All posts by csb10.top

Lance Cairns, recently axed as a New Zealand selector, has been appointed director of coaching at the Marist-Harewood club and St Bede’s College in Christchurch. He replaces Garry MacDonald – who has taken up a coaching role in Nelson – and returns to the city where he once lived for five years.Cains said his strength lay in being able to identify potential at an early stage and develop it accordingly. He believed it was more important to foster discipline than tamper with technique. “I like working with them [young players] and getting bowlers working on line and length, and batsmen working on building an innings,” Cairns told the . “Sometimes we tend to interfere with techniques when this [their current technique] is what has been working for the youngster.”Cairns said that he still had something to offer, despite being removed as national selector. “They have gone down a new path, but I would still like to be involved with New Zealand Cricket.”Cairns, 61, played 43 Tests and 78 ODIs, and will take up his new position in mid-August, about six weeks before the start of the Christchurch cricket season.

An emotional Graeme Smith has apologised to fans for not explaining why he wasn’t with the South African team upon its return from the World Cup. Smith arrived in South Africa only on Saturday, and said he needed a break due to the “emotional stress” he experienced in the aftermath of South Africa’s dispiriting quarter-final exit.”I was feeling incredibly emotional at the time,” Smith read from prepared statement in Johannesburg. “Prior to the World Cup I had asked permission to go on to Ireland to attend to a personal matter. At the time I had faced a full media schedule and felt that signalled the end of the campaign. What I did not take into account was the public’s reaction.”Smith went to Ireland to propose to Morgan Deane, who is now his fiancée and then travelled to India for the fourth season of the IPL, where he was part of the Pune Warriors squad. South African fans reacted angrily to his no-show, some describing it as cowardly following his last assignment as ODI captain. He also stopped interacting with the public on social networking site, Twitter, that Cricket South Africa has encouraged its players to sign up on and use.Smith said his no-show was caused by anxiety and that he needed some time out. “The emotional stress was something that I hadn’t been through before in my career,” Smith said. “I felt it best to take a break from being stupid and saying stupid things. The fans have a first-hand line from their phone to my phone so I just wanted a break.”Smith said the World Cup campaign had exhausted him mentally, particularly because of the high expectation placed on the team. South Africa took what was believed to be their strongest squad into the tournament but were forced to exit at the quarter-final stage after a 49-run loss to New Zealand. South Africa failed to chase 222 in Dhaka, a performance that led to them being relabelled as chokers. It’s a term that has raised much controversy in South Africa and one that continues to haunt the national side.”I am still convinced that we adopted the right strategy in deciding to use three spinners in addition to two strike pace bowlers. This meant that all of our lower order had to bat one place too high,” Smith said. He did not make excuses for his team’s batting and admitted that the fault was with the top order, that, he said, “did not bat as expected and it is something we, myself included, need to work hard on.”Graeme Smith will stay on as Test captain•Associated Press

Smith has been through a patch of poor form in recent months; he notched up a top score of 45 in seven matches at the World Cup. In 12 ODIs this year, he has averaged 28.25, substantially less than his career average of 39.25. His Test average has also slipped, to 35.87 in five Tests in the 2010-11 season, compared to 49.71 over his career.”I admit that my own form has not been what I had hoped it would be of late,” he said, admitting that without strong performances with the bat, he will struggle to the formidable leader he once was. “Nothing that I say in the next few weeks is going to be worthwhile unless I can back it up with performance.”Smith has battled a knee injury since the IPL and said he hopes to develop a personal programme, with the new coach, who will be appointed on Monday, in order to make a full recovery. It appears that most of the healing has to happen in the mind, with Smith saying he would like to rediscover the joys of playing cricket. “The last two to three months have been the toughest of my career. I want to get back to enjoying my cricket again.” Without the responsibility of captaining in the shorter formats of the game, form is something Smith can concentrate on. He remains the country’s Test captain, despite speculation that he would step down at Sunday’s press conference.While Smith has used his time away to refresh his mindset and sharpen his physique (he looked distinctly slimmer than he has in a long time), he hopes the rest of the World Cup squad have also been able to get over their calamitous exit. “Time is a good healer and it gives you perspective. It’s easy to be emotional at the time.”There are a lot of exciting times ahead for us with the appointment of the new coach and ODI captain. We did a lot of work in the off season on our team culture. Ultimately, it’s always about the cricket and it always has been.”AB de Villiers is expected to succeed Smith as the ODI captain. South Africa take on Australia and Sri Lanka in their home season this year.

by 18 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
MS Dhoni gave it a humpty towards the end•AFP

Chennai Super Kings all but ensured qualification for the playoffs, and took an important step towards ending in the crucial top two, with a win that withstood the odd scare from Delhi Daredevils, who were formally knocked out of the tournament even though they have two games to go. Chennai, with 16 points from 12 games, were at the top of the table, but Mumbai Indians (16) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (15) have an extra game in hand.Delhi, missing the talismanic Virender Sehwag, were spirited through Varun Aaron and briefly through Naman Ojha, but they also kept up the noble IPL 2011 tradition of offering lives to the Chennai batsmen. However, it was MS Dhoni, who didn’t enjoy any of that generosity, that provided Chennai with the big finish. Dhoni scored 63 off 31 balls and helped Chennai plunder 37 in the last two overs, and 109 in last 10. S Badrinath offered stability at the other end, scoring 55 off 43, providing a gentle reminder of his bumper Ranji season on the eve of selection for the West Indies tour.In complete contrast was Dwayne Bravo’s blinder to remove Colin Ingram after Ojha’s 25 off 14 gave the chase early promise. Even as West Indies struggled in the Test over in Guyana, Bravo turned up with the ball too, to dismiss David Warner, and at 64 for 3, effectively ending the chase.It will just be a footnote on the evening, but the man whose state doesn’t even have a Ranji team deserves a mention. Aaron, who plays for Jharkhand, filled the size 12s of Morne Morkel admirably, troubling the ominous-looking Suresh Raina and M Vijay with pace and bounce. His final figures of 1 for 20 included a dropped catch and a 12-run last over.Aaron began with a two-run fourth over to rein in the quick start. In the sixth, he got Raina to top-edge a hook, and should have had Vijay in the same over, but Delhi captain James Hopes missed a tough chance at cover. Vijay enjoyed another life at the same score, but couldn’t make those drops count. At 67 for 3 in the 11th over, Dhoni took control of the game with a counterattack, moving to 14 off five balls with a four off Ajit Agarkar, followed by a four and a six off Andrew McDonald. Aaron pulled things back with a three-run 14th over in which he troubled Badrinath. In the next over, however, Ojha missed a stumping chance off Badrinath, who was 28 off 27 then.Following that, Dhoni – and later Badri – tucked into the bowling. There was power, and there was also cheek when Dhoni moved across and paddled Agarkar fine of short fine leg. Real punishment was reserved for the last two overs, bowled by Agarkar and the otherwise-economical Irfan Pathan. Agarkar missed his yorkers, and Badri hit his two low full tosses for a four and a six. Dhoni was deceived by a slower ball, but still managed to send it over extra cover.Irfan began the 20th over well, at one point he even had respectable figures of 3.4-0-28-1. Then Dhoni unfurled two flat sixes off the last two balls, both full tosses, to end the innings with an exclamation mark.Ojha began a promising chase, but he had to take too many risks on account of the steep asking rate, and perished in the third over. Chennai’s attack, much better suited to the spin-friendly conditions, put the squeeze on, and then Bravo flew at point to send Ingram back. Soon, Warner, feeling the pressure a 25-ball 21 brings, pulled the same man to deep square leg. Venugopal Rao and Irfan Pathan then only delayed the inevitable.

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga has said two more provinces will be added to the Sri Lanka Premier League after the first few seasons. Seven provinces will be a part of the first tournament, with the Rajarata and Sabaragamuwa provinces the only ones of Sri Lanka’s nine not to have a team. Ranatunga said their exclusion would not last long.”We merely wanted to limit the number of teams to ensure competitiveness,” he told the . “So far, we have had only five teams in our domestic provincial tournaments. We added North (Uthura) and East (Negenahira) for this first tournament, and as we progress with it in the next few seasons, we will add the other two provinces as well.”The first edition of the SLPL, which will be played over 18 days starting at the end of July this year, will see all its matches played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo; this despite Sri Lanka having built two new stadiums, in Pallekele and Hambantota, for the recently concluded World Cup. Ranatunga explained logistical reasons meant only one stadium could be used for the tournament.”We had to finish everything within two or three weeks. The logistics of playing the matches at various venues are too cumbersome. The players would also be tired if they have to travel heavily within a short period. So we had no option but to limit the tournament to Colombo.”Unlike the IPL and the new format of the Big Bash League in Australia, the SLPL will not feature city-based teams. Ranatunga said having provincial teams would allow an entire province to associate themselves with a team and thus create a bigger following for the tournament.

Pakistan women finished top of the table in the Quadrangular series, with a nine-wicket victory against Ireland women at the Thurstan College Ground in Colombo. The entire tournament has been affected by the weather, and Friday’s match was reduced to 23 overs a side. Ireland were put in and were all out for 28 in 22.1 overs. Legspinner Bismah Maroof did the most damage, taking 4 for 7. Pakistan chased the total in 13.3 overs, with Javeria Khan scoring 47 not out.Sri Lanka women finished second in the table after registering an emphatic eight-wicket win over Netherlands women at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground. Sri Lanka chased down a paltry target of 67 in 8.4 overs after bowling the visitors out for 72 in Colombo.Being asked to bat, the Netherlands line-up managed just two double-digit scores. They were troubled by the spin of Maduri Samuddika and Sandamali Dolawatta, the pair picking up two wickets apiece, but their wrecker-in-chief was left-armer Sherina Ravikumar who finished with 4 for 14 off her 10 overs. The Sri Lanka batsmen then made short work of the chase, stroking 14 boundaries to win with all of 248 balls to spare.

Times Internet Limited, part of the Times of India group, has been awarded the media rights for the IPL’s global internet, mobile and radio rights, along with the television rights for certain territories. According to the IPL governing council, the winning bid was Rs. 261.6 crore (approx $58 million) for the four-year period 2011-14.The bids were opened in the presence of Justice Mukul Mudgal, a former High Court Chief Justice, under the orders of the Supreme Court, which required the bids to be opened in front of an independent observer because of the ongoing dispute between the BCCI and sport marketing agency, World Sport Group (WSG).Under the terms of the order, any money the BCCI receives from Times Internet is to be kept in an escrow account, and the board can only withdraw amounts equivalent to those which it would have received from WSG under the existing contract as if their agreement had not been terminated. The bids will also not be final until the dispute between the two is resolved.Although WSG had asked the Supreme Court to prevent the tender from being issued, it still welcomed the March 18 order. “In effect, the order protects our long-term rights and that of our partners, and also our revenues pending the final legal outcome of the case, and that is what we had sought to preserve,” Seamus O’Brien, chairman and chief executive, WSG, said in a statement sent to ESPNcricinfo.The statement also reiterated that the agency will take whatever further actions are necessary around the world, “and particularly in key markets to protect its rights and interests, and that of its licensees who have invested in the success of the IPL, as a result of the illegal termination of its agreements by the BCCI, and their subsequent actions.”The BCCI have also appealed the Bombay High Court’s February 23 ruling that issued a stay on the termination of the WSG contract, but the appeal was not admitted by the Supreme Court at Friday’s hearing, and a date has been set in four weeks time.The 2011 IPL kicks off on April 8 when reigning champions, Chennai Super Kings, host the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai. The television rights for the Indian subcontinent, held by SET MAX, as well as certain other territories, were not part of the tender offer.

Australia escaped their most serious spin challenge in the tournament so far, thanks to the wash-out in Colombo, where they shared the points with Sri Lanka on a pitch Ricky Ponting described as “basically rolled mud”. The ability of Australia’s batsmen to handle top spinners in helpful conditions is one of the questions that has surrounded Ponting’s side, which now has two wins and a no-result and sits third on the Group A table.However, the Australians have a game in hand compared to the second-placed Sri Lanka, and they have what should be easy matches against Canada and Kenya coming up. The match in Colombo was reasonably evenly-balanced when heavy rain came and set in for the rest of the evening, with Sri Lanka at 146 for 3, but the sharp turn being displayed by Jason Krejza was a worrying sign for the Australian batsmen.The hosts picked Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, the first time all three had played together in an ODI, and Ponting knew the trio would be hard to counter. He said in the lead-up to the game that he had been surprised by the lack of spin in the earlier games in Sri Lanka, but a glance at the pitch on the eve of the match suggested it would be a different story this time.”That wicket is vastly different to the wickets that have been used in the previous games that have been played here in this World Cup so far,” Ponting said after the washout. “It seemed that they had a pretty good idea that it was going to be that slow and low and was going to spin a fair bit, hence the reason they played their spinners.”You could tell that it was going to be a lot different than the wicket that was played on the day before, because you could see that one right beside it. That one had a bit of grass on it, and the one we were going to use today was basically rolled mud. It spun quite a bit early in the game. What you associate with most one-day wickets is they generally don’t do much in the first innings of the game and they might just spin a bit towards the latter half of the second innings of the game. It appeared that this one was going to be a difficult one to chase runs on.”Kumar Sangakkara had set up an interesting contest with an unbeaten 73•Associated Press

But the Australians won’t know how their batsmen would have fared, as the dark clouds moved in during the second half of Sri Lanka’s innings. When the rain came, it bucketed down, and although it had stopped by an hour after the match was abandoned, there was plenty of surface water on the parts of the ground that had not been covered.It was a disappointing end to the most eagerly anticipated Group A match so far in the tournament. Shaun Tait bowled one of his best opening spells in recent times, finding significant outswing to add to his speed, while Krejza created opportunities with his turn and Kumar Sangakkara was looking determined to bat through the innings, having reached 73 not out.”I think it might have been a pretty good game of cricket,” Ponting said. “They had Sangakkara who played particularly well. At that stage of the game, 30 overs in and 140 on the board, we felt like we needed to make another breakthrough before the ball change, or around the ball change.”If we had done that around then and tried to expose their middle order, they had a longer tail today because they played all their spinners. I think we were only one breakthrough away, but saying that they had batted pretty well and it would have been a difficult run-chase considering the way the wicket was playing. I think it would have been a decent game of cricket. I’m disappointed for the crowd more than anything today.”The Australians will fly to Bangalore on Sunday and will have two days off before they start to prepare for their matches against Kenya and Canada. Sri Lanka head to Kandy to take on Zimbabwe on Thursday, before they leave home and tackle New Zealand in Mumbai.

Dale Steyn believes that South Africa’s hard-fought series victory over India has taught the side valuable lessons ahead of the World Cup, after they battled back from a 2-1 deficit to seal the rubber with victories in the final two matches at Port Elizabeth and Centurion. Even at 119 for 8, chasing 269 for victory in the decider, India refused to yield, with Yusuf Pathan lighting up the closing overs of the contest with a blistering 105 from 70 balls.”It was pretty tough all the way through,” Steyn told ESPNcricinfo’s Switch Hit podcast. “When you’re playing against a team like India you’re always going to struggle, especially as they bat all the way down the order to No. 9 and 10. They are a good side, and a great knock by Yusuf nearly turned it for them, but our fight showed through in the last ODI. We showed we wanted it more that day.”South Africa play India in the group stages of the World Cup at Nagpur on March 12, and Steyn now knows that a player of Yusuf’s class will be hard to contain if he is allowed to get going in that contest. “He smokes the ball, even his mis-hits were going for six,” he said. “It was one of those knocks you have to sit back and say well played, because there wasn’t much more we could do.”We felt we had the game in control until then, but every time he hit the ball it went for six,” he added. “It was a good knock from Zaheer [Khan] as well, but there were some valuable lessons learned for the World Cup, and we can take the experience from a game like that and learn from it if it happens again in the World Cup.”On a personal note, the series win wrapped up an impressive season’s work for Steyn, who has cemented his reputation as the world’s leading fast bowler with a series of searing performances. “I’m bowling nicely but I hope that I can bowl better,” he said. “I never want to restrict myself and say I’m at my ultimate peak, I’m always looking to take myself to a higher level. But things have been going nicely, and I’ve been backed nicely by guys like Lopsy [Tsotsobe] and Morne [Morkel]. When they are bowling well, I can basically play second fiddle and it takes pressure off my shoulders.”South Africa’s World Cup 15 was announced last week, and in the opinion of the captain, Graeme Smith, it is an unpredictable line-up, with a host of players – Steyn included – who have never yet taken part in a 50-over World Cup. “It is a new thing, and we are looking forward to it,” said Steyn. “We’re going to ride the wave that we’ve had against one of the best teams in the world, and we are very excited. There are a lot of new guys, and a new energy, and the atmosphere is fantastic.”One of those new faces is the Pakistan-born legspinner, Imran Tahir, who was kept hidden during the India series, but could well prove to be a trump card come the start of the tournament. “He’s a good bowler, and most of the guys on the county circuit and at domestic level in South Africa have realised that,” said Steyn. “I played with him at the Titans but hardly ever alongside him, but when I batted against him he got me out about 14 times in 10 minutes. I’m not saying I’m the world’s best batsman, but I was bamboozled all the time. So he’s looking forward to his opportunity.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaun Marsh guided the Warriors’ chase with an unbeaten 93 off just 59 balls•Getty Images

A brilliant spell of swing bowling from Michael Hogan, backed up by a faultless 93 from opener Shaun Marsh, has kept the Western Australia Warriors’ Big Bash campaign alive after they crushed reigning champions the Victoria Bushrangers by six wickets with 17 balls to spare at the WACA.Hogan stunned Bushrangers’ Brad Hodge with an unplayable inswinging yorker, bowling the opener for a golden duck. He continued to trouble the visitors, taking a wicket in each of his four overs as the Bushrangers stumbled to 8 for 145 in their 20 overs, with Aaron Finch’s 61 off 46 balls the only score of more than 25.Recent Australian test debutant Michael Beer was economical with the ball, conceding just 21 runs off his four overs and picking up the vital wicket of Finch with some clever spin bowling, deceiving the diminutive opener in flight as he skied a ball to point.Despite the Warriors losing Chris Gayle and captain Adam Voges early, the hosts never looked in danger while man-of-the-match Marsh was at the crease, the opener sharing a 99-run stand with Luke Pomersbach as they cruised to victory.Marsh batted with a cool head, digging in when the wickets fell early before overpowering the Bushrangers attack in a brilliant counterattack with Pomersbach. His 93 came off just 59 balls, enhancing his claims to be the man to replace Michael Hussey in the Australia World Cup squad, should the veteran not recover from a hamstring injury in time.With their poor net run-rate, the Warriors will need to defeat the Tasmanian Tigers in their final match in Bellerive on Jan 27 and rely on other results falling their way if they are to have any chance of making the finals. Meanwhile, the Bushrangers will host the New South Wales Blues on Saturday night, with only pride on the line for the Victorians.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
AB de Villiers was a man in a hurry, and scored South Africa’s fastest ever Test century•Getty Images

South Africa’s powerful performance during the first half of the third day added so much ground to the territory captured on the previous two that the dominance of India’s openers for 29 overs, their half-centuries and three dropped catches made no dent in the home team’s ironclad prospects of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.If India thought they had already hit rock bottom, they were in for the most unbelievable shock as they crashed through that and continued to free-fall. Their bowling was toothless, and South Africa infinitely more ruthless. Under blue skies in Centurion, AB de Villiers pulverised the featherweight attack like a heavyweight might, and scored a hundred in under two hours. South Africa’s lead swelled by 225 runs in 36 overs before lunch and Jacques Kallis reached his maiden double-century soon after the break. Graeme Smith declared shortly after on 620 for 4 – when de Villiers fell – with a monstrous lead of 484.In cloudier weather, Virender Sehwag and Gambhir gave India a modicum of respite by surviving the new ball and scoring briskly. Their partnership was worth 137, but the battle was for longevity and both batsmen lost it. Their dismissals left India with eight wickets in hand and two days to survive. They’ll need a batting performance without precedent, and perhaps substantial rain as well.That India were attempting to avoid an innings defeat so early was because their bowlers were helpless in the morning: unable to make a breakthrough, unable to control the run-rate, unable to do anything to help their cause. Ishant Sharma was gifted a wicket but de Villiers seamlessly picked up where Hashim Amla left off. His 76-ball century was the quickest by a South African. Kallis, who until today averaged about 14 after resuming on an overnight century, added plenty more.The maiden over de Villiers played out against Jaidev Unadkat soon after he came in – on 396 for 3 – was the lull before the hurricane. His first forceful shot was the straightest of drives, bisecting the gap between Ishant on his follow-through and the stumps. de Villiers then executed the plan to target Harbhajan Singh to perfection. He stepped out to the offspinner’s first delivery, but had to readjust to a fuller length and squirt it through point. In Harbhajan’s next over, de Villiers nimbly got down on one knee and launched the ball over deep square leg. Soon he was reverse-sweeping and his aggression rubbed off on Kallis, who had been restrained for the first hour.The century partnership came when de Villiers danced towards Suresh Raina and caused some of the fans on the grass banks at wide long-on to rush to catch the ball. Two more consecutive sixes off Raina, a muscular pull and a slog-sweep, took de Villiers to his century. Kallis helped himself against Raina’s long-hops as well and also dismissed Sachin Tendulkar over deep midwicket.

Smart Stats

• South Africa’s total of 620 for 4 is their sixth-best in Tests, and their highest against India.

• South Africa’s first-innings lead of 484 is their second-highest in Tests. The only occasion they managed a higher lead was against England at Lord’s in 2003, when they took a lead of 509 and eventually won by an innings and 92 runs.

• For India too, it’s their second-highest first-innings deficit: they’d fallen behind by 490 runs against West Indies at Eden Gardens in 1958-59.

• AB de Villiers’ 75-ball century is the tenth-fastest in all Tests, and the quickest by a South African.

• Jacques Kallis’ unbeaten 201 lifts his overall average against India to 67.78, with four centuries in 14 Tests. At home, he averages 88 against India.

• The 224-run stand between Kallis and de Villiers is South Africa’s second-highest for the fourth wicket, and their best against India.

• Kallis’ 230-run partnership with Hashim Amla is the second time they’d added more than 200 against India in 2010: in February, they’d put together 340 in Nagpur.

• The Amla-Kallis and Kallis-de Villiers pairs are among the top five pairs in terms of runs scored for South Africa.

India were using part-timers because the form of the specialists left MS Dhoni with few options. After the battering on the second day, India were desperate for a stronger start, and Sreesanth began with a no-ball, complementing his first-ball wide yesterday. Ishant was better but one of his fielding efforts was indicative of India’s morale. Sreesanth had delivered a short ball, Amla had pulled, and Ishant, having just completed an over, jogged along the boundary and made no effort to save the four. Some Indians glared at him, but no one’s performances lifted.Smith might have declared at lunch but Kallis was 18 short of a double-hundred. He got there by glancing Jaidev Unadkat to fine leg to spark off tumultuous applause at SuperSport Park. de Villiers was celebrating for his partner with arms aloft, and the South Africans in the dressing room clapped vigorously. Kallis took off his helmet, revealing his flushed face and full shock of hair, and raised his arms aloft. He had flung that monkey off his back after 142 Tests and his fans cheered for longer than usual.The pitch had certainly eased for even Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were unable to extract as much assistance from it on the third day. Their pace and bounce made a difference though. Gambhir was hit on his glove and thigh off successive short balls from Morkel, but grew more assured once he survived that period.Sehwag, bristling after his first-innings duck, slashed and drove repeatedly square on the off side, even though several fielders were waiting for the catch. Smith brought Tsotsobe into the attack in the eighth over and Sehwag blazed his second ball over wide long-on for six and the fourth over point. He continued to attack Tsotsobe but one powerful but airy drive was dropped by Amla at short cover. The chance was extremely difficult and Sehwag was on 34.With few men protecting the boundary on a fast outfield, Sehwag and Gambhir got terrific value for their shots and scored at around six an over. On 43 and 62, Gambhir was put down by Alviro Petersen at point. Sehwag, however, skied Paul Harris to Smith at deep cover, and Gambhir was lbw to one that kept low from Steyn. Those blows before the light faded in Centurion tightened South Africa’s vice-like grip on the Test.