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A round-up of the second day’s play of the second-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff11-Nov-2009

Group A

Scorecard
Tripura retained the advantage in a low-scoring encounter against Rajasthan in Agartala. Twelve wickets fell on the second day. The tone was set by offspinner Madhur Khatri’s 6 for 49, which helped skittle out Tripura for 179. However, contributions of 43 from Wilkin Mota and 45 down the order from Tushar Saha gave Tripura a handy lead of 77. Rajasthan struggled in the second innings, with little support for Gagan Khoda’s 51. Two late wickets by Subal Chowdhury, who bowls leg spin, left Rajasthan reeling at 97 for 5, a lead of just 20.Jharkhand 246 for 6 (Vardhan 63, Rajiv 54, Jangid 2-17) against Vidarbha
Scorecard
Vidarbha held a slight edge at stumps on the second day against Jharkhand in Ranchi. After the first day was washed out, the teams played out a closely-fought second day, as Jharkhand reached 246 for 6. They could have done better, for each of the top five got starts, reaching double-digits. Manish Vardhan top-scored with 63, and at 188 for 3, the hosts were in an excellent position to reach a substantial total. But the next three wickets fell for eight runs before Rajiv Kumar (54 not out) and Varun Aaron (23 not out) forged an unbeaten half-century stand to revive the innings.The second day of the contest between Goa and Assam in Margao, like the first, was washed out due to persistent rain.

Group B

Scorecard
Indore, too, didn’t escape the showers, allowing just 13.4 overs to be bowled on the second day. Madhya Pradesh, without any damage, added a further 38 runs to their overnight score.
Scorecard
On another day marred by rain in Srinagar, only eight overs were possible. Haryana, who were asked to bat, reached 23 for 1 against hosts Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials at the ICC expect to be able to clarify Mark Benson’s future as an elite umpire within the next 36 hours

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009Mark Benson is expected to announce his retirement from international umpiring on Tuesday, four days after his unexplained departure from the second Test between Australia and West Indies at Adelaide.Benson, 51, has now arrived back in the UK, where he has been in discussions with the ICC umpires manager, Vince van der Bijl. It has been suggested Benson will cite a stress-related condition and other health factors as the reasons behind his retirement, however his employers at the International Cricket Council again denied his symptoms were exacerbated by the introduction of the Umpire Decision Review System.”What we can say without speaking to Mark himself is that he quit the Test for a combination of health and pressure problems,” Dave Richardson, the ICC’s cricket manager, told . “Coping with a very pressured job proved too much for him.””[Whether he continues as an elite umpire] is up to him,” said Richardson. “We are only able to contract a certain number of umpires and only if they are up to the job.”But not all within the ICC are convinced Benson’s impending retirement and the introduction of the UDRS are completely unrelated. John Holder, the ICC umpires performance manager for Europe, told the : “Some people may feel that the process is humiliating and Benny may be one of those. Maybe he is a bit too sensitive to cope with it.””The reality is that now umpiring is so much more under the microscope,” said Holder, who stood in 11 Tests and 19 one-day internationals. “Benny has had a few health problems even before he got on to the international panel. Maybe this job is not cut out for him.”Imagine how it is: you have made a decision in good faith and you are having it overthrown in front of millions of people worldwide. Some people might find that humiliating. Some umpires can give a decision, be told they have got it wrong, and get on with their lives. Others can’t.”Benson, who captained Kent and played one Test for England in 1986, has a recent history of health problems, and was forced to sit out the one-day series between Australia and India in October due to high blood pressure and stomach problems.Cricinfo has been told Benson “ranted” in the presence of colleagues in the umpires’ room after the first day’s play at the Adelaide Oval. It was during that match Benson’s decision to rule Shivnarine Chanderpaul not out to a caught behind decision was overturned by Asad Rauf, the third umpire, despite Hot Spot replays providing no clear proof of contact.”You can’t tell me there was any evidence to give him out,” Darrell Hair, the former elite panel umpire, told . “The umpires made the decision on good faith and knowing Mark Benson as I do, he would have hit the roof when he saw the replays Rauf had seen. Unfortunately I think Asad Rauf did the wrong thing there and he left Mark with nowhere to go.”Hair predicted Benson would not be the last official to leave the game if the UDRS is maintained. “Ditch it straight away otherwise you will see more umpires walking away,” he said. “I don’t know the circumstances behind Mark Benson, but I am assuming he does not want to be part of that type of thing if he is struggling with his health.”

AB de Villiers accused Stuart Broad of being “a little bit naughty” for stepping on the ball early in South Africa’s second innings

Andrew McGlashan in Cape Town06-Jan-2010AB de Villiers fanned the flames of the Stuart Broad ball-tampering controversy at the close of the fourth day’s play at Cape Town, when he accused the England seamer of being “a little bit naughty” for stepping on the ball early in South Africa’s second innings, and suggested that an official complaint ought to have been lodged by the South Africa team management.After raising their “concerns” with the ICC match referee, Roshan Mahanama, South Africa had until the start of play on the fourth day to take their protest to a higher level. When they failed to do so, England believed that the incident had been laid to rest, and having studied the TV evidence for themselves, the ICC followed up with a press release to say the matter was closed.However, de Villiers clearly didn’t want the matter to die away that easily. “I think there should be a formal complaint because the ball did reverse after that,” he said. “There was quite clearly a piece of leather off the ball after he’d [Broad] stepped on the ball and it’s not the first time it happened. It’s a little bit naughty, I wouldn’t say he deserves to be banned but it should be looked at definitely.”De Villiers’ comments suggested there were mixed messages coming out of the South Africa camp, because he implied that the matter had in fact been taken to a higher level already. “I’m not really sure what will happen about the decision-making, official complaints being written and all that. I thought we did,” he said. “Mickey actually told us he sent an email through, but I’m not really aware of that.”De Villiers also claimed that the team had first discussed the issue of England gaining early reverse-swing after the second Test in Durban which South Africa lost by an innings and 98 runs. On the fourth day Broad blew away three middle-order wickets, including de Villiers, in the space of 15 balls.”We spoke about it at Kingsmead because I look after our ball when we bowl and the captain asked why they get the ball to reverse a bit earlier,” he added. “The questions have been asked a few days before this Test and they still got it to reverse a bit quicker. Maybe they just have more skills.”The overall impression was that South Africa were keen to keep the controversy rumbling on without actually backing up their strong words with strong actions. “All I know is that it’s not on to be climbing onto the ball with your spikes,” de Villiers said. “But again it’s not on me to make the decisions. We all like to get the ball to reverse all over the show, as long as you do it in a legal way.”However, de Villiers admitted he hadn’t actually seen any of the on-field incidents as yet. “I can’t say I saw anything. It’s up to the footage on TV and maybe they’ll be something there,” he added. “I just know they’ve been reversing it a few overs earlier than us.”The South Africa team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee, confirmed that their original concern was over the state of the ball and as far as the team was concerned the matter was dealt with by the match referee Mahanama.”If you looked at the ball you could clearly see the ball was altered,” Moosajee said. “If that was inadvertently or not we couldn’t tell and we left it to the match referee to decide. The ball showed up with an indentation on it, and there were marks that went across, which is why we asked the match referee to have a look.”They came back to us to say that they’d looked at everything and were quite satisfied that no further action needs to be taken and we accepted that.”Alastair Cook, who is one of three England players with the job of looking after the ball in the field, said that South Africa’s claims had made the team angry, but as far as they were concerned the matter was over.”We were a little bit [angry],” he said. “We’re glad the matter is closed. We’ve done nothing wrong. We know what we’ve been doing is fine. The umpires, match referee and everyone else – with all the TV evidence – have said we’ve done nothing wrong, and we’re totally 100% confident in our camp that that is true. That’s what’s been proved.”He added that it was England’s bowlers who deserved praise for getting the ball to swing early in the conditions and that they had been working on their skills in an effort to become a more consistent threat overseas.”We’ve been trying to find ways of getting the opposition out abroad when the Kookaburra goes flat, and the lads have been very skilled and put in a lot of hard work with Ottis Gibson to become better reverse-swingers of the ball. It’s not just the ball; the bowlers have to take credit. I couldn’t reverse-swing any ball, if I tried.”

Should Laxman also be ruled out, Rohit Sharma too will join Badrinath in making a debut, presenting an experience chink South Africa will be keen to exploit

S Aga05-Feb-2010A month ago, India would have gone into this series as favourites. While they hammered Sri Lanka at home, South Africa were finding it hard to put away an English side that had stunned many by romping to victory in Durban. Then, South Africa squared the series at the Wanderers, and India lost Rahul Dravid to injury. With uncertainty prevailing over the availability of VVS Laxman – he was having his fitness assessed by the physio after a net session in the morning – India suddenly faced that prospect of going into a Test against the best pace attack in the world with a middle order shorn of two pivotal performers.As things stand, Murali Vijay and S Badrinath will certainly play, with three Test caps between them. Should Laxman also be ruled out, Rohit Sharma too will join Badrinath in making a debut. For Graeme Smith, still smarting after the squandered opportunities against England, it represents an experience-chink that South Africa will be more than happy to exploit. “Guys like Dravid and Laxman are quality players with a huge amount of experience,” he said. “They also bring a lot of calmness to the Indian team. It does put pressure on Gambhir and Sehwag up front to maybe take a little bit more responsibility. They no longer have a guy with 10,000 runs at No. 3, who’s really the rock of the line-up. The responsibility on Sehwag especially is crucial.”MS Dhoni was philosophical about the injury crisis, suggesting that one man’s absence was another’s chance to shine. “We’ll miss Rahul, but at the end of the day somebody needs to step up and do the work for the team,” he said. “International cricket is a challenge, but our openers have done well everywhere. No reason why we can’t do it over and over again. We’re a team that relies on a good start. After that, we go on to dominate.”The pitch was absolutely devoid of any grassy stubble, and both captains expected a typically Indian surface with the spinners becoming increasingly influential as the game wore on. In such batsmen-friendly conditions, reverse swing is perhaps the quick bowler’s most potent weapon, and despite a lush outfield, Dhoni expected both sets of bowlers to use it effectively on a dry and abrasive pitch.And though there was expected to be no dramatic bounce in the surface, Dhoni suggested that the bouncer would also have immense shock value. “In slow and low conditions, it’s difficult to leave the bouncer because you don’t know how high it will get,” he said. “It’s also not easy to play the pull.”India’s chances will hinge mainly on how well the two slow bowlers exploit the weaknesses that Graeme Swann found in the southern cape a couple of months ago. Harbhajan Singh is a certain starter, but there are two schools of thought on who will join him. Pragyan Ojha played the final two Tests against Sri Lanka, and the Dhaka game against Bangladesh, but when Sehwag led the side in Chittagong, it was Amit Mishra that got the nod.Either way, Smith is quietly confident that his batsmen can negotiate the threat. “You have to give credit to Graeme [Swann],” he said. “He bowled really well throughout the series. He’s a very different type of bowler to some of the Indian spinners. We were still able to post decent totals throughout that tour back home. I’m happy with the quality we’ve got. Each player has refined their game plans. Any time you come to India, you expect certain types of pitches, and you expect spin bowling.”The South Africans are certainly a more athletic outfit, though Dhoni insisted that India had a “safe” fielding team. “We’re a good catching side, that’s what really matters in Test cricket,” he said. “When it comes to saving singles, they’re definitely a better fielding side though.”Smith spoke of the difficulties involved in preparing for such an abbreviated tour, while Dhoni was just thankful to get some more five-day cricket. “We’re happy with what we’ve got,” he said, pointing out that the original schedule hadn’t involved any Tests.Neither man was unduly bothered by the Test rankings, and Dhoni laughed at the idea that this was a battle for supremacy between two young leaders who have done their reputations no harm since taking over the reins. “I’m a better keeper, and he’s a better opener,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s not about the captains. It’s a team sport.”India won easily enough in their only previous outing at this splendid new venue, squeezing the life out of Australia’s challenge in 2008, but the raw pace of the South African new-ball duo could pose some uncomfortable questions for a line-up that might experience more than a few debut butterflies. Smith doesn’t do mental disintegration the Steve Waugh way, but he couldn’t resist a neat little jab before heading to the nets and a final tune-up. “We’ve got everything to gain on this tour,” he said, “and India’s got everything to lose.”

A day after it was announced that Intikhab Alam will not be accompanying the Pakistan side that takes on England in two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai, speculation over the fate of the coach intensifies

Osman Samiuddin09-Feb-2010A day after it was announced that Intikhab Alam will not be accompanying the Pakistan side that takes on England in two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai, speculation over the fate of the coach intensifies.The PCB is refusing to say that Intikhab’s tenure has come to an end after Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia, where they failed to win a single game, but Ijaz Ahmed – the Under-19 coach – will be with the senior side in Dubai as a batting and fielding coach. The contribution of Intikhab, appointed in October 2008 to replace Geoff Lawson, in the Australian whitewash has come in for much criticism and increasingly it looks as if his time has come.Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, who himself has been under fire from many quarters, admitted in a recent TV interview that the board was looking abroad for coaching options – a startling revelation in itself, given that Intikhab’s services have not officially been terminated. And now, at least one report says that Greg Chappell, Australian great and former coach of India, is being lined up as a replacement.Senior officials – other than Butt – are more tight-lipped about Intikhab’s future, under whom Pakistan have won the World Twenty20, but not a single ODI or Test series. “One of the considerations to look at will be this after the evaluation committee has done its work,” Wasim Bari, PCB’s chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. Bari heads, in effect, a six-man inquiry committee tasked to look into and analyse the reasons for Pakistan’s defeats. Wasim Akram is also a member of the committee.”We will look at how to solve weak areas in our cricket, but with relevant cricket and business solutions,” Bari said. “If there is a leadership problem, we will provide a leadership solution. If there is a coaching problem, we will provide a coaching solution.”Bari waved aside reports about Chappell, though he did leave open the possibility that Pakistan may look abroad again, having decided after sacking Lawson that they would go local. “The coach, whoever he is, should be the best man for the job,” Bari said. “It doesn’t matter whether he is Pakistani or from abroad. We might be looking at ten names for the job but if Intikhab is the best man for it we will keep him. It has to be the best man.”Cricinfo understands that nothing formal has yet occurred between the PCB and Chappell. Should the position become vacant, others in the running for the post are likely to also include the current assistant coach Aaqib Javed and Ijaz.Lawson, despite the experience which saw him being removed 16 months ago, is still a keen Pakistan supporter and follower and embraced the country in his time here. It is believed he would still be keen for the post, though it is difficult to see it happen under the administration that sacked him. Julien Fountain has already expressed his willingness to work with Pakistan as a fielding coach – and other, broader roles.

A brilliant innings of 125 from 120 balls from Tamim Iqbal was unable to rescue Bangladesh from some familiar failings in the first ODI at Dhaka, as their coach, Jamie Siddons, was once again left frustrated by the lack of expertise on display

Andrew Miller in Dhaka01-Mar-2010A brilliant innings of 125 from 120 balls from Tamim Iqbal was unable to rescue Bangladesh from some familiar failings in the first ODI at Dhaka, as their coach, Jamie Siddons, was once again left frustrated by the lack of expertise on display. Nevertheless, as England’s spinner Graeme Swann noted, the momentum can shift very quickly in three-match series, as the teams prepare to do it all again in the second match on Tuesday.”It’s nice to have just a three-match series, rather than a seven-match slog around the country,” said Swann. “I think it’s better for the game if it’s a shorter series. It is nice, having won the first match, to know that this next game could potentially wrap up the series, but on the other hand, if you’re the team that’s 1-0 down, you only need to win tomorrow to be right back in it. It’s good for the game.”The opening ODI was a face-saver for both teams. England were able to avoid the ignominy of their first defeat in any contest against Bangladesh, while their opponents were able to demonstrate that, whatever the shortcomings that still exist in their set-up, the gulf that once existed between the two sides is narrower than at any time in their previous eight ODI encounters.But though Siddons was full of praise for Tamim, whom he declared to be “world class”, he was nevertheless left to rue a performance that could, with a touch more application, have given England a far greater challenge than the 229 target that they eventually chased down with six wickets in hand.”It’s great to see one of the boys stepping up, and they do it regularly now,” Siddons told Cricinfo. “Hundreds used to be very rare, but in the last few months we’ve put together six or seven, so that’s amazing stuff for individuals. But it probably needed one guy to make 50 or 60 with Tamim, and then who knows? I’ve seen it happen to better sides as well, but it’s disappointing. It was a very flat wicket and we got first use of it, but no-one [but Tamim] went on.”Swann, with three cheap wickets, played a key part in the derailment, but he refused to be drawn into criticism of their approach. “I’ve been impressed with the standard of cricket over here,” he said. “They’ve certainly got talent in the team, and it’s certainly not for an Englishman to say they threw their wickets away and got bowled out cheaply, because that’s what we do most of the time.”It would be very harsh for an Englishman to turn around and criticise anyone else’s one-day cricket,” he added. “They are an ever-improving side. I think four or five years ago, every team who played them expected to walk all over them, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. They’ve got some real talent in the team.”Swann reserved particular praise for Tamim, who lived up to the reputation that had preceded him in the build-up to the series. “He certainly seems a good prospect. He came out all guns blazing and fair play to him, he smashed it everywhere. We kept getting wickets at the other end, so it put a lot of pressure on him, but the way he responded and tempered down his innings was very impressive. It was a good knock.”The manner in which Tamim reined his innings in, from a 32-ball fifty to a 94-ball hundred, was especially pleasing for Siddons, who claimed it was a sign that his message was finally getting through to a talented but temperamental squad.”Team rules warranted him pulling his horns in a bit and batting through the innings, and he was six overs away from doing that,” Siddons said. “So he stuck to the rules. He knows how to dominate, but when we lose a few wickets, he knows how to back off and work the innings around.”Right from the time I got here, my philosophy was that we were going to get some world-class cricketers here, because I don’t believe we’ve got any,” he said. “And now I think we’ve got two or three. Tamim is proving to me that with the hundreds he’s getting against the better sides, and the way that he is making them, that he is world-class. He’s capable of taking on any player in the world and having some success.”England dearly hope that their new opening batsman, Craig Kieswetter, will prove capable of producing similar fireworks in the opening overs of subsequent contests. But his debut innings was a chastening experience, as Alastair Cook pinched the strike for the first three overs, before Bangladesh’s captain and senior spinner, Shakib Al Hasan, brought himself on to bowl. Kieswetter might have been dismissed twice in his first over, before eventually charging down the track to be stumped for 19.”If he wants to keep running down the wicket to our spinners, we’ll keep bowling spinners at him. That’ll suit us perfectly,” said Siddons, who hinted that it might be a tactic they employ regularly during the series. “He was obviously uncomfortable against them early, so we’ll see how he goes. The ball didn’t spin a lot, so that was a bit unfortunate, but Chittagong spins.”From England’s point of view, Swann is determined that they build on their success in the first ODI, and set about using their lead to dominate the coming contests. “I think it would be good if we batted first as well, because you want to know you can win games from any position,” he said. “The Australians always say it doesn’t matter whether you bat or bowl first, it’s whoever plays the best cricket who wins. If we go bat first, we’ll be looking to post a total that’s beyond the reach of Bangladesh.”

X-rays have confirmed that Graeme Smith does not need surgery for his fractured finger

Cricinfo staff19-Mar-2010X-rays have confirmed that Graeme Smith does not need surgery for his fractured finger, and the South Africa captain is confident of recovering in time for the World Twenty20 starting at the end of next month.Smith has had plenty of finger injuries over the past few years, and the latest one has ruled him out of the remainder of the IPL. He broke the middle finger of his right hand while taking a catch in Rajasthan Royals’ match against Delhi Daredevils earlier this week. “Just left the doc, good news don’t need surgery, 4 weeks in a splint,” he said on his Twitter page on Thursday.South Africa’s team manager Mohammed Moosajee confirmed Smith was expected to be back at full fitness in four weeks. “Graeme will have a further X-ray on Tuesday to make sure his recovery is on track,” he said.This is the second finger injury Smith has picked up in little more than a month. He had hurt his little finger on the left hand during the build-up to the Eden Gardens Test in February, which kept him out of the one-dayers against India.

The controversial and injury-prone Pakistan fast bowler has not given up hopes of making an international comeback

Cricinfo staff22-Apr-2010Shoaib Akhtar, the controversial and injury-prone Pakistan fast bowler, has not given up hope of making an international comeback, assuring that his form and fitness in the ongoing RBS Pentangular one-day tournament in Karachi has been up to the mark. Shoaib was speaking after taking a match-winning 6 for 52 to guide Federal Areas Leopards to a convincing win against Khyber-Pakthunkhwa Panthers.Shoaib last played for Pakistan during the limited-overs series against Australia in the UAE last year. He was omitted for the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies later this month and got in trouble with the PCB for violating the terms of his central contract.”I am fit and bowling in rhythm,” Shoaib said. “I don’t want to live in the past. Now I am fit and playing and have proved my fitness. My performance has never been in doubt, so it’s now up to the selectors when they give me a chance.”Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, said Shoaib could be considered for the trip to England if he continues to perform. “If he continues to play well regularly at the domestic and club level, and proves his fitness and form, he could be considered for the English tour,” Mohsin said. “We have not written him off completely. He should be grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board that it has given him a chance to win back his place in the national team.”Shoaib attributed the below-par performances in his past few series to a persistent knee problem, which has been corrected through surgery. Also, the rise of Mohammad Aamer and the return of Mohammad Asif have pushed him further out of national reckoning. He has not played a Test for Pakistan since December 2007.”I have experience which is precious and my competition is only with myself,” Akhtar said. “I know I have suffered fitness problems but all fast bowlers suffer with that. I am still focused and want to play for Pakistan and finish on a high.”His first target is to get selected for the “home” series against Australia in England this summer, but his ultimate goal is to make it to the World Cup next year and hopefully play a big role in seeing his team go all the way.”I know the problems I have faced in my career, but the dream to feature in the final of the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai is still alive and I want to help Pakistan win the World Cup in a year’s time.”

P Ranganathan, the former Kerala Ranji batsman, has been appointed coach of the state side for the 2010-11 season

Cricinfo staff14-May-2010P Ranganathan, the former Kerala Ranji batsman, has been appointed coach of the state side for the 2010-11 season. A BCCI Level II coach, Ranganathan had previously coached the state’s Under-14, 19 and 25 sides.TC Mathew, the secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), said Ranganathan was appointed based on his impressive work with the South Zone U-25 team in particular. “He is currently the only Ranji Trophy player in the State with a Level II coaching certificate and he knows the players personally,” Mathew told the .A right-handed batsman, Ranganathan played 26 first-class games between 1985 and 1993, scoring 1110 runs at 26.42 with a century and six fifties. His appointment follows the sacking of Vedam Hariharan last season, who was dismissed after just one season. Last November, Hariharan had slapped the KCA with a legal notice claiming Rs 50 lakh in damages for non-payment of salary and unfair dismissal.

Northamptonshire have signed Juan Theron, the South Africa seamer, for the first five matches of their Twenty20 campaign

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010Northamptonshire have signed Juan Theron, the South Africa seamer, for the first five matches of their Twenty20 campaign.Theron, known as ‘Rusty’, is still awaiting visa clearance for his stint at Wantage Road but if he is successful will bring his death-bowling expertise to the county. After an impressive domestic season in South Africa Theron earned an IPL deal with King’s XI Punjab where he claimed the Man-of-the-Match award in his first game after sealing a Super Over victory against Chennai Super Kings.He was then part of South Africa’s World Twenty20 squad but didn’t play a match as the team went out in the Super Eights stage.”I am absolutely delighted to announce the signing of a world class talent such as Rusty, this will give us a great boost,” said head coach David Capel. “Rusty will be an excellent addition for our campaign and will be a vital part of our death bowling attack.”Northamptonshire had signed Virender Sehwag for the Twenty20, but his move was ended when the BCCI removed the No Objection Certificates for all their county-bound players. Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwe captain, is their other overseas player.