29 Apr ’13: RR vs RCB : RR won by 4 wickets

Jaipur : Shane Watson’s brilliant all-round effort and a brisk half-century by Sanju Samson helped Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here Monday. Rajasthan Royals thus maintan their unbeaten run at home at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.A combined batting effort from the Royal Challengers took them to 171 for six with Chris Gayle top scoring with 34 off 16 balls. Shane Watson was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 22.Rajasthan Royals found an unlikely hero in Samju Samson as the pocket dynamo smashed 63 off 41 balls while Watson scored 41 off 30 balls as Rajasthan chased down the visitors’ total in 19.5 overs.Rajasthan are now tied on 12 points with Royal Challengers but have an inferior run-rate so they remain in third position.Samson and Watson together strung a 68-run stand for the third wicket. One might have thought Watson, who has already scored a century and an unbeaten 98, to be the aggressor but it was diminutive man from Kerala who took the attack to the bowlers.When Samson finally got out, Rajasthan still required 56 off 34 balls. Brad Hodge’s cameo of 32 off 18 balls took the hosts to within touching distance of the target but a twist in the tale still remained.Watson got out in the penultimate over with Rajasthan requiring 10 runs off 9 balls. Vinay Kumar dismissed Hodge in the second ball of the last over while Owais Shah (0) was run out the very next ball to create some last-minute excitement.With Rajsthan requiring three off two balls, Stuart Binny (6 not out) hoicked Vinay Kumar for a four over mid-wicket to give his team a crucial victory.Bangalore, put in to bat, got off to a rollicking start courtesy Chris Gayle, who once again looked in ominous form.The visitors raced to 39 runs in just three overs with Gayle already smashing six fours and a six.However, things took a turn for the worse as Shane Watson, who has only recently started bowling after a prolonged injury lay-off, got him to edge a delivery straight into the wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s hands.The Royal Challengers’ innings seemed to stagnate after the fall of the big West Indian. Virat Kohli (32 off 25), who is third highest run getter this season, failed to provide impetus to the innings.AB de Villers (21) tried to push the run rate up but perished before he could do much damage. Moises Henriques (22) too kept the scoreboard ticking but with innings drawing to its close, the Bangalore batsman could not hit the big shots.It was pacer Vinay Kumar (22 off 6) who showed his more illustrious batters in the team on how to hit the sixes.The medium pacer tonked three massive sixes in the last four balls to give his team the push they needed for posting a fighting total on a good batting wicket.

Hyderabad hope to breach Rajasthan's bastion at home

Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals will look to get back to winning ways when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Game 36 of IPL 6 at Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Saturday. Rajasthan lost two matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings by close margins but they will take heart from the fact that they have an impeccable record at home, having won all their three matches at the venue so far.But despite their defeats Rajasthan got a few positives from the two games - the first is the form of Shane Watson, who hit a superb century against CSK, and the second is James Faulkner, who has been the most consistent bowler for RR this season, having taken 11 wickets in five matches. Those two will once again be vital cogs in the scheme of things against Hyderabad.Ajit Chandila, the offspinner, has also done well upfront, while Siddharth Trivedi too has been consistent in the latter part of an innings. Kevon Cooper did go for plenty against CSK, but whether the team management goes in with the West Indies allrounder or veteran spinner Brad Hogg will be interesting to see. Hyderabad would be very disappointed after losing a close contest to CSK on Thursday. They were well on their way to defending 160, but MS Dhoni played a match-winning innings yet again to take his side home.Their batting looked very weak until Shikhar Dhawan joined them against CSK. The left-hander, having fully recovered from the injury he suffered during the Test series against Australia, looked in mercurial touch from the outset, scoring a fluent 63 off 45. The team management may decide to bring back Kumar Sangakkara as Quinton de Kock, the young wicketkeeper batsman from South Africa, looked ordinary in his three outings.Hyderabad's bowling was once again impressive against CSK, with Amit Mishra adding three more to his wickets tally and Karan Sharma also troubling the batsmen with his economical spell of legspin. They may bring back Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera in place of West Indies' Darren Sammy if the former has recovered from injury. Perera has shone both with the bat and ball and might be preferred over Sammy if fit.Rajasthan also hold an upper hand in the head-to-head contests between the two sides, winning seven of the nine matches.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ajinkaya Rahane, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Stuart Binny, 5 Brad Hodge, 6 Dishant Yagnik (wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Kevon Cooper/Brad Hogg, 9 Rahul Shukla, 10 Ajit Chandila, 11 Siddharth TrivediSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Hanuma Vihari, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Cameron White, 5 Thalaivan Sargunam, 6 Thisara Perera/Darren Sammy, 7 Amit Mishra, 8 Ashish Reddy, 9 Karan Sharma, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Ishant Sharma

25 Apr ’13 : CSK vs SRH : CSK won by 5 wickets

Chennai : Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from the front with an unbeaten 67 as Chennai Super Kings registered their fourth consecutive win in the Indian Premier League (IPL), beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here Thursday.With Super Kings struggling at 99 for three, Dhoni played an brilliant 37-ball innings that was studded with seven fours and four sixes as Super Kings achieved the target of 160 with two balls to spare. Dhoni was also adjudged Man of the Match.Sunrisers had made 159 for six in 20 overs after Shikhar Dhawan, playing his first match of the season, struck a valiant unbeaten 63.With the win, Super Kings consolidated their second place on account of better run-rate. Super Kings remained at second with 12 points Sunrisers remained at the third place with 10 points.Super Kings started their chase on a strong note with Mike Hussey (45) and Murali Vijay (18) adding 65 runs for the first wicket.At a time when it looked that the openers were settled, Vijay stepped down the track to hit leggie Amit Mishra (3/26) but missed the line and was stumped by Quinton de Kock. You can be hero and villain on the same night. Ask Amit Mishra and Ashish Reddy. Reddy scored a whirlwind 36 off 16 balls to help Sunrisers Hyderabad get 59 off the last four overs and give them something to bowl at. Mishra kept them alive with the wickets of Michael Hussey, M Vijay and Suresh Raina. However, Mishra, promoted to No.5, wasted 21 balls for just 15 runs, and dropped MS Dhoni even before he had opened the account. Reddy was given the last over to bowl with 15 to defend, and a now-rampaging Dhoni to face. Reddy completely froze, and bowled the most predictable slower balls imaginable for Dhoni to win it easily.Spared villainy was Dwayne Bravo who bowled length in the final overs to allow Reddy those runs, but more crucially batted like a rabbit in the headlights, manufacturing - as the IPL's wont has been - a thriller out of nowhere. He played out a maiden from Karan Sharma - who registered this IPL's most economical four-over figures of 0 for 8 - in the 16th over. Then he holed out on the bowling of Ishant Sharma for a near game-changing 7 off 16.The man who well and truly snatched heroism from villainy was Dhoni. He too began dozily, playing six dots before he top-edged Dale Steyn to long leg where Mishra missed him. How Dhoni made Sunrisers pay for it. Firstly, after Bravo's maiden left Super Kings needing 46 off last four, Dhoni hit two sensational and consecutive pulled sixes off Steyn, who at times bowled at close to 150 kph. One over midwicket, and the other dragged from wide outside off to clear long-on. This was brutal hitting against the best bowler in the world.

The Ashes 2013 Faulkner prepared for extra batting responsibility

First and foremost, James Faulkner is a bowler: 111 Sheffield Shield wickets in the past three summers attest to that. But depending on the balance Australia's selectors want from the side during the Ashes, and contingent also on the form of the senior allrounder Shane Watson, Faulkner could find himself shouldering extra batting responsibility in his first Test series. There is even the possibility that at some point during the tour he could be used as a fifth bowler batting as high as No.7.That might seem a stretch, but based on his first-class batting for Tasmania in the past summer it is not an absurd scenario. As well as collecting 39 Shield wickets at 20.33 on his way to a third consecutive Ricky Ponting Medal as his state's best player, Faulkner also finished the Shield season 15th on the competition run tally, having scored 444 runs at 34.15, including 89 in the final against Queensland.Consider the list of batsmen who could have been vying for Test selection, yet scored fewer runs at a lower average: George Bailey (256 at 18.28), Rob Quiney (295 at 26.81), Michael Klinger (330 at 19.41), David Hussey (358 at 23.86), Adam Voges (388 at 25.86) and Peter Forrest (395 at 19.75). That might say more about the parlous state of batting in Australia's domestic competition than about Faulkner, who it must be said is yet to score a first-class hundred, but all the same his was a fine summer with bat and ball."I'd definitely be comfortable to bat at No.7," Faulkner said. "Whenever you can slot into an Australian team I think you're pretty happy to play wherever you can. It was a reasonably successful year last year with the bat for Tasmania. Hopefully I can make a few big scores, that's what I'm aiming to do at the moment."Wickets, though, are Faulkner's stock in trade. He has been consistent enough over the past three seasons to collect Shield wicket tallies of 36, 36 and 39, and although he might not have the express pace of some Australian fast bowlers, his movement of the ball and accuracy have made him a dangerous prospect, and not just at Bellerive Oval - his average is below 22 at five different first-class venues around Australia."All the wickets around Australia are quite different," Faulkner said. "I'm based at Bellerive and people say you're bowling at Bellerive and there's a bit more grass there and so you'll take more wickets. But in fact if you look at all of our bowlers back home, I think all of us have been averaging the same at Bellerive as away from Bellerive."I just sum up the conditions as they are and just be consistent. I have a lot more confidence in my body. I'm [nearly] 23 now and I have more confidence in my body and can get through longer spells."The Australian selectors like not only Faulkner's figures, but his attitude. The national selector John Inverarity this week referred to Faulkner as "a very competitive cricketer who gets things done". Over the past few months that included not only giving Chris Gayle a send-off during an ODI in Canberra, which cost him 10% of his match fee, but also steering Tasmania to the Shield title with a Man of the Match performance."I like to think I'm a pretty strong competitor on the field and off the field I'm a pretty relaxed sort of character," Faulkner said. "Definitely when the game is on the line or the game is in full flight I like to think I'm pretty aggressive in the way I play and get on the front foot instead of being dictated to."Although the Ashes tour will be Faulkner's first trip to England, he has already gained some overseas experience thanks to his IPL duties for three different teams. A talented limited-overs player who has played T20 and one-day cricket for his country, Faulkner sold for $400,000 to the Rajasthan Royals this year but has not let the shortest format seduce him at the expense of first-class cricket.I've always tried to be as consistent as I can in Twenty20, one-day cricket and four-day cricket and not specifically have a focus on any of the three," he said. "I look at [the IPL] as a bit of an opportunity to progress my cricket on different grounds, different wickets, and in India it doesn't get any harder. There's lots of positives you can take away from playing in different countries. You gain experience pretty fast."

Harris confident of fitness ahead of Ashes

Ryan Harris is confident he will be fit ahead of the Ashes after receiving encouraging results from scans on his injured Achilles tendon. This week, Harris was named in Australia's 16-man Ashes squad but he also flew home from the IPL due to the injury, which, if more serious, might have placed his England tour in jeopardy.However, scans and the inspection of Cricket Australia's chief medical officer Justin Paolini showed that Harris' Achilles is not seriously injured, with an early estimate of six to eight weeks on the sidelines described by Harris as "the worst case scenario". It is more likely that Harris will be bowling again in three to four weeks, winning him time to play well before the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge."Australia A isn't discounted just yet either," Harris told ESPNcricinfo. "I've got to do some serious rehab and the doctor's confident that 6-8 weeks is the worst case scenario - if I do things right I could be right in a couple of weeks. The good thing is there is time to get it right and then bowl some overs. I'll have something under my belt for England."It's very disappointing to leave the IPL because as I said from the start it was crucial for me to keep bowling, but this is something I've had on and off for a long time and it's just flared up. The last four weeks of the season in Australia it was all fine. It's disappointing to leave Kings XI, but my main priority is obviously England."Harris had felt Achilles discomfort for some time, and initially was left out of the Kings XI starting line-up for reasons of team balance rather than his inability to bowl with the ailment. But as the team met a succession of unhelpful pitches, Harris decided in concert with the Kings XI and Queensland coach Darren Lehmann that an early flight home was the best option."I knew anyway it wasn't going to be too bad, purely because I played at the end of the season here and then went over to play games over there," Harris said. "To be honest the reason I hadn't played since the 14th wasn't really to do with that, it was more about the make up of the team and the wickets we were playing on.Boof [Lehmann] had a think about it, I was a little bit more sore than I'd been at the end of the season. So the potential of me maybe only playing another three games, we got together and thought the best thing to do would be to come home and get right."Harris was delighted by both the renewal of his CA contract and the public statements of the captain Michael Clarke and the national selector John Inverarity that he had a key role to play in the Ashes if fit. He has resolved to repay that faith."It's very rewarding to know your captain and chairman of selectors back you and have a lot of confidence in you," Harris said. "That's why it's so important for me to get fit and play as many games as they need me to play. That's me repaying them for the faith they're putting in me."The last year has been terrible, and getting another CA contract for me is just another chance, and there's no better series to get that second chance than in an Ashes series. I'm that keen, that enthusiastic and that hungry to get back in that series, win the Ashes back and repay them."As for injury being Harris' almost constant companion, he admitted to wondering when he might be blessed with a clear six months in which to deliver the sort of high quality bowling that has made him respected by batsmen around Australia and the world."It's fair to say a few things go through my mind - someone upstairs has got to give me a decent run somehow before I finish," he said. "It's not as if I'm tearing hamstrings or calves, the things I'm doing are structural things, purely through what I do. You get to the stage where you get a niggle and push yourself through that until it becomes something else, and that's when you stop. You push yourself to the maximum every time you bowl."If you mindset gets negative then you've probably got to make the decision in calling it quits, but I'm not ready to do that yet. I'll do whatever I can to get right, especially for a series like England."

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe 2013 Shamsur, Razzak added to Bangladesh ODI squad

Abdur Razzak and Shamsur Rahman have been added to the Bangladesh ODI squad for the three-match series against Zimbabwe that begins on May 3. They will also be in the squad for the two Twenty20s which take place just after the ODI series.Shamsur is a right-handed top-order batsman who made his Twenty20 debut against Sri Lanka last month. He was adjudged leg-before, falling for a first-ball duck, though the decision looked dubious at the time. He scored heavily in this year's Bangladesh Premier League, making 421 runs in 12 matches. He also had a decent first-class season, averaging a shade below 36 and scoring one century. He is yet to make an ODI debut.Razzak has been a regular in the limited-overs squad, recently completing 200 ODI wickets. In his last ODI appearance, he took a five-for against Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo has learned that a total of three players will be returning to Dhaka after the second Test. Shahriar Nafees and Enamul Haque jnr are so far the only two confirmed while the third player will be decided later.

Spot-fixing Westfield endures third day of evidence

Mervyn Westfield has endured a third day in the witness box as Danish Kaneria's appeal against a lifetime ban from the game continues.Westfield, a hostile witness forced to attend the hearing after the ECB obtained a High Court summons, spent much of Monday giving evidence and was then cross-examined by Kaneria's legal team on Tuesday and Wednesday.Westfield's testimony was key when Kaneria was banned for life and charged £100,000 in costs by an ECB disciplinary panel in June 2012 for his part in the spot-fixing case involving. Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing Westfield, his former Essex team-mate, to underperform in a limited-overs game in 2009 and of bringing the game into disrepute. Westfield was jailed for his role in the case.ESPNcricinfo understands that Tony Palladino, a former Essex team-mate of Kaneria and Westfield, has been one of the other witnesses before appearing in the current round of Championship games. It was Palladino, now with Derbyshire, who provided the crucial evidence that led to the conviction and imprisonment of Westfield.

T20 cash hits Australian batting - Mark Taylor

Even as he performed his stage-managed role to add gravitas and happy history to Australia's Ashes squad announcement, the former captain Mark Taylor cut through the mystique to state how Twenty20's easy money had contributed to the national side's poverty of Test match batting options.Taylor and his successor Steve Waugh were present in Sydney to provide a Cricket Australia-approved reminder that teams past had flown to England with modest billing but returned home as heroes. The spirit of the 1989 Ashes tourists, unfancied almost as much as Michael Clarke's team but ultimately the inflictors of a right royal 4-0 hammering, was invoked as though a holy rite.But Taylor was blunt in saying the hunger of Australia's cricketers for Tests, particularly their batsmen, had been sapped by the riches on offer in T20, specifically at the IPL currently buzzing across the subcontinent. Frank and clear-eyed as ever, Taylor said no amount of wistful talk about baggy green caps and representing one's country could counter the cash on offer to players prepared to forego their best batting technique in order to chase sixes and switch-hits in India."If you look at the IPL and the money that's going around there, that's got to be a big influence I think. As much as they all say 'Test cricket's the No. 1', a million dollars is very distracting," Taylor told ESPNcricinfo. "You look at Glenn Maxwell getting US$1 million to go play in the IPL and he's not even playing. How do you compete with that?"How do you tell a young player making the next Australian Test team is more important? Knock back an IPL contract and spend two years working on your batting technique to get in for a Test match, and throw away $2 million? It's easier said than done." There was some disquiet earlier this month when the list of CA contracts omitted numerous Ashes aspirants, partly due to a system that recognises all formats. Taylor said the system had improved a good deal since 1989, or even the late 1990s, when an industrial dispute with the board pushed the players to the brink of a strike. But he still doubted how any national contract could now dissuade a young player from considering the IPL's riches ahead of Test cricket's more archaic sense of loyalty.  "Trent Bridge and Lord's, the first two Tests, are very important," Taylor said. "If you go back to '89 we won at Headingley where no one gave us a chance, then we won at Lord's. All of a sudden you're 2-0 up. If Australia can start something like that, it will start with someone like David Warner or Phil Hughes, or Cowan, or Watson, making 150, a big score."At Headingley I made 136, Steve made 177 and AB [Allan Border] made a quickfire 66. It'll start with someone almost out of the blue making a big score and saying 'we're here to compete'. That's what this side needs to do. Look at Warner, Watson, Cowan, Hughes. Four opening batsmen really, they're all averaging in the 30s. That won't get it done. One or two of them over there have got to average 70 in this series or more.

Salman Butt ready to begin rehabilitation process

Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, has indicated his availability to the PCB to take part in an anti-corruption rehabilitation program, ESPNcricinfo has learned. Butt met with Pakistan board officials hours after Dave Richardson, the ICC's chief executive, urged him and Mohammad Asif to cooperate with the authorities over their involvement in spot-fixing.The PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, had already hinted at a route back for the banned trio - Butt, Asif and Mohammad Amir - after they have served their bans. Butt met with PCB officials at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday and offered to complete the anti-corruption education programme, which he is required to participate in to avoid a further five-year suspended sentence becoming active.Ashraf has given a clear indication that the players are free to try and rebuild their careers in the Pakistan domestic game - once their suspensions have been served - but warned against further transgressions.Butt, 28, appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a reduction in his five-year (plus five suspended) ban but the plea was dismissed after the panel wasn't persuaded that the sanction imposed by the ICC's independent tribunal was disproportionate. Butt, however, is optimistic about his future in the game and believes he can make a return to professional cricket after serving the remaining two years and four months of his ban. He will be 30 when the suspension is complete in August 2015.The independent anti-corruption tribunal, chaired by Michael Beloff QC, found Butt, Asif and Amir guilty of charges relating to spot-fixing at the Lord's Test match between England and Pakistan in August 2010. In addition, Butt was also found guilty of breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code by failing to report an approach made to him by Mazhar Majeed to engage in corrupt activity during The Oval Test match earlier in the same month.All three were suspended in February 2011 and later given custodial sentences after being tried in the English courts. Butt served seven months of a 30-month prison sentence, Asif was released from prison after serving half of a year-long sentence, while Amir spent three months in a young offenders' institution after admitting his charge at a pre-trial hearing.

IPL 2013 Counter sledging through performance - Richards

Viv Richards, the former West Indies captain who is also the Delhi Daredevils ambassador, has said it's important to be confrontational in cricket against sledging and "bullying" tactics, but through performance.When faced with a situation where a player is "standing at the crease with guys swearing at you, telling you all sorts of things about your parenthood…if you've got good substance, your presence at the crease will be enough," Richards was quoted as saying in Times of India. "You have got to think you are the man, having your chest and chin up and never taking a backward step. One has to try and exhibit what batsmanship is all about. When you score a hundred, it's going to hurt a bowler more than anything else."There are times you have to be confrontational. There are some bullies in cricket and nobody should be allowed to bully anyone. For me, if you confront me, I'll finish the confrontation myself."Richards praised Chris Gayle for his destructive batting, the most recent example being his unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors, but said even Gayle "plays the bluff" sometimes when he builds an innings gradually. "Gayle realises that being destructive as he is, there is a need to dash all the time. Sometimes he takes his time to play his way in and makes up for it later. I am sure Gayle plays the bluff a few times."While he's there in the middle the fielders are sweating all the time, wondering when he is going to just go. I believe it's like stopping at a traffic light - when it gets to green you have the chance to put the foot on the pedal."Richards said he would always have a player like Virender Sehwag in his side. "They (players like Sehwag) may not get going all the time but when they do they can make up for all the losses."There was no T20 cricket in Richards' time but had he had a chance, he said, "In this format the best batsmen should play the most overs. I would have liked to open the batting, but would not take the first ball for sure. I like to take a look from the other end."

Faulkner prepared for extra batting responsibility

First and foremost, James Faulkner is a bowler: 111 Sheffield Shield wickets in the past three summers attest to that. But depending on the balance Australia's selectors want from the side during the Ashes, and contingent also on the form of the senior allrounder Shane Watson, Faulkner could find himself shouldering extra batting responsibility in his first Test series. There is even the possibility that at some point during the tour he could be used as a fifth bowler batting as high as No.7.That might seem a stretch, but based on his first-class batting for Tasmania in the past summer it is not an absurd scenario. As well as collecting 39 Shield wickets at 20.33 on his way to a third consecutive Ricky Ponting Medal as his state's best player, Faulkner also finished the Shield season 15th on the competition run tally, having scored 444 runs at 34.15, including 89 in the final against Queensland.Consider the list of batsmen who could have been vying for Test selection, yet scored fewer runs at a lower average: George Bailey (256 at 18.28), Rob Quiney (295 at 26.81), Michael Klinger (330 at 19.41), David Hussey (358 at 23.86), Adam Voges (388 at 25.86) and Peter Forrest (395 at 19.75). That might say more about the parlous state of batting in Australia's domestic competition than about Faulkner, who it must be said is yet to score a first-class hundred, but all the same his was a fine summer with bat and ball."I'd definitely be comfortable to bat at No.7," Faulkner said. "Whenever you can slot into an Australian team I think you're pretty happy to play wherever you can. It was a reasonably successful year last year with the bat for Tasmania. Hopefully I can make a few big scores, that's what I'm aiming to do at the moment."Wickets, though, are Faulkner's stock in trade. He has been consistent enough over the past three seasons to collect Shield wicket tallies of 36, 36 and 39, and although he might not have the express pace of some Australian fast bowlers, his movement of the ball and accuracy have made him a dangerous prospect, and not just at Bellerive Oval - his average is below 22 at five different first-class venues around Australia."All the wickets around Australia are quite different," Faulkner said. "I'm based at Bellerive and people say you're bowling at Bellerive and there's a bit more grass there and so you'll take more wickets. But in fact if you look at all of our bowlers back home, I think all of us have been averaging the same at Bellerive as away from Bellerive."I just sum up the conditions as they are and just be consistent. I have a lot more confidence in my body. I'm [nearly] 23 now and I have more confidence in my body and can get through longer spells."The Australian selectors like not only Faulkner's figures, but his attitude. The national selector John Inverarity this week referred to Faulkner as "a very competitive cricketer who gets things done". Over the past few months that included not only giving Chris Gayle a send-off during an ODI in Canberra, which cost him 10% of his match fee, but also steering Tasmania to the Shield title with a Man of the Match performance."I like to think I'm a pretty strong competitor on the field and off the field I'm a pretty relaxed sort of character," Faulkner said. "Definitely when the game is on the line or the game is in full flight I like to think I'm pretty aggressive in the way I play and get on the front foot instead of being dictated to."Although the Ashes tour will be Faulkner's first trip to England, he has already gained some overseas experience thanks to his IPL duties for three different teams. A talented limited-overs player who has played T20 and one-day cricket for his country, Faulkner sold for $400,000 to the Rajasthan Royals this year but has not let the shortest format seduce him at the expense of first-class cricket."I've always tried to be as consistent as I can in Twenty20, one-day cricket and four-day cricket and not specifically have a focus on any of the three," he said. "I look at [the IPL] as a bit of an opportunity to progress my cricket on different grounds, different wickets, and in India it doesn't get any harder. There's lots of positives you can take away from playing in different countries. You gain experience pretty fast.

Chris Gayle's approach a lesson for Sehwag, says Vivian Richards

Vivian Richards feels Virender Sehwag still has a lot to offer Indian cricket, but needs to plan his innings better to score big runs more consistently.Richards, who is the brand ambassador and advisor of Delhi Daredevils, gave Sehwag a morale boost saying the Indian opener, currently sidelined from the national team due to an acute shortage of runs, still has a lot to provide to Team India.In a recent interview, Richards said: "We all know that Sehwag is a magnificent player. What has happened to him can happen to the best of players. But I will always have him in my team."Richards made a massive impact on the Delhi team upon his arrival in India. Words of advice from the Caribbean legend helped Sehwag gain confidence, as the Delhi opener smashed a quickfire 57-ball 95 to help Daredevils upset Mumbai Indians by nine wickets and register their first win of Indian Premier League 2013.Sehwag was quick to thank Richards, revealing how the 61-year-old former master blaster had taught him to "bluff" the opposition bowlers even if he is out of form.Interestingly, veteran journalist Ayaz Memon remembers Richards, a mercurial Antiguan whose mental strength often put the best of bowlers off track.Memon recounts a "bluffing" incident in an article in the Deccan Chronicle as follows: "The story goes that during Packer's World Series Cricket, Aussie paceman Len Pascoe bowled a snorter which almost knocked Richards's head off. He then walked up to the batsman and feigned a sign of the cross on his head. If Richards was flustered, he didn't show it. On the contrary, he stopped Pascoe in his run-up next delivery, walked up to the bowler and drew a cross on his head this time. But this was no simple tit-for-tat."Memon continues: "The next ball was hit out of the park for six! From a sports psychology point of view, bluff and bluster are effective antidotes, to pressure and crises, of confidence. Most contests in sport can be reduced to a clash of personalities and who blinks first. But this only works if the player concerned has unimpeachable ability: like Richards or Sehwag."Richards now wants Sehwag to follow Gayle, whose "responsible" approach to batting has impressed even the purists like Sunil Gavaskar and Dean Jones. Like Gayle, Sehwag wants to hit sixes, but Richards advises caution as well."When I mean you bluff the opposition, it's about changing your approach a little bit. Gayle loves to hit sixes from the first ball but there are times when he waits for a certain period of time before attacking."I want Viru to do that. Take a few singles and stay there. Because when players like Gayle and Sehwag stay for a longer period of time, the bowling side starts sweating a little. They are apprehensive about when these guys will have a go," Richards said."It's like driving. When you see a red light, you have got to stop and wait. Again when you see the green light, you set your foot on the pedal and accelerate," added Richards.On a lighter note, Richards has been in awe of Gayle's fabulous form. When asked to react on Gayle's world record 175 not out earlier this week, Richards told NDTV: "Just give spectators helmets to wear."

IPL 6: Home favourites Rajasthan Royals take on 'jolted' Sunrisers Hyderabad

Jaipur:  Beaten in their past two away outings, Rajasthan Royals would be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their own den in a Pepsi IPL league match at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Saturday.The fact that Rajasthan Royals have won all of their three matches here will give them the confidence to put behind the defeats in away matches against the strong Chennai Super kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.The hosts can take heart from the fact that they went down fighting against the two strongest teams in tournament who are currently holding the top two positions on the points table.Among the positives from these defeats for Rajasthan is Shane Watson, who was impressive with the ball and also hit a power-packed ton against CSK.The batting, which had looked brittle against Bangalore, could post a huge 185 for 4 against a strong CSK mainly due to the efforts of the Australian opener who stepped down as the vice-captain of his national team.Watson will be once again be a vital cog in the scheme of things against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.Skipper Rahul Dravid feels that it would be important to see how his men put behind the defeat in previous two matches and come out strongly on home turf.
The batting for the hosts looks good with Shane Watson firing and the likes of Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane providing them the much-needed solidity. Brad Hodge, Stuart Binny and Dishant Yagnik have also come good when required of them.The bowling too has more options now with Watson having recovered from injury and looking eager to establish himself again as a genuine all-rounder.James Faulkner and Sidharth Trivedi have been consistent but the mercurial S Sreesanth has not lived up to the expectations. The hosts have also used spinners Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan as surprise weapon.On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lost to CSK in their previous match, have been more dependent on their bowling but with Shikhar Dhawan back in the team and hitting a fluent 63, their batting too has strengthened.Though skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Parthiv Patel have not been among runs even though Ashish Reddy, Thisara Perera, Cameron White and Darren Sammy are all capable of raising a good total.The strength of the visitors has been their bowling led by the South African speedster Dale Steyn.Along with him, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Perera, who have shared 42 wickets among them so far, have been able to restrict the opposition more often then not.The emergence of Amit Mishra, who has 14 wickets in his bag, as a useful all-rounder has added to their strength.The match between the these two teams will be a crucial one as around half-way mark, Rajasthan are fourth with eight points from seven matches, while the Sunrisers are currently third with 10 points in their kitty from eight matches.
The Teams (from):
Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, S Sreesanth, Shaun Tait, Siddharth Trivedi, Shane Watson, Dishant Yagnik, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Kevon Cooper, Fidel Edwards, James Faulkner, Shreevats Goswami, Samuel Badree, Harmeet Singh, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Vikramjeet Malik, Kumar Boresa, Ashok Menaria, Kusal Perera, Sachin Baby, Sanju Samson, Owais Shah, Rahul Shukla, Amit Singh, Pravin Tambe.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Dale Steyn, Akshat Reddy, Ashish Reddy, DB Ravi Teja, Nathan McCullum, Anand Rajan, Biplab Samantray, Chris Lynn, Darren Sammy, Karan Sharma, Prasant Padmanabhan, Sachin Rana, Shikhar Dhawan, Sandeep Tyagi, T Sargunam, Veer Pratap Singh, Ankit Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Cameron White, GH Vihari, Thisara Perera, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma.

Statistical highlights: Mumbai maintain formidable record against Kolkata

Mumbai Indians have won nine and lost two out of eleven contested against Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL - winning % 81.81.Mumbai Indians have won four out of five played against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata - winning % 80.00 - by 7 wickets on April 29, 2008; by 5 wickets on May 22, 2011, by 27 runs on May 12, 2012 and by five wickets on April 24, 2012. Kolkata's only win over Mumbai Indians at this venue is by 9 wickets on April 19,2010Mumbai Indians' five-wicket win is their fourth in seven matches at the IPL this year while Kolkata have lost five and won two out of seven played.Rohit Sharma, with 45 catches in 85 matches, is the leading fielder at the IPL, bettering Suresh Raina's tally of 44 in 88 matches.Jacques Kallis (37) has taken his runs' tally against Mumbai Indians at the IPL to 379 at an average of 42.11 in eleven matches - a record by any batsman against Mumbai Indians, surpassing Virender Sehwag's tally of 375 (ave.41.66) in ten matches.Manoj Tiwary has recorded the 250th six of the IPL 2013. Gautam Gambhir (26) took his aggregate to 2351 at an average of 34.07 in 79 matches - the second highest at the IPL next only to Suresh Raina's 2390 at an average of 32.73 in 88 matches. Gambhir has managed 286 runs (ave.40.85) in seven matches - the most by a Kolkata player at the IPL 2013. Eoin Morgan, with 194 runs at an average of 32.33 in seven games, has the next best tally for Kolkata in the present competition.# Smith has got his fourth Man of the Match award at the IPL - two against Rajasthan and one each against Kolkata and Chennai. Sunil Narine's figures of 14 wickets at 11.35 runs apiece in seven matches are the best by a bowler at the IPL 2013. Vinay Kumar has the next best figures - 13 at 17.84 in eight matches.Narine has bagged 38 wickets at 12.71 runs apiece in 22 matches - the most by a Kolkata bowler at the IPL. Rohit Sharma, with 264 runs at an average of 52.80 in seven matches, is the leading run-getter for Mumbai Indians at the IPL 2013Rohit has recorded 17 sixes - the second best tally in the IPL 2013, next only to Chris Gayle's 34.

IPL 2013: Kings XI Punjab feel that Kolkata Knight Riders are tough to beat at home

Kolkata:  While they managed to sneak in a four run victory in their last encounter, Kings XI Punjab are aware that beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home will be a tough proposition."We managed to get across the line against KKR the last time at home. But obviously they are a very good side and tough to beat at home. It's them who have got the home advantage. It's a tough road trip for us," Punjab coach Darren Lehmann said here on Thursday on the eve of their IPL game on Friday.The Punjab franchise, fifth in the points table with four wins, take on a struggling KKR at the Eden Gardens. The home team with just two wins from seven matches is placed seventh.With an out of form Mumbai Indian skipper Ricky Ponting opting out in Wednesday's match against KKR for the "sake of his team", Lehmann was asked whether King's captain Adam Gilchrist would walk the same path following a prolonged form slump."I don't know about him, you'll have to ask him. He is captain and has led really well and kept very well. Obviously we want some more runs from him. It's been well-documented. Even he would like to hit more runs. We will have to wait and see," said Lehmann.Gilchrist has managed just 67 runs from seven innings at an embarrassing average of 9.57 runs in the ongoing edition of IPL.The Kings have already suffered a blow with exciting batsman Shaun Marsh unfit to play in Friday's match.The coach was also all praise for batter Mandeep Singh who has been in good form and scored a crucial unbeaten 77 to help his side beat Pune Warriors India in a high scoring game."Mandeep is a very good player. The big challenge for him is to be more consistent and make runs every time he plays. He has been very good for us in the last few games. If he keeps doing that, he has a great future," said the Australian.Lehmann said the fate of the match against Kolkata depended upon the ability of the bowlers to adapt to the situations.

Ray Jennings predicts 'big comeback' into Team India for Jaydev Unadkat

Mumbai:  Young left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has impressed Ray Jennings with his performance in the IPL and the chief coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore is confident that the Saurashtra bowler would stage a comeback into the Indian team."I think he is going to make a big comeback into Indian cricket in the next 18 months. (He has) a very professional workside. He puts his body on the line when he fields. (He is) a lovely person to work with," said Jennings ahead of RCB's next IPL match against Mumbai Indians here on Saturday.The 21- year old Porbander-born Unadkat has played only one Test without taking a wicket at Centurion in South Africa three years ago.Jennings said injured batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, out of cricket action with a broken index finger sustained in the fourth and last Test against Australia last month, was still in the rehab mode and is expected to join RCB in the first week of May."Anywhere between first and sixth of May. He is staying in Bangalore and is going to obviously start hitting balls. Once he feels he wants to join the side, we will put him in and he will join us in net practice," said Jennings.The RCB chief coach credited his bowlers also, apart from Chris Gayle, skipper Virat Kohli and A B de Villiers, for the good position his team finds itself in (12 points from eight matches) mid-way through the league phase of the T20 tournament."The media has been speaking about our batting. The media has taken the focus off our bowling. The focus has been about Gayle and Kohli and de Villiers. But look at Vinay Kumar. He had got the purple cap (13 wickets in 8 games) and R P Singh has been up in the top there."

MS Dhoni completes 2000 runs in IPL, against Hyderabad

Chennai vs Hyderabad Chennai Super Kings became the second team after Bangalore to register six wins in eight games at the IPL 6.Chennai Super Kings have won five games while chasing in the present edition - one each against Punjab, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata. Chennai became the first team to register four successive wins at the IPL 2013. Michael Hussey took his runs' tally to 350 at an average of 70.00 in seven games - the second highest in the IPL 2013, next only to the 432 (ave.108.00) in eight matches by Chris Gayle. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unbeaten 67 is his highest score at the IPL 2013 - his second half century in the present competition. The said fifty is the 40th at the IPL 2013. Dhoni is the first player to complete 2000 runs as captain at the IPL  his aggregate being 2017 (ave.37.35), including eleven fifties, in 86 matches. Dhoni is the eighth batsman to manage 2000 runs at the IPL.Dhoni is the first captain/wickekeeper to complete the double of 2000 runs and fifty dismissals (53) at the IPL Dhoni has received his eighth Man of the Match award at the IPL.Murali Vijay is averaging 17.42 - his aggregate being 122 in eight innings at a strike rate of 93.84.Sunrisers Hyderabad (159/6) have posted their second highest score at the IPL - the highest being 161 for six against RCB at Bangalore on April 9, 2013.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with Cameron Whte's catch, took his 65th as wicketkeeperhis100thdismissalaswicketkeeper to complete the double of 3000 runs (3133) and 100 dismissals inTwenty20. His overall dismissals in Twenty20 are 70 catches + 35 stumpings. Dhoni is the third wicketkeeper to complete 100 dismissals or more in Twenty20, joining Kamran Akmal (132) and Kumar Sangakkara (101)Shikhar Dhawan's unbeaten 63 off 45 balls is the highest individual innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL, eclipsing the 52 by Cameron White against RCB at Bangalore on April 9, 2013. Dhawan is the first Sunrisers Hyderabad player to hit ten fours in an IPL innings. Dhawan's aforesaid innings is his highest against Chennai at the IPL. In ten innings against Chennai, he has managed 311 runs at an average of 38.87, including three fifties.Dhawan's unbeaten 63 is his 14th innings of fifty or more at the IPL - his 17th in Twenty20.Ashish Reddy's unbeaten 36 off 16 balls is his career-best in Twenty20. For the first time in an IPL innings, he has recorded three sixes.Dhawan and Reddy were involved in an unbroken stand of 43 - Sunrisers Hyderabad's highest at the IPL.Dwayne Bravo is the first Chennai bowler to take 14 wickets (ave.16.64) in eight matches in the present competition. Sunil Narine was the first bowler to bag 14 wickets at 11.35 runs apiece in six IPL games this season.Amit Mishra is the third bowler to complete 14 wickets in the present edition of the IPL - his average being 13.78. Mishra (88 at an average of 19.57 in 67 matches) has emulated Malinga's tally of 88 at an average of 17.09 in 61 matches. Both share a record for capturing most wickets at the IPL. Karan Sharma has produced an economy rate of 2.00 - the best in a four-over spell in the IPL 2013.Suresh Raina has become the first batsman to aggregate 1000 runs at Chepauk or for that matter at any venue - 1014 at an average of 31.69 in 37 matches.

IPL 2013: Dhoni, Fleming relieved with win, but want bowling effort to improve

Chennai Super Kings love the thrill of last-over finishes and yet again, MS Dhoni (37-ball 67) led CSK to a 5-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on Thursday night."We conceded too many runs in the last few overs of the Hyderabad innings," said Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony, after Hyderabad had amassed 159/6 in their first innings.Dhoni also collected the Man of the Match award for taking his side home with two balls to spare but was disappointed with his sides' bowling. "I thought the bowlers didn't do a very good job at the death. We need to start learning how to bowl yorkers.""We seem to make it harder for ourselves," he added. "It's not just about me. It was an entire team performance. We did not perform with the ball but came back strongly as a batting unit."CSK coach Stephen Fleming was relieved as opposed to pleased with the victory and said there were a lot of areas his side could work on. "We did a few things badly tonight," said Fleming after the victory. "We probably didn't deserve to win but brute force and great hitting got us home in the end."Chennai sit second in the points table, level on points with top-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore. "I am happy with getting two points on the board but our performances will have to improve as the tournament reaches the latter stages," added Fleming.

Peter Moores selection

              We're really excited about that," said Moores. "He's been training with us and it's great to have him around.Testament to the lads that were picked - they've been playing very well, and we also know that we've left two or three players out who are playing very well. It will be exciting to put him back in that team. Who we put him in for is another question, but he'll play.Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, he added: "It's the toughest side I've ever picked. I don't think I've ever left Tom Smith out when he's been fully fit, and also Stephen Moore didn't play and he's been playing well.England team-mates Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Joe Root will also be playing Championship cricket this week in preparation for the home series against New Zealand, which begins on Lord's on 16 May. The 2011 champions, who are aiming to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt, began their Division Two campaign with a creditable draw against Worcestershire.

Durham hoping

              The game sees the first return to his former county of seam bowler Liam Plunkett, who left Durham for Yorkshire at the end of last season.Cook, who has named an unchanged squad for the fixture, will be looking for more runs from Durham's top order after a collective failure in both innings against Warwickshire.Middlesbrough-born Plunkett said he was looking forward to playing against his former team-mates.Between them, batsmen Mark Stoneman, Keaton Jennings, Will Smith and Dale Benkenstein have scored a total of just 99 runs so far this season.He told the Yorkshire website:  "It will be good to play against my old friends and I'm certainly up for it. I feel like I'm bowling nicely at the minute, so physically and mentally I'm in a good place.Irrespective of who you play, the same formulas still stand and you have to make sure you get your own act together rather than worrying about anyone else.It's good competition and tough work on the field, but I'm sure I'll be having a bite to eat with some of them off it. It's where I played all my county years, and it should be good fun.

IPL 2013: Injury forces Aussie quick Ryan Harris to return home

Australia's Ashes preparations have taken an early jolt as fast bowler and an important part in the team's wheel for England, Ryan Harris, has been dealt with a injury blow. According to reports, Harris, who was playing in the Indian Premier League for the Kings XI Punjab, has returned home to get his 'Achilles tendon injury' assessed.He played three matches for the Punjab side, grabbing just the solitary wicket and going for 6-an-over. The 33-year-old, who plays for Queensland in Australia's domestic circuit, has played 12 Tests so far and impressed with his pace and guile. In those matches, he has taken 47 wickets at 23.63 with an awesome strike-rate of 49.1.Reports say that he will be sidelined for up to two months, which definitely will hurt his Ashes preparations. Mitchell Starc, another injury concern for Australia, has been recovering from his ankle surgery too."I have to go to the IPL. I would rather go and bowl and train over there than just sit down,' Harris told Australian media before leaving for the IPL 2013."If I stop bowling or doing rehab for a week, I struggle to get up and going again.''Harris played three early IPL games for the Kings XI Punjab, also coached by his Queensland manager Darren Lehmann, but has pulled up since and missed the last few games.

Peter Moores selection

            

We're really excited about that, said Moores. "He's been training with us and it's great to have him around.Testament to the lads that were picked - they've been playing very well, and we also know that we've left two or three players out who are playing very well. It will be exciting to put him back in that team. Who we put him in for is another question, but he'll play.Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, he added: "It's the toughest side I've ever picked. I don't think I've ever left Tom Smith out when he's been fully fit, and also Stephen Moore didn't play and he's been playing well.England team-mates Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Joe Root will also be playing Championship cricket this week in preparation for the home series against New Zealand, which begins on Lord's on 16 May. The 2011 champions, who are aiming to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt, began their Division Two campaign with a creditable draw against Worcestershire.

Salman Butt asked

           

   ICC chief Dave Richardson said: "I would urge them to start the process of rebuilding their lives and reputations by apologising for their actions and meeting with ICC's anti-corruption officials to come clean.Richardson said: "The guilt of these men has now been established on three separate occasions, in three separate sets of proceedings and in three separate forums.We are pleased to note that the Cas panel rejected each and every one of the allegations that were made of prosecutorial misconduct by the ICC, and bias and incompetence on the part of the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal. The Cas decision also justifies all of ICC's ongoing anti-corruption efforts.  Butt, Asif and Pakistan team-mate Mohammad Amir were found to have deliberately bowled no-balls as part of a betting scam during the Lord's Test against England in August 2010. All three were subsequently convicted and jailed.The time has now come for them to stop misleading the members of the public, especially the supporters of the Pakistan cricket team, and to publicly accept their parts in this corrupt conspiracy.Butt is banned for 10 years by the ICC, with five years suspended, while Asif is banned for seven years, two of which are suspended. Amir has admitted his guilt, while Butt and Asif have always maintained their innocence.

Keith Barker will miss

             

The Bears captain had to leave the field on the first day after landing on it awkwardly while attempting to take a catch.We were a little bit aggrieved to have lost that time against Derbyshire, arguably a side who we thought we could beat, whereas a draw against Durham would not have been the worst result.Winter signing Oliver Hannon-Dalby returns after being left out for the Durham game.After missing the first three games of the new season for the county champions with a hamstring problem, Barker made 45 and took four wickets on his return in last week's win over Durham.Hannon-Dalby took five wickets on his Warwickshire debut against the MCC in Abu Dhabi, before claiming six more against the Oxford students in The Parks.After injuring himself in training, the former skipper has been replaced by young all-rounder Ateeq Javid, who took four wickets for the Second XI against Scotland on Wednesday.He then took his first Championship wicket for the Bears in the rain-affected, season-opening draw against Derbyshire.We thought that maybe we did not get enough and that we'd then let them get too many in reply, but we put that right, and it turned out to be a very good win.Fellow Bears paceman Chris Wright, the Bears' six-wicket second-innings hero against Durham on Saturday morning, says that it is the wicket-taking potential throughout the whole Warwickshire attack that is their strength.

John Mooney out of Ireland's

          

    Mooney, 31, will also be banned for two Irish Inter-Provincial matches.Cricket Ireland severely reprimanded" Mooney for the tweet in which he hoped that the former UK Prime Minister's death had been "slow and painful.However, he will be eligible for the second game against Pakistan on 26 May.However, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom described the comments as "crass, insensitive and offensive" and some form of disciplinary action was inevitable despite the player's apology.Mooney quickly apologised for his tweets after the controversy broke, admitting that they had been "offensive.

Chris Gayle hits fastest century

            

Gayle smashed 17 sixes and 13 fours in a 66-ball knock, beating Brendan McCullum of New Zealand's 158 not out.n November last year, Gayle became the first man to hit a six off the opening ball of a Test match - the left hander hit Bangladesh debutant Sohag Gazi for a maximum in the first Test in Dhaka.His Royal Challengers Bangalore side hit a T20 record 263-5 and beat Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.The fastest century in Test cricket belongs to Gayle's fellow West Indian batsman Viv Richards, who needed 56 balls to achieve the feat against England in Antigua in 1986.That score eclipsed the previous best of 260, set by Sri Lanka against Kenya in Johannesburg in September 2007. Gayle also took two wickets late in the Pune innings as they scored 133-9 in reply, with Royal Challengers winning by 130 runs.

Jimmy Adams ton puts

           

   He was well supported by Michael Carberry (62) and James Vince (52) as Hampshire ended the day on 366-6.Richardson also held onto the catch that got rid of Vince, who was looking for a third successive century, having already made tons against Loughborough MCCU and Leicestershire this season.Moeen Ali claimed three wickets with his off spin, but the visitors' best bowler was once again Alan Richardson.Vince also made a hundred in the final first-class match of last season against Division Two champions Derbyshire.As ever, Worcestershire's most used bowler had to wait until the 22nd over of the day, half an hour before the close, until he claimed his first wicket.Adams batted throughout the first day to finish on 150, registering his 17th first-class hundred just before tea.But figures of 1-45 from 25 overs were as tidy as ever from the old warhorse, who is now only 10 short of 200 first-class wickets of Worcestershire, in only his fourth season.

David Willey stars

              

   Gloucestershire were indebted to Cameron Herring (43) and Jack Taylor (31), who put on 48 in 14 overs, to push their total to 192 all out.The hosts never looked settled and stumbled to 111-7 as Willey took 4-71 and Steven Crook 3-47.Stephen Peters (34) and Kyle Coetzer (24) had earlier put on 41 for the first wicket.Northants reduced the deficit to 85 on 107-3 at stumps with Alex Wakely on 23 and Rob Newton 14 not out.

Hosts falter after Gary Wilson

           

  Sussex seamer James Anyon took 3-69, while Vikram Solanki (51) hit his first half century for his new side.Wilson's dismissal led to a Sussex revival in the final session as overcast conditions and the second new ball helped the visitors pick up four wickets for 30 runs.The former Worcestershire captain shared a third-wicket stand of 118 with Wilson, who compiled the second first-class century of his career.With the hosts on 247-3, Wilson's downfall for 124 then sparked a collapse as they lost four wickets for only 30 runs.Wilson arrived at the crease after Smith had gloved a brutal lifting delivery from James Anyon to Sussex keeper Ben Brown.South Africa captain Graeme Smith was dismissed for three and is yet to reach double figures this summer.The Irishman had expected to go in at seven, but was promoted to three just before the start of the innings, after Arun Harinath was struck on the hand in the nets.

James Anderson helps

          

  Kent's main resistance came from Powell and Brendan Nash (50), who made his third successive half-century.Anderson (2-48), in his first Championship game since last May, got rid of Mike Powell (57) and Matt Coles after going wicketless for 18 overs.Nash and Powell frustrated their hosts for most of the afternoon, enjoying a 70-run stand before off-spinner Steven Croft caught Nash lbw just before tea.The Lancashire bowlers know their pitch and they have got control of the match at the moment.I enjoyed batting with Nashy, but it was tough going out there said Powell.

Tim Bresnan stakes

             

Joe Root (30 not out) impressed in reply, but Andrew Gale (25) went to the day's final ball with Yorkshire 57-3.Onions, one of Bresnan's rivals for a place in the England squad against New Zealand, forced Adam Lyth to play on from his fourth delivery and then ran out Phil Jaques after Root set off for a run, then changed his mind, before returning later to end a 44-run stand between Root and Gale by having the latter leg-before.Durham were looking for an improved batting performance after their top four contributed only 99 runs between them in their opening two games and although Jennings and Mark Stoneman were both back in the dressing room with only eight runs on the board, the third-wicket stand between Smith and Benkenstein provided some encouragement.Bresnan, now fit after elbow surgery , bowled Keaton Jennings with his first ball as Durham's openers went cheaply.It was ended by pace bowler Bresnan, making his first Championship appearance of the summer, who had Smith caught at long leg by Ryan Sidebottom and then removed Ben Stokes in the same over, before bowling former England team-mate Paul Collingwood with an inswinging delivery for a duck.Will Smith (42) and Dale Benkenstein (40) added 86, but they were all out for 237 despite 70 from Phil Mustard.Durham slumped to 112-7, but Mustard oversaw a partial recovery, hitting a six and nine fours, with support from Callum Thorp (21) and Graham Onions (27) to eke out a batting point before he was last man out, bowled by leg-spinner Adil Rashid in his 100th first-class match.

Stuart Broad shines

        

  Broad took his first wicket in his third over of the day when he trapped Wayne Madsen lbw for nine.Andre Adams accounted for Wes Durston before the Notts man limped off the field with a suspected calf injury with one ball remaining of his eighth over.Broad, set to play against New Zealand next month, helped reduce Derbyshire to 75-6 after Billy Godleman's 31.After Broad saw off Godleman and Dan Redfern, Gurney got rid of Ross Whiteley and David Wainwright in successive overs, but veteran Chanderpaul and Jonathan Clare (49) held up Notts for nearly 24 overs, putting on 96 for the seventh wicket.Notts faced 11 overs before the close, reaching 28-0 and trailing by 228 runs. Palladino hit seven fours in his innings before becoming the fourth catch of the innings for wicketkeeper Chris Read.Chanderpaul (87 not out) frustrated Notts, but Harry Gurney (4-86) mopped up the tail as the hosts were dismissed for 256, despite Tony Palladino's 39.Openers Ed Cowan - named in Australia's Ashes squad to tour England earlier in the day - and Alex Hales saw Notts to the close without any real alarm.

Chris Rogers says comparisons

           

  The Middlesex skipper was a surprise selection in the Ashes squad, which was named on Wednesday morning, but he has a proven track record in English conditions, scoring 9,375 first-class runs at an average of 54.19 for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Middlesex.Since the break-up of that team, Australia have slipped from number one in the world to fourth in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings behind South Africa, England and India, and suffered a 4-0 series whitewash in India last month. There has been some things said and some mickey-taking - I suggest most people haven't played against Australia and don't know what it's like to face them.The majority of players from Australia's all-conquering side of the early 2000s have retired from international cricket during the last six or seven years, including their two greatest wicket-takers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, fast bowler Brett Lee and middle-order fixtures Ponting, Hussey and Damien Martyn.But former England seamer Angus Fraser, who is Rogers's managing director of cricket at Middlesex, has warned that it would be dangerous to write off Australia's chances of regaining the Ashes.Aussie captain Michael Clarke is the only remaining regular from that era, and only five of the current squad have played Test cricket in England.

Jordan Clark

           

  Clark joined Lancashire's academy in 2008 and, after making his one-day debut for the first team in 2010, he was part of the Second XI Trophy-winning side last season.I just remember a lot of the lads were cheering and there was a lot of noise in the dressing room.The Whitehaven-born youngster is yet to make his County Championship debut for the Red Rose county, but has featured in five one-day and nine Twenty20 matches.Clark, who finished the day 70 not out to help Lancashire to a lead of 64 with five first-innings wickets remaining, hopes his feat can help him to cement a first XI place.He told BBC Sport: "I was batting against spin, the wicket wasn't a massive turner. I thought I needed to step it up a little bit.South Africa opener Gibbs's feat at the 2007 World Cup was the first time it had been achieved in international cricket, while India all-rounder Yuvraj joined the select group at the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 later that year - with England's Stuart Broad the unlucky bowler.I hit the first few pretty well, had a chat to my team-mate and I just carried on really.Sobers and Shastri's accomplishments came in domestic first-class cricket, the latter for Bombay.He added: "I put them all the same way, over leg. I thought he was going to try to mix it up, especially the last two balls but they just landed in the same spot.

Brad Haddin as vice-captain

           

  His inclusion means there is no place for left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, who has taken 35 wickets in nine Tests against England. He is one of five players omitted from the squad which went to India.Rogers, who scored only four and 15 in his solitary Test to date against India in Perth, has considerable experience of English conditions. He is the current captain of Middlesex, having also played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northants. The result was unacceptable and the players, coaches, support staff and NSP are smarting from those performances and are galvanised to ensure that we play tough, competitive cricket throughout the Ashes.Haddin was replaced by Matthew Wade for last year's home series against South Africa, which the tourists won 1-0 courtesy of a 309-run victory in the final Test in Perth.He has also captured eight wickets at 26.37 in five one-day internationals and four wickets at 17.50 in three Twenty20 matches for Australia.The veteran gloveman, who averages 35 with the bat in his 44 Tests, returned to the team for the third Test in India after Wade was injured, but lost his place again for the final match of the series.Having lost the first two Tests in India, Australia coach Mickey Arthur asked each member of his squad to produce, by email or in person, three ideas about how the team could improve but Watson, Johnson, Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson failed to respond and were dropped for the third Test.There is also room in the squad for 25-year-old Wade. In 12 Tests, he has averaged 34 with the bat, including two centuries.

Chris Gayle he's too good

               

I'm privileged that I watched it here live," said Virat Kohli, captain of Gayle's Royal Challengers Bangalore side. "All the people who came to the stadium today should feel honoured that they got to see one of the best innings ever.He has scored a record 11 Twenty20 tons, six more than New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum and Australia opener David Warner, who have both played a higher number of matches.If awe was the order of the day, few who witnessed Gayle's pyrotechnics either live or on television will have been surprised by what they saw.And in six seasons in the IPL, he has hit more sixes (163) and more hundreds (four) than anyone else at an astonishing average of 55.90.Over the years, Gayle has displayed such an appetite for the game's shortest form that is tempting to speculate that he played a part in its inception in English county cricket almost exactly 10 years ago.While Gayle's attacking style makes him ideally suited to limited-overs cricket - he has played Twenty20 domestic cricket in six different countries - he has also produced some memorable moments for West Indies in the Test arena, showing an ability to adapt his style to the state of the match.Tall, powerful and blessed with impeccable timing, Gayle scored the first century in Twenty20 internationals when he reached 117 from 57 balls against South Africa in the first game of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament in 2007.

Northants ponder move

        

   He's someone I know [head coach] David Ripley is looking at, along with one or two others at the moment, Smith told Radio Northampton.My understanding is he doesn't want to play [four-day] county cricket, he wants to play T20. [But] He's likely to have some involvement with the Australia one-day team after the Ashes.Northants had hoped to bring in Johnson's fellow countryman Shaun Marsh as their second overseas T20 player alongside Cameron White, who has already been confirmed for the competition's start in June.Johnson, currently playing for Mumbai in the Indian Premier League, is best known for his quick left-arm bowling, but has shown ability with the bat in the past.However, batsman Marsh turned down an offer from Northants, forcing the club to look elsewhere.Mitchell's a good all-round cricketer. He has a Test hundred and he hits a pretty hard ball in white-ball cricket. We feel the balance of someone of that ilk would be considered.We're following up our next in line," said Smith. "I think most people are aware that with Mitchell Johnson having not been selected for Australia, clearly he has become a candidate for a number of counties for T20.

New Delhi

 The Asia Cup cricket tournament will be held in Bangladesh for the second time in a row after India, who had earlier agreed to host the 2014 edition, backed out citing a packed international schedule.Bangladesh had hosted the last edition of the tournament in 2012.The likely dates for the tournament will be February 24 to March 8.The decision was taken at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) board meeting on April 8 in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report.It is said that India informed the other ACC members that they were trying to finalise the itinerary for the New Zealand tour, scheduled to be held in February-March next year.But Bangladesh, in order to host the tournament, is learnt to have agreed to postpone a scheduled tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan around the same time.There is a possibility that the dates could be changed again as the BCCI have been trying to convince New Zealand Cricket for two Tests, two ODIs and two T20Is, which will enable India to compete in the Asia Cup .The ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) has India scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a single Twenty20 international.(livescore2day)

Kevin Pietersen ruled out

             

He could be back by mid-June, with the first Ashes Test beginning on 10 July.England coach Andy Flower said recently that Pietersen needed "significant rest" in order to be fully fit for a busy 2013 schedule.The England & Wales Cricket Board said in a statement: "The scan has shown some improvement in the bruising to the bone that occurred in the build up to the Test series against New Zealand in February.Following the home New Zealand series, England host the Champions Trophy tournament and then compete in a five-Test Ashes series against Australia, beginning at Trent Bridge.However, Pietersen will not have recovered sufficiently in time for the one-day series against New Zealand beginning 31 May and the Champions Trophy which follows.Pietersen, 32, missed the third Test against New Zealand in March because of bruising on the bone and was already set to sit out the return Test series.Pietersen will now start a graduated rehabilitation program with a view to resuming full training by the middle of June.

Chris Rogers replacement

              

Australia play their first tour match against Somerset in the last week of June, with the first Ashes Test beginning on 10 July at Trent Bridge.Fraser confirmed he had spoken to Adam Voges, who will play for Middlesex in the FLt20 this summer, about the possibility of filling in for Rogers.Neil Dexter will replace Rogers as Middlesex's captain for the four-day game while the Sydney-born player is on duty with the national side.That has been part of our contingency and he is someone we have talked about in that position, he said. Chris's selection hasn't come totally by surprise," Fraser said. "You watch his performances, the fact he is continually one of the top run-scorers and the fact Australia's batsmen haven't exactly been piling on big scores.We're chuffed for him," Fraser said. "Everybody at the club is delighted for Chris and that we as a club have played a small role in that.He'll play our first eight Championship matches and hopefully YB40 cricket until the 22 or 23 of June.We want all our cricketers to fulfil their ambitions. He has an impressive first-class record and has had a positive effect at Middlesex.Hopefully the player we've got in mind will join up the next day. If it all goes according to plan it could dovetail nicely.

Mumbai Hold Thriller Against Kolkata

Kolkata: Mumbai Indians kept their nerve and eked out a crucial victory, by five wickets, in their needle contest against the Knight Riders in Kolkata on Wednesday.Their chances looked bleak after Kieron Pollard holed out in the deep off the first ball from Rajat Bhatia. But Harbhajan Singh smote a six off the third ball of the over and Ambati Rayudu hit a four off the fifth to ensure that Sachin Tendulkar's 40th birthday had a happy ending.Mumbai's charge was anchored by opener Dwayne Smith who scored 62 off 45 balls. Later, Rohit Sharma and Pollard also came up with handy contributions to keep Mumbai in sight of the target. The visitors were particularly severe on Lankan spinner S Senanayake who gave away 50 runs in his four overs. It cost the hosts dearly.Earlier, Kolkata managed 159 for 6 at a packed Eden Gardens. They had promised much more after Gautam Gambhir won a good toss and the Knights began in whirlwind fashion.Both teams made a change each. Mumbai skipper Ricky Ponting opted out to make way for left-arm pacer Mitchel Johnson. KKR dropped all-rounder LR Shukla for the left-arm spin of Iqbal Abdulla. If the hosts thus reposed faith in their stuttering batting, it certainly looked a smart move when the match started.Delayed half an hour by rain, it was a dramatic one as Yusuf Pathan and Gambhir clobbered Harbhajan Singh for 26 runs in the first over. But even as the terraces warmed up to a run-feast, Yusuf fell in the next over.Johnson, back in the playing eleven after sitting out against Daredevils, began with a wide but had Yusuf's footwork in no man's land with the next, and the edge went to Harbhajan at slip.Lasith Malinga could not evoke respect as Gambhir and Kallis kept up the momentum, and with Johnson soon stored up for the death overs, it was left to Pragyan Ohja to pull things back.The left-arm spinner, introduced amidst the storm, did it by the best method -- knocking off wickets. KKR had a competitive total, but they know they should have had more.Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and elected to bat.For KKR Iqbal Abdullah comes in for Laxmi Shulka.Big news from Kolkata, ie Rohit Sharma takes over as the captain of the Mumbai Indians side. Mitchell Johnson replace Ricky Ponting.Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rohit Sharma (captain), Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha, Yuzvendra Chahal.Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Eoin Morgan, Manoj Tiwary, Debabrata Das (wk), Rajat Bhatia, Iqbal Abdulla, Sachithra Senanayake, Sunil Narine, Lakshmipathy Balaji.Kolkata Knight Riders 159 for 6 (Kallis 37, Ojha 2-21)Mumbai Indians 162 for 5 (Smith 62, Rohit 34, Narine 3-17)Result Mumbai Indians won by 5 wicketsPoints Mumbai Indians 2, Kolkata Knight Riders 0
MOM Dwayne Smith (Mumbai Indians)

ICC World Twenty20 2014 Logo Unveiled

Dhaka: Inspired by the unique painted rickshaws which pack the streets of the Bangladeshi cities, the logo for the ICC World Twenty20 2014 was unveiled on a star-studded evening on Saturday night.At a glittering gala and in the presence of the International Cricket Council (ICC) vice president Mustafa Kamal and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, the logo for the tournament was launched exactly one year ahead of the tournament finals.For the first time, 16 men's teams will compete for the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh alongside eight women's teams, which include for the first time, the hosts. The event will run from March 16 to April 6 and is scheduled to be played in four cities - Mirpur, Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox's Bazar.The spectacular night featured popular Bangladesh artists Lubna Marium and her team Shadhona, singers Habib and Nancy as well as magician Jewel Aich and sand artist Kaushik Bose performing in front of a packed audience of more than 500 specially invited guests.The logo uses the colours of the Bangladesh flag with splashes of blue which represents Bangladesh's iconic waterways (as well as being the ICC's own colour). The T is made up of cricket stumps and the 0 in the T20 represents the cricket ball complete with Bangladeshi green seam while the white in the design lends an energetic, friendly and youthful feel to the logo.Designed in Australia by design company WiteKite, who also designed the ICC Cricket World Cup logo in 2011, the ICC World Twenty20 2012 Sri Lanka mark and the distinctive logo for the ICC Women's World Cup 2013 India.

2014 Asia Cup Shifted to Bangladesh

New Delhi: The Asia Cup cricket tournament will be held in Bangladesh for the second time in a row after India, who had earlier agreed to host the 2014 edition, backed out citing a packed international schedule.Bangladesh had hosted the last edition of the tournament in 2012.The likely dates for the tournament will be February 24 to March 8.The decision was taken at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) board meeting on April 8 in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report.It is said that India informed the other ACC members that they were trying to finalise the itinerary for the New Zealand tour, scheduled to be held in February-March next year.But Bangladesh, in order to host the tournament, is learnt to have agreed to postpone a scheduled tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan around the same time.There is a possibility that the dates could be changed again as the BCCI have been trying to convince New Zealand Cricket for two Tests, two ODIs and two T20Is, which will enable India to compete in the Asia Cup .The ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) has India scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a single Twenty20 international.(livescore2day)