A round-up of the matches on the seventh match-day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2011A tight performance in the field and a well-paced innings from Ishank Jaggi gave Jharkhand a comfortable win against Orissa in Jamshedpur, their first of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after their first two matches were abandoned due to rain. Orissa had three run-outs in their innings and got a low total of 103 for 9. Jaggi scored an unbeaten 37 as Jharkhand knocked off the total in 18.3 overs for the loss of four wickets. Orissa’s innings had no momentum at the top, with opener Sumitosh Praharaj getting his 40 at a strike-rate of 80.00. They did manage to lay a base, though, and got to 74 for 2 in the 15th over, but the late onslaught never came. Instead, wickets fell consistently and the total was never going to be competitive. Jharkhand started the chase cautiously but Jaggi picked up the pace and got his 37 off as many balls. Captain Saurabh Tiwary contributed 21 as Orissa were handed their first defeat of the tournament.Bengal’s bowlers limited Tripura to only 95 for 9 to set up a comfortable chase for their batsmen in Jamshedpur. Tripura lost their captain Rajib Saha and were soon reduced to 35 for 3. They then had their largest partnership of the match – 41 – between Kaushal Acharjee and Bappa Das. At 76 for 3 in the 15th over, Bengal began to wreck Tripura, taking four wickets for three runs. Ashok Dinda finished with 2 for 29 and Shami Ahmed 2 for 14. Bengal lost opening batsman Shreevats Goswami for a duck during their chase but Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Wriddhiman Saha scored 30 and 35 to help Bengal score 98 for 4 in the 19th over. Tushar Saha took 2 for 15 in four overs for Tripura.

Hamish Marshall has pledged his future to Gloucestershire by accepting a contract offer dependent on the outcome of plans to develop the County Ground

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2011Hamish Marshall has pledged his future to Gloucestershire by accepting a contract offer dependent on the outcome of plans to develop the County Ground.Marshall, who has been at Gloucestershire since 2006, has been offered two deals, one based on planning permission being received and the other on it being denied. He has agreed to sign either way.”We thought we were going to have to wait until the outcome of our planning application to agree terms with Hamish, but we have now found a way around that,” Gloucestershire’s chief executive, Tom Richardson, explained.”He will be a Gloucestershire player next season whatever happens regarding the ground. He will sign a contract if we develop our facilities and a slightly different one if we don’t. Hamish has been extremely good at mentoring our young players and we see him continuing to play a key role in this as well as on the pitch as a senior player himself.””We had to offer him alternative contracts because if we don’t get our ground development through our finances will be tighter. This reflects very well on Hamish as he understands this and we wanted to reassure him he was still wanted.”

Northern Districts stayed top of the table after thrashing Canterbury, while Wellington picked up their first win of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2011Northern Districts thrashed Canterbury by 241 runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton. In a low-scoring first innings, Northern Districts gained an 18-run lead after being bowled out for 169. They capitulated against a five-for from seamer Matt Henry but Brent Arnel put them ahead with 5 for 43, skittling out Canterbury for 151.The Northern Districts batsmen ensured they consolidated that advantage, making amends for their failure in the first innings by piling up 436 for 9. No batsman from either team managed a half-century in the first innings. This time, Hamish Marshall top-scored with 138, added 163 with his identical twin James, who fell just two short of a century. Brook Hatwell, too, chipped in with a half-century. Set a target of 455, an early burst from seamer Graeme Aldridge reduced Canterbury to 67 for 5 at one stage, but there was some resistance from the lower order. Andrew Ellis fought, making 86, and was supported by Todd Astle and Ryan McCone but their efforts weren’t enough. Aldridge and Arnel shared nine wickets, bowling their opponents out for 213.Northern Districts took 16 points from the game and lead the table.

Wellington‘s new-ball pair of Andy McKay and Scott Kuggeleijn took 13 wickets between them to give their side a 286-run win over Otago at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The win was Wellington’s first of the season and got them off the bottom of the table. They had two solid batting efforts, reaching 312 in the first innings and 371 in the second. Otago had responded to their first-innings effort with 242 but, set a target of 442, crumbled to 155 all out.The 19-year-old Kuggeleijn took 4 for 50 in the fourth innings to seal the victory. Craig Cumming, coming off a century in Otago’s Ford Trophy match against Northern Districts, scored 61, but that was the only decent contribution. In the first innings it had been McKay who took four wickets, while Kuggeleijn took three. The duo had reduced Otago to 53 for 4 before contributions from the middle and lower-middle order, including a half-century from Neil Wagner, revived the visitors’ innings. Wagner’s 61 followed his seven-wicket haul in the first innings, which had threatened to skittle Wellington for a low score. James Franklin scored 50 and Luke Woodcock’s form with the bat continued as he went past fifty for the third time this season.Their second innings was steadier, with Stephen Murdoch’s 74 laying a solid base before Woodcock and Franklin again made the telling contributions. Franklin got his first hundred of the season while Woodcock’s second fifty of the match means he finished the game with an average of 99.75 after four games.

Auckland came out of their high-scoring match against Central Districts at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland with seven points, while the visitors had to settle for six. Both sides received three points each for going past 350 within 110 overs of their first innings; Auckland picked up four points for taking nine wickets within 110 overs of Central District’s first innings while the visitors managed just seven wickets in the first 110 overs of Auckland’s response.Central Districts were in trouble at 139 for 5 after being put in before Kieran Noema-Barnett’s maiden first-class century led a fightback, and they went on to score 367. Auckland’s response was led by centuries from Jeet Raval and Colin de Grandhomme. It was the second hundred of the season for both and they helped take Auckland to 447.Central Districts’ openers were back at the crease in the second session of the third day and Peter Ingram seemed to be pushing for a win with his quick century. The rest of the batsmen scored slowly, though, and they reached 367 for 6. Mathew Sinclair got his second unbeaten century of the season as the game ended in a draw.

For once, the choke was almost on the opposition in a game involving South Africa. Sri Lanka almost messed up what had been the perfect big ODI chase

The Report by Abhishek Purohit22-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kumar Sangakkara fashioned Sri Lanka’s second consecutive 300-plus chase•Getty Images

For once, the choke was almost on the opposition in a game involving South Africa. Sri Lanka almost messed up what had been the perfect big ODI chase. Their openers had blazed away and their middle order had kept up with the asking rate. Kumar Sangakkara was batting on a silken century with Sri Lanka on 274 for 3 in 44 overs chasing 313. And then came the collapse. Sangakkara holed out. It became 308 for 8 before Sachithra Senanayake, playing his second ODI, slog-swept the penultimate delivery for six to ensure the visitors left South Africa with a respectable 2-3 scoreline.Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne had looked on course to lead Sri Lanka to their second consecutive successful chase of a 300-plus target after centuries from AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith had boosted South Africa to 312. In only his fifth ODI, Lahiru Thirimanne matched Sangakkara in an ultimately match-winning fourth-wicket partnership of 100, built on the solid start given by the openers. Following a rain delay after seven overs, the bowlers found it difficult to grip the ball.But having reached his hundred off 96 deliveries, Sangakkara lofted JP Duminy straight to long-off. Fortune seemed to favour Sri Lanka in the next over when Thirimanne inside-edged Morne Morkel past his stumps for a four and off the next ball, Wayne Parnell fumbled at third man in the glare of the floodlights.With 19 needed off 24, Sri Lanka were still on top. Angelo Mathews, though, chipped a Parnell high full toss to short extra cover to bring the hero of the fourth ODI, Thisara Perera, in. Duminy sneaked in a tight penultimate over to Perera which ended with the batsman smashing another high full toss to deep midwicket.It came down to six off the final over with Sri Lanka ahead. de Villiers gambled with Robin Peterson but even he would not have bargained for the left-arm spinner taking two wickets in three deliveries. Nuwan Kulasekara missed an attempted loft over extra cover to be bowled first ball. Rangana Herath sensibly gave the strike to Thirimanne next ball but the latter charged out and sliced the third delivery to short third man. The Wanderers roared with anticipation as Senanayake stepped out to defend the fourth one but was silenced when he slammed the fifth ball for a flat six over deep midwicket. It was also his first scoring shot in one-day internationals.It was a chaotic end to what had been a well-choreographed chase. Sangakkara looked in no trouble and after unfortunate dismissals in the previous two games, carried on to play a decisive innings. Young Thirimanne showed remarkable composure in the company of his senior partner to make his maiden ODI fifty. While Sangakkara was in a zone of his own, finding all corners of the ground, Thirimanne favoured the point region whenever Sri Lanka needed a boundary.

Smart stats

• Sri Lanka’s chase made it only the second instance of a team chasing 300 in two consecutive matches after New Zealand did so against Australia in 2007. It is also the 38th time overall and the seventh time that Sri Lanka have chased down a 300-plus target.

• This is the fifth time overall and the second time in consecutive matches that South Africa have lost despite setting a target of 300 or more. Their other losses have come against Australia, New Zealand and India.

• For the 11th time in ODIs, there were two centuries scored in an innings for South Africa. Seven of these occasions have come since the start of 2010.

• AB de Villiers became only the fourth South African batsman to score 300 or more runs in a bilateral series (maximum five matches). His strike rate of 125.09 is the highest among the players in the list.

• Kumar Sangakkara set up the chase with only his second hundred in the second innings in ODIs. It is also the 13th occasion overall and the second time against South Africa that a Sri Lankan has scored a century in a successful chase (only matches outside the subcontinent).

• Lasith Malinga conceded 75 or more runs in an innings for only the sixth time in his career and the second time in a game in Johannesburg, after the Champions Trophy game against New Zealand in 2009.

The duo had Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan to thank for giving Sri Lanka the start they needed in a challenging chase. Sri Lanka’s task had been further complicated by the need to keep one eye on the Duckworth-Lewis par score, with the looming threat of more rain after a thunderstorm caused nearly an hour’s break in play.Dilshan was his usual mix of plays-and-misses, on-the-up drives and whips. Tharanga was his usual self as well, timing the ball effortlessly through the off side after Morne dropped a sharp return chance with the batsman on 8. Sri Lanka had raced to 56 when the rain finally arrived in the eighth over.Tharanga launched Lonwabo Tsotsobe for consecutive fours on resumption. Two deliveries later, Tsotsobe slipped in the slower one, and Tharanga sliced his lofted stroke for Duminy to hold on a sensational catch, diving after running back from cover.Dilshan and Sangakkara kept Sri Lanka comfortably ahead of the par score but Tsotsobe struck again, having Dilshan edging an attempted steer off a short ball to the wicketkeeper. But Sangakkara kept finding the odd boundary to ensure that the asking rate did not gallop away.That Sri Lanka were faced with such a stiff chase was because South Africa blasted 209 runs in the second half of their innings, and 109 off the final ten overs, to surge past 300. Smith overcame a scratchy start to biff his first ODI hundred since September 2009; de Villers carried on his superb form in the series to breeze to his first hundred as captain. The partnership of 186 between Smith and de Villiers was the second-highest in an ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka.As he had done in the fourth ODI, de Villiers put on an incredible display of boundary-hitting; he had targeted extra cover against the spinners in Kimberley, now he added fine leg against the medium-pacers. He repeatedly scooped deliveries from three feet outside off stump over short fine leg. Smith took an eternity to find his range, but when he did, he peppered the midwicket boundary with four sixes, all against the offspin of Senanayake.There was no sign in the first half of the innings of what was to come later. South Africa had been kept down to 103 for 2 in 25 overs, with their latest experiment at the No. 3 position, Faf du Plessis, not working, and Smith struggling to find his timing. It was de Villiers who signalled the shift, launching Tillakaratne Dilshan’s first ball of the 26th over for six over midwicket.Smith soon got to his hundred with a typical nudge on the leg side and the Wanderers did not hold back the applause for their Test captain. To his credit, he was prepared to bat uglier than usual. He fell to Malinga on 125 to a brilliant leaping catch by Dinesh Chandimal at midwicket. An over earlier, Dilshan had spilled a much simpler catch off de Villiers at extra cover. de Villiers was on 84 then, he finished unbeaten on 125.de Villiers’ late assault wasn’t beyond Sri Lanka in the end, though, and left them wondering what could have been had rain not determined the fate of the third ODI.

Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, has described defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai as “a good slap in the face”

George Dobell22-Jan-2012Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, has described defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai as “a good slap in the face”, as England arrived in Abu Dhabi adamant that they can recover to square the series.Prior, one of the few England batsmen to enjoy a decent game in Dubai, admitted that their pride had taken a serious dent, but said that England’s fine record over the last couple of years should not be annulled after one poor game and that confidence remains high.”It’s never nice to lose, but to lose in that fashion is even worse,” Prior said. “We’re a proud team. We’re used to walking off the pitch having inflicted the sort of defeat Pakistan inflicted upon us, so it was a very bitter pill to swallow. No-one in this team enjoyed it one little bit.”It’s taken a few days to get over it, but now there is a steely determination that it will not happen again. This performance has given us a real good slap in the face.”You don’t become a bad team over night. We’ve had one bad performance. But look at the stats. Look at the performances our guys have put in over recent years. We’re still a very good batting unit. We’ve had two bad innings, granted, but all the guys have taken that on the chin and accepted that we have to improve. We have to get better. I’ll back this team and this batting unit to come back strong.”Echoing the thoughts of his coach, Andy Flower, Prior suggested that England may have come in to the match a little underprepared, having not played a Test since August.”You can spend as much time in the gym and as much time in the nets or on the training ground as you want,” Prior said. “But until you’re out in the middle, you don’t get that ring-ready feeling. Getting used to little things takes time: the nerves; travelling into the ground; switching on and off again when batting. Having that two or three month break was invaluable. It was necessary. But obviously it is then tough to come back in and be ready.”Prior fielded what have become the obligatory questions about Saeed Ajmal’s bowling action, and reiterated the view that the England players were not allowing such issues to distract them.”It would be easy for players to make excuses after we’ve performed badly,” he said. “But we can’t get caught up in what is going on off the pitch. It has nothing to do with the players. The ICC has systems in place. We shouldn’t worry about things we don’t have to worry about.”The wicket wasn’t one of the reasons we lost, either. I thought it was a brilliant cricket wicket. You expect to come over here and find very flat pitches with very little in them for the bowlers. But the seamers had a bit of bounce and a bit of movement, there was a bit of spin and, and if you batted well and played good shots, you earned value for your runs.”The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Prior agreed that England’s priority was an improvement in the way they played Ajmal’s spin bowling.”The obvious thing we need to think about is how we play spin and how we play Saeed Ajmal,” he said. “But it’s important we don’t get caught up with just one bloke. Umar Gul came in and took wickets in the second innings, so we just need to improve our general game really.”We tend to come back strong after these sorts of losses. We’ve had that bad one now – it’s out of the way – now we’re going to come back strong. We’re behind the eight-ball now and we know we have to play good enough cricket to force results in last two matches.”The England squad – now with the wives and girlfriends in tow – and the Pakistan squad both travelled to Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Although they stayed at the same hotel in Dubai, there has been little fraternisation between the sides. If there may be little warmth, however, there is certainly respect. England know they are embroiled in a tough series against a strong side. By going 1-0 down in a three-match series, they have made life desperately hard for themselves.

A round-up of the fifth match-day’s action from the ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Singapore

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2012Malaysia slipped to a two-wicket defeat at the hands of Bahrain at the Indian Association Ground in Singapore but they managed to gain a promotion to Division Four of the World Cricket League after winning their first four matches in the round-robin stage. Bahrain, despite the win, were relegated to Division Six. They finished with the same number of points as Cayman Islands, but with a lower net run-rate.Malaysia, who chose to bat, were bowled out for 195, collapsing from 129 for 2. Suhan Alagaratnam and Anwar Arudin, who hit half-centuries, took Malaysia to a strong position at one stage but the medium-pace of Rizwan Baig – he picked up four wickets – restricted them.Adil Hanif led the way for Bahrain in the chase, making 65 off 80 balls, including two sixes and received support from the middle order. Ashraf Yaqoob, Baig and Tahir Dar chipped in with useful contributions and helped Bahrain seal victory in 41 overs after losing eight wickets.”We are disappointed, today we played the cricket we should have played all week and we knew we could win this match,” Bahrain captain Yaser Sadeq said. “We had hoped for promotion to help us to improve even further as a side and help us to push the youth through this team since it’s now in need of some fresh faces.”We’ll go back to Bahrain, regroup and hopefully we can improve and come back stronger next time we compete and regain promotion.”Malaysia play Singapore in the final on Saturday for the title. “We’ve won promotion out of this division which is what we ultimately wanted to do. We’re excited to be facing up to sides like Nepal, Tanzania, Denmark and USA – some of whom we haven’t played at all or in quite some time,” Suresh Navaratnam, the Malaysia captain, said.”Tomorrow’s game is going to be a big one no matter what for us – we may play Singapore five or six times a year, but we want to come out the winners of this event and walk away with the trophy.”Guernsey beat Cayman Islands by six wickets at the Kallang Ground, and both teams kept their place in the division. After opting to bat, Cayman Islands were bowled out for 164, the only respectable contribution coming from opener Steve Gordon. GH Smit picked up three wickets, and Gary Rich and Jamie Nussbaumer bagged two wickets each. The score was chased down with ease. Openers Smit and Tim Ravenscroft struck half-centuries and added 107. And Jeremy Frith made an unbeaten 33 to guide his team home in the 44th over.”I am happy that we have maintained our position in Division 5, however I did come here with the belief we could have won promotion back to Division 4. Now it is about regrouping as a team and looking to the younger players and seeing how we can develop and improve the game further in the Cayman Islands,” Cayman Islands coach Theo Cuffy said.”The whole side is disappointed that we have lost out on promotion from the event but we are content that we have cemented our position in the league,” Guernsey coach Andy Cornford said. “We came here to be promoted but we haven’t played out best cricket this week and it has showed.”The two teams will play each other again for the third place play-off on Saturday.The round-robin stage ended in disappointment for Argentina and elation for hosts Singapore at The Padang. Argentina lost their fifth game in a row and Singapore won their fourth game, taking the top spot in the points table and securing their promotion to Division Four. They’ll play Malaysia in the Division Five final on Saturday.Thanks to half-centuries from opener Chaminda Ruwan and Kshitij Shinde and useful contributions from the middle order, Singapore reached a competitive 239 for 8 and it proved more than adequate. The medium-pace of Shoaib Razzak was too hot to handle for Argentina, who were skittled out for 93. Razzak took four wickets and the highest score for Argentina was 20. The game was over in the 31st over of the chase.”We are disappointed at being relegated out of Division 5, however we knew this week was going to be tough for us and it’s shown us where we are struggling,” Argentina captain Esteban MacDermott said. “We need to go back to Argentina, to look at our cricket and see how we can improve and bring new faces and youth into the game and continue to develop and grow as a side.”Singapore captain Saad Janjua said: “Firstly, I’m pleased we have secured promotion to Division 4 which was our main goal of this tournament.”I was pleased with our bowling today, I think Shoib once again showed how important he is in the Singapore bowling line-up. Shinde and Chaminda scored runs today but we all need to pull together ahead of tomorrow when we face Malaysia. It would be a great end to the tournament if we were to win at home and to beat Malaysia, especially having lost to them in the league stage of the tournament.”Argentina play Bahrain for the fifth-place play-off on Saturday. Argentina allrounder Matias Paterlini will not be available for the match, having been suspended for showing “serious dissent” at the umpire’s decision.

Cape Cobras allrounder Rory Kleinvedlt, who has played two Twenty20s for South Africa, has been withdrawn from the Cobras squad for the rest of the MiWay T20 challenge after testing positive for a banned substance

Firdose Moonda16-Mar-2012Cape Cobras allrounder Rory Kleinveldt, who has played two Twenty20s for South Africa, has been withdrawn from the Cobras squad for the rest of the MiWay T20 challenge after testing positive for a banned substance. The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) advised that Kleinveldt be omitted as a “precaution”.”Kleinveldt has returned a positive sample in a routine anti-doping test,” SACA said in a release. “The test reveals the presence of a specified substance in Kleinveldt’s test sample. SACA will be reviewing the medical evidence as soon as it is available and will only be in a position to make further comment thereafter.”The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) explains a specified substance as one that can is more “susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation”. Kleinveldt may request a B sample test if he is unhappy with the result of the initial doping test.Richard Pybus, coach of the Cobras, said the franchise’s staff would provide Kleinveldt with “all the support he needs”, although he admitted to being “disappointed” at having to do without his services for the rest of the Twenty20 campaign. The Cobras lie fourth on the table and need to win all their remaining matches to stand a chance to automatically progress to the final. The team that finishes first will avoid a play-off and proceed straight to the final, while the second and third placed teams will contest a knockout match to decide who earns the right to a Champions League ticket.Kleinveldt, who was included in the South Africa squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka in January, becomes the second player from the country in the last two years to fail an anti-doping test. Vaughn van Jaarsveld, the Dolphins batsman, completed a three-month ban in January after a substance in the diet pills he was prescribed to consume was found to be on WADA’s prohibited list.

Lancashire displayed the determination and resolve that went a long way to securing their first championship title in 77 years last summer as they tore aside a lackadaisical MCC batting display in the season’s opener in Abu Dhabi.

Graham Hardcastle in Abu Dhabi28-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Croft is bowled by Lewis Gregory as Lancashire are bowled out for 199•Graham Morris

Lancashire displayed the determination and resolve that went a long way to securing their first championship title in 77 years last summer as they tore aside a lackadaisical MCC batting display in the season’s opener in Abu Dhabi.They made a habit of achieving the improbable in 2011, and they have given themselves a real chance of doing it again at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium after reducing the MCC to 81-8, a lead of 148, with some high-class bowling in the final session.Lancashire were in choppy waters at 106 for 7 just before lunch on a pitch offering help to all bowlers, but Glen Chapple, their captain, top-scored with 42 as the last three wickets put on 93 and then the bowlers showed their mettle.Peter Moores, Lancashire’s coach, has seen such recoveries before. “It’s been a typical Lancashire game,” he said. “We’ve got ourselves behind the eight-ball and scrapped very hard to get out of trouble. It’s a bit of a trademark for us. We don’t lie down easily. It doesn’t mean you’re always going to win, but you give yourselves a chance.”Because we’re a very close team, you can always expect someone to find something from somewhere. If it doesn’t work at the top, it’s likely to at the bottom. If it isn’t Chapple or Keedy with the ball, it will probably work for Smith or Mahmood.”In fact, Lancashire were handed the advantage by Simon Kerrigan, their left-arm spinner, who struck three times in a three-over second spell at a cost of just two runs as the MCC collapsed from 67 for 3 to 80 for 8. Tom Smith started the tumble of wickets with a couple of scalps, including the key one of Blackwell, before Kerrigan got Niall O’Brien, Stephen Peters and Batty – the last two in a double wicket maiden.Lewis Gregory had earlier played a key bowling role for the MCC. Gregory, a recent England under 19s captain, returned his best figures in first-class cricket in only his fifth game by removing Steven Croft and Luke Procter, prospering at the North End which offered more encouragement to quick bowlers in the desert stadium.Gregory, at 19, is the youngest player in the match, and he is trying to make a name for himself in longer form of the game having impressed last summer – his breakthrough campaign – in 40-over and Twenty20 cricket. After suffering a back injury last year, the seamer has worked hard during the winter months at remodelling his action to try to become a bigger threat with the red ball.”I had the stress reaction last summer, which is on the way to a stress fracture,” he said. “I haven’t had many injury problems before because I didn’t bowl a great deal as a youngster, so it was frustrating.”I’ve done quite a lot of work on my action this winter to try and get more momentum going towards the batter and through the crease. It’s definitely helped my red-ball cricket. I’m starting to swing the ball a bit more, but I’m not quite there yet, confidence wise. In terms of pace, I’m a little bit behind where I want to be because I haven’t felt confident enough just to let it go yet.”To start the season with my best figures after all the work I’ve done in the winter is a big bonus. Hopefully I can go on to bigger and better things.”Edited by David Hopps

Glamorgan lose again, failing in a chase of 263 on the final day

Ivo Tennant at West End26-May-2012
ScorecardMarcus North’s experience is vital for Glamorgan but he couldn’t take them to victory on the final day at West End•Getty Images

If Glamorgan were ever to win a championship match, it should have been now. Needing 210 on this final day with eight wickets remaining, Marcus North appearing in pugilistic form at the crease to combat a rather one-dimensional attack that lacked a specialist spinner, they fell short. For them, an exasperating result after winning the toss and gaining a first innings lead. For Hampshire, a second victory of the season.If Glamorgan were to win, then North, with scores of 79, 21 and 70 to his name following his recovery from a broken finger, would have to play another substantial innings. That much was axiomatic.This became even more pressing a matter when Gareth Rees went leg before to James Tomlinson, aiming to mid on, after adding just four runs to his overnight 17.North has not had his central contract in Australia renewed and, at 32, is unlikely to play Test cricket again. He has, though, joined Glamorgan at an important time, for never can a county have been more in need of a substantial contribution from an overseas cricketer.Again he did not let them down, collecting runs all round the wicket and, clearly determining that Liam Dawson’s left arm spin was the vulnerable element of Hampshire’s attack, he started to pick out the boundary boards.North struck Dawson for three fours in an over and nothing looked more apparent than that he would reach a century. Yet the very next over he was bowled by a ball from David Balcombe that kept almost as low as the shooter which beat Michael Bates the previous day. North scored his 69 runs off 102 balls with 11 fours and, with his departure, seemingly went Glamorgan’s prospects of a first victory of the season.That appeared even more likely after lunch when Ben Wright, having made 32, was taken by Dawson at second slip off Balcombe, and then, two balls later, Jim Allenby was held by Bates off Tomlinson. This was 168 for 6. Mark Wallace and John Glover, who has had an impressive few days as a result of being given the new ball in the absence of three seamers, fell back on consolidation.This lasted until the pair had taken the score to 212, 51 runs short of victory. Glover prodded forward at Dawson and was taken at silly point by Simon Katich. Hereabouts Hampshire could have done with Danny Briggs, their leading spin bowler, playing in this match, but they, too, had taken due heed of the grass left on the surface. Still, they captured the important wicket of Wallace in the next over. He flashed at Kabir Ali and edged to the one slip – that man Katich. Then, without addition, Dean Cosker swept at Dawson, ambitiously if not riskily, and was leg before. Kabir finished off the innings by having Mike Reed held at short leg, trying to fend off a short ball.Credit to Nigel Gray, the head groundsman who evidently knew exactly what he was doing by leaving so much grass on this pitch. It was indistinguishable from the rest of the square at the outset. Had high-class seamers of yesteryear bowled on it on the first morning, goodness knows how many wickets would have fallen. But Gray knew, after all, that this was a second division match.

Jesse Ryder will not be getting a central contract from New Zealand board for the next season, NZC CEO David White has confirmed

Sidharth Monga30-May-2012Jesse Ryder and NZC have agreed to avoid a national contract this year, but Ryder’s manager and friend, Aaron Klee, squashed any fears Ryder might be looking at becoming a free agent in the various Twenty20 leagues across the world. The decision was made at Ryder’s routine yearly review, a process every contracted New Zealand player goes through.Ryder, Klee, New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief Heath Mills, NZC’s director of cricket John Buchanan and manager Mike Sandle were present at the review. Outgoing coach John Wright was not. Ryder tweeted the review went on for three hours. He also tweeted, “Looking forward to playing for NZ again when The time is rite.”NZC CEO David White is in England for an ICC meeting, but he said he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting. “All of the evidence shows that Jesse is on the right track, both on and off the field, but we’re aware that there are still steps to be made. While cricket remains an important part of his life, it is his health and well-being that need to be the primary focus.”Jesse wants to concentrate on his personal goals without the media pressures, commercial pressures and other demands associated with being a contracted player. This decision is fully endorsed by the NZCPA and NZC.”The outcome of the meeting was hardly unexpected, but there has been speculation around that the various Twenty20 leagues around the world could tempt Ryder into following several West Indies cricketers down the freelance route. Ryder’s manager, though, reassured he still wanted to get back to playing for New Zealand.”He is not playing any cricket at the moment,” Klee said. “He is at home. If there are cricket opportunities – it’s his job, it’s his living – he could look at them. Short, sharp opportunities, but certainly not looking at this as freelance. The IPL was great, it provided him an opportunity to get the wheels back on the track, but Jesse still wants to play for New Zealand. There are certain things he needs to do in the meantime, and if it takes a certain period of time now, it is important to take that opportunity to do that now.”Klee said Ryder didn’t yet feel ready to commit to a full-time contract. “If he had accepted a contract you are basically obliged to play,” Klee said. “You are basically in a breach of contract if you say, ‘No I can’t play a certain tour’. Eleven months of the year touring, spent playing, all that time playing cricket, we could end up being where we were a few months ago. We don’t want to do that.”Klee said Ryder had made good progress since his one-match suspension for breaking team protocol, and didn’t want to undo the good work by hurrying back. Ryder then took a break from all cricket, but has since made a comeback in the IPL. He has also taken professional help, travelling to India with his clinical psychiatrist Karen Nimmo.”We are on a good track,” Klee said. “We need to carry on this track. It was Jesse’s idea [to not seek a new contract]. He wants to continue what he is doing, and he has been doing very well. To be able to continue to do that, it’s too much of a commitment under the contract.”There is no time frame for Ryder’s comeback to national plans. Nor is he asked to come back with certain improvements before he is considered by New Zealand again. “There is nothing like that discussed today,” Klee said. “It’s very much in Jesse’s court. When he feels ready we will communicate that to NZC. The great thing is, they have given Jesse some space to do what he needs to do.”