All posts by csb10.top

With Shane Warne’s Test spot suddenly left vacant, New South Wales leg spinner Stuart MacGill has today produced a perfect demonstration of his suitability as a replacement in the Pura Cup clash with Victoria in Melbourne. On another stop-start day at Punt Road, MacGill sensationally claimed three wickets in the space of ten balls midway through day three to help reduce the Victorians to a score of 6/140 by stumps in reply to the Blues’ 250.Just as this game appeared to be drifting along aimlessly in mid-afternoon, the fiery spinner re-ignited proceedings with a series of spectacular dismissals. At a scoreline of 2/57 in the thirtieth over, stodgy opener Jason Arnberger and number four Bradley Hodge appeared to be laying the foundations for the Bushrangers to claim first innings points. But, in the space of ten minutes, MacGill (3/34) changed all that completely, masterminding a dramatic collapse that saw the home team lose four wickets for five runs and crash to 6/62.Arnberger (20) was the first of MacGill’s three victims, losing his off stump after advancing a pace and playing over the top of a perfectly pitched top spinner. Ian Harvey (0) was the next to fall, succumbing to a fine reflex caught and bowled as he looped back a misplayed off drive. A driving Shawn Craig (0) illustrated no clearer clue of how to conquer the former international, gloriously beaten by the best ball of the match – a sharply spinning delivery which landed in footmarks outside the line of left hander’s off stump before shooting straight through the gate and into his stumps.To an extent, the classy Hodge (60*) and captain Paul Reiffel (34*) were able to rectify matters thereafter for the Victorians with a courageous unbroken stand of seventy-eight runs for the seventh wicket. But, with the injured Warne unlikely to bat, the havoc wreaked by MacGill served as a shattering blow to the Vics’ hopes of taking any points away from this rain-marred contest. It was indeed just as well for the locals that two comfortable-looking catches – the second a particularly costly miss as Reiffel had only twelve alongside his name at the time – were grassed by Michael Slater at point.Earlier in the day, a breezy half century from all-rounder Shane Lee (53) had helped the visitors clamber their way to what proved to be a competitive first innings total. Around some fine bowling from off spinner Colin Miller (4/71) that is similarly unlikely to have escaped the attention of the national selectors, there was also some positive strokeplay at times from tailenders Brett Lee (14), MacGill (13) and Don Nash (11).

The trial of Sharad Ghai, the former chairman of the Kenyan Cricket Association, is due to finally get underway in Nairobi on January 25.Ghai, who was ousted in May, is accused of stealing $3.3 million from the KCA during the LG one-day series played in Kenya in 1999. He denies the charges.

Otago 231 for 3 (Gaffaney 69, Lawson 62*, Cumming 57) drew with Wellington 482 for 9 dec
Scorecard
Only 39 overs of play was possible on the final day at Wellington, as the matched petered out into a draw. Craig Cumming, Chris Gaffaney and Robert Lawson helped themselves to half-centuries. But the loss of an entire day’s play didn’t help matters and the result was a foregone conclusion.Canterbury 215 (Fulton 90, Wiseman 65, Orchard 5-10) and 136 for 3 (Stewart 78) drew with Northern Districts 434
Scorecard
Auckland 316 drew with Central Districts 268
Scorecard

Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, has calmed speculation that England’s top players could be lured into the financially lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).The IPL – which is officially sanctioned by the ICC, unlike the Indian Cricket League – has attracted some of the biggest names in world cricket. Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only Englishman to have signed up so far, largely due to the IPL clashing with the county season, but Clarke insists no player can be poached without the ECB’s consent.”We have a contract with BCCI,” Clarke told . “In that contract, they’re not allowed to take any English players of any kind to play in IPL if there is no ‘No Objection Certificate’ [NOC].”IPL will not play any player who has not received an NOC.”Clarke would be powerless to prevent the likes of Kevin Pietersen joining the non-sanctioned ICL, although any player who went down that path could be barred from playing Test or county cricket in the future. Two days ago, the ECB rejection the registration of five county players for their association with the ICL.”If they obtain a No Objection Certificate from their home board then we’re going to consider their cases,” Clarke said. “I don’t think we’re telling players they can’t earn a living. We’re saying here are the rules in our country. Our job is to nurture, to protect and to develop cricket in England and Wales. We make those judgements as to how we go about doing that. We do so with clarity, legally. If people from other countries have different views as to how we’re doing that, I’m sorry but they’re not in our country.”We’ll run the game according to our regulations and our rules and we expect them to comply. We have no interest in seeing rogue leagues in other countries develop. We have no interest in seeing rogue leagues in our country develop.”Some of England’s higher profile names, such as Pietersen and Alastair Cook, have poured water on the attraction of the IPL, committing their immediate future to England. Ali Brown, Surrey’s pugnacious batsman, also turned down an offer. However, earlier this month Lalit Modi, the Indian IPL commissioner, said the tournament’s second season could be moved in order to accommodate England players.

Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has denied that Shoaib Akhtar’s action is being closely monitored once again by the ICC, following a maelstrom of rumour and speculation over the last week that suggested the fast bowler was under scrutiny. “The ICC has told me there is nothing against Shoaib because if there was it has to come out and be reported to them,” Shaharyar told Cricinfo. “No report has been received, nothing has been done and the status quo that his action is fine remains.”Since the second Test at Faisalabad, where Shoaib put in fiercely quick spells on the third afternoon and fourth morning, there have been whispers about ICC’s concern with Shoaib’s action. Cricinfo has learnt from sources close to the team that one of the on-field umpires during the Test had privately expressed his concern over some deliveries Shoaib bowled to the Pakistan management but did not report it officially.The fires were fuelled further by Greg Chappell’s comments during the subsequent Test at Karachi, in which he is alleged to have said there was “something seriously different” about Shoaib’s action. Those remarks set off a separate furore altogether, with the PCB, at one point asking the ICC to investigate whether what Chappell had said constituted a violation of the ICC code of conduct.Shaharyar said that matter had now been laid to rest. “We were concerned about the comments made about his action. I went to the ICC and said if Chappell has actually said them they are against the code of conduct. They said if we lay a formal charge, the case will be examined. Subsequently we have not laid a charge because the statements have not been corroborated. We received a reply from the ICC saying Chappell had been informally spoken to and he said he had been quoted out of context. If he says it is out of context then we don’t lay a charge and it is over.”But with Shoaib pulling out of the ODI series due to a stress fracture in his ankle – he will miss the Sri Lanka tour – rumours have only gathered more steam. Reports in India claimed he had been pulled out for fear that he would be called again. And locally, there has been talk of communication between the ICC and the PCB, in which the former has brought to attention the deterioration in Shoaib’s action to the home board. It has been construed by some as an implicit warning of sorts that he may be called if his action isn’t rectified.A few days ago, a local newspaper questioned whether Shoaib was missing the ODI series because of his ankle injury or due to concerns he might be reported during the series. Shaharyar was adamant, however, that no such communication has been passed on from the ICC. “Nothing of the sort has happened. Malcolm Speed has not asked me not to bowl Shoaib. In fact, the ICC has said he has been reported three times and has been passed fit to play. There is nothing from the match referee or the umpires so there is nothing for us to do. His ankle is genuinely bad. He bowled when he shouldn’t have against England and he has damaged his other ankle by avoiding putting pressure on one ankle. It is a genuine injury and that is the only reason he is not playing.”

The recall of Jeff Wilson to the New Zealand cricket team after a 12-year absence was always going cause a stir, but the extent to which it has escalated defies belief.Wilson’s selection for the three-match one-day series against a World XI has been described in the press this week as “staggering” and “astonishing”, while some have suggested it is purely a marketing ploy. Add to that newspaper headlines such as “Canning, Adams not happy about snub”, and “Snubbed Franklin takes ND apart”, and suddenly a shadow has been cast over Wilson’s return.Then today came something almost unprecedented, as the Auckland allrounder and fringe NZ squad member Tama Canning gave his views on Wilson’s abilities. Canning told the New Zealand Herald: “Jeff will get a go [for New Zealand] and I hope he does well, but I don’t think he’s technically good enough for that level.”Canning’s comments came as no great surprise. Just about everyone in cricket, it seems, is unable to get to grips with the New Zealand selectors’ bold decision. The Dominion Post‘s suggestion that the red carpet has been laid out for Wilson reflects the fact that many cricket folk in New Zealand feel that he is the recipient of special treatment because of his status as an All Black rugby legend.It’s hard not to think that there’s an element of jealousy here. Wilson gave away rugby in 2002, and is now in his third season back in the whites. He has not sought attention, nor been given it unjustifiably. If anyone looked at how he did last season, they would realise that he went a long way towards proving himself. The surprise actually is that he has not figured in any New Zealand selections until now.The other point is, since when was it a crime to pick a bolter? What record did Daniel Vettori have behind him in his two first-class matches when he was selected to play a Test against England in 1997? Ditto Ian Butler, when he debuted against England in 2002. Both players were picked on raw talent. Wilson not only has talent, but he’s a proven matchwinner on the international stage, in rugby and cricket.The pot was stirred by the acknowledgment by the New Zealand coach John Bracewell that Wilson would probably not have been selected if the series against the World XI carried official ODI status. Canning was even quoted in the Dominion Post as saying that “John [Bracewell] actually said I’m in front of Jeff but they want to have a look at him to learn a bit about him.” That’s a good strategy – but a bad idea passing it on.That minor criticism aside, Bracewell and his fellow selectors should be applauded for picking Wilson. It is also interesting to note that while anti-Wilsonism is becoming more apparent on the first-class scene, the retired internationals Adam Parore and Mark Richardson both endorsed his elevation in their weekend newspaper columns. Chris Cairns added in the NZ Herald that Wilson possessed the attributes of “belief, confidence and experience, all of which cannot be taught”.The timing of his addition to the New Zealand squad could not be better. Not only is he hitting form, especially with the ball, but there are three Tests and five ODIs against Australia just round the corner. As Bracewell told the Sunday News today: “We’ve looked at him in terms of offering something that can challenge the Australians.”New Zealand’s chances of finishing on top of the ODI rankings by the April 1 deadline for the ICC Super Series in October are all but extinguished, as that requires Australia first to capitulate in the VB Series then suffer a hiding when they travel to NZ in February. Still, a series victory by New Zealand would do wonders for softening the Australians’ aura of invincibility. If there is anyone who could influence such a result it would be hard to go past Jeff Wilson.Andrew McLean is a presenter of The Cricket Club, New Zealand’s only national radio cricket show.

If anyone doubted the progress that Bangladesh have made in the last 18 months, their improved performances against Sri Lanka and their emphatic wins in the opening two matches of the one-day series against Kenya should have made it clear that they are on the up.Habibul Bashar, their experienced captain who has been through the bad – and the very bad – times was keen to underline that his side is now looking up for their next victims rather than being worried about who might beat them. “I don’t want to compare our team with Kenya,” he said after the nine-wicket win at Khulna. “You all know we have defeated teams like India, Australia and Sri Lanka in the recent past. And I believe as a team we should compete consistently against the big teams and it is actually our ultimate goal.”As I have repeated often, our performance against Sri Lanka was quite decent and there was a clear sign of improvement within the squad. And I think that impressive performance has helped us to do much better against Kenya.”We have won the first two matches quite convincingly and we are looking forward to winning the remaining matches in the same fashion,” added Bashar, before curtly dismissing suggestions that Bangladesh should experiment in the remaining two matches at Fatullah. “I am totally against that,” he stressed. “I want to field my best side to finish the series on a high note ahead of the tough home series against Australia in April. We are all enjoying the game that’s why it would be unwise to break the rhythm.”We have improved in every department especially the way the top order has been batting in the series is refreshing for us. But what has impressed me most is the effort of the two new ball bowlers, especially Syed Rasel who has injected new blood in the attack. The right-left bowling combination has worked brilliantly since our Sri Lanka trip. Our new-ball attack was erratic in the past but the new pair has bought real discipline. It is now proved that if we bat to our potential we can give any of our opponents a tough time.”

Andre Adams, the New Zealand allrounder, has been suspended for one domestic match after assaulting a player in a match this week.Adams was charged with physical assault after grabbing the helmet of Bevan Griggs, the Central Districts batsman, and shaking the grill which in turn cut Griggs’s lip.He was suspended by a code of conduct commissioner in Auckland and will miss their last round match of the State Championship next week.He has until tomorrow afternoon to appeal against the decision.

Lloyd Mash, the opener who made his first-class debut against West Indies on Friday, has replaced Brad Hodge and will play his first Pura Cup match against Queensland starting on Friday. Mash collected 44 against West Indies, hit four sixes in an over during a hastily-arranged Twenty20 match with the tourists, and is the only change to the side that sits on top of the table with New South Wales.Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, expected the Bulls to provide a stern test for his side after their perfect start to the domestic interstate summer. “We have had two very good away wins in Perth and Hobart and we’re confident that if we can execute our game plan we can come away from Brisbane with another good result,” he said.The fast man Shane Harwood missed the tour match with a back injury but returns to the squad and the bowling attack will be chosen from Mick Lewis, Gerard Denton and Allan Wise. Hodge is tipped to make his Test debut against West Indies in Hobart on Thursday.New South Wales will consider a Pura Cup debut for Stephen O’Keefe after he was named in the 12-man squad to play Tasmania at the SCG beginning on Friday. O’Keefe, a 20-year-old allrounder, has taken 12 wickets at 17.25 with his left-arm orthodox spin in Sydney grade games this season.Brad Haddin, who is recovering from a finger injury, faces a fitness test later this week but has also been picked in the initial squad. Simon Katich will lead the team after he was dropped from the Test side last week.Victoria squad Jason Arnberger, Michael Klinger, Nick Jewell, Lloyd Mash, David Hussey, Cameron White (capt), Jon Moss, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Shane Harwood, Mick Lewis, Gerard Denton, Allan Wise.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Greg Mail, Simon Katich (capt), Matthew Phelps, Dominic Thornely, Aaron O’Brien, Brad Haddin (wk), Grant Lambert, Stephen O’Keefe, Matthew Nicholson, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger.

Close
Scorecard

The England captaincy is a hot potato at present, with the selectors frantically juggling their options until such time as Michael Vaughan’s knee comes back to life. Away from the spotlight at Canterbury, however, Robert Key was demonstrating that leadership doesn’t have to be a burden. He led from the front for England A, compiling a beautiful unbeaten 128 to give Pakistan’s bowlers a tough workout ahead of next week’s first Test.After the battering that the senior side has received in recent weeks, this fixture comes as a welcome opportunity for the England camp to regroup. Consequently the side has been packed with men with several points to prove – not least among them Key himself. As Kent’s captain, he is in familiar surroundings, but today’s news that Vaughan has officially been ruled out of this winter’s Ashes added an extra frisson to his innings.Key made a favourable impression on the previous trip to Australia four years ago, but hasn’t played for the Test side since the tour to South Africa in January 2005. While England’s batsmen were dropping like flies in India this winter, he was recuperating from shoulder surgery and so was overtaken in the pecking order by men such as Alastair Cook and Owais Shah.”It’s been a slow start for me in four-day cricket,” Key admitted afterwards, having not yet registered a century this season. He began his innings bullishly with four fours and a six before lunch, and later clouted Danish Kaneria straight down the ground for another maximum to bring up his 150 partnership with another recent England discard, Ian Bell.The conditions were very much in favour of the batsmen, as Key was quick to acknowledge. “We played Notts on a wicket like that,” he said. “We got 600 and couldn’t bowl them out.” But with the likes of Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul obtaining some reverse swing from as early as the 20th over, it was never entirely plain sailing. “They showed some class,” he added, “on a wicket where there was no conventional swing and no seam movement.”England suffered an early setback when Cook was caught behind for 3 off Mohammad Sami, a neat low catch in front of first slip by Kamran Akmal, but Akmal was soon forced to leave the field after damaging his left index finger. On the stroke of lunch, clearly discomforted, he dropped Key off Asif for 30 and did not return.It was an alarm for Pakistan, who have no reserve keeper in their squad and instead handed the gloves to Faisal Iqbal. The uncapped 20-year-old, Zulqarnain Haider, would have been flown in from Lahore in the event of a break, but Pakistan’s coach, Bob Woolmer, later confirmed Akmal had suffered nothing more than bruising around the top joint.Faisal did at least manage to hang onto the one catch that came his way. Bell is becoming a familiar face to this Pakistani attack, having top-scored for the Test team in last winter’s tour, a performance that included a century in the second Test at Faisalabad. But this time he was unable to make the most of similarly flat conditions, and was second man out for 74 (187 for 2).Shah came in at No. 4, as if to showcase the strength of England’s middle-order reserves, although judging by the current medical bulletins, they are going to be needed in the weeks and months to come. He made another start, 23 from 97 balls, but was unable to pick up his momentum and eventually edged a low catch to Imran Farhat at slip off Danish Kaneria.There were four changes for Pakistan, after their eight-wicket win over Leicestershire, with their captain Inzamam-ul-Haq returning in place of vice-captain Younis Khan. Mohammad Yousuf came in for the big-hitting Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq replaced Shoaib Malik in the allrounder’s spot, while Asif was given a chance ahead of seamer Shahid Nazir.Though Pakistan were not fielding their full Test XI, it was nonetheless an important first century of the season for Key, whose recuperation from surgery has been hampered by some “interesting” wickets at the Rose Bowl and Stockton, among others. “Before you know it, you’ve been nicked off a couple of times,” he explained, “and you’re staring down the barrel of an ordinary start to the season. But the last two have been perfect for batting, so it’s nice to cash in.”Key won’t be in contention for the Lord’s Test, because his shoulder is still not back to full strength. “I was starting to think I’d never throw again a few weeks ago,” he admitted, “but all of a sudden I’ve starting rocketing them in from about ten yards! But it was a big operation. They reckoned it would take 12 months before I was throwing properly. It’s seven or eight now, so give it a couple of months, and it shouldn’t be a problem.”That would coincide nicely with the Ashes considerations, and in Vaughan’s absence, there is a definite prospect of a tour place for Key. “Any runs are valuable, but this is probably slightly more in the spotlight. This is definitely a set up from county cricket when you come up against an attack like that. You feel more a part of the England set-up, with a different group of people and an England shirt of some means. I think it’s a great format.”