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A round-up of the semi-finals in the NZC one-day competition

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2011Rob Nicol and Dean Brownlie were the architects of Canterbury‘s 41-run win against Auckland in Christchurch, that propelled them into the finals of the NZC domestic one-day competition.Auckland chose to field, but were held at bay by a 39-run opening stand between Michael Papps and Nicol that yielded 39. Papps’ exit was followed by the cheap dismissal of captain Peter Fulton, but Nicol and Brownlie steadied things with a fluent partnership. Nicol struck 12 fours and a six in his 87 that came off 119 balls. Brownlie scored fewer boundaries – five fours and a six – but finished with a better strike-rate as he made 72 off 88 balls. The pair raised 136 runs in 26.2 overs to set Canterbury up for a late blitz. Andrew Ellis obliged with 31 off 22 balls, while Carl Frauenstein hit three fours in his seven-ball innings to push the score to 268. Chris Martin and Andre Adams combined for 5 for 88 off 20 overs, but the remaining bowlers struggled to hold their own.Auckland lost Tim McIntosh early, but Lou Vincent and Jeet Raval charged after the target with frenetic half-centuries. Andrew Ellis’ dismissal of Vincent, for 62 off 55 balls, began Auckland’s slide. From 119 for 1 in 17.2 overs, they lost their way in the face of some incisive bowling. Mitchell Claydon finished with 4 for 44, while Ellis had figures of 3 for 38. Nicol chipped in with 2 for 44 off ten overs, as Auckland’s lower order crumbled. They were bowled out for 227 in the 44th over. Despite the defeat, Auckland will get a chance to make the final when they take on Otago on February 9.Otago booked their place for that fixture with a nine-run win in a rain-reduced game against Northern Districts in Queenstown. Northern batted first and through two rain breaks to reach 271 for 8 in their 50 overs. BJ Watling was the top-scorer, with a cautious 55 off 88 balls. The rest of the top order struggled and, when Watling exited at 125 for 5 in the 31st over, the innings was losing momentum. Joseph Yovich and Peter McGlashan combined to revive the innings with a 71-run partnership, before Anton Devcich lashed 42 off 21 to set Otago a tricky chase.Otago’s reply was stalled by early wickets, as Trent Boult and Graeme Aldridge removed the openers. The middle order did not fare much better and, at 80 for 5 in the 19th over, their challenge seemed set to fade. Darren Broom and Derek de Boorder, though, had other plans.Making light of the pressure of the situation, and the frequent rain interruptions, the pair whittled away at the target with assurance. Broom struck nine fours in 85 balls as he reached 85, while de Boorder struck eight boundaries in his 74. The pair had added 165 in 27.4 overs when rain intervened for the final time. No more play was possible, and Otago were adjudged winners since they were nine runs ahead of the par score when the game was called off.

Stuart Broad wants England to stand toe-to-toe with India when the two sides meet in one of the most eagerly anticipated World Cup group matches in Bangalore on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2011Stuart Broad wants England to stand toe-to-toe with India when the two sides meet in one of the most eagerly anticipated World Cup group matches in Bangalore on Sunday. The rush for tickets, which led to controversial scenes around the stadium, highlighted the huge interest in the game and it promises to be a frenzied atmosphere but Broad believes that could help England.India are the favourites, a position further boosted by England’s shoddy display in the field against Netherlands which left them chasing 293, but Andrew Strauss’s team has shown the ability to lift their performances for high-profile games and Broad wants to silence the home support.”We played a one-dayer here a few years ago and it was absolutely electric,” he said. “The sound bounces around the ground and I think we have to use that to our advantage. There is no need to panic from a bowling point of view. It is just one game but we did not get it how we wanted to. We got the win under our belt and we can move forward to what is an exciting prospect on Sunday.”There is no reason why we can’t come out and express ourselves like we have done against the likes of South Africa and Pakistan. We can play good one-day cricket and it is important we show that on Sunday.”Although the bowling and fielding display against Netherlands verged on the shambolic at times it was a professional performance from the batsmen to chase down 293 with eight balls to spare. Strauss led the way with 88 and there was another half-century for Jonathan Trott before Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara held their nerve to seal the win.England will be confronted by an India attack that have home advantage led by Zaheer Khan and followed by Harbhajan Singh, but Broad insisted there won’t be any half measures. “The thing about batting in the sub-continent is that you have to have a positive mindset at all times. That is the way we have tried to play our one-day cricket over the last 18 months,” he said. “We have been very fearless and if you think a shot is on you take it on. Our batsmen are excited about facing the Indian bowlers. We know they are a world-class attack and team.”This match was meant to be played in front of 100,000 people at Eden Gardens but the match had to be moved when the ICC ruled the stadium in Kolkata wouldn’t be ready in time. England’s players have expressed disappointment at missing out on that occasion, but the shift to Bangalore could work in their favour.The surface is more likely to offer something for quick bowlers, especially after some heavy rain in the city on Friday, which will mean that Broad, James Anderson and Tim Bresnan can be more of a threat because there remains a feeling that India’s batsmen are most venerable on pitches with extra bounce.However, Broad admitted that no one was quite sure what to expect and the option of two spinners, meaning a recall for Michael Yardy, will be seriously considered. “KP played a lot of his IPL cricket here and said it went through quite nicely, so there are going to be a few different thoughts on the wicket,” he said.”In two practice matches [involving Australia], the ball did spin and if they are to play like that I am sure we will play two spinners. But we can only wait and see on Sunday morning how the pitch has turned out before we make a decision on where we go with that.”

Ray Price knows he is a marked man in a must-win encounter between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on Friday

Nagraj Gollapudi in Ahmedabad02-Mar-2011Ray Price knows he is a marked man in a must-win encounter between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on Friday. Daniel Vettori’s men will play him cautiously. Zimbabwe will rely on him to get the breakthroughs early on. Luckily for him, Price is not the one to get excited or easily bogged down. His enthusiasm in the field is infectious. He expects a lot out of himself and works hard at his job. It will be hard to ignore him.”He does a good job at the top of the order. We’ve got to be ready for it,” Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s captain, said of Price. In the absence of good fast bowlers, Zimbabwe had found a way out, operating their spinners for majority of the innings. Against Australia, Zimbabwe’s spinners bowled 39 overs. After 10 overs the World Champions were stationed on 28 for 0; Price was the main hurdle and his tally of 6-0-18-0 in the first two Powerplays played an influential part in Australia failing to stamp their authority straightaway.A few days later, Price exposed Canada’s ineptness at playing quality spin, bowling seven overs on the trot – a match-winning spell (7-4-12-3) that included top-order scalps. After two matches Price had established himself as a dangerman, only behind the ever-dangerous Shahid Afridi.Considering the fact that New Zealand batsmen have been vulnerable against spin in the sub-continent – as witnessed in the series whitewashes inflicted on them by Bangladesh and India last year – Zimbabwe are bound to try and exercise control through their spinners. In the last year teams have bowled at least 20 overs of spin in a game on average, but Zimbabwe have been an exception: in 2010 Zimbabwe’s fast men bowled about 15 overs on average in a match, with the rest being spin.It was not a surprise then to see John Wright ask specifically for left-arm spinners as net bowlers during the optional training session meant just for the batsmen. “The fact that we have not played them for a long time is probably a little bit of disadvantage for us because we have not seen their bowlers. But what we have seen of them in the last two games we are pretty sure of what we will come up against,” Vettori said.Price was a bit cautious about drumming up Zimbabwe’s chances, but pointed out that the priority would be to try arrest the New Zealand top order from starting in dominating fashion. “I am always itching to bowl, it doesn’t matter if it is the start or the end. It is always fantastic to bowl. It would be a good challenge for me because Brendon McCullum hits the ball a long way. We saw in the IPL he made one of the fastest hundreds. They have got some good players, so it is going to be very difficult for me.”Today New Zealand were in a better frame of mind compared to last week when they were distracted by the earthquake in Christchurch. Wright was a happy man with the return of Dayle Shackel (physiotherapist) and Bryan Stronach (trainer), who had rushed home to attend their affected families.The teams have played two matches apiece with similar results: one win and one loss. Given the format, a team could stand to qualify for the knockouts even if it has two wins; that has added spice to this contest. “It is an important game for us. On where we want to go in the tournament it is a must-win for us. Zimbabwe are actually playing pretty well so it is going to be a difficult game,” Vettori said. He added the batsmen were learning quickly to adapt to the variety of attacks, one of the challenges only a tournament like the World Cup offered. “Australia attacked us with pace and we are going to see a lot of spin in this game. So it is an exciting challenge for us, but one we have to win.”Price said Zimbabwe were more hungry for a second win in a row, after their comprehensive victory against Canada on Monday. But he is not getting carried away. “It is very important for us (win). But you try not to think too much of that because in cricket if you think about the results then you forget about what you are supposed to do and control the areas you are supposed to bowl at,” Don’t be fooled, New Zealand. Price will come at you.

News channels will be allowed access to the Mohali stadium for the India-Pakistan semi-final after India’s information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni intervened

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2011News channels will be allowed access to the Mohali stadium for the India-Pakistan semi-final after India’s information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni intervened on their behalf. The ICC had withdrawn accreditation for Indian news channels on Tuesday after “a dispute was created by Indian non-rights holders (NRH) breaching the terms and conditions they had agreed to follow” when they were awarded accreditation for the World Cup.The ICC said Soni had proposed a 24-hour ‘truce’. “Ms Soni had written to ICC President Sharad Pawar and asked for the television channels to be allowed access into the ground at Mohali for this important game,” ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said. “At the same time she agreed to convene a meeting at the ministry on March 31, to address the dispute which has been caused by repeated and serious breaches of the terms and conditions which these organisations had signed up to.”The guidelines for covering the World Cup were issued to news broadcasters in January by the ICC. “No objections to the guidelines were received and accreditations were issued to reporters and cameramen on condition that these guidelines were followed,” Lorgat said. “Sadly there have been many breaches and despite requests for such activity to cease the NRH stations continued to break the rules.”It was only as a last resort that the ICC withdrew the accreditation of these companies when they refused to sign an undertaking that they would desist from breaching the guidelines.” Lorgat reminded the press that removal of accreditation only meant that the news channels did not have access to the stadium. “It does not prevent these channels from reporting the ICC Cricket World Cup. Footage is provided to them from several agencies.”If the relevant media houses do not comply with the ICC’s requirements, Lorgat said, accreditation would once again be withdrawn for the final.

John Hastings, the Australia allrounder who was bought by Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $20,000, has become the latest player to miss the IPL due to injury concerns

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2011John Hastings, the Australia allrounder who was bought by Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $20,000, has become the latest player to leave the IPL early following injury concerns. He will head back to Australia for a scan on his shoulder, and will not return this season.”Going home from the IPL to have a scan on my shoulder. There is a lot of cricket coming up,” he tweeted. “Hopefully next year I can play a part. But yes this year there will be no IPL for me.”Hastings didn’t get a game for Kochi in the one week that he was with the team, joining them after the tour of Bangladesh. He had been a part of Australia’s World Cup squad as well, but didn’t get a look-in during the tournament.Steven Smith, another Australian allrounder bought by Kochi, had been ruled out of the IPL a week ago since he had to undergo ankle surgery.Kochi are yet to seek replacements for their injured players. They had begun the season poorly with two losses, but bounced back with wins over highly rated Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. A victory over table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday will put them level on points at the top.

Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, is hoping that a return to St Kitts will bring him another big score as his side aims to wrap up the series against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2011Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, is hoping that a return to St Kitts will bring him another big score as his side aims to wrap up the series against Pakistan. The second Test begins on Friday at Warner Park, where Nash last year made his highest Test score, 114 against South Africa.West Indies are coming off a morale-boosting victory in the first Test in Guyana, their first Test win in more than two years. However, Nash didn’t have much impact in the match, scoring 5 in the first innings and 3 in the second, and he wants to play his part in St Kitts.”Last year when we played here we got a really good batting surface and I managed to get a good century, which was my second century for the West Indies,” Nash said. “We were outplayed by the South Africans in the first match in Trinidad, but we rebounded to get what you could say was a fighting draw here in St Kitts.”I felt I batted really well, adding some valuable runs with Shiv [Chanderpaul], who also got a good century. Shiv and I put on a very good partnership. There were quite a few runs scored in that match and it was good the way we responded. Coming back here again this year I will be looking for another big score for the team. I didn’t get many in Guyana so I know I will be looking to make a greater contribution in this match.”We did some really good things in Guyana and we will be looking to do well again here. The bowlers were exceptional. [Darren] Sammy led from the front and the others followed. Ravi [Rampaul] got some great wickets for us and [Devendra] Bishoo was also very good in his first match. I rate the performance of the team very high.”Fourteen players have travelled to St Kitts to prepare for the second Test; the XI from the Guyana victory plus Fidel Edwards, Marlon Samuels and Kraigg Brathwaite. The squad will be trimmed to 13 on Thursday.

Match-fixing in any sport in Australia would be made an offence under proposed government legislation.

Daniel Brettig06-Jun-2011Match-fixing in any sport in Australia will be made an offence, perhaps punishable by a 10-year jail term, under proposed legislation to be considered by the federal and state governments this week.The Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS), of which the former ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed is executive director, will present a working party paper on corruption to the federal minister for sport, senator Mark Arbib, on Wednesday.State government sports ministers will then meet with Arbib on Friday with a view towards introducing uniform regulations across each state to govern the integrity of sport.Penalties would be a matter for each state, but Arbib has already suggested the possibility of 10 years in jail as an appropriate punishment.Other measures will include the outlawing of information being passed on from sportsmen or support staff that could be used to make bets, the equivalent of insider trading. It was exchanges of this kind that saw Mark Waugh and Shane Warne under the spotlight in 1998.Also likely to be brought under tighter control is the range of exotic or spot bets that can be placed on various elements of a match – such as the bowling of no-balls, the order of bowlers or the number of runs to be scored off an over. This would render meaningless to the betting market any questionable acts by complicit players, like the deliberate no-balls bowled by Mohammad Amir at Lord’s last year.World cricket is watching the progress of possible legislation in Australia, as other countries will be more likely to consider similar measures once a precedent has been set.Cricket’s long and pained history of match-fixing, and the involvement of bookmakers and their go-betweens, has meant that Australia’s administrators are playing a lead role in the push for government intervention in the issue. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, is chairman of COMPPS, while CA’s chief legal counsel Dean Kino has been instrumental in the drafting of the proposal.”There’s a meeting on Wednesday of sporting CEOs in Melbourne, they have a regular CEOs meeting, but at this meeting the working party paper on corruption in sport will be tabled,” a CA spokesman said. “The federal minister for sport Mark Arbib will also be present.”There’s been quite a lot of discussion between James Sutherland and Mark Arbib and the other CEOs, and a meeting will follow on Friday between government ministers.”

The chances for the smaller cricket nations to reach the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in 2012 have been reduced now that the tournament will again be a 12-team event rather than 16

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2011The chances for the smaller cricket nations to reach the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in 2012 have been reduced now that the tournament will again be a 12-team event rather than 16, but there are still two places up for grabs for Associate and Affiliate nations.Those from the Asia-Pacific region have reached their final stage of qualifying for the global play-off in UAE early next year. Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Japan and hosts Papua New Guinea will take part in a four-day event in Port Moresby to determine which team travels to the Middle East.Papua New Guinea have sped up the rankings in the last 12 months and now sit at No. 19 in the world, but that success brings with it added pressure of being hosts and favourites.According to wicketkeeper Jack Vare, preparations have been going exceptionally well for the team, who are coached by Andy Bichel, and they are determined not to waste an opportunity to perform at their peak on the turf wickets of Amini Park and Colts Cricket Ground.”Representing your country in front of your family and friends is a great honour,” Vare said. “It is great to be able to show them the exciting and entertaining brand of cricket the Hebou Barramundis can play and demonstrating the spirit of PNG through the game of cricket. Although there is the added pressure of playing on home soil, I know all the players are excited and looking forward to the tournament.”Fiji are looming as the team most capable of toppling the seemingly invincible PNG. With an extremely busy international schedule ahead for the national team, including the tournament in PNG, the South Pacific Games and then World Cricket League Division 6 in the next three months, preparation has been more important than ever before and allrounder Kitione Tavo was happy with the level the team have reached.”Training has been good and I think our preparation is going well,” Tavo said. “There’s a great feeling among the team this year.”Fiji have also been boosted by the return of two players, who have been out of the national side for a number of years. Fast bowler Imran Kahn returns after a six-year absence, teaching in the USA, and Jikoi Kida returns after a stint in Egypt with the Fijian army.Japan will enter the tournament with new-found confidence after an intense couple of months of training since their last tournament. It has been well documented that Japan performed considerably below the standard they expect of themselves at the recent World Cricket League Division 7 event in Botswana. However coach Chris Ferguson is confident his side can learn from the mistakes made and begin the rebuilding process in PNG.”That is the nature of international cricket,” Ferguson said. “There is always another tournament coming up and you need to respond quickly. We made mistakes in Botswana but the players have reviewed their own performances, been honest with themselves and the team, and have put in a lot of hard work over the past six weeks to rectify the problems that we encountered.”With an average age of under 23, Vanuatu will be the youngest side competing in Port Moresby. After a strong showing at the Regional Under-19 event in February, when they finished second behind PNG, Vanuatu will be hoping their young talent can demonstrate the mental toughness required to match it with the best senior developing countries in the region.”We are pleased with the progress we are making but understand we are in for some tough battles,” captain Andrew Mansale said.Despite fielding a side with seven players who are 21 years or under, Mansale is confident that his side can compete. “We are expecting all teams to be tough, we have worked very hard with our fitness trainer Brett Wright for 20 weeks now and have been working hard with a special emphasis on running between the wickets and bowling and batting variations.”Samoa are the only Affiliate participating in the ICC EAP Division 1, but that is of little concern to their squad who plan to make a real impact against the four Associate sides.The Samoan team breezed through Division 2 in April undefeated, and have been preparing in New Zealand to take the next step up. “Samoa will go into the tournament as, no doubt, underdogs,” Samoan Cricket general manager Andrew Flynn said. “However members of the team are fit, healthy, ready to compete and will be carrying the pride of Samoa with them.”Former New Zealand bowler Murphy Su’a will coach the side, which despite having a wealth of older more experienced players in their line-up, will need some young talents like Tiafala Alatasi to perform well with the ball if they are to make a genuine impact in Port Moresby.”If I can limit the runs and do my job, and each of us do our job, we will do well,” Alatasi said, who was the leading wicket-taker at the Division 2 event in April.

Pakistan’s future as an international cricket team could hinge on the willingness of India to resume bilateral relations, according to a source close to the ICC Pakistan Task Team

Andrew Miller09-Jul-2011Pakistan’s future as an international cricket team could hinge India’s willingness to resume bilateral relations, according to a source close to the ICC Pakistan Task Team, which recently published a 38-page report on the future of the game in the country.The PTT, which was headed up by the ECB chairman Giles Clarke and drew on the experience of three former Test captains in Ramiz Raja, Mike Brearley and Greg Chappell, presented its findings at the ICC’s annual conference in Hong Kong last week. The report addressed a number of wide-ranging issues, from the quality of balls used in domestic cricket to the structure of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself.The report has been criticised for being whimsical in tone, because it failed to address the most fundamental problem facing Pakistan at present – the deteriorating security situation which led, in March 2009, to a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. However, in the opinion of the men who compiled the report, the most pertinent issue is one of finances, because unlike terrorism, that remains something that the international cricket community is capable of addressing.”The ICC has a security task force, but it can only talk about security when you are dealing with a country where it can be provided,” the source told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not for cricketers to lecture governments about that.”Pakistan cricket is right on the edge financially. The report makes it bluntly clear what’s necessary, which is that the Pakistan government and ICC must work together, and that India should play Pakistan if they are going to survive economically.That recommendation is spelt out in bold type on the sixth page of the PTT report, and does not couch its words in chiding India for its failure to assist a fellow Test nation. The two teams have not faced each another in a bilateral Test series since November 2007, with the following year’s terror attacks in Mumbai putting an instant freeze on diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, in that time, Pakistan have played overseas series against every other Test nation bar Bangladesh – with two of those, against Australia and South Africa in 2010, taking place at neutral venues.”Several other boards [are] going out of their way to ensure touring commitments could be honoured and new opportunities conceived,” the report states. “There is one notable exception, however, which must be highlighted in the strongest possible terms.”The absence of the traditional bilateral series between Pakistan and India from the international cricket calendar is denying millions of cricket loving fans across the world from enjoying an iconic series. It is also hurting the sport, particularly in Pakistan and the PTT sees no reason why this great sporting rivalry should not be restored as soon as possible, even if on neutral soil.”The PTT fully appreciates the historical issues, but urges the ICC Executive Board and all related parties including both Governments to seek a swift resolution to enable this great iconic series to resume to the benefit of all stakeholders in both countries and the rest of the world.”Reaction to the report has been muted in both India and Pakistan. The PCB has set out a ten-day time-frame in which to respond to the PTT’s 63 recommendations, but is reportedly unhappy with some aspects, particularly those concerning selection and contracts. India’s government, meanwhile, remains to be convinced of the merits of a resumption of cricket ties.From a strictly sporting point of view, however, the PTT believes that the Indo-Pak rivalry is the cornerstone of the modern international game, as demonstrated by the massive interest in the recent World Cup semi-final in Mohali. “India needs iconic series too,” the source said. “The ratings speak for themselves.”If you had a Pakistan-India series every two years, even at a neutral venue, how much money would that put into both India and Pakistan cricket? One only needs to look to the Ashes to see what a truly iconic series is worth.”The report, which has been drawn largely from conversations with Pakistani players and administrators living in Dubai, Pakistan and England, has been described as a blueprint for helping Pakistan cricket drive itself forward. But in the short term at least, the country needs assistance from its nearest and largest neighbour to find its feet in the international game once again.

West Indies’ bowlers set up a commanding eight-wicket win for their team in the first one-dayer against Pakistan in Kingstown

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2011
Scorecard
West Indies’ bowlers set up a commanding win for their team in the first one-dayer against Pakistan in Kingstown. Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 82, and the hosts reached the target in just under 20 overs.Pakistan were sent in to bat and started poorly, losing opener Javeria Khan with only two runs on the board. Mariam Hasan and captain Nain Abidi steadied the innings with a 30-run second-wicket partnership, but once Hasan was dismissed with the score on 32 by offspinner Anisa Mohammed, the rout began. Mohammed ran through the Pakistan batting to end up with figures of 10-6-5-5 as Pakistan crumbled in just under 41 overs. Only three of their batsmen managed to reach double-figures, while four were dismissed without scoring.West Indies lost Juliana Nero and Shanel Daley early in the chase but an unbroken 55-run third-wicket partnership between Stafani Taylor and Deandra Dottin carried to them to an easy victory.The hosts now lead the four-match series 1-0. The second ODI will be played at the same venue on August 30.