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Deccan Chargers survived three huge blows in the first two overs of the match, and some more towards the end by Robin Uthappa, to keep alive their hopes of a semi-final berth

The Bulletin by S Rajesh12-Apr-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Dale Steyn’s three-wicket burst rocked Deccan, but they fought back superbly to keep their semi-final hopes alive•Indian Premier League

Deccan Chargers survived three huge blows in the first two overs of the match, and some more towards the end by Robin Uthappa, to keep alive their hopes of a semi-final berth. In a match that lurched wildly one way and then another, Harmeet Singh delivered the most decisive blow as Deccan held their nerve and eked out a 13-run win to move up to fifth in the points table.There were several moments in the match when it seemed Royal Challengers Bangalore had nailed the decisive advantage. First, when Dale Steyn took three wickets in first two overs, including those of Adam Gilchrist and Hershelle Gibbs, to reduce Deccan to 14 for 3; then, when Rahul Dravid creamed a classy and effortless 35-ball 49 to put Bangalore right on track in their run-chase; and again, when Uthappa struck two towering sixes off Ryan Harris in the 17th over to reduce the target to 18 from 12 balls.That’s when Harmeet delivered the blow from which there was no comeback for Bangalore. Bowling his back-of-the-hand slower deliveries, he ended Uthappa’s swashbuckling innings, and effectively ruined Bangalore’s run-chase. That over went for just one run, and it was clear which team would end up the winner.Teams have struggled at overhauling even modest totals at this ground, and it was a similar story today, thanks to the conditions which make it a far more even contest between bat and ball than most other venues – the boundaries were much bigger, ensuring shots which would have cleared the ground elsewhere stayed within the arena, and the pitch was slow and assisted spin, causing several batsmen to mis-time lofted shots.Even accounting for those factors, Bangalore, with their power-packed batting line-up, should have fancied their chances, and their run-chase seemed in good health while Dravid was timing the ball crisply after the first-ball dismissal of Manish Pandey. During his 35-ball knock he showcased a whole gamut of strokes, even as Jacques Kallis struggled for timing in a laborious 37-ball 27.The first ominous sign came when Pragyan Ojha, who turned in another sterling display, got one to turn, jump, and bounce at Kallis in his first over. The new ball was probably Bangalore’s best opportunity for runs, but Kallis’ slow knock ensured Deccan still had plenty of runs to defend when the slower bowlers came on. Ojha put in his second superb display against Bangalore – he had taken 2 for 24 four days back – while Harmeet was a revelation with his slower deliveries. Kallis, Dravid and Virat Kohli all fell to lofted shots, while Ross Taylor was done in by a fine yorker from RP Singh, who put forward a much-improved performance.In the end it was left to Uthappa to rescue the team again, but the combination of the conditions and the bowling attack was too much to conquer even for him.Deccan’s score of 151 owed largely to the 82-run fourth-wicket stand between Rohit Sharma and Monish Mishra, who lifted Deccan after a stunning burst from Steyn had them floundering. There wasn’t much pace on the track, but you wouldn’t know it watching Steyn bowl his first three overs. He clearly loves bowling at this venue: on his previous visit here a couple of months back, he returned match figures of 10 for 108 and destroyed India’s famed batting line-up; this time, he did the same with Deccan’s top order.He didn’t touch the 150 kph-mark like he had in the previous two games in his home ground, but the rewards were far more substantial this time. Gilchrist edged his first ball, T Suman had no answers to a perfect short delivery aimed at the body, while Gibbs was beaten by pace and away movement.Rohit and Monish then began the rescue act. After a slow start, both turned it on during a four-over spell between the ninth and 13th overs, which fetched 48. Mishra struck sixes off three consecutive overs, while Rohit caressed three fours in a single over from Kallis. The stand was already worth 82 and threatening many more when a terrible misunderstanding undid all the good work. Andrew Symonds struck a couple of powerful blows down the ground, while Rohit stroked his second half-century of the tournament, but both fell at inopportune moments. Even then, it turned out they had enough runs on the board to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

The trio complete an 18-man squad, with no one missing out from the squad that played T20Is against Bangladesh in July

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2021Sean Williams, Brendan Taylor, and Craig Ervine will be available for Zimbabwe again after being named in an 18-man squad for their limited-overs tours of Ireland and Scotland this month. Zimbabwe are due to play five T20Is to start the tour against Ireland from August 27, followed by three World Cup Super League ODIs at Stormont. They will then head to Scotland for three T20Is.Taylor had been rested from Zimbabwe’s T20I squad for the home series against Bangladesh last month, while Williams and Ervine missed out on all three formats against Bangaldesh after coming into contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19. The rest of the touring squad is the same as the 15-man squad that played against Bangladesh in the T20I series under Sikandar Raza.Zimbabwe have not qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the ODIs against Ireland will be a chance for them to drag themselves off the bottom of the World Cup Super league points table and push for qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup. In their most recent ODI series, Zimbabwe were swept 3-0 at home by Bangladesh. As for Ireland, they are placed seventh on the Super League table, although they have had the benefit of playing 12 matches; Zimbabwe have played only six.Zimbabwe squad: Brendan Taylor, Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tarisai Musakanda, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano, Sean Williams

Opening day of Surrey vs Warwickshire defined by two allrounders and outstanding signings

Matt Roller10-May-2024This was a day defined by the performances of two allrounders who have been among the outstanding county signings of the modern era: Jordan Clark, the underestimated linchpin of Surrey’s back-to-back Championship titles, and Ed Barnard, who needs four runs on Saturday to complete his maiden first-class hundred as a Warwickshire player.Clark showed some promise as a red-ball cricketer in his Lancashire days: he dismissed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow as part of a Roses hat-trick in 2018, which proved to be his final season at the club. But when he arrived at Surrey, the defending champions, it was hard to see how he would become a regular feature in their Championship side.He has done that and more, playing a pivotal role in their recent success. His batting and bowling averages for the club are near-identical (28.20 and 28.23 respectively) and he has thrived as a first-change bowler in a four or five-man seam attack. Last week, he struck 106 not out off 102 balls in Surrey’s convincing victory over Hampshire.Related

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Clark burst this game open for Surrey after Warwickshire’s bright start, racing to 50 for 0 in 10 overs after being asked to bat first. He struck in his second over, going wide on the crease and nipping one back past Alex Davies’ leave to uproot his off stump; when Sean Abbott trapped Rob Yates lbw in his next over, Warwickshire had lost both openers inside three balls.Sam Hain made his return to the Warwickshire side after missing the start of the season for personal reasons, and started brightly after twin hundreds for the seconds last week. But he was incorrectly given out caught behind on the stroke of lunch to Kemar Roach, who then had Jacob Bethell caught at second slip – after Dom Sibley parried the initial chance at first – after lunch.And Clark struck regularly through the day, as if to prove his worth: he trapped Dan Mousley on the knee roll, had Will Rhodes well caught at slip by Sibley, and induced a chop-on from Michael Burgess with the old ball which left his leg stump on the ground. That left Warwickshire 222 for 7, and in danger of missing out on a single batting bonus point.But by the close, Barnard had guided them to 318 for 8, scoring heavily through cover-point. He added 50 for the eighth wicket with Aamer Jamal and an unbroken 41 with No. 10 Craig Miles, and should complete his sixth first-class hundred – and first since leaving Worcestershire – on Saturday morning, as Warwickshire target a third batting point.Rhodes was Warwickshire’s captain at the time they brought Barnard in, and recalls a queue of counties attempting to sign him. “That sort of cricketer comes few and far between and to have him here is fantastic,” he said. “It’s a massive help for the team if he can score these runs at No. 6 and then contribute with the ball.”With Tim Bresnan moving on, we were looking for that No. 6 or 7 who could bowl a lot of overs, and he’s probably one of the best in the country in the role. When he cropped up and said that he was looking to leave Worcester, we jumped at the chance to get him. He’s been an outstanding signing.”It is a running joke in the Warwickshire dressing room that Barnard always “misses out on flat ones”. At the start of the season, he made 1 off 4 balls in a team total of 698 for 3 declared against Durham at Edgbaston. “But he certainly cashed in today,” Rhodes said with a smile.Warwickshire have been involved in four draws out of four at the start of this season but this match looks likely to have a result. Their 318 for 8 is already the second-highest score that Surrey have conceded this year – behind Somerset’s 351 all out – and they have an opportunity to stamp their mark on this game on Saturday.

Australia coach doesn’t expect the controversy over the leadership ban issue to affect the out-of-form opener against South Africa

Tristan Lavalette13-Dec-2022Struggling opener David Warner has “not hinted” at an impending Test retirement, according to head coach Andrew McDonald.Warner had said last month that he was not going to play the longest format beyond another 12 months. However, his experience is pivotal for Australia’s tour of India early next year. And, before that, he is expected to play his 100th Test starting Boxing Day against South Africa, who round off the series at his home ground at the SCG just after that. It could prove something of a fitting send off, but McDonald was confident of Warner extending his Test cricket beyond the home summer.”He’s eager to continue on at this stage. He has not hinted [at] anything else,” McDonald said. “His appetite for the work – in and around training – is still there. He’s busy at the crease, and you’ve seen signs that he is going well. He’s just found different ways to get out, and sometimes that can happen.Related

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“We are building towards a World Test Championship [final], and he wants to be part of that. So that’s a clear focus for us, and we’ve got South Africa as a part of that. And then on to India.”As Australia’s other top-order batters feasted on a listless West Indies bowling in the series – Australia declared each of their four innings during comprehensive victories in Perth and Adelaide – Warner missed out each time, with just 102 runs at an average of 25.50.It continued a rut for 36-year-old Warner, who has scored only 675 runs at 28.12 in 25 Test innings since his last century in January 2020. Pressure has increased on Warner, with speculation building on his Test career ahead of tough tours of India and England next year, where he has modest records.But unless something dramatic happens against South Africa, Warner is set for his third Test tour of India, where he has never scored a century, and averages just 24 from 16 innings. And his wealth of experience is seen as important for a team likely to boast several batters who have never played Test cricket there.”We’ll see what happens in the next three Test matches. But at this stage, he’s firmly in our thoughts for India,” McDonald said. “We’ve seen the more times you tour certain areas of the world, the better you get at it.David Warner hasn’t scored a century in 16 Test innings in India•AFP

“But it’s also the knowledge that he can pass on to the younger players in and amongst that. We really value our senior players – both on and off the field – in terms of that education process. So there’s huge benefit for those players to be touring those areas, and albeit if they don’t play, they can still have an impact.”Warner has also been engulfed in controversy after withdrawing a bid before the second Test against West Indies to have his lifetime leadership suspension lifted. But McDonald felt that Warner had the mental resolve to overcome that saga.Ahead of what should be a tough three-match series against South Africa – who boast a star-studded pace attack – Warner has been backed to shrug off any distraction from the lingering off-field tumult before the first Test at the Gabba starts on December 17.”He’s great at compartmentalising, [and] separating the off-field from the on-field. And I think most of the great champions do that very well,” McDonald said. “I sense this situation is not different. We respect and understand David’s decision to withdraw from that appeals process.’He’s moved forward, we’re moving forward as a team, and we’ve got a seriously good opponent confronting us at the Gabba. So our focus is firmly on that… and so is David’s.”

Shaheen Shah Afridi was rested again by the visitors

Hemant Brar03-Aug-2021Rain allowed only three overs to be bowled in the fourth and final T20I in Guyana, which meant Pakistan, courtesy of their win in the second game, won the four-match rain-marred series 1-0.After winning the toss on Tuesday, Babar Azam put West Indies in on a damp pitch on an overcast morning. With both sides unchanged from the last washout, Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle once again opened the innings. Fletcher kicked off the innings by hitting two sixes off Mohammad Hafeez in the opening over and Gayle followed it up with two fours off Mohammad Wasim Jr in the next.

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West Indies were 30 for no loss after three overs when rain halted play. That was around 11.15am local time. When the rain eventually relented, the umpires had an inspection at 1.25pm and decided to resume at 2.00pm. The match was reduced to nine overs per side but just when play was about to restart, the rain returned to have the final say.At the toss, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard had said that this would be the last international game for Dwayne Bravo in the Caribbean and that his side wanted to give him a win. The weather though had other plans.

Discussions continue between CA, ECB and governments about a possible tour in September

Daniel Brettig16-Jul-2020Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis have returned – at least loosely – to the national team fold after being named in a 26-man preliminary squad for Australia’s proposed white-ball tour of England in September.Test batsman Travis Head has also been named in a white-ball squad for the first time since he missed selection for the 2019 World Cup, while Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe and Daniel Sams make their first appearances in a senior training group, likely to be seconded to the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane next month before a cut-down group is conveyed to the UK.Khawaja and Stoinis were the two most high-profile names to lose their national contracts after falling out of favour last summer, though it had been made clear in Khawaja’s case at least that he remained a likely top-order replacement in the event of injuries to the likes of David Warner, Steven Smith or the limited-overs captain Aaron Finch.The selection chairman Trevor Hohns outlined the fact that a larger than usual squad would need to be sent should the tour go ahead, given the fact it will not be possible to send replacement players in the event of injury or illness. England are currently playing the West Indies in a biosecure “bubble” in the time of Covid-19 and similar arrangements are being worked through for an Australian tour.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This preliminary list covers the contingencies of playing one-day internationals and T20 internationals in bio-secure hubs with the likely prospect of not being able to bring in replacements should the tour proceed,” Hohns said.”The preliminary list includes several exciting young players who have recently excelled at state level and in the BBL. These emerging players are among those we would like to develop further as we believe they have a bright future in Australian cricket. The preliminary list also has a view towards the upcoming T20 World Cup and in the longer term the 2023 World Cup.”Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia’s head of national teams, said that negotiations with the ECB and the Australian and British governments were continuing with any potential quarantine requirements for the players on return to Australia, which currently has closed international borders, a key issue.”There’s a lot of complexity around the tour and international cricket at the moment, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we give that tour the best chance possible to proceed,” he said. “We take the quarantining environment very seriously and it’s important that we understand that fully before a decision on the tour is made.”Obviously for elite cricketers, elite athletes generally, the ability to train and stay fit and keep ticking over is an important factor. The health and safety of players and staff and the public health component is most critical. The quarantine arrangements aren’t confirmed. They obviously exist in terms of general international travel at the moment so that’s something we’re working through.”‘[It’s] at the start of our home summer so we are interested to understand how we navigate that. Equally we are fully supportive of the quarantine requirements that are in place across Federal and State and Territory Governments and our obligations around that from a public health perspective. We’re having constructive conversations with government agencies and particularly the ECB.”Oliver also confirmed that Hohns would continue as selection chairman for the forthcoming summer, after his previous contract ended earlier this year. “We’re moving forward with our selection panel as it was at the end of last season,” he said. “The panel is really focused on the challenges of the upcoming 12 months. We have some interesting challenges as we swap between formats and different tours that players are going to be involved in. Trevor is committed through this season.”In addition to the UK tour, originally slated for July, CA has also postponed a Test tour of Bangladesh and a limited-overs visit by Zimbabwe. Neither of the latter two series have as yet been rescheduled.

The preparations in the lead-up to the Durban Test and their consequent performance there has given his side a lift, says Sri Lanak’s captain

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Feb-2019Bounce. It made rubble out of Sri Lanka’s top order in Australia. It was expected to make rubble out of them again, in South Africa.But somehow, after having mustered only scores of 144, 139, 215 and 149 in Brisbane and Canberra, Sri Lanka got themselves to a score of over 300 for the first time in six Tests in Durban. It took a miraculous Kusal Perera innings to get them anywhere near that total, of course, but it has made the batting order a little more comfortable against the steepling ball. That’s according to captain Dimuth Karunaratne.Of the men in this top order, Karunaratne would know better than most the dangers the bouncer presents, both he and Kusal Perera having had to leave the field after being struck in the helmet in Canberra. But he thinks Sri Lanka’s experiences in Australia have helped them refine their batting strategies against the short ball. Or at least he hopes they have.”Some of us can hit the bouncers really well; some of us can’t. So if you can’t, don’t think twice – just leave it. It’s that’s simple,” Karunaratne said. “The boys are practicing really hard in the nets. The coaching staff knew what kind of bowling attack we will face here, so the preparation was really good in those seven days before the Durban Test. That’s the main reason the boys did really well there.”If we see the Australian tour, they bowled a lot of bouncers, and when they saw we were uncomfortable, they kept doing it. Here, we played the bouncer more comfortably, so they don’t want to bowl the bouncer so much. They want to bowl good areas to get wickets.”The tracks Sri Lanka are playing on South Africa are also not quite as quick as those in Australia, Karunaratne said. The Gabba, where they played their first Test under lights in Australia, has a global reputation for being one of the quickest and bounciest around. Kingsmead and St. George’s Park, meanwhile, are perhaps the two slowest of the South African venues.”We had a tough two games in Australia on fast and bouncy wickets. We consistently got pitches where bowlers were bowling 150kph. But I told my teammates that here it’s much easier than in Australia.”You have to get better, from that experience. You have to keep your head clear and play positively. I think we saw that in the last game. This Port Elizabeth pitch is a pretty good wicket compared to the others, like Johannesburg, which is a fast and bouncy. We have a good batting wicket here.”Karunaratne also expressed support for coach Chandika Hathurusingha on the eve of the secod match. Following the victory at Kingsmead, a viral video had emerged of Kusal Perera and Suranga Lakmal giving dressing room speeches that ostensibly endorsed the coaching of Hathurusingha.With there being strong rumours that the board was moving to sack Hathurusingha from his position before that Kingsmead Test, the coach seems to have at least some support from some players.”We have to support each other. The coach also did a really good job,” Karunaratne said. “All the time, he’s trying to give something to the players. That’s why the players also want to give something back as well.”As a captain I like to see everyone in the dressing room helping each other to get better and better. We have to support the coach as well, and the coach has to realise what our gameplan is. That communication will be really good for Sri Lankan cricket.”

Visitors want to have training sessions instead, says CSA

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-20171:26

Chopra: Quality training sessions better than two-day warm-up match

India have opted for training sessions instead of a warm-up fixture in South Africa, in the lead-up to the first Test between the two teams from January 5 in Cape Town. A press release from Cricket South Africa on Monday announced India’s decision.Although the BCCI did not give any reason officially for dropping the warm-up match, it is understood the request was made by the team management well in advance. The board was told that the team management preferred to focus on training on their own as soon as it landed in South Africa on December 28. A team official confirmed the development, but declined to elaborating further, saying it was an “internal matter”.The Indian team management’s preoccupation with acclimatising the players to South African conditions even before they set foot in the country has been such that “lively greentops” were deemed the need of the hour through the Sri Lanka Test series at home.There had been some confusion over the schedule for India’s tour of South Africa, with both boards holding discussions since the beginning of the year. In August, the BCCI had made it clear to CSA that India would not arrive until at least the last week of 2017, because their home series against Sri Lanka ends on December 24.The BCCI wanted its players to take a short break before they departed for South Africa, ruling India out of the traditional Boxing Day Test, which South Africa will now play over four days against Zimbabwe. Eventually, even the New Year’s Test which is traditionally played from January 2 in Cape Town was pushed back to January 5. Incidentally, in September, an official involved in the discussions told ESPNcricinfo that India would “definitely play one practice match before the first Test”.Following the Cape Town Test, two more will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, followed by six ODIs and three T20Is.

While Shikhar Dhawan is set to return after an injury lay-off, Harbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in his first match of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016 Harbhajan to lead Punjab on returnHarbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in the Group A match against Tamil Nadu in Nagpur in his first Ranji Trophy game of the season; the offspinner will be returning to the squad after a long personal break. Harbhajan will take over as captain from Yuvraj Singh, who will miss the matches against Tamil Nadu and Gujarat (starts from November 29) due to his wedding. Punjab are currently fourth in Group A with 16 points. Yuvraj is among the top five run-scorers this season with 672 runs, including a career-best 260 against Baroda, in five matches at an average of 84. “I am [still motivated],” Yuvraj told . “I got a career-best 260 just weeks ago. I’m not through with the game.”Gambhir set to lead DelhiHaving been released from the India squad, Gautam Gambhir is set to lead Delhi in their Ranji Trophy fixture against Rajasthan in Wayanad. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named the 16th member of the squad, although he is likely to stay with the national team as cover. Shikhar Dhawan, however, is a certain starter in the Delhi XI, having recovered from a thumb injury he sustained in the only Test he played against New Zealand, in Kolkata. Dhawan will be keen to prove his fitness in domestic cricket, in line with national coach Anil Kumble’s policy, and press his case for the hotly-contested opening spots.Mishra boost for HaryanaLegspinner Amit Mishra is set to turn out for Haryana in their Group C fixture against Goa in Ghaziabad after being released from the Test squad. Mishra picked three wickets in the first Test against England and his economy rate was over four runs per over in both innings. He was dropped for the second Test in Vishakhapatnam, and instead his Haryana team-mate Jayant Yadav was handed a debut. The match against Goa will be Mishra’s first Ranji game since February 2015. Haryana are currently placed second, behind Andhra, in Group C with 19 points from six matches.Vinay targets India returnKarnataka captain Vinay Kumar, who went past 400 first-class wickets with a nine-wicket haul in Karnataka’s 393-run win over Rajasthan, has now set his sights on a return to the national side. Vinay has made 41 appearances for India, with the last one in an ODI against Australia in Bangalore three years ago. “I am not going to be satisfied with this [400 first-class wickets] as my main goal is to make a comeback to Indian team,” Vinay told . ” I am feeling much better even though I am 32. Age is just a number. I will keep working on my batting and bowling and try to keep myself fit. I am never going to give up.”Krishna, Mathias included in Karnataka squadSeamers David Mathias and Prasidh Krishna have been called-up to the Karnataka squad for their Group B clash against Orissa in Delhi, with Abhimanyu Mithun still recuperating from injury. Mathias played two Ranji Trophy games last season, while Krishna is yet to make his debut in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Abrar Kazi, meanwhile, replaced J Suchith in a like-for-like swap. Karnataka are currently on top of the Group B table with 29 points.

The ex-wife of Lou Vincent, the disgraced former New Zealand cricketer, told Southwark Crown Court in London that Chris Cairns was “very confident” that he would get away with match-fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2015The ex-wife of Lou Vincent, the disgraced former New Zealand cricketer, has told Southwark Crown Court in London that Chris Cairns was “very confident” that he would get away with match-fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”.Cairns, who denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice, also told other players that they would “never play cricket again” unless they agreed to take part in fixing, according to testimony from Eleanor Riley, who was married to Vincent until the couple’s divorce in 2012.Riley was recalling a conversation with Cairns in a restaurant in Hale, near Manchester, in 2008, when her ex-husband was playing for Lancashire and Cairns for Nottinghamshire.After raising her concerns with Cairns about Vincent’s activities, whom she said had a “tendency to talk to anyone who listened” she said she was also reassured by Cairns’ wife, Mel, whom she had met for the first time that evening.Orlando Pownall QC, Cairns’ defence lawyer, put it to Mrs Riley that she been mistaken in her recollection of the conversation with someone she had apparently just met, and suggested she was “infected” by alcohol. Mrs Riley, however, pointed out that she had just eaten a five-course meal. “When I’ve had a large meal it doesn’t matter how much I drink, I’m as clear as a bell.”Asked by Sacha Wass, QC, the crown prosecutor, whether she had any reason to lie about the conversation with Cairns, Mrs Riley replied: “No, not at all. I certainly wouldn’t come to a perjury trial to lie.”She added that she and Vincent had not separated on good terms, and when asked if she had any reason to support her ex-husband, she replied: “None at all.”Her first exposure to match-fixing had come in April 2008 when Vincent rang her in tears, claiming that Cairns had asked him to match-fix but that he hadn’t been able to follow through.”He said he had been approached by a man with a suitcase in Abu Dhabi. He [Vincent] said he refused, and told me that part of the training was how to handle situations like this – being approached for match-fixing.”Five days later, however, Mrs Riley claimed that Vincent had changed his story. “He was crying. He told me that he had lied, that he had taken the money for the match-fixing. He told me that he had stuffed a game up. He just hadn’t played how he was supposed to play.”He said that he was working with Chris – Chris Cairns.”Vincent had previously testified that he had been “under direct orders from Chris Cairns to get involved in fixing” and that he had on one occasion been threatened with a cricket bat after failing to fulfil his side of the deal.Prior to giving her evidence, Mrs Riley was given assurances by the court that she would not be charged by police for her knowledge of the money that Vincent had received for match-fixing. However, this was not part of an immunity deal for her to give evidence.She did claim, however, that Vincent had given his evidence in order to escape charges, adding that the ICC had written him “a letter to stop him from going to jail” in exchange for coming clean with the “big names”. Riley also agreed with Pownall that Vincent “hated” Cairns, because he believed he owed him money.The trial continues.