Sourav Ganguly has said that he does not mind playing under Rahul Dravid, the current Indian captain for the triangular series in Sri Lanka. He has also said that he was pleasantly surprised that his ban for slow over-rates had been reduced from six ODIs to four. He will now be available for selection for the game against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on August 3.”I did not expect that the ban will be reduced so much,” said Ganguly quoted by PTI. He said that as a cricketer, his sole aim was to play for India irrespective of whether he was captain or not. “I don’t mind playing under anybody – be it Dravid or [Virender] Sehwag or Harbhajan [Singh].” He also said that, though he had played primarily as an opener, he did not mind batting at any position if it was in the team’s interest.Ganguly was initially banned by the ICC for six ODIs after India twice failed to bowl its 50 overs within the allotted time against Pakistan in April. The reduction to four matches came after the Indian Cricket Board argued Ganguly’s case with an ICC Dispute Resolution Committee after an earlier appeal was rejected by an ICC Appeals Commisioner.Ganguly, who did not play the last two ODIs in the series against Pakistan, has to sit out for two more matches to serve his ban. He will leave for Colombo on Sunday and join the Indian team in Dambulla before their third match of the IndianOil Cup.
Jason Molins, Ireland’s victorious captain, hopes his side’s shock five-wicket win against Surrey in the second round of the C&G Trophy, as well as victory over Zimbabwe last summer, might help them to be inlcuded in the National League.Molins believes Ireland have the capacilty and ability to follow in the footsteps of the Scotland, who are in Division Two of the National League. "It would be great to compete in the National League," Molins, who top-scored with 58, said. "I think we are more than capable, as we proved here, and beating Surrey certainly won’t harm our credentials."This win can only raise our profile, and the third-round game should attract lots of publicity. There are lots of things we compete against like football, rugby and Gaelic sports, but the interest is there."He added, "The wins against Zimbabwe and Surrey are great, but they won’t get us to the World Cup – that is the priority."
Rain played a crucial part in denying India A a possible win against Leeward Islands in a four-day Carib Beer Cup match that ended at Grove Park, Charlestown, Nevis on Monday.India A, who had posted 450 in their first innings, were frustrated when rain washed out the pre-lunch session on the third day. Eventually when the Leeward Islands reply got underway, opener Fabian Adams (54) and No 3 Sylvester Joseph helped their side get to 102/2 before rain again intervened – this time decisively.Draw, then, seemed the most likely result at the start of the fourth day. India A spinners Amit Mishra and Ambati Rayudu, though, brought the match roaring back to life by claiming nine first-innings wickets between them. Joseph, who ended up making 46, and captain Stuart Williams (40) were among their victims. Mishra returned 5/55 in his 18 overs while Rayadu had figures of 4/43.When the home team returned after being forced to follow-on, opener Junie Mitchum (72) and middle-order bats Tonito Willett (41) and Omari Banks (51) ensured that their side managed 232/4 before play was called off. For India A, Mishra was against the most successful bowler with 3/63.The first-innings lead, though, helped the tourists open their account with six points. Leeward Islands, meanwhile, had to be content with three points.
Graeme Hick nudged Dominic Cork out of the spotlight on his return to the Championship arena with the 115th century of his career as Worcestershire piled up the runs against a weakened Derbyshire attack.Hick scored 171 from 209 balls to condemn the Championship’s bottom team to another day of hard labour in steamy heat.With Vikram Solanki hitting 109, Worcestershire had reached 390-5 by the close to leave the home side fighting a rearguard action at the end of the first day.Derbyshire must have feared the worst after Hick won the toss and batted first on a pitch which was devoid of any pace or bounce.Cork claimed a wicket in his fifth over when he had Philip Weston lbw for 17 and he had what looked another good shout for leg before turned down early in Hick’s innings.Anurag Singh became his second victim when he top-edged a hook and was caught at square leg for 60 but Derbyshire had to wait a long time for their next success.Hick and Solanki picked off the bowling in the stifling humidity and although Hick miscued an attempted hook at Cork, there were few other moments of encouragement for the bowlers although Derbyshire did not wilt in testing conditions.Hick reached his hundred – his third in four Championship innings – with a lofted drive for four off Nathan Dumelow and he was well on course for a double century until Paul Aldred took a brilliant running catch at wide long on.David Leatherdale went for a duck but Solanki reached his first Championship hundred of the season when he drove Dumelow for his fourth six of what had been a brilliant innings.He was out in the penultimate over of the day when he pulled Dumelow hard and low to square leg where Lian Wharton took a good catch but Worcestershire are firmly in control.
One more game to prepare. One more game before our World Cup host is labelled false or justified. Thomas Rooney of footballtips.com looks forward to England v Honduras and gives us three facts ahead of the action.
Betfair are offering new customers a HUGE 3/1 on England beating Honduras!
I don’t know about you, but World Cup fever has well and truly set in now. It’s less than a week to go until non-stop football for a month.
There’s plenty of reasons to be cheerful as an England fan too. We have an exciting young squad and can attack the group stages with confidence.
Before we kick a ball in Brazil though, let me state 3 World Cup FACTS for you. Some you’ll agree with, some you’ll question – but listen up.
FACT ONE – Wayne Rooney is still England’s best player
Yes, you read that correctly. For whatever reason, we’ve decided to pick on our best player ahead of the World Cup. He’s become a bad player overnight it seems.
Now, although it’s refreshing we aren’t as reliant on him – he still has to start and is still the key to our success.
Can we have a successful World Cup without Rooney’s influence? Definitely not. Just imagine him at his best, along with our bright young players.
He has a point to prove too and will work tirelessly for the team. The goal v Ecuador would have done him the world of good.
So – stop the Rooney bashing and watch him fly this summer. In fact, why not sign-up to Totesport and get 5/1 on him being England’s top scorer?
FACT TWO – England will beat Honduras
It’s crunch time for Roy Hodgson and the starting XI you see against Honduras is likely to be that he goes with against Italy.
The Ecuador game was the time to experiment, this is time to prepare for the Italians. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing who he goes for.
Refreshingly, we’ve got plenty of choice and although Ross Barkley is getting all the praise – don’t be surprised to see him start on the bench for this one.
We can then unleash him against a tiring Italy defence!
It would be great to see The Ox flying down the left wing ahead of Welbeck, but injury puts a stop to that. Raheem Sterling is then suspended.
Regardless, it’s a very strong team this and one that will be focused on this final warm-up game. We expect the Three Lions to win and win well!
If you’re as confident as we are, head over to Betfair and get 3/1 on England!
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FACT THREE – Brazil will win the World Cup
I’ve believed for some time now that Brazil are well and truly the team to beat. They will deliver the goods too.
Neymar comes alive in a Brazil shirt and with his influence, home advantage and a settled back four – they will be very, very tough to stop.
Just look at the Confederations Cup last year – they stormed to victory and the pressure was there. Perhaps not as much as it is now – but it showed how comfortable they are playing on their home turf.
With this in mind, don’t miss out on 8/1 for Brazil to win the World Cup over at Paddy Power.
ScorecardFile photo: Shardul Thakur put in another strong performance for Mumbai•PTI
The sheen of bowling Railways out for only 217 was taken off, if only slightly, as Mumbai lost two wickets in the final 19 balls of play. Opener Jay Bista, on first-class debut, was taken out by Anureet Singh for 2 and the nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni was bowled for a duck to leave the hosts at 4 for 2 at Wankhede stadium.Prior to those few minutes though, everything went well for Mumbai. Their fast bowler Shardul Thakur produced another impressive performance: he took 4 for 38 in 19 overs and his wickets were of the top-six batsmen. More often than not, that indicates a poor start from the opposition and it was. Railways, having chosen to bat, found themselves at 16 for 3 in the seventh over and 48 for 4 in the 14th before Arindam Ghosh and SS Mishra, playing competitive cricket for the first time in his career, put on 85 runs.Shardul provided the strike Mumbai wanted, having Mishra caught behind for 46. Ghosh was ninth man out for 65, to left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar, and Railways ended their innings on 217. Kulkarni updated his portfolio with a couple of wickets as well. ScorecardA sturdy top-order performance from Uttar Pradesh left Tamil Nadu ruing their decision to bowl in Kanpur. The 19-year old opener Almas Shaukat, who had begun his first-class career with a century in October, was dismissed only 12 runs short of another one. He had played the anchor role quite well – lasting 203 balls, with 11 fours and a six. Upon that foundation, Umang Sharma laid his 73 off 148 balls and then the Uttar Pradesh captain Suresh Raina, ran the point home with a half-century of his own. He was unbeaten on 52. But Tamil Nadu will hope that their increased discipline as the day wore on – they took three of their four wickets in the final 22 overs of play – continues into the second day. ScorecardHe had missed out on a century twice this season, but Kedar Devdhar took centre stage in Vadodara and made it big with 186 off only 249 balls to stamp Baroda’s dominance over Madhya Pradesh. He hit as many as 28 fours and a six to lead an opening stand of a whopping 245 off 352 balls to leave Punjab wilting by the time stumps were called, because they had opted to bowl.Runs leaked from both ends as Aditya Waghmode helped himself to 96 off 184 balls, with 14 fours and a six. Devdhar was on the cusp of lasting a full day’s play, but with the safety of stumps only minutes away, he was dismissed by seamer Deepak Bansal. Hardik Pandya was batting on 42, and Baroda will expect him to extend their advantage.Gurkeerat Singh, who spent a day with the Indian Test side in Bangalore as their 17th man before being released to play in the Ranji Trophy – took a wicket. As did Yuvraj Singh. Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh is yet to get on the board having bowled 16 overs. ScorecardHalf-centuries from Manpreet Juneja and Rujul Bhatt drove Gujarat to 252 for 6 on the first day of their Ranji clash against Madhya Pradesh in Surat. Gujara, opting to bat, lost their opener Smit Patel early, but handy contributions from the rest of the top order pushed the score above 100. Puneet Datey and Jalaj Saxena, who took a record 16 wickets in the previous round, helped MP claw their way back into the game with regular strikes, but Bhatt put up two fifty-plus stands to help the hosts seize the initiative. First, he added 73 for the fifth wicket with Juneja, who made 61, before combining with Axar Patel for a sixth-wicket stand which yielded 62 runs. Bhatt batted patiently for his 51 off 142 balls, stroking just two fours, but was dismissed towards the end of the day by Jalaj.
The Ontario Cricket Association will have to convince the government that it can utilise the controversial Can$1 million grant if it is not to be asked to repay some of the money.The grant was made by the former citizen and immigration minister Mile Colle, part of Can$32 million handed over to 110 multicultural groups over the last two years. The association had requested Can$150,000, but Colle sanctioned Can$1 million. He was subsequently forced to resign.Officials from the OCA met with Gerry Phillips, Colle’s successor, this week to discuss the grant. The net result was that the association promised to provide a detailed audit showing how the capital funds were used to refurbish the King City cricket complex. It will also provide an outline on how it would spend the balance of the funds – about Can$600,000 – by the end of the month.Phillips will review the outline and then decide whether to ask for some of the cash to be repaid.
Jimmy Anderson made a brief, but encouraging, return to action on Thursday night during Andrew Flintoff’s Twenty20 benefit match at Old Trafford. Anderson bowled his four overs for 29 runs as an England XI narrowly beat a Lancashire XI by two runs.It was Anderson’s first bowl in match conditions since the end of England’s tour of India where he picked up a stress fracture of the back during the one-day series.Andrew Strauss helped his side to an impressive 185 for 7, blasting 54 off just 33 balls including nine fours and a six. Lancashire responded promisingly in reply but fell short of their target despite valiant efforts by Darren Lehmann, hitting a well-made 49, and Chris Cairns who blasted 46 from 21 balls.Anderson will continue his recovery when he plays for his club side in Burnley this weekend, but is unlikely to feature for Lancashire this season. “It could be difficult to squeeze Jimmy into our side in the remain games,” said Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s cricket manager, “especially as we are up there in the Championship. We can’t take any risks with players.”Although he has been named in England’s 30-man Champions Trophy squad his lack of cricket means that there is very little chance of him earning a spot in the final squad.
The unheralded Joginder Sharma, playing as a substitute for Ashish Nehra, who went over on his left ankle again yesterday evening, embarrassed the cream of India’s batting talent as India A took charge of the warm-up game against India Seniors. With Amit Bhandari, who removed both the openers, and Murali Kartik providing sterling support, the Seniors were bowled out for just 213 in reply to India A’s 302. By stumps, the lead had been extended to 136, with Maharashtra’s Dheeraj Yadav playing some handsome strokes in front of the wicket against Irfan Pathan.Only Sourav Ganguly, with an assured 65, managed a decent stint in the middle, but any satisfaction he derived from that would have been offset by the failures of Aakash Chopra, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, for whom run-making has been something of a mystery of late.Sehwag was dropped by Gautam Gambhir at second slip before he had scored, but Bhandari’s disappointment was quickly assuaged by a wretched shot to Mohammad Kaif at cover (10 for 1). His partner of last season, Chopra, never got going either, struggling against the accurate line of Shib Sankar Paul and the bustling endeavour of Bhandari.And it was Bhandari who got him, with a delivery on off stump that Chopra (18) edged through to Mahendra Dhoni behind the stumps. That brought in Rahul Dravid, who made his intentions clear by creaming Bhandari for three fours in an over. Mindful of his options, Dinesh Mongia called on Sharma, the Haryana medium-pacer who has also represented lowly Tripura while picking up an impressive 60 first-class wickets from 15 games.Bowling with a mixed action at a lively pace, Joginder concentrated on bowling just on or outside off stump. The rewards were ample. First, Dravid, untroubled during his 22, cut one uppishly to Jadhav at point (60 for 3), and then VVS Laxman wafted at one that was well away from the body (68 for 4).The innings needed some rescuing, but only Ganguly could oblige. As has often been the case, he reserved the most contemptuous treatment for the slow left-armer, twice stepping out and lofting Kartik over the infield. But around him, it was a shambles. Yuvraj, who had earlier been hit on the shoulder by Sharma, was surprised by one that reared up at him and took the edge through to Dhoni (99 for 5), while Parthiv Patel’s attempt to hook Paul out of sight only found his wicketkeeping rival.Pathan then gifted Kartik a first wicket, driving one high into the cover region, and Zaheer played all around a straight one from Bhandari. With partners deserting him faster than lemmings near a cliff, Ganguly had no option but to chance his arm, and an ambitious sweep against Kartik flew off the top edge to Sridharan Sriram at short fine leg (155 for 9).Anil Kumble’s tenacity, and Harbhajan Singh’s eclectic range of strokes – including one superb straight six off Kartik – averted abject humiliation, but it was a woeful batting display from a line-up that has to face the might of McGrath, Gillespie and Warne in exactly a week’s time.Things didn’t go much better with the ball either. The India A innings had been wrapped up in quick time in the morning, with Harbhajan running out Bhandari, and Sriram, the best batsman on view, slashing Kumble to Yuvraj at deep backward point. But at the second time of asking, Pathan was well below par, and only Zaheer, who had Gambhir caught by Ganguly at second slip, strode in with real menace.To be fair to the players though, everyone was distracted by news trickling through from Kolkata and Delhi, where the BCCI elections and the telecast-rights imbroglio were no nearer resolution. Once he was out, Ganguly spent a fair bit of time trying to appraise the situation by talking to journalists and using his phone. Next to him was Hemang Badani, who but for an injury would surely have been a contender for a Test slot.The only folk who looked truly relaxed were the better halves of Laxman and Dravid, spotted having a bite to eat in the shade of the clubhouse. With neither of their partners having troubled the scorers unduly, there was little to get worked up about.Later in the day, that was certainly the case with Dhoni, Paul, Sriram and Ambati Rayudu, who shared a few snacks on the pavilion balcony with the insouciance of young men who know that their time might have come sooner than they imagined. Don’t write off the Seniors just yet, but a few reputations are on the line heading into the final two days of a practice match that could be so much more.
Australia are on course to inflict Sri Lanka’s first whitewash in a home Test series, after Darren Lehmann and Ricky Ponting combined to produce their best first-innings performance of the series so far. Australia, who won the toss for the third match running, weathered a sticky first hour and a post-lunch wobble to close on 314 for 6.Ponting led from the front with a forceful 92, his first substantial score in a lean maiden series as Test captain, while Lehmann, who has been a constant thorn in the flesh of Sri Lanka’s spinners, compiled 104 not out from 186 balls – an innings that was belligerent at the start and defiant towards the close. It was Lehmann’s second hundred of the series, and the fifth of a career that is belatedly coming to fruition.Ponting started the tour in prolific form during the one-day series, but had failed to deliver his customary big scores in the first two Tests, making 21, 28, 10 and 27 at Galle and Kandy. But here, at a near-empty Sinhalese Sports Club, he finally cashed in with a 138-ball innings that included 11 fours and one lofted straight six.Australia were precariously placed at 96 for 3, after Damien Martyn had fallen for 14 just after lunch, but Ponting stole back the initiative quickly with a 121-run stand for the fourth wicket with Lehmann, who was relaxed at the crease under his wide-brimmed sunhat. Like Ponting, Lehmann used his feet frequently and expertly to dominate the spinners.Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Nuwan Zoysa pulled up with a calf injury in his fourth over of the morning. Fortunately for Sri Lanka, ultrasound scans revealed no tear and he may still bowl again later in the game, but in his absence Chaminda Vaas proved the most penetrative of the bowlers. He picked up 3 for 76 from 20 overs, spread over three separate spells.
Vaas took one wicket in the morning – Justin Langer for 19 – and two more in the afternoon, including Martyn just after lunch and Ponting, who mistimed a cover-drive and spooned a catch to mid-off, with the last delivery before tea (217 for 4).Muttiah Muralitharan has a phenomenal record at the SSC – 103 wickets in 16 Tests – and he had come into the match expecting to enjoy some extra pace and bounce, which would theoretically make his doosra more potent. But Ponting and especially Lehmann knocked him onto the back foot as he conceded 56 runs in 13 overs without taking a wicket.But he did strike back in the afternoon, when Simon Katich chipped up a return catch which Murali gleefully gobbled up as he dived two-handed to his left (244 for 5). Katich had been preferred to Andrew Symonds as Australia switched back to a more traditional three-pronged pace attack.Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist (22) slowed the tempo slightly in the final houyr and a half, consolidating a good day’s work with a 55-run stand. Murali, though, struck as the light faded when Sanath Jayasuriya at slip clung onto an edge from Gilchrist (312 for 6).In the morning, after the luckless and under-pressure Hashan Tillakaratne had lost the toss again, Sri Lanka failed to make early inroads with the new ball despite overcast conditions and a heavy swing-friendly atmosphere. Langer and Matthew Hayden made a solid start with a 43-run stand in 50 minutes.Zoysa’s injury gave Tillakaratne an unwelcome headache, but Vaas soon provided some cheer for Sri Lanka, as Langer top-edged an attempted pull to Tillakaratne Dilshan at midwicket (43 for 1). It was another disappointing effort from Langer, who has made just 75 runs in five innings in the series.Thilan Samaraweera, back in the team after a groin injury, came into the attack ahead of schedule as a replacement for Zoysa, and was rewarded with the prize scalp of Hayden, who shuffled down the wicket and miscued a lofted drive to Upul Chandana, the substitute fielder, running back from mid-off (60 for 2).Ponting and Martyn soon settled, adding 36 runs for the third wicket toreach lunch on 96 for 2, before Vaas produced a perfectly pitched legcutter to remove Martyn (96 for 3). But Ponting and Lehmann reacted positively to the fall of the third wicket, raising the tempo against the spinners with a series of powerful lofted drives to rock Sri Lanka back onto the defensive.Ponting cracked Muralitharan, who was used sparingly during the first half of the day, through the off side to bring up his fifty, while Lehmann produced a series of bellicose drives. Muralitharan would also have broken through had Mahela Jayawardene clung onto a very difficult one-handed chance off a scything cut when Lehmann had 20.Lehmann celebrated his letoff by tucking into Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers as he raced to his half-century in 75 balls. He slowed down in the evening session, and enjoyed a run-out reprieve on 62 when Kumar Sangakkara got himself in a tangle. But by the close he had soldiered on to his hundred, to leave Australia in a healthy position.