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Glamorgan will begin next year’s Royal London Cup competition with a two-point deduction after the pitch at Cardiff for Friday’s match against Durham was rated ‘poor’ by the ECB

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2014Glamorgan will begin next year’s Royal London Cup competition with a two-point deduction after the pitch at Cardiff for Friday’s match against Durham was rated ‘poor’ by the ECB. Glamorgan lost the match after being bowled out for 133 chasing Durham’s 185.The ECB’s pitch panel upheld the umpires’ initial assessment that the pitch was below the required standard. Hugh Morris, the Glamorgan chief executive, said the pitch had been newly laid as part of efforts to produce surfaces with greater life in them at the Swalec Stadium.”Whilst we accept the verdict, the Pitch Panel’s review confirmed that there was nothing to indicate in advance that the pitch would behave as it did,” Morris said.”There is no suggestion of an intention to produce a favourable playing surface for the home side. Indeed there was no way our groundstaff could have predicted the resulting outcome.”In 2011, the club began a pitch improvement programme with two new pitches being relaid each winter from 2011 to 2014. This investment was taken after years of umpire reports that the wickets were often low and slow in Cardiff. The feedback we have received from the ECB, umpire reports and visiting teams, both domestic and international, for the newly laid surfaces has been positive, including during last year’s ICC Champions Trophy.”

Some may think this match is all about Kevin Pietersen’s comeback but in reality it is about Yorkshire maintaining their hold on top spot in Division One and whether Surrey are strong enough in their fragile state to resist them, without relying on rain f

Jon Culley at Headingley22-Jun-2013
ScorecardLiam Plunkett added to Yorkshire’s total with a half-century•Getty ImagesSome may think this match is all about Kevin Pietersen’s comeback but in reality it is about Yorkshire maintaining their hold on top spot in Division One and whether Surrey are strong enough in their fragile state to resist them, without relying on rain for a helping hand.There was enough of it to keep Pietersen a peripheral figure on day two, from which 36 overs were lost. Yorkshire resisted any thoughts of a declaration until they were nine wickets down, at which point Steven Patterson, the not out batsman, was hopping about in some discomfort after being struck on the foot by Chris Tremlett and in need of attention. Yorkshire sent him to hospital for a precautionary x-ray and he was not on the field when Surrey batted.Pietersen, who joins England for the second of the Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand on Thursday, will have been padded up, presumably, in readiness for a potential top-order collapse when Surrey’s first innings, at first delayed by a lengthy shower and then interrupted by bad light, eventually began.It might have come. Ryan Sidebottom, his hackles quickly rising, gave Arun Harinath a fairly stiff examination in his opening spell from the Football Stand End, during which Harinath twice manage to edge the ball between second and third slips and survived a direct chance to second slip on 18, where Adam Lyth spilled it. Sidebottom gave him a thunderous look before pounding back to his mark.Harinath succumbed eventually to Jack Brooks, who had opened at the Kirkstall Lane End and was then required, in Patterson’s absence, to relieve Sidebottom. But by then there were less than two overs left and Surrey sent in Tim Linley as nightwatchman.Yorkshire’s game plan, presumably, had been to score heavily and perhaps need only to bat once, although if Patterson cannot bowl they will be less equipped to take 20 wickets. Nonetheless, with no Ricky Ponting to offer experience and stability to Surrey’s none-too-confident batting line-up, some early success on the third morning could set nerves jangling and add to the pressure on Pietersen to come up with a responsible innings with the team in mind.If some of Andrew Gale’s form could rub off, it would help. The Yorkshire captain, 114 overnight, had an escape of his own on 121 when he was dropped at second slip by Vikram Solanki off Tremlett. He had made 148 when he was bowled by Gary Keedy, the ball coming back a long way from outside off stump to beat Gale’s attempted drive.By that point, a partnership of 81 between Gale and Liam Plunkett had strengthened Yorkshire’s position significantly. Plunkett, whose move from Durham has transformed his confidence, hit several handsome drives and a number of lusty pulls on his way to his first half-century in Yorkshire colours.He was caught behind when he eventually mis-hit one, the ball flying high off the top edge, but then Sidebottom unleashed a few tasty thwacks of his own to add 26 off 37 balls before at last bringing Pietersen into the game when he sent a ball from Linley airborne towards long-off. Pietersen turned in pursuit and felt confident enough in his physical soundness to fling himself into the catch, from which he emerged unscathed and with ball in hand. The declaration followed immediately.Barring a deluge, Pietersen will bat eventually. Whether he can do so for long enough not to necessitate an appearance in England’s pre-Ashes friendly against Essex remains to be seen.

Twenty20 cricket is where teams like New Zealand hope to compete when they come up against a side with the reputation and form of South Africa, and assistant coach Bob Carter said they go into the T20s with optimism

Firdose Moonda17-Dec-2012Adapting to foreign conditions is the test all touring teams want to pass on the road. South Africa have become masters of that art, having not lost a series away from home since 2006. New Zealand, with wins in Hobart and Colombo in the last year, are still learning.The shortest format may be the ideal place to do that. With conditions only playing a small role and margins between teams much smaller, Twenty20 cricket is where teams like New Zealand hope to compete when they come up against a side with the reputation and form of South Africa.”We can go into the T20 series with a great deal of optimism” Bob Carter, the New Zealand assistant coach, said. “We’re very much up for it. The boys have gone into their training really well, with lots of energy, and we’re really looking forward to the challenge of playing in South Africa. Who wouldn’t? It’s a good place to tour and there are exciting times here with cricket.”The sport has captured the attention of the public after the South African Test team rose to No.1 on the Test rankings in August with victory in England and stayed there when they beat Australia in their own backyard. Since scaling those heights, South Africa have not played in front of their home fans, who are eager to watch their team in action again.But they will have to cheer on a new-look side. South Africa’s T20 squad contains four uncapped players and a new captain as they attempt to revolutionise things ahead of the next ICC tournament.It’s with that in mind that New Zealand go into the series. Allrounder James Franklin does not think there is “too much to fear” even though his team is the clear underdog. “We have to pick our ranking up and the only way we can do that is by winning,” he said.New Zealand too have five uncapped players in their squad, some of whom will get a run in the practice match on Tuesday against South Africa A. For them, having these fresh faces around is “exciting”, as Franklin and Carter put it. “Theirs is youthful exuberance, they’ve got no baggage and they just want to get stuck in and see where they fit in terms of the team and international cricket,” Franklin said. “You’ve got to run a little bit faster and try and keep up with them. But hopefully it will rub of both ways. They rub off on me in terms of me trying to keep up and from me, if they want, a little bit of guidance.”These young players bring a fresh energy to the squad, which had been weighed down by internal strife, including the withdrawal of Ross Taylor, before the tour. “Their enthusiasm, their joy at being picked for New Zealand and the way they have gone about their business has been really good,” Carter said. “They have really flung themselves at training and it’s good to have them on board.”Carter also had a word of warning for the team about their opposition. “[Even with the newcomers] South Africa have still got a very fine side with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and others,” he said. “That will be a really good test for us and a really good challenge. Every South African side is a good one.”

India’s captain MS Dhoni has said that the plan for the last ball was to hit a back of a length, instead of bowling a yorker, in the hosts’ one-run win against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20162:33

‘Pandya executed the plan well’ – Dhoni

India’s captain MS Dhoni has lauded allrounder Hardik Pandya’s “fantastic execution” of the last ball, which led to Mustafizur Rahman being run out by Dhoni in a mad-cap final over. Having been cracked for fours off his second and third balls in the defence of 10 runs, Pandya had Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah holing out off the next two balls. The equation ultimately boiled down to two needed off the last ball.After a lengthy chat with Dhoni and Ashish Nehra, Pandya sent down a back-of-a-length ball outside off, which Shuvagata Hom could not reach. He attempted a bye, and Mustafizur responded, but Dhoni was too quick for him. He sprinted and broke the stumps as India edged Bangladesh.At the post-match presentation, Dhoni said that the plan to stick to a back-of-a-length delivery, instead of the yorker, but not too wide outside off, which was what Pandya delivered.”One thing was sure. We don’t want to bowl a yorker,” Dhoni said. “It had to be a back-of-a-length delivery, but how much back of the length is the question. You don’t want to bowl a wide and by the time it travels to the keeper, the batsman has the opportunity to take one more run.”So we were deciding what’s a good field and what’s the length to bowl. I think he executed really well. You can always plan a hundred things and unless the execution is good, it doesn’t look good on the field. I feel the execution of the last delivery was fantastic.”Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza admitted that his team lost it under pressure, in the last three balls. “I think the last three balls actually, we lost three wickets and needed only two runs,” he said.Pandya is not a particularly good exponent of the yorker, and when he attempted one off the penultimate ball, it ended up as a full toss. Mahmudullah slogged, but Jadeja came up with an incredible, running catch at deep midwicket. Pandya, however, can hit the deck hard, and muscle back-of-a-length or short-ish balls. Dhoni said that Pandya’s strengths were discussed before the last ball.”The decision was what line to bowl, what length to bowl,” Dhoni said. “Also keeping in mind what the strength of the bowler is. That was the kind of stuff going. And also I knew once the 20th over starts, you can take as much time as possible. You can’t get fined for it.”There were other senior members of the team who felt the short ball was the way to go in the final over. R Ashwin, who found grip and turn to return figures of 2 for 20, told that the short ball was the “toughest” for a lower-order batsman.Dhoni also credited fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who regrouped admirably, after fumbling a four off the first ball of the 147 chase, and then dropping Tamim Iqbal on 15. Bumrah nailed his yorkers in the penultimate over and conceded only six runs, which gave Pandya some cushion. It was just enough for India to pull off the coup.

Sachin Tendulkar has called the developments in Indian cricket over the last fortnight – charges of spot-fixing and betting in the IPL – “shocking and disappointing”

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2013Sachin Tendulkar has called the developments in Indian cricket over the last fortnight – the spot-fixing charges against three Rajasthan Royals players and betting charges against top Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan – “shocking and disappointing”. Tendulkar is the first current Indian cricketer to comment on the issue – via a statement – and he said the sport needed to repay the faith the fans invested in the game.”It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons. The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing,” Tendulkar said. “As cricketers we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game. During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer, from the boys in the [fields] across the country to those who represent clubs, states and the country, who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue.”The faith reposed by the millions of fans should be justified and we owe it to them to ensure that Indian cricket is all about pride and joy.”India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said he hoped that politics would be kept separate from sport. “Not prudent to comment while investigations are underway,” he said. “I hope that sport doesn’t get mixed up with politics.”Former India batsman VVS Laxman had also said the issues of corruption in the IPL were “distressing”.”It’s very disappointing,” Laxman had said. “The last two weeks have been quite distressing and a feeling of anguish was definitely there. I hope the various investigations done by the police in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai come to a logical conclusion, and more importantly the cause of this problem is erased. It is very important because just for some greedy players, the credibility of the rest of the players should not be affected. I think it is a very important issue and I am sure it will be cleaned up very soon.”The India captain MS Dhoni had said in Birmingham on Thursday that he did not feel that the reputation of Indian cricket had “gone” as a result of the scandals in the IPL. Dhoni had said he would not speak on the issue until the time was right because he wanted to keep the squad shielded from distractions during the Champions Trophy.

Mitchell Claydon continued to be a thorn in Leicestershire’s side as he clubbed a career-best 77 to put Kent into a strong position at the end of the second day at Grace Road.

Press Association08-Jul-2014
ScorecardMitch Claydon, seen here for Durham, made 77 from No. 9•Getty ImagesMitchell Claydon continued to be a thorn in Leicestershire’s side as he clubbed a career-best 77 to put Kent into a strong position at the end of the second day at Grace Road.Claydon, who took 5 for 77 with the ball on the first day, led a tail-end recovery that took Kent to a total of 302 and a first-innings lead of 85. Then, former Leicestershire favourite Darren Stevens followed up a half-century of his own with two early wickets to leave the home side on 87 for 3 – a lead of just two runs – when bad light brought an premature end.Stevens, opening the bowling with his military medium pace, still moved the ball around enough to trap both Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley lbw in his first three overs. Adam Ball then had Dan Redfern caught behind and at 35 for 3 Leicestershire were in dire straits. But an unbeaten stand of 52 between opener Greg Smith, who made 42, and Josh Cobb, 17, gave Leicestershire a foothold back into the game.The hosts looked to be in the box seat at the start of play with Kent on 106 for 5, still 111 runs behind, but in little over half an hour there was a massive momentum change. Stevens and Ball tucked into some wayward bowling from Charlie Shreck and Nathan Buck, neither of whom could settle into a consistent line or length. Between them they conceded 59 runs in the first 10 overs, 46 of them in boundaries.But Buck finally did find the perfect delivery to knock back Ball’s off stump when he had made 36 out of a sixth-wicket stand of 92 in 22 overs.It sparked a purple patch for the Leicestershire paceman and two more more wickets followed in his next three overs. Sam Billings was out lbw playing across the line and Stevens caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien for 57 having reached his half-century off 61 balls with eight fours and a six.But if Leicestershire believed the hard work was done with Kent at 207 for 8, they were sadly mistaken. The last two wickets added 95 runs as Claydon launched a ferocious assault on some poor bowling, battering 14 fours and a six on his way to 77 off 91 balls, before being bowled by Rob Taylor.Claydon and Adam Riley shared a last-wicket partnership of 67 that took Kent past the 300 mark to a third batting point. Buck was the best of Leicestershire’s attack finishing with four for 97 off 26 overs.But, not for the first time this season, Leicestershire will be wondering how they let a promising position slip from their grasp.

West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul will miss the two T20s against New Zealand due to a thumb injury and will return home

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2014West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul will miss the two T20s against New Zealand due to a thumb injury and will return home. Rampaul picked up the injury during a training session before the fourth ODI in Nelson and didn’t play the two remaining ODIs.”Ravi has sustained a fracture and we are looking to allow optimal healing rather than pushing an early return,” said West Indies physiotherapist CJ Clark. “He will return home to allow the fracture time to heal and will commence fitness training in preparation for the Regional Super50 Tournament, starting later this month in Trinidad.”There will be no replacement for Rampaul in the T20 squad, which has now been reduced to 14. He is the latest West Indies player to join the injury list that includes Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels. Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard were ruled out before the tour began.The injury prone Rampaul made a return to the ODI squad during the tour of India, following an ankle injury. He didn’t figure in the Test squad in New Zealand but played the ODIs in Auckland and Queenstown.The first T20 gets underway in Auckland on Saturday.

N Srinivasan has said he will stand for re-election as BCCI president at the Indian board’s annual general meeting, to be held in Chennai on September 29

Amol Karhadkar19-Sep-2013N Srinivasan has said he will stand for re-election as BCCI president at the Indian board’s annual general meeting, to be held in Chennai on September 29. The announcement is not a surprise but his success, a foregone conclusion a few months ago, is now hostage to several legal and judicial issues that are beyond his control and may crystallise formal opposition to him.Under BCCI rules, any presidential candidate has to be nominated by two associations from the incumbent’s home zone – south zone in Srinivasan’s case, and that is where the focus is shifting.As Srinivasan left the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday after attending a meeting of the board’s marketing committee, he was asked if the other members from south zone were standing besides him. His response was succinct: “I am going to stand,” he said, before taking a dig at the media for speculating on the numbers game in the event of an election.While Srinivasan has made his candidature public, it cannot be ascertained at this point if the murmurs within the board opposing Srinivasan’s stubbornness to hold on to the chair will turn into a credible organised lobby sufficient to match Srinivasan both in terms of stature and power. The early runner seems to be Shashank Manohar, Srinivasan’s predecessor, a lawyer with a no-nonsense yet low-profile attitude.Manohar hasn’t yet made any concrete or public move towards returning to job he left in 2011 but it is believed that efforts are on to persuade him to contest against Srinivasan. One official privy to the developments told ESPNcricinfo that Manohar has shown interest but he is still gauging his support, especially from the south zone.Manohar, who hails from the central zone, will need a proposer and a seconder from the south zone – most of whose members are staunch Srinivasan loyalists. It is believed that the anti-Srinivasan lobby – comprising senior politicians in New Delhi who are also part of the BCCI top brass – has been exerting political pressure on the Goa Cricket Association to shift its allegiance from Srinivasan.The same lobby is also working on the Andhra Cricket Association to be the other member needed to set up a candidate. “Our stand is still undecided. We will discuss with our member units and then decide, since there is no hurry as such,” an ACA official said on Thursday.Both sides also have an eye on two important legal developments that could impact the election. One involves the IPL fixing case, in relation to which Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in May. Mumbai Police is expected to file its chargesheet any day and the gravity of the charges against Meiyappan could play a part.Srinivasan himself has already been chargesheeted – in his capacity as managing director of India Cements – in a corruption case involving a top political leader from Andhra Pradesh. If he is arrested in this case – and it is not impossible, given the high-level political machinations at work – then the board might agree to replace him as the BCCI president, even though the issue has nothing to do with cricket. “If that happens, we will have to find a new face,” a Srinivasan confidant conceded.It is these uncertainties that the Cricket Association of Bihar has sought to tap into through a public appeal to the BCCI members. The CAB – which is not a part of the BCCI – had filed the petition in Bombay High Court against the constitution of the IPL probe commission and on Tuesday made a “sincere appeal” to BCCI members to reject Srinivasan’s candidature. “He continues to be in a ‘step aside’ situation as president,” the appeal said. “The BCCI cannot afford to have a president who will be in a permanent state of ‘step aside’ and not be involved in its day-to-day affairs.”Despite all this, Srinivasan remains the most powerful person in the board and the man to beat in the elections. He has the support of many member associations but, as the BCCI AGM draws closer, the equation within the board could yet change dramatically.

Angel Di Maria insisted Lionel Messi is the "greatest player in history" and claimed that he wanted to win the World Cup for his skipper.

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Argentina beat France on penalties in World Cup finalMessi emerged as the best player of the tournamentDi Maria lavished praise on the Argentine captainGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Argentina's World Cup victory celebration in Buenos Aires turned into a spectacle as millions of ecstatic fans flooded the streets to welcome their triumphant football heroes after they beat France in the final on penalties. An unseen footage of the open bus ride has emerged where Di Maria is seen sharing an emotional moment with Messi where the duo eventually ends up in an embrace.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT DI MARIA SAID

In the documentary titled Di Maria was caught on camera saying to Messi: "For me, playing with you on a team is what I wanted, man. And winning it, winning this trophy with you, I know that it's…."

Later on, he goes on to add: "It became more about him than about me. I wanted to win the World Cup for him. Without a doubt, for me, he is the greatest in history."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

The streets of Buenos Aires were filled, making it impossible for the bus to proceed as initially intended. In response to the unprecedented crowd size and security concerns, the victory parade was rerouted, and the team made an impromptu departure from the ground. Helicopters provided a unique exit strategy for Messi and company, ensuring their safety and allowing them to share the World Cup trophy with their adoring fans from above.

Phil Parkinson insisted that Wrexham have "got no divine right to win" but was delighted with thumping Morecambe victory.

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Wrexham bounced back from Accrington Stanley defeatMullin's hat-trick powered the Welsh side to a 6-0 winParkinson hailed his troops for their emphatic responseWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons climbed to the second spot in the League Two table after scoring six past Morecambe at the Racecourse Ground. After Joel Senior's own goal handed Wrexham an early lead, Paul Mullin added another just two minutes after the opener. Jacob Mendy increased the margin before Mullin struck twice in the second half to complete his hat-trick. James Jones scored deep into stoppage time to pile more misery on Morecambe which further thrilled Parkinson as his side was heading into the fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.

AdvertisementWHAT PHIL PARKSINSON SAID ABOUT THE VICTORY

Speaking to reporters after the match, Parkinson said: "We have got no divine right to win but we have won a lot. When you lose it hurts and it is a long week. It is as simple as that. No matter how long you have been a manager, when you lose, it is a lot of soul-searching. But you can't change it and you can just respond as a group.

"The response on the training ground has been outstanding from the lads and there was a real positive feeling coming into this game. We wanted to get back to winning ways and we have done it in emphatic fashion."

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The massive victory also drew euphoric reactions from co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. While Reynolds labelled the efforts from the lads as "incredible hustle", McElhenney hailed Mullin as "incredible" for gifting another remarkable afternoon to the fans.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham have little time to rest on their laurels as they are set to return to action against Harrogate Town on Tuesday night in another League Two encounter.