it too much of a culture shock when other sides on better tracks came prepared for him and cramped his style. That, like the other two captains in the tournament, he will be leading an ODI side for the first time will add more pressure.After a smashing debut season, Ajantha Mendis, too, has slowly and surely become less and less effective. He will be bowling to inexperienced line-ups, and if he fails against them, it will be an ominous indicator of his future.The heat is now on the Indian new-ball bowlers. It is no new thing for the medium-pacers to be the weakest link in India’s limited-over sides, but these are new personnel, with no experience, and all by themselves in an unforgiving format.

Team news

Against Zimbabwe, India’s medium-pacers went for 148 runs in the 23.2 overs between them. What’s more, none of them troubled the batsmen. So India will be tempted to play both Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha. The only problem with that will be the presence of two part-time spinners in Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja, who are more or less imposed on the XI because of the skewed nature of the XV. Unless, of course, India choose to play two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Naman Ojha.India (possible) 1 M Vijay, 2 Dinesh Karthik/Naman Ojha (wk), 3 Suresh Raina (capt.), 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Vinay Kumar/Ashok Dinda, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Pragyan Ojha, 11 Umesh Yadav.The last time Sri Lanka played an ODI they were badly hit by injuries. So while they lose Sangakkara and Jayawardene from that XI, they have reinforcements in Angelo Mathews and Kapugedera. There should be debate over whether they want to play two allrounders, in Mathews and Thissara Perera.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt.), 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Thilan Samaraweera, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Ajantha Mendis.

Stats and trivia

• Suresh Raina has played 29 of his 91 ODIs against Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli 13 out of 24, and Pragyan Ojha eight out of nine.
• Over the last two years, India lead the head-to-head 13-8, but in multi-nation tournaments, Sri Lanka lead 4-3.
  

  Quotes

  “We need to work on our bowling. A couple of players are playing for the first time, but hopefully they will learn from this mistake.”
  
  “I like it here. It’s a good country. I made both my Test and ODI debuts here in Bulawayo in 1999, and I’m glad to come back as captain.”

Cricinfo previews the ODI between Scotland and England at Edinburgh

Preview by Sahil Dutta18-Jun-2010

Match facts

June 19, 2010
Start time 10.45am (9.45GMT)

Big Picture

Andrew Strauss returns to partner big-hitting Craig Kieswetter at the top of the order for England•PA Photos

Over recent years ODI series were routinely treated as the unwanted step-sister in an English summer. Whether tagged on to the end of a Test series – like the drab 6-1 thrashing after the Ashes last year – or stuck in the middle of the summer, too frequently England’s one-day cricket was something to endure rather than enjoy. Then came the World Twenty20.England’s gung-ho approach, honed through the winter, came to perfect fruition as they bashed their way to their first success in an ICC tournament. While Scotland may be a low-profile opening to England’s 14 ODI games over the next three and half months, the prospect of five pre-Ashes matches against Australia to follow has made each contest suddenly enthralling. From here on every move will be dissected and imbued unfairly with Ashes, and more significantly, World Cup significance.It brings a welcome context to what Scotland will hope is a competitive tussle. For the Edinburgh crowd though, any sort of game would be a relief. Two years ago when the teams met for the first time rain was the ultimate victor, leaving England 10 for 0 chasing 156 in a reduced-overs fixture.Since then Scotland have had a tough run. They failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup after losing to Ireland, Canada, and Afghanistan in the qualifying tournament in 2009 and disappointed again by missing out on a place at the World Twenty20, losing all their matches to finish bottom of Group A in the qualifiers.Things, however, have improved elsewhere. They sit on top of the table, ahead of even Afghanistan, in the Intercontinental Cup, having just beaten Netherlands (though they narrowly lost the following ODI) and they will be keen to get one over their neighbours on home turf.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

Scotland LLLWL
England WWWWL

Watch out for…

Kyle Coetzer has sat on the sidelines for Durham in the Clydesdale Bank 40 this season and will want to prove that he can carry his first-class form into the limited-overs arena. He could be the anchor Scotland needs to build a score around.Andrew Strauss returns to England’s one-day side as captain and opener. In his absence England profited and he needs to prove that his brand of calm strokeplay has a place in the team’s new testosterone-fuelled approach.

Team news

Scotland captain Gavin Hamilton will return alongside Coetzer after they were forced out with injury leaving Scotland to field four debutants in the defeat to Netherlands on June 15.Scotland (possible) 1 Gavin Hamilton (capt), 2 Josh Davey, 3 Kyle Coetzer, 4 Richie Berrington, 5 Gregor Maiden, 6 Neil McCallum, 7 Douglas Lockhart (wk), 8 Matthew Parker, 9 Gordon Drummond, 10 Majid Haq, 11 Ross Lyons.England have been experimenting against weaker opposition in the Test series against Bangladesh earlier this summer and their team could be dictated by how much they want to experiment again here. The top-order batting is settled but Ian Bell is back in the squad and could play if England feel Luke Wright is a place too high at six. The only other question is whether they opt for the extra spinner in Michael Yardy, and if not Ajmal Shahzad could be in the frame for a home ODI debut to add to his first cap he earned in Bangladesh.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Ajmal Shahzad, 11 James Anderson.

Pitch and conditions

The weather is rarely better than chilly in Edinburgh but the pitch could offer some runs if the new-ball threat is nullified.

Stats and Trivia

• Hamilton, Coetzer, Neil McCallum and Ross Lyons are the only four survivors from the Scotland team that played the inaugural match against England two years ago.
• Craig Kieswetter will take the gloves for the first time in an ODI after playing as a specialist batsman in his first three ODIs against Bangladesh.

Quotes

“It’s always a challenge every time you play against sides like Scotland, as we found out in the World Twenty20 against Ireland”

Mohammad Aamer, Pakistan’s Man of the Match in their series-levelling win at Headingley, is confident that his team can rise to the challenge of taking on England ahead of the first Test which starts on Thursday

Cricinfo staff25-Jul-2010Mohammad Aamer, Pakistan’s Man of the Match in their series-levelling win at Headingley, is confident that his team can rise to the challenge of taking on England ahead of the first Test which starts on Thursday.”Playing against England will present new challenges for me and the other bowlers, but I am sure we can do well,” he told PakPassion.net. “They are a strong team with a varied batting lineup, but if me and the other bowlers bowl well and consistently then I’m sure we can put up a good challenge”.Aamer picked up match figures of 7 for 106 – his best haul in the 10 Tests he has played so far – to inspire a thrilling three-wicket win over Australia in the second Test, and obviously enjoyed the experience. “I really enjoyed bowling at Headingley, I wish I could bowl here on this pitch every day,” he said.In helpful conditions on the first day Australia were improbably rolled over for just 88, but as the pitch eased out Aamer showed considerable patience and a maturity beyond his 18 years to nip out four second-innings wickets – including the vital one of Ricky Ponting, caught behind for 66 early on the third morning.”When the sun came out, it was tougher for the bowlers and we really had to be patient and consistent with our line and length,” he explained. “I knew I had to pitch it up and look for swing and not bowl short. The coach told me that if I bowled the nagging length where the batsman doesn’t know whether to come forward or go back, then that would really challenge them.”That’s what I concentrated on, the length. I felt that I could have bowled a bit quicker, but that may have affected the length, so I concentrated more on bowling the length that Waqar bhai had talked about.”Conditions are likely to suit the bowlers at Trent Bridge, where there is usually appreciable movement through the air, and a full length will once again be vital. Pakistan’s inexperienced middle order has not quite clicked yet, and it is likely that any further success will be built around the efforts of the three-pronged attack of Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul.

South Africa A surged ahead on the third day in Pallekele, bowling out Sri Lanka A for 326 and extending their lead to 280 with eight wickets still in hand

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2010
Scorecard
South Africa A surged ahead on the third day in Pallekele, bowling out Sri Lanka A for 326 and extending their lead to 280 with eight wickets still in hand.Sri Lanka began the day on 253 for 4 but collapsed to lose their last six wickets for 63 runs. Fast bowler Quinton Friend finished with four wickets and was supported by Vernon Philander and Rory Kleinveldt, who grabbed two wickets each. Sri Lanka’s overnight batsmen Kaushal Silva and Janaka Gunaratne looked good to take them close to the South African first-innings score but their dismissals put the visitors in control. Silva was run out for 84, while Gunaratne, who reached his century, fell for 122, bowled by Philander.South Africa ensured they didn’t squander their advantage. Dean Elgar Stiaan van Zyl struck half-centuries to add an unbeaten 110 and set the foundation for an imposing fourth-innings target for the hosts.

Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer

Peter English21-Sep-2010Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer. The Blues’ first game is still almost three weeks away and already half the contingent is either on Australian duty or injured.Josh Hazlewood’s back stress fracture forced his exit from the India tour on Saturday and allowed a standby call up for his team-mate Mitchell Starc. Doug Bollinger and Shane Watson are also on that trip while Nathan Bracken is recovering from knee surgery and hoping for a December return.The wise Stuart Clark, the part-time captain and attack mentor at 34, has seen this sort of situation before. “It’s always the issue, you start off with 10, and by about November 10 you’re struggling to find three, due to injury, attrition and playing for Australia,” he said. “There could be a situation where we have too many, but there’s every chance, as per usual, that bowlers are hard to come by.”When the season starts with a one-day game against South Australia on October 9, Clark will probably line up beside a couple of Brett Lee, Trent Copeland, Burt Cockley and Moises Henriques. Life will become more complicated in November when the Test players should be available for two Sheffield Shield fixtures before the Ashes.Copeland, a 24-year-old right-armer, raced to 35 wickets in his first five Shield games for New South Wales last year during an amazing streak that began with 8 for 92 on debut against Queensland. He is in his first full season as a contracted player and said state training had been a who’s who of Australian cricket over the past couple of weeks.He thinks the overall depth in bowling spurs on the players. “It’s good for the competition and competitiveness at training,” he said at the pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast. “It’s no surprise New South Wales cricket is so strong, because there is competition for places, and it pushes guys to improve their skills.”However, there will still be times during the summer when the fast men are pigeon-holed as first-class or limited-overs players. Brett Lee has made that decision already following his retirement from white clothes last season, while Bracken could also head that way depending on how well his knee recovers from its latest operation.”There are some guys who are probably more suited to certain forms,” Clark said. “But I guarantee it will be all hands on deck for first of the game of the year, due to guys being with Australia and guys with injury. We’ll make these great predictions and they’ll be all useless by the start of the season.”Clark remains enthusiastic about being back on the domestic scene full-time following a disrupted summer last year, which followed the Ashes tour. He gained 12 wickets in five Sheffield Shield matches but missed a chunk of the season with a back injury.”I’m excited about playing cricket,” he said. “I still really want to play, still like going out to bat, bowl, field, run around, and play with the younger guys. There are no dramas there.”For the first time since he was elevated to the Australian squad in 2005 he has completed a proper pre-season. Most importantly for New South Wales, Clark is fit and available, unlike half of his fast bowling team-mates.

Cricket Kenya has announced an overhaul of its national selection process, suggesting it has backed down in the face of the recent player strike

Cricinfo staff07-Sep-2010Cricket Kenya has announced an overhaul of its national selection process, suggesting it has backed down in the face of the recent player strike which in part was about the way the selectors operated.Chief executive Tom Sears, who has been in office a little over two months, said: “We have conducted a comprehensive review of every aspect of how we are running our national side and the selection process is one area that has been scrutinised closely.”It is evident that we do not have the necessary provisions in place to ensure we have a robust selection and talent identification programme and it is an area we need to address. The new selectors will work alongside the coach and captain in selecting the squad but also be tasked with ensuring all our representative teams and all eligible players are monitored and we are making the most of the talent that is available.”Although the board has said applications are welcome for the vacant posts as chairman of selectors and two assistants, current chairman Nasoor Verjee has indicated he does not wish to continue in the role.

Chris Gayle has been axed as the West Indies captain and replaced by the allrounder Darren Sammy in a shake-up that has also resulted in Brendan Nash being handed the vice-captaincy

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2010Chris Gayle has been axed as the West Indies captain and replaced by the allrounder Darren Sammy in a shake-up that has also resulted in Brendan Nash being handed the vice-captaincy. However, Gayle has kept his spot in the squad for the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka in November, despite turning down a central contract with the WICB last month.The board has also demoted Dwayne Bravo, who was the vice-captain under Gayle but like his captain did not agree to a new WICB deal. The pair, along with Kieron Pollard, have forged lucrative Twenty20 careers in domestic tournaments including the IPL and refused central contracts which stipulated that they must make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times.That has paved the way for the Windward Islands captain, Sammy, to take over the leadership, despite not being a regular member of the Test side. He and the Australian-born Nash will be in charge of the Test squad until the end of the 2011 home series, ending Gayle’s three-year period at the helm of the team.Gayle led West Indies to three wins in 20 Tests as captain, and they sit seventh on the ICC Test rankings list and eighth in the ODI rankings. Sammy said he was looking forward to the challenge of leading the side, even though in Sri Lanka the squad will be missing several experienced men, including the now uncontracted Denesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jerome Taylor.”Being appointed West Indies captain is an honour and distinction which I will treat with the highest regard and dignity,” Sammy said. “I believe my captaincy of the Windward Islands, a young team which I have been moulding into playing consistently competitive cricket, will stand me in good stead as West Indies captain as we work on building a team for the future.”I have always given my all when I prepare and play for the West Indies and nothing will change now. I know this will be a difficult challenge and I will take the torch from Chris and hold it high as we forge ahead. I have been playing for the West Indies since 2004 and over those six years I have built strong relationships with many players and I expect to have the full support of the squad.”The decision to appoint Sammy and Nash into positions of responsibility is indicative of the WICB’s desire to achieve stability in leadership from players whose availability isn’t in question. Ernest Hilaire, the board’s CEO, said: “Chris Gayle, the former captain, led the West Indies during a challenging period and the board thanks him for stepping up then but it is now time to past the mantle on as the West Indies rebuilds.”The squad picked for the Sri Lanka series features several players who didn’t play against South Africa at home earlier in the year, West Indies’ most recent Test assignment. Adrian Barath, the opener who burst onto the international scene with a century on debut against Australia in Brisbane last year, returns after hurting his knee in April.Carlton Baugh, who has not played a Test since 2004, will vie with Devon Thomas for the role behind the stumps, while there was also a maiden call-up for the Jamaica allrounder Andre Russell. The opener Devon Smith, who played his most recent Test in May 2009, is also back after averaging 61.50 while leading West Indies A in the first-class fixtures in England this year.West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Brendan Nash (vice-captain), Chris Gayle, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Nelon Pascal, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas (wk).

James Anderson continued his steady preparation ahead of the first Test at Brisbane by claiming a three-wicket haul on the second day of England’s penultimate warm-up match

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2010James Anderson continued his steady preparation ahead of the first Test at Brisbane by claiming a three-wicket haul on the second day of England’s penultimate warm-up match against South Australia at Adelaide. His efforts, combined with another four-wicket performance from Graeme Swann, left the tourists in a strong position with one day of the game to go, leading by 161 at the close with all ten second-innings wickets in hand.However, Saturday’s play could be the last competitive outing for the front-line attack ahead of the Ashes, with the strong possibility that the Test attack will miss the final warm-up in Hobart to familiarise themselves with the conditions in Brisbane. The reserve bowlers Tim Bresnan, Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad and Monty Panesar are expected to line up in that final fixture against Australia A.Speaking after the close at Adelaide, Anderson said that he could see the benefits of such an approach, despite the fact that there are a few issues still to be resolved for the front-line bowlers. “I think I’d be fine going into that Test without playing at Hobart,” he said. “It gives us a nice break going into that first Test, and we get acclimatised better to the conditions. I’m not sure Tasmania is going to be 30 odd degrees, which Brisbane could be, so that might be another bonus for us.”England seem likely to emerge from the South Australia game with at least a draw, and potentially a second consecutive win, but Anderson denied that the squad’s preparations have been progressing almost too smoothly. “I’ve bowled some reasonably long spells in the last couple of games, so I’ve got some decent overs under my belt,” he said. “I thought everyone hit their straps pretty well, but I wouldn’t say it’s been that smooth.”As bowlers, we’ve gone through some bad spells,” he added. “I didn’t bowl great in the middle of my spells today, or as well as I would have liked. I’m sure the other bowlers have had similar feelings. Although we’re getting the wickets, we’re still striving to improve. We can get even better before that first Test comes round.”If the seamers aren’t entirely at the top of their games, then it’s hard to quibble with the form of the spinner, Swann, whose unquenchable self-confidence is almost as important as his ability to hit the right length. “It’s kind of expected that he’s going to bowl well,” said Anderson. “He’s had a great year, 18 months, and his form just continues to improve. He just seems to get better with every game.”

Round-up of the first day of the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2010

Group A

Sourav Ganguly’s much-anticipated return to first-class cricket was an anticlimax as he scored just 13•AFP

It was a low-scoring first day in the last round of Ranji Trophy matches, as several teams prepared result-oriented wickets in search of victories that could take them through to the quarter-finals.Twelve wickets fell in the crucial game between top-side Mumbai and third-placed Delhi on a pitch that was offering the seamers some assistance at the Roshanara Club Ground in Delhi. The hosts hold a slight edge after dismissing Mumbai for 267 after they had elected to bat. Delhi lost some of the advantage when they came out to bat, with seamer Ajit Agarkar striking two blows for Mumbai to leave Delhi at 47 for 2. Virat Kohli, who missed the last three of Delhi’s games because he was playing for India against New Zealand, was bowled by one that kept low from Agarkar and at that stage Delhi were 28 for 2. Shikhar Dhawan and captain Mithun Manhas were unbeaten at stumps. Delhi need a win to ensure qualification for the next round, while three points will give them a chance, provided other results go their way.Seamers Sumit Narwal, who took nine wickets in Delhi’s last match against Railways, and Pradeep Sangwan, did the damage for the hosts, taking four wickets each. Narwal got the first breakthrough, bowling Mumbai wicketkeeper Onkar Gurav in the third over of the match. Later, Narwal credited Manoj Prabhakar and Sanjeev Sharma for fine-tuning his bowling. “They have been talking to all of us how to read the batsmen, how to analyse a game, passing off their knowledge and helping us with our technique at the same time,” Narwal told .Seamer Parvinder Awana chipped in with a couple of wickets to reduce Mumbai to 47 for 3. Captain Wasim Jaffer and Rohit Sharma both got starts in the middle-order, but Suryakumar Yadav was the only Mumbai batsman to reach a half-century. His 73 off 89 balls and some useful runs from Agarkar and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla were the reasons Mumbai managed to go past 250. Yadav, however, was disappointed not to reach his hundred. “It is disappointing to get out when you are almost close to the three figure mark,” Yadav said. “I was trying to guide the ball for a single but it ballooned into the hands of Kohli. I would have been happier if I had got a hundred on debut.”

Bengal only managed 201 in their first innings against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi, but it may turn out to be a decent score given that the wicket was already behaving unpredictably on the first day. Both teams knew the wicket was going to turn and keep low, so it was no surprise that Bengal elected to bat first.Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, was playing his first Ranji Trophy match of the season, and he came in at a crucial juncture with Bengal at 109 for 3. He looked uncomfortable, barely moving his feet during the 43 minutes he spent at the wicket, and eventually inside-edged one that kept low from seamer Anureet Singh onto his stumps.While Railways spinners managed to get some assistance from the wicket, it was poor shot selection that was the main cause of Bengal’s low total. Captain Manoj Tiwary got his eye in and was looking comfortable on 42 when he tried to smash left-arm spinner Nileshkumar Chauhan down the ground, against the spin. He ended up holing out to mid-on to leave Bengal at 160 for 6. It was a similar story for opener Aridnam Das, who was set on 21 when he was caught at short fine leg attempting a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. Wicketkeeper Gitimoy Basu was the only batsman to build on a start, reaching 58. Kartik ended up with two wickets for Railways while Anureet took three.Bengal will hope the pitch deteriorates further as the match goes on, since Railways will have to bat last. Both sides still have a chance of making the quarter-finals, and are separated by just one point in a very tight Group A table.

The Chennai weather continued to be the biggest obstacle to Tamil Nadu’s passage to the next phase. They have already had three rain-affected matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium of which two did not see the first-innings completed. Only 42 overs could be bowled on the first day in their crunch match against Gujarat.On a wicket that, like many others in the last round, took turn from the first day itself, Gujarat crawled to 69 for 4, scoring at 1.64 runs per over. The hosts would be happy with their position but will be nervous about further rain stoppages in the next three days. If they do not manage to finish an innings in the match, it will give Delhi, Bengal and Railways all a chance to pass them in the table and go through to the quarter-finals. Gujarat’s batsmen struggled against the offspin duo of R Ashwin and Suresh Kumar, who took three wickets between them. Ashwin took the vital wicket of Parthiv Patel, luring him to drive straight to Ganapathy at cover. S Badrinath did his bit on the field by taking a sharp diving catch at first slip to remove Bhavik Thaker off Suresh Kumar. Niraj Patel managed to stay unbeaten at stumps, after his 26 had taken 109 balls.

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day of the match between Saurashtra and Assam at the Khandheri Cricket Stadium in Rajkot. Assam needed an innings victory to give themselves an outside chance of making it to the top three spots, but ruled out that possibility after collapsing to 107 for 7 in response to Assam’s 140. That makes this match all about who will be relegated to the Plate League next season.After electing to bat, Saurashtra lost their last eight wickets for 48 runs, with five of their last seven batsmen failing to get to double figures. Shitanshu Kotak’s 44 was their highest score. The wickets were shared amongst the Assam bowlers, with Tarjinder Singh taking three, offspinners Arlen Konwar and Sarupam Purkayastha taking two each, while fast bowler Abu Nechim also got two.Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja derailed Assam’s reply early, taking three wickets and leaving Assam at 33 for 4. Offspinner Kamlesh Makvana then got in on the act, taking three scalps within a few overs and leaving Assam at 76 for 7. Purkayastha and Nechim managed to survive till stumps, and their unbeaten 31-run stand for the eight wicket was actually Assam’s highest partnership.

Group B

Baroda have all but booked their place in the quarter-finals after taking the first-innings lead against bottom-of-the-table Himachal Pradesh at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt did most of the damage, snaring four of the first five batsmen to fall, as HP were dismissed for 119. At 78 for 8, it looked like HP might not even get to a century, but No.10 Gurvinder Singh made 25, and added 40 with Varun Sharma, to push them past the three-figure mark. The 20-year-old Bhatt finished with 5 for 40, while India seamer Munaf Patel backed him up with 3 for 30. Bhat is now the top wicket-taker this Ranji season, having taken 28 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. “When I got the five-wicket haul against Haryana, it boosted my confidence,” Bhat told . “I keep my cool while bowling and never get intimidated by the reputation of a batsman.”Baroda lost three early wickets, including the dangerous Yusuf Pathan, with just 13 on the board, before Kedar Devdhar and Ambati Rayudu steadied the innings with a 108-run partnership. Vikramjeet Malik had Rayudu caught behind for quick 57, made from 72 balls with seven fours and a six, but Pinal Shah helped Devdhar, who was unbeaten on 71, take the hosts to 173 for 5.Haryana bowled Orissa out for 175 to keep alive their slim hopes of going through to the quarter-finals. India legspinner Amit Mishra and Sachin Rana each took three wickets at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak, with Subhrajit Sahoo the only batsman to go past 25, making an unbeaten 50 from 102 balls. Haryana got off to a decent start, with the openers putting together 30 before Nitin Saini was caught off medium-pacer Alok Sahoo for 14. That triggered a mini-collapse, with Sahoo taking two more wickets, and Debasis Mohanty bowling Ankit Rawat for 1, to leave the hosts 43 for 4. Former India batsman Hemang Bedani and Rana then took them to 75 at the close of play.Uttar Pradesh needs a win over table-toppers Karnataka to make sure they stay alive in the tournament, although a first-innings lead could see them through as well, depending on other results, and legspinner Piyush Chawla has given them the edge on the first day at Green Park in Kanpur, taking 4 for 74, to restrict Karnataka to 274 for 7. The visitor’s total was build around two partnerships: Manish Pandey and Amit Verma put on 102 for the third wicket after Karnataka found themselves in a bit of bother at 28 for 3, and Pandey was adjudged lbw – a decision that didn’t go too well in the Karnataka camp as they felt that the ball was going down leg – when he missed a sweep shot against Chawla. Karnataka recovered, courtesy Muralidharan Gautam and Vinay Kumar who added 91 for the seventh wicket. Verma made 54, Kumar 51 and Pandey 36, with all three falling to Chawla. Gautam was still there on 62, with former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi on 13 for company.

A round-up of of the latest action from the Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s domestic first-class competition

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2011Matabeleland Tuskers beat Mashonaland Eagles by 65 runs at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo after forfeiting their second innings in an attempt to force a result. The Tuskers were put in to bat and they responded well, with opener Terry Duffin and wicketkeeper Adam Wheater hitting half-centuries to take their team to 339. The Tuskers, though, had batted for a good part of the second day as well, and the Eagles just saw out 15 overs to declare at 32 for 1 – a deficit of 307. Once the Tuskers decided to forfeit their innings, The Eagles had to chase 308 for victory, and at 205 for 3 they looked good to achieve it. Captain Forster Mutizwa led by example, making 116, and adding 137 for the fourth wicket with Greg Lamb, who contributed 74. But the Tuskers seamers brought their team back into contention. Chris Mpofu starred with five wickets, supported by Tawanda Mupariwa’s three-for. The last seven Eagles wickets fell for 37 in a matter of just over 13 overs to hand Tuskers their third win of the competition. The Tuskers now find themselves in second position in the points table, the Eagles are second from the bottom.Only 45 overs were possible in the contest between Mountaineers and Mid West Rhinos at the Mutare Sports Club as the first, third and fourth days were washed out.