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Mumbai Indians and Lions will meet each other in a must-win encounter in Jaipur, after torrential rain in Ahmedabad left the ground at Motera unfit for play

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu26-Sep-2013Match facts September 27, 2013
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Sachin Tendulkar is closing in on 50,000 runs in recognised cricket•BCCIBig PictureBoth teams have taken the field only once in this Champions League T20, but when Mumbai Indians and Lions meet in Jaipur, neither will be far from desperate times. Both could not impart any damage to Rajasthan Royals’ perfect record at their home ground this year and with torrential rain in Ahmedabad causing a double washout to compound their troubles, Mumbai and Lions are still searching for their first win. They will need to win to prevent themselves from a situation wherein their fortunes are dependent on other results.History sides with Lions, although their 2-0 record over Mumbai was cultivated in South African conditions and with a markedly different team. Neil McKenzie’s absence, courtesy a pulled stomach muscle, hit them hardest in their previous match. Though captain Alviro Peterson acclimatised reasonably well to his new role in the middle order, there was very little support on offer from the others, unlike in the last edition when veteran opener Gulam Bodi – another man who was missing from the XI against Royals – gave McKenzie company among the top three run-getters in the tournament.Experience, however, does not guarantee success as depicted by Mumbai’s faltering top order. Only once has the opening partnership crossed 12 in the last five matches and Mumbai will hope that on a true Jaipur pitch, Sachin Tendulkar, who had averaged 22.07 in IPL 2013, and Dwayne Smith strike better rhythm. They might have to contend with the threat of Imran Tahir, after Lions witnessed the exploits of legspinner Pravin Tambe first-hand.The situation reverses in the bowling department with Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Coulter-Nile forming a potent combination at the top, the former bringing the ball in and the latter taking it away. Without Malinga’s pin-point yorkers to bank on in the death and Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha looking tame enough that they only bowled four overs between them in the first match, Mumbai will have to concentrate on early wickets.There’s a bit of a sidenote to this match: Tendulkar is 31 runs short of becoming only the 16th player and first Indian to aggregate 50,000 runs in all recognised cricket.Players to watchHardus Viljoen lived up to his billing of being as fast as Dale Steyn, consistently touching speeds in excess of 145kph. His height adds an extra dimension, which could prove decisive on a pitch with ample carry and against a batting line-up that revolves around Indian batsmen and Kieron Pollard.The rise of Ravindra Jadeja has relegated Pragyan Ojha to excess baggage in the Indian team and he would have endured a sense of déjà vu as he was limited to bowling only one over in Mumbai’s opening match. Against a side on its first tour of India, his flight and guile would be expected to make an impact.Quotes “We need to lift our game, and if we do that, we have enough talent in our bowling and batting to make it to the semis.”

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has warned Bangladesh could lose its ICC membership if it doesn’t hold a board election in line with ICC guidelines

Mohammad Isam19-Jun-2013BCB president Nazmul Hassan has warned Bangladesh could lose its ICC membership if it doesn’t hold a board election in line with ICC guidelines. The country’s High Court earlier this year challenged the legality of the newly amended BCB constitution, and that has held up the elections which were supposed to take place within 90 days of the ad-hoc committee taking over the BCB.The ICC has reportedly set guidelines for cricket boards to minimise government interference and make sure that the board presidents are elected, not selected. Accordingly, on March 1, 2012, the BCB directors amended the board’s constitution but it had to wait for the approval from the National Sports Council, the regulatory body of sports in Bangladesh. Due to the delay in getting the approval, the BCB had to be run by an ad-hoc body from late November after the elected body’s reign expired.”We had to change the constitution to follow ICC guidelines so that’s how the 2012 draft came about,” Hassan said. “If we don’t do the election according to ICC’s guideline and the court declares the 2008 constitution valid, Bangladesh stands to lose its ICC membership.””We need a constitution to run the election, and I have two at the moment. One from 2008 and the other done in 2012. The latter constitution was sent to the BCB ad-hoc committee by the National Sports Council. But since this 2012 draft is with the court, our election is being delayed.”Hassan reminded that the changes asked to be made by the ICC have to be taken into account, although ICC president Alan Isaac said in November last year that the major change, that of reduced government interference, is still under review.”In the last [ICC] board meeting, we were told that every board has to bring about certain changes to their constitution. But unless the High Court decides on our board’s constitution, we don’t have much to do. We are seeking legal opinion because the ICC has set a timeframe and bindings. We have to do something within these limitations.”

Defending champions Australia enter the tournament with much to protect, but with a glaring weakness against the new ball, it will be a difficult road ahead

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale06-Jun-2013OverviewUnlike the glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, there isn’t much global silverware currently held by the Australians. But the Champions Trophy is still in their possession, and has been since 2006. Whether it remains theirs depends on how Michael Clarke and his men handle the next few weeks. And they will need to come to grips with the conditions better than they did during their ODI series in England last year, when they were trounced 4-0. It was their heaviest ever defeat in a bilateral one-day series. Notably, though, their best batsman on that trip was George Bailey, who has been promoted to vice-captain for this Champions Trophy.The challenge for Australia is to keep their eyes on the immediate prize, rather than letting their minds wander to the upcoming Ashes series, in which seven members of the Champions Trophy squad will be taking part. Clarke has spoken of the importance of the one-day tournament in giving Australia confidence ahead of the Ashes, although the four-day warm-up games against Somerset and Worcestershire will be of greater relevance. Still, they will be especially happy if one or two players who have struggled in Test cricket of late – Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes, for example – take the chance to pile up some runs ahead of the Tests, regardless of format.The Australians have selected a very different squad from that which bowed out in the quarter-finals of the most recent major ODI tournament, the 2011 World Cup. Gone are Ricky Ponting, Brad Haddin, Michael and David Hussey, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and others. In their place are an exciting group of multi-skilled young men who should form part of the national limited-overs team for many years to come, such as James Faulkner, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Glenn Maxwell. Whether they can display the consistency to win a major tournament is the big question.Australia will hope James Faulkner takes an immediate liking to English surroundings•BCCIKey playerAt the last Champions Trophy, Shane Watson started slowly – he made ducks in his first two games, but finished with the biggest bang imaginable, with unbeaten centuries in the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand. Australia’s Test side has suffered due to Watson’s lack of runs in the past two years, but he has remained reasonably productive in the limited-overs format. His IPL form – 543 runs at 38.78 – was encouraging as well. Ahead of the Ashes it will also be important for Watson to continue increasing his bowling workload after resuming in the IPL.Surprise packageIt is starting to look as if 2013 might be James Faulkner’s breakout year. Faulkner, 23, made his ODI debut against West Indies in February and proved himself a capable and feisty bowling allrounder. That should have been no surprise, for Faulkner has won the Ricky Ponting Medal as Tasmania’s best player in each of the past three seasons, which has been a period of exceptional strength for the state side. A left-arm medium-fast bowler with a good change of pace, Faulkner continued his strong year by sitting second on the IPL wicket tally with 28 at 15.25 for Rajasthan Royals. After being named in the Ashes squad earlier this year, Faulkner said he had never been to England. The Australians are hoping he takes an immediate liking to the surroundings.WeaknessAs in Test cricket, the moving ball remains a problem for Australia’s batsmen, which was clear during the one-dayers in England last year. Never was it more obvious, though, than during their disastrous 74-all-out batting first against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January, when Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga ran through them in 26.4 overs. Five days earlier they had been skittled for 170. Watson, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Clarke and Bailey are potentially a very strong top five, but they will face swinging conditions in this tournament. How they handle them will not only determine their success in the Champions Trophy, but will provide a pointer to the Ashes.Champions Trophy historyIn 2009, Ponting led Australia to the title in South Africa, successfully defending the prize they had won by beating West Indies in India in 2006. In fact, not since the days when the tournament was called the ICC Knock Out – back in 2000 – have Australia failed to reach the semi-finals. They enter the tournament on an eight-match Champions Trophy winning streak, having last been defeated by West Indies in their opening game of the 2006 edition.Recent formAustralia sit third on the ICC one-day international rankings and the 2012 battle against England was the only series they have lost since the 2011 World Cup. However, they were pushed at home by Sri Lanka earlier this year and had to settle for a 2-2 series, before they swept a listless West Indies 5-0.

A dominating hundred from Rob Quiney steered Victoria to an eight-wicket win against England Lions in the first tour match in Melbourne

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2013
ScorecardRob Quiney struck 16 fours and three sixes in his knock of 122•Getty ImagesA dominating hundred from Rob Quiney steered Victoria to an eight-wicket win against England Lions in the first tour match in Melbourne. Chasing 226, Victoria cruised to victory with nearly 14 overs to spare, helped by 16 fours and three sixes from Quiney.Victoria were given a strong start by the openers, Quiney and Chris Rogers, who put together 96 off 68 balls before Rogers fell for 23. Peter Handscomb joined Quiney and the two forged a 125-run partnership in 24.2 overs, almost taking their side to victory. Quiney was the harshest on the bowlers, making 122 off 104 and taking the match away from the tourists. He was dismissed with Victoria just five short of the win but Handscomb’s half-century had also done the damage. Craig Overton, who took 2 for 30, was the only Lions bowlers to go at less than six runs an over.After being put in to bat, the Lions were given a steady start by their openers Varun Chopra and James Vince (43). But Scott Boland struck twice in the 16th over, removing Chopra and James Taylor with the score on 68, and dismissed Ben Foakes for another duck two overs later. Fawad Ahmed joined in and took two wickets, leaving them at 74 for 5.Gary Ballance and Rikki Clarke salvaged the innings from there with a 70-run stand before Clarke was caught behind off the part-time bowling of David Hussey for a patient 25. A flurry of fours and sixes towards the end from Ballance helped the Lions add 33 runs off the last three overs to reach 225 but that target proved some way short in the face of Quiney’s aggression.

The backdrop to the Basin Reserve, one of the most picturesque cricket venues in the world, will change significantly if the go-ahead is given to build a flyover close to one corner of the ground

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington16-Mar-2013The backdrop to the Basin Reserve, one of the most picturesque cricket venues in the world, will change significantly if the go-ahead is given to build a flyover close to one corner of the ground.The project, part of a nation-wide road-improvement scheme, will see an elevated section of road about nine meters high skirt the north of the ground in order to alleviate traffic congestion around the Basin. It is expected to be rubber-stamped later this year although there is strong opposition from those who feel it will ruin the viewing experience while there are also worries over noise and pollution.Most vocal among these is Save the Basin who are lobbying to have the plan shelved. They argue that a tunnel would be a better option or a modification to the current roundabout network around the Basin while they are also worried about the impact on the heritage listed buildings in the area, not just at the cricket ground.”The Transport Agencies own ratings found the development would have negative impacts in seven of the nine categories, particularly the heritage of the area,” Tim Jones, from the Save the Basin campaign, said. “Cities around the world are deciding against flyovers for a host of reasons. We feel there are viable alternatives.”However, if the roadway is constructed it will not impact the ground itself. Cricket Wellington, who have been in long talks about the proposal with the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA), have given their support on the basis that suitable shielding be provided to hide the flyover.To that end, the ground is negotiating for a new stand to the left of the current pavilion. It will not be used for spectators – Cricket Wellington say they do not want extra capacity – instead it will provided enhanced player facilities to replace the current dressing rooms that have become outdated.Peter Clinton, the chief executive of Cricket Wellington, said: “The proposed plans for the flyover have always been that any structure would not impact the actual physical boundaries of the Basin. The plans are that it would skirt 20 metres north of the boundary of the ground.”Obviously there are some concerns around the visual impact and noise impact on any sport going on in the ground. The Trust has been very robust in its view on this, and has been from the start, that it won’t necessarily object to the building of the bridge – as it is known – as long as the environment inside the Basin isn’t compromised.”The other current key issue for cricket in Wellington is the allocation of World Cup matches for 2015 event that will be jointly held between New Zealand and Australia. The city have put in a joint bid between the Westpac Stadium, where one-day internationals and Twenty20s are held, and the Basin Reserve who hope to be chosen as a warm-up venue.Although, aesthetically, it would be ideal to have tournament matches at the Basin there is an acceptance that the Westpac is the more suitable location for limited-overs cricket with a larger capacity and floodlights. The construction schedule for the flyover would also have it being built during the World Cup.However, there are some scheduling issues to overcome before the Westpac is guaranteed matches as they are due to host the Rugby 7s during what would be the ICC blackout period around the World Cup and the venue is also used for the Wellington Phoenix football team.

Warwickshire are expected to confirm Dougie Brown, their assistant coach and Academy director, on Thursday morning

George Dobell30-Jan-2013Warwickshire are expected to confirm Dougie Brown, their assistant coach and Academy director, on Thursday morning as the successor to Ashley Giles as their new director of cricket.Brown has fought off other leading candidates for the job such as Graeme Welch, his former Warwickshire team-mate and the county’s bowling coach, and the West Indies coach Ottis Gibson, who has also been discussing the details of a promised new contract with the national side.Brown, who worked in close association with Giles as Warwickshire won the Championship last summer, and also reached the final of the CB40, is a former England and Scotland allrounder who can be sure to bring a passionate approach to the role. He is also a former PCA chairman.Other candidates for the Warwickshire role included David Parsons, the ECB performance director, David Hemp, former Glamorgan and Bermuda captain and now coaching at Solihull School and Andy Moles, the former Scotland, Kenya and New Zealand coach, who was discounted before the interview stage.

India have dropped Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh for the Nagpur Test

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2012India have dropped Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh for the Nagpur Test. Delhi fast bowler Parvinder Awana and Saurashtra allrounder Ravindra Jadeja have received their first call-ups, and legspinner Piyush Chawla replaced Harbhajan.Zaheer’s is the biggest fall. This is the first time he has been dropped from the Test side after his rousing comeback in 2006-07. He has taken 15 wickets in eight Tests in 2012 at a strike rate of 98 balls per wicket. In this series, he has taken four scalps at a strike rate of 133. Moreover, his fielding has been below par for some time. His replacement, Awana, took 5 for 81 against Karnataka in a Ranji Trophy match a day before the selection meeting. Reputed to be brisk, Awana has taken 21 Ranji wickets at an average of 21.57 this season.Yuvraj, called back after a double-century in the Duleep Trophy was deemed enough to prove his fitness, did not take his chance either. He scored 125 runs in five innings in the series. He has now played 40 Tests over various comebacks for three centuries and an average of 33.92.Yuvraj’s replacement, Jadeja, recently scored his third first-class triple-century in 13 months. He was dropped from India’s limited-overs squads earlier this year, but the two triples in one month this season and 18 Ranji wickets at 23.72 have put him ahead of Rohit Sharma and Manoj Tiwary in the queue for a middle-order slot. Jadeja told he had hoped to get his chance after his run in domestic cricket: “I have proved my ability to stay at wicket for a long time, which is necessary while playing Test cricket, and I was hoping after making two triple centuries I would be selected for Test cricket.”Even as the squad was being debated, Tiwary was busy rescuing Bengal with 55 out of a score of 112 against Jadeja’s Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy. Four of Bengal’s wickets, though, fell to Jadeja. Tiwary retired-hurt with a pulled muscle, but that happened after the squad was announced.Harbhajan was recalled for the Tests without any improvement shown in domestic cricket, but a lacklustre show in Mumbai means he will be stuck on 99 Tests for a while. Not that his replacement, Chawla, has set the domestic scene on fire, with nine wickets at an average of 48.33.Awana and Jadeja made it to the T20 side too. Uttar Pradesh allrounder Bhuvneshwar Kumar joined them in place of the injured Irfan Pathan. Virender Sehwag and Zaheer, left out of T20 squad, were unavailable for reasons the BCCI didn’t state. Ajinkya Rahane took Sehwag’s place. Harbhajan has been dropped for T20s as well.Squad for Nagpur Test: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Parvinder Awana.Squad for T20Is: MS Dhoni (capt &wk), Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Parvinder AwanaBy Sidharth MongaThis selection should drive home what a bad state Indian cricket is in. Piyush Chawla’s bowling averages over the last three first-class seasons tell you all you need to know about the reserves: 48.33 this season, 40.61 in 2011-12 and 41.04 in 2010-11. He was picked for the Nagpur Test against England despite that. No wonder Harbhajan Singh came back into the side without taking wickets at domestic level. The spin cupboard is bare, and the choice was between Amit Mishra and Chawla. The selectors overlooked Mishra, who at least has better stats than Chawla.There are better options in the fast-bowling department, but they are all injured. Most noteworthy among them are Umesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar and Sreesanth. Parvinder Awana, reputed to be a quick bowler, has had a decent season and looks a good pick with others unavailable. If the pitch in Nagpur is not a raging turner, at least one out of Awana and Ashok Dinda should debut.Ravindra Jadeja’s selection seems driven by numbers alone. His two triple-centuries this season, to go with one in 2011-12, have pushed him ahead of two specialist batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Manoj Tiwary, who have been on the fringes for a long time. It could also be Jadeja’s left-arm spin, something that was supposed to be in Yuvraj Singh’s favour when he jumped the queue. The problem with this selection, on the evidence of what we have seen in international cricket, is that Jadeja is neither a top-six batsman nor a top-four bowler.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 international between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Hambantota

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya31-May-2012Match factsFriday, June 1, 2012
Start time 1900 (1330 GMT)Mohammad Hafeez takes charge of the Pakistan Twenty20 team•AFPBig PictureThe Twenty20 series at the start of the tour is a good opportunity for the teams to try out players they’d have in their plans for the World Twenty20 later in the year, but just two games are unlikely to produce definitive answers. There are more elaborate preparations being made elsewhere for the competition; Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and South Africa will soon take part in an unofficial triangular Twenty20 series, Bangladesh have also asked Ireland to arrange for five Twenty20s in July, there is a Sri Lanka Premier League planned for August and several Indian and overseas regulars have already benefited from the IPL.Mohammad Hafeez, the new Pakistan Twenty20 captain, called the IPL a “missed opportunity” for his players, who’ll have to make do with these two games in Hambantota. The World Twenty20 is a few months away and the immediate aim is to gain an initial edge on a big tour which is Pakistan’s biggest assignment since beating (in Tests and ODIs) Sri Lanka and England in ‘home’ conditions in the UAE.At least seven Sri Lankan players in the current squad have had a chance to play the IPL this year, and their freshness from that experience will have prepared them well against Pakistan, who had a training camp in Lahore before this tour.Form guide (most recent first)
Pakistan: LLWWW
Sri Lanka: LWWWWPlayers to watchShoaib Malik: He’s not part of Pakistan’s ODI squad for the series but if he gets a chance to play in the Twenty20s, he’ll be under scrutiny. He’s had a poor run in ODIs and mixed results in the shortest format since he came back to the national team; he’s among the seniors but another failure could cost him.Chamara Kapugedera: Sri Lanka persisted with him for a long time despite poor returns but he’s not part of their ODI squad this time. He’s been picked for the Twenty20s though, and has been in good form of late, with scores of 86 not out and 79 in his last four innings. A hard-hitting batsman down the order, Kapugedera has a chance to make a mark again for the national side, in the lead-up to the World Twenty20.Team newsPakistan played their last Twenty20 international in February this year and have made some changes to their squad. One of them is the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Shakeel Ansar, who is expected to play. Umar Akmal had been assigned the keeping duties before this, and he could likely play as a full-time batsman. Mohammad Sami, who hasn’t played for Pakistan since November 2010, is one to keep an eye on should he be included.Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Umar Akmal, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Khalid Latif/Haris Sohail, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Shakeel Ansar (wk), 8 Sohail Tanvir/ Hammad Azam, 9 Mohammad Sami, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed Ajmal.Sri Lanka have picked left-arm seamer Isuru Udana in their squad, a bowler known to deliver a well-disguised slow bouncer. They also have legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi in their ranks. Both don’t feature in the ODI squad.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Kaushal Lokuarachchi, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Isuru Udana.Stats and trivia Hambantota will be making its debut as an international Twenty20 venue, though it’s hosted four ODIs before this. The results have been largely one-sided. Mahela Jayawardene is 47 short of reaching 1000 runs in Twenty20 internationals.Quotes”We had a pretty decent two weeks camp before we came here, finishing up with some practices that were attended by conservatively 15,000 people who were starved of cricket and they just loved them.”

“What makes them competitive is the sort of bowling options available, apart from the specialists.”

New Zealand’s inexperienced line-up crumbled against disciplined bowling led by Andre Russell and their bowlers were swatted away by Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith

The Report by Abhishek Purohit05-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle thumped an unbeaten 63 off 57•WICBNew Zealand got a sampler of how tough this ODI series could get for them when their inexperienced line-up crumbled against disciplined bowling led by Andre Russell and their bowlers were swatted away by Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith.The sharp Russell struck with his first delivery, in the second over, and New Zealand were always under pressure after that. BJ Watling, the wicketkeeper-batsman, hung around to ensure New Zealand batted out 50 overs, something they hadn’t looked like achieving at 71 for 5 in the 24th over.In contrast, Gayle and Smith bulldozed their way to 93 for 1 in 18 overs before returning after an almost two-hour rain break to motor to the revised target of 136 in 33 overs with 52 deliveries to spare. The game, though, had almost been decided during New Zealand’s disappointing innings.The visitors made the Sabina Park surface look much worse than it actually was. There was bounce, but little seam movement, and the swing wasn’t unmanageable. West Indies, though, made superb use of whatever was on offer, Russell finding just enough away shape to have Guptill edging his sixth ball low to second slip. That was one of the few wickets New Zealand did not give away.Daniel Flynn seemed to have recovered from a scratchy start only to chop a drive onto his stumps; Rob Nicol looked alright before charging and holing out to deep square leg to give Russell his third wicket in his fifth over.New Zealand were 36 for 3 in ten overs when Sunil Narine came on to bowl, and predictably, they had no clue what was coming their way. Thumb or no thumb on the ball, they could not make out the big offspinner from the carrom ball. Dean Brownlie scratched around for 13 balls to make one run before being caught plumb in front by a straighter one from Narine.Smart stats

West Indies’ win is their eighth by a margin of nine or more wickets in a home ODI (target greater than 100 runs). The last time they achieved it was against Pakistan at Providence last year.

It is also West Indies’ 25th win against New Zealand in ODIs. The last time the teams played in the West Indies (2007 World Cup), New Zealand won by seven wickets.

Andre Russell’s 4 for 45 is the ninth haul of four or more wickets for West Indies in an ODI against New Zealand. It is, however, the third-best bowling performance by a West Indian bowler in a home ODI against New Zealand.

The number of sixes hit by West Indies (8) equals their record for the most sixes hit in an innings lasting less than 25 overs.

The 130-run stand between Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith is the second-highest second-wicket stand for West Indies against New Zealand. The record is 184 between Larry Gomes and Desmond Haynes in Barbados in 1985.

Lendl Simmons’ duck is his seventh in 39 matches. It is also his longest duck (in terms of balls faced) and the third-longest by a West Indies batsman against New Zealand.

Kane Williamson, the stand-in New Zealand captain, and Watling somehow managed to survive Narine’s opening spell of 5-1-4-1. Just when New Zealand seemed to have begun some sort of recovery, Williamson, on 24, guided Darren Sammy’s fourth ball into the hands of the keeper to leave the visitors struggling to survive the full 50 overs.Watling, though he never looked completely in control, settled down to nudge and whip on the leg side, 50 of his 60 runs coming on that half of the ground. He added 46 with Jacob Oram and 44 with Andrew Ellis and survived two leg-before referrals, against Narine when on 26 and against Russell on 40.But the boost that could have taken New Zealand towards a fighting total never arrived. Jacob Oram, the only New Zealand batsman who looked threatening, got out in the second over of the batting Powerplay, looking for more runs after swinging a couple of sixes. Just 26 runs came off the Powerplay ultimately, and it ended with Ellis playing out a maiden to Narine, who later bowled Ellis to finish with 2 for 26.Watling continued to accumulate as New Zealand scraped 57 off the last ten overs, but as if succumbing to Russell and co. was not enough, New Zealand had Gayle and Smith to contend with. To round off their woes, Ellis could not bowl after picking up a leg injury while batting.In his first international match at his home ground since June 2009, Gayle began like he often has recently, with a maiden to Tim Southee. He soon started to swing boundaries down the ground freely. Southee and Oram were lifted nonchalantly for straight sixes; the spinners Tarun Nethula and Nicol met a similar fate. Smith, who largely struggled for timing, clobbered a few sixes over his favoured leg side, and also benefited from loose deliveries on the pads.With West Indies having knocked off nearly half of the original target in 18 overs, the expected rain arrived. Had there been a washout, the game would have ended without a result as West Indies’ innings had been halted two overs short of the 20 needed for the Duckworth-Lewis method to be applied.However, play eventually resumed with an hour to go for the cut-off time of 6 pm, leaving West Indies another 43 to get in 90 deliveries. Gayle and Smith eased to victory in fading light; New Zealand’s chances had faded long back.

Richard Pybus has resigned from his current position as the head coach of Cape Cobras with immediate effect.

Firdose Moonda24-Mar-2012Richard Pybus has resigned from his current position as the head coach of Cape Cobras with immediate effect. Pybus was in charge of the Cape Town-based franchise for two seasons during which they won three titles.”There are a range of issues to do with the chief executive and the franchise that have undermined me as head coach and made my continued position untenable,” Pybus said. “I won’t be making any further media comment at this stage.”Although Cobras won this season’s Franchise 1-Day Cup, they failed to defend their first-class and Twenty20 titles. They also failed to qualify for the Champions League T20 after finishing fifth in the MiWay T20 Challenge.The Cobras chief executive Andre Odendaal and the board will discuss Pybus’ resignation at a meeting on Monday evening, after which they will issue a response.Pybus has had two stints as coach of Pakistan. He has previously coached the Titans franchise, based in Centurion, where he also enjoyed success. He also had a brief stint at Middlesex but made his name at Border, in the Eastern Cape, where he played an instrumental role in developing Mark Boucher.Edited by Devashish Fuloria