ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in Jaipur

The Preview by Nitin Sundar28-Apr-2011

Match facts

Friday, April 29, Jaipur
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Shane Warne v Sachin Tendulkar: Delighting cricket fans since 1992•AFP

Big picture

Just for a moment, abandon all affiliations and consider the sheer magic in the following line: Tendulkar c Dravid b Warne. If that happens, irrespective of the runs against Tendulkar’s name, it will be the most poetic entry to ever make its way into a cricket scorecard. The beauty of the IPL is that it offers the possibility for something this special. The tragedy of Twenty20 is that it offers a really miniscule window of opportunity for the stars to align.
Will Warne get to bowl even a single ball at Tendulkar in Jaipur? Will he entice Tendulkar with loop and guile? Will Tendulkar just play him out and look to go after the faster bowlers? Or will Warne play defensive and bowl outside the leg stump? Will Tendulkar respond with those murderous slog sweeps against the spin, that made headlines when Australia toured India in 1998? Will Tendulkar perish first ball, edging a sharp legbreak, hurtling fast past the lone first slip? Will Dravid leap across and snap it one-handed the way he has done so often to Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh? Even if you are the biggest critic of the IPL, this is not a game you want to miss.And now for a moment, take your minds off the legends who will clash on Friday. The teams are not evenly matched. Mumbai Indians are muscling their way through the group stages, crushing opponents with their unmatched depth. Kochi Tuskers had to play out of their skins to hand them their only defeat, and Rajasthan Royals will have to do likewise if they are to shock Tendulkar’s men. In Shane Watson and Ross Taylor, they have players capable of producing the kind of high-impact performances on which Twenty20 upsets are founded. Johan Botha and Dravid are the prime-movers of the side, soaking the pressure and ensuring things go according to Warne’s grand plans. But if Rajasthan are to make a dent on Mumbai’s record, they will need their unknowns – Siddharth Trivedi, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Menaria and co. – to stand up.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai: WWWLW (first in points table)
Rajasthan: WLLLW (fifth in points table)

Team talk

Mumbai might have finally moved past their James Franklin obsession. Davy Jacobs adds spark to balance Sachin Tendulkar’s stability at the top of the order. T Suman might come in for R Sathish, who has struggled to fit with the side’s requirements. Rajasthan are expected to stick to their winning combination.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Ajinkya Rahane, like fellow domestic giant Cheteshwar Pujara, has struggled to make an impact in the IPL. Their teams have also been guilty of wasting their abilities, by pushing them too low down the order. Elsewhere, S Badrinath has been prolific for Chennai thanks to getting opportunities at Nos. 3 and 4. Will Warne promote Rahane against Mumbai, incidentally his Ranji side and former IPL team?Abu Nechim has the ability to surprise batsmen with an extra yard of pace. He also has the knack of producing extra lift from a length. Will Shane Watson look to tame him with his emphatic pull shots?

Prime numbers

• In six matches, Kieron Pollard has got to bat in only three innings, has faced only three balls, and is yet to score his first run
• Shane Warne has moved past Pragyan Ojha and is now second in the all-time highest IPL wicket-takers list. RP Singh, with 56 wickets, is three ahead of him

The chatter

“This will be the first time I’ll play against Sachin. I’ll try to have a word with him. It would be great, if I can pick up some tips from him.”

Warwickshire’s appeal to overturn the ECB Pitch Panel’s decision to dock them eight points for a ‘poor’ track has failed

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2011Warwickshire’s appeal to overturn the ECB Pitch Panel’s decision to dock them eight points for a ‘poor’ track has failed.An Appeal Panel comprising Ricky Needham (chairman), Cliff Pocock and David Acfield was convened to hear the appeal which relates to Warwickshire’s home Championship match against Worcestershire on 11-14 May 2011.Warwickshire won the match easily but the pitch was widely felt to be unsuitable for first-class cricket. Though the club didn’t deny that charge they felt the procedure, where the ECB was not alerted to concerns about the pitch by the match umpires, but by a member of the media, could offer ground for appeal. Moreover there felt there were extenuating circumstances relating to the new stands, outfield and drainage at Edgbaston.The Appeal Panel, however, heard submissions from both Warwickshire and ECB and decided on both counts not to uphold the appeal. Consequently the eight-point deduction remains and Warwickshire were ordered to pay £3000 costs.

Leicestershire’s Matthew Boyce scored a century as the last day of their County Championship match against Division Two leaders Northamptonshire fizzled out into a draw

27-May-2011
Scorecard
Leicestershire’s Matthew Boyce scored a century as the last day of their County Championship match against Division Two leaders Northamptonshire fizzled out into a draw.Boyce made 101 off 173 balls, including 17 fours, to register a ton for the second consecutive game after previously going three years without reaching 100. The wash-out of the previous day made a result unlikely at Wantage Road and Leicestershire batted through the day in making 268 for three before declaring, to bring a tame end to a match which was delicately poised at one point.James Middlebrook took two wickets as the hosts remained unbeaten this season, with both sides picking up nine points from the contest. With no play possible on the third day due to rain, Leicestershire began the day on 52 without loss, 53 runs ahead of their opponents, with Will Jefferson resuming on 15 and Boyce on 36.Jefferson made it to 28 before dragging Jack Brooks’ delivery on to his middle stump in the eighth over of the day before bad light stopped play 40 minutes into proceedings. A total of 11 overs had been lost by the time the players came out again after a 43-minute delay, further reducing the chances of a result.Boyce then completed his half-century off 88 balls with a four crashed through extra cover off Brooks as the visitors reached lunch on 103 for one. Boyce and Paul Nixon then easily saw out the opening exchanges of the afternoon session as they added 76 between them.Veteran Nixon contributed 21 before being trapped lbw by Middlebrook – but Boyce hung around to reach 100 off 169 balls with a single off Rob White. It was the third first-class ton of his career but he was to add just a further single before top-edging Middlebrook to captain Andrew Hall at slip.However, Leicestershire continued to make the home attack toil as James Taylor and Andrew McDonald took them to the tea interval on 219 for three.Taylor then survived being dropped on 32 by Northamptonshire wicketkeeper David Murphy off the bowling of White in the fourth over of the evening. The England Lion went on to reach 50 off 103 deliveries and Australia international McDonald, who smashed 164 off 140 balls in the first innings, followed suit off 80 balls, with only one boundary off Middlebrook coming his way.Leicestershire then declared at 4.55pm, bringing an early end to the match, with Taylor and McDonald’s partnership unbeaten on 99.

Chris Gayle has said he “will explore the opportunities available” to him elsewhere since he can no longer wait on the WICB to resolve their issues with him

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2011Chris Gayle has said he “will explore the opportunities available” to him elsewhere since he can no longer wait on the WICB to resolve their issues with him, but is available for selection for West Indies and Jamaica and has ruled out retirement. In a long and emotional public statement he said communication with officials of the West Indies and Jamaica boards had broken down and traced the evolution of the long-running and bitter dispute back to 2009, when Ernest Hilaire, now CEO of the WICB, cast doubts on his ability to captain the team.Gayle also referred to the recent efforts at rapprochement with Hilaire and said that Hilaire would not be able to meet him till August, ruling him out of West Indies’ current home series against India.”I have now reached the stage where I have to say that enough is enough,” Gayle wrote. “I understand that the WICB and the Jamaica Board met and my matter was discussed but nobody has told me anything and I can only assume without any positive feedback there has been no resolution. There is a disciplinary process in West Indies cricket. Yet the board is allowed to be the complainant as well as policeman, judge, jury and executioner in my case. When I tried to respond to the accusations made against me, I am deemed to be out of place and trying to destroy West Indies cricket.”I am now coming close to the end of my shelf-life as a cricketer … and must concentrate on providing for my family now and in the future. On this basis, and not hearing from the West Indies Cricket Board with any clear pathway forward, I have come to the bitter realisation that I am not wanted by the board and all that has gone before in terms of reconciliation is a sham and a mockery. I see it as a scam to fool the people of the West Indies and the world into believing that they were serious about my returning to West Indies cricket.”My eyes are open, my heart is clean, my conscience is clear and the voice of reason is loud in my ears telling me that I should close this chapter in my life. I am not going to be the WICB’s whipping boy. We as West Indies players are admired throughout the world for our honesty and sportsmanship. Yet the custodians of West Indies cricket, the people who are responsible for the development of our heritage sport, have not dealt with us honestly.”It is against this background that I have now decided not to wait on the WICB any longer but, while I still have the time and the skills, explore the opportunities available to me elsewhere. I do it reluctantly but have no choice. I have people to take care of and cannot sit for months waiting on WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire and the board.”Despite all that has happened I am still hopeful that good sense will prevail and I would once again represent my country and my region in near the future. I wish to make it abundantly clear that I have not yet retired from any form of the game and remain available for selection for both Jamaica and West Indies. However, this is entirely out of my hands.”Gayle suggested his exclusion from the series against India was part of a long-term plan to remove him from the team. The problem, Gayle said, goes back to 2009, since when he had “been put in a no-win situation”. Soon after Hilaire took office that October, he said, the board questioned the selectors’ recommendation that he should captain the team to tour Australia. While eight members voted for him, five voted against. “Clive Lloyd, who had praised me highly before was one of them [who voted against him]. He never said anything to me about why he was no longer on my side. Joel Garner, who was the manager of the West Indies team and who worked with me closely on the Stanford game which we won, was another. Conde Riley from Barbados too. Most surprising is the man who said publicly that he always supported me as captain. Professor Hilary Beckles voted against me so when he says that he pushed for me to be captain you have to decide whether to believe Beckles or the minutes of the meeting. Gregory Shillingford of the Leeward Islands voted against me.”The Board set up a committee to meet with him, he said, which included Lloyd, Garner and Beckles. He was then criticised in coach Ottis Gibson’s report on the 2010 World Twenty20, which said, “the captain was not a natural leader” and “not a student of the game and lacks tactical awareness on the field”. However, Gayle wrote, Gibson never said anything to him before or after his report. “He is a man who sought my advice when things were not going well. Before he became the West Indies coach he used to call me often.”In October 2010, Gayle was sacked as captain, and says he still has no idea why. “I did not protest since the captaincy is not a right. It is a duty.” He said he went on the Sri Lanka tour in November 2010 having recommitted himself to West Indies cricket and backing Darren Sammy, the new captain. He pointed to his triple-century in the first Test of that tour, and said: “Nobody questioned my commitment then.”After the World Cup, he said, the board was looking for people to blame for the poor performance of the team and “picked on me and the other senior players”. This time it was not the captaincy that was the issue but the senior players – “Gibson said we lacked the hunger and the desire to succeed”.Gayle said he played with an injury during the World Cup and returned to Jamaica to get in shape for the home series against Pakistan. A camp was set up but nobody contacted him, and he was again ignored when the squad was picked for the first two ODIs. That, he says, is when he got an offer to play in the IPL – for Royal Challengers Bangalore – and went when the WICB made it publicly clear that Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Gayle were not considered for selection. “I did not turn my back on the West Indies because the West Indies had already turned its back on me. I was not in the squad and it was clear that there was no intention to pick me.”From there on things moved swiftly – and dramatically. Gayle said the controversial June 15 meeting with WICB officials, at which WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine was also present, was called to discuss his future but had a motive other than his reinstatement in the side.On June 22, he said, he wrote to Hilaire in response to an email received the previous day in which Hilaire said he wanted to resolve the issue but sought to know what Gayle wanted him to do. Gayle said he had not received any guidance, other than what has appeared in the media, on what he needed to do to be included in the West Indies team.He received a reply two days later in which Hilaire said that the issue was about a “history of misunderstanding, miscommunication and mishandling of issues, on both sides”. He said Gayle would have to meet with the team management and after that with the selectors, and after that with the cricket operations department and only then would Hilaire meet him before reporting to the board. That, Hilaire said, would not be until August.Gayle also referred to the WICB’s claim that Ramnarine had threatened Hilaire with a chair at the June 15 meeting, saying nothing of the sort happened. He admitted tempers flared during the meeting but disagreed with accusations that Ramnarine had not represented Gayle’s best interest in the meeting.

Steve Waugh has undergone a lie-detector test to show how the system could be used to help track down players involved in fixing cricket matches

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's19-Jul-2011Steve Waugh has undergone a lie-detector test to show how the system could be used to help track down players involved in fixing cricket matches.Waugh, a member of the MCC Cricket Committee who were meeting at Lord’s this week, proposed that polygraphs could be used to tackle corruption during the group’s last meeting in Perth late last year. Initially there was much scepticism but Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, offered his support and a committee was formed with Waugh, Bradshaw, Courtney Walsh and Barry Richards.Waugh then felt he should find out what the procedure involved and he passed the test conclusively. “As a former captain I wouldn’t ask my players to do anything I wasn’t willing to do myself, so I thought the same should apply here,” he said. “I thought I needed to find out what a polygraph test is and go through the process to see if it was a possibility for the future.”It was very nerve-wracking to go through the process, being sat in a room having your heart rate monitored, your blood volume, your blood pressure, your perspiration. There were a lot of devices I was attached to. The test went for two hours and by the end of it I was fairly convinced that if someone had something to hide they would be found out.”The test was conducted by Steven van Aperen, a former senior policeman in Victoria, who has also worked in the United States. However, any use of polygraphs in the future faces a huge number of hurdles and remains unlikely. Even if it passed all the legal battles it could never be made compulsory and there are doubts about the reliability of tests, although van Aperen said there was “96-98% accuracy.””We know how hard it is to catch players,” Waugh said. “There have been a lot of rumours about what is going on so it’s about looking to the future. We’ve looked at different options and one of those might to get some younger players to pledge to do a polygraph test to lead the way.”We know we haven’t got all the answers but think this may be a piece of the puzzle that will help the game move forward. It could be a good tool for those wrongly accused. Maybe if there are cricketers out there doing the wrong thing it will make them think. We want to further explore that closely with the ICC.”The other anti-corruption measure put forward by the cricket committee was that the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) should have the power to perform sting operations similar to that staged by the News of the World last year against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, had previously talked about that possibility earlier this year. “I thought when this issue came up last year that perhaps we could have a ‘mystery shopper’,” he said. “In other words, some people posing as bookmakers approach players and see if those players report along with our codes of conduct.”Waugh said that such operations had shown their effectiveness. “In the past players have been caught. I don’t think it’s ideal, but if that’s the way that wrongdoers can be caught then it could be an option but I don’t think it should be the No. 1 option.”Tony Lewis, the MCC Cricket Committee chairman, said the group was only set up a few months ago, and that the problem of corruption wasn’t going to be solved quickly. “It’s a brave lead by Steve Waugh because having his name attached to it means it will be taken seriously.”The committee was also very strong in its belief that any captain or coach found guilty of corruption should face life bans. “They are the leaders of the team,” Waugh said. “They need to shape the values of the team and should be taken out of the game for life.”Among the other issues discussed by the committee was the prospect of day-night Test cricket, which the MCC have been at the forefront of. Rahul Dravid, a member of the committee who played against the pink ball in the MCC-Champion County game in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, gave a presentation and said the one issue he had was the twilight period, with a suggestion that the problem could be avoided by scheduling an interval.Martin Crowe said he would be trying to get the format introduced into New Zealand’s first-class cricket next season. The committee believes the pink ball has now shown its durability, and produced an 80-over ball which had retained its colour as evidence.They expressed their frustration that the ICC continued to drag its heels in the process but admitted further trials were needed. “It’s going to take a couple of more years unfortunately, despite the fact we think it’s a viable format,” John Stephenson, the MCC’s head of cricket, said. “There probably hasn’t enough enthusiasm so far. The ICC have to be more proactive as an option for member countries to use then the momentum will gather.”The MCC also offered itself as an independent body, along with Imperial College London, to help the ICC undertake the testing off DRS in order to prove its accuracy.

Pakistan do not want to bat last in Bulawayo on a pitch that is expected to break up as the match wears on

Firdose Moonda in Bulawayo03-Sep-2011Pakistan do not want to bat last in Bulawayo on a pitch that is expected to break up as the match wears on. After bowling Zimbabwe out for 412, Pakistan closed day three 55 runs behind on a day of measured batting from four of the five batsmen.”That is the plan [to bat once],” Azhar Ali said. “The wicket was quite flat to start with but it’s got slower and slower and it’s become quite tough to drive the ball. Even when you do drive it, it’s difficult to get away.” Ali, whose 75 runs came off 193 balls in over four hours, thinks that batting will become more difficult and expects the spinners to play a deciding role in the result of this match.Greg Lamb, who was Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker with three scalps, got a fair amount of turn on the third day, but it was the veteran Ray Price who according to Ali “made the difference.” Price conceded 29 runs off his first 30 overs and proved almost impossible to get away. Ali started having trouble against him yesterday and arrived at the ground early on the third morning to work on his strategy for facing Price. He had a net session with his captain, Misbah-ul-Haq. “We were working on picking up the lengths and getting the footwork right,” Ali said.Price got no reward, in wicket-terms, for his strangling effort, but was not concerned with the number in that particular column. “It’s my job to try and keep the runs down so I have to do that,” he said. “We were happy that they didn’t score too quickly.”With the spinners proving the only threat, Price said it was a testing day for Zimbabwe’s young seam attack of Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis, particularly Vitori who was expensive early on. “I think he got a bit of a shock coming here from Harare Sports Club because it’s flat as a table here,” Price said. “But he is learning quickly. In his second spell he held it back a bit and his third spell tonight was very good.” Vitori took the second new ball towards the end of the day and bowled four overs for 15 runs, in which he got some to shape in to the right-hander.The three seamers have just one wicket between them so far but Price said they had been suitably warned about the conditions they will have to battle in Bulawayo. “We’ve had to tell them that there are a few seamers buried in the outfield here, it is tough work.” Their lack of success has also caused the young captain, Brendan Taylor, some frustration as he ran out of ideas to take wickets, especially after four catches were put down today.Taylor looked flustered at the time but Price praised the captain’s strategy. “He is learning to trust his gut and he is doing quite well. He is trying different field placings and a few things here and there,” he said. “With a young attack, he also has to try not to shout at them too much.”The bulk of the responsibility will rest on Price and Lamb, to skittle what remains of the Pakistan line-up. Price has called for a team effort, warning his colleagues that they have to make inroads early tomorrow morning, because “Pakistan’s spinners spin the ball more than I do and it will be difficult to bat.”Despite the danger of Saeed Ajmal, Price indicated that Zimbabwe will not go into a shell and bat for the draw. “We will definitely play for the win,” Price said. “I don’t think we can get a draw unless they bat really slowly tomorrow morning but I think their tail will play a few shots.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Twenty20 between England and West Indies as the hosts search for 2-0

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan24-Sep-2011

Match Facts

September 25, The Oval
Start time: 6.30pm (1730GMT)Alex Hales took his chance on Friday evening with his first international fifty•Getty Images

Big Picture

It was easy for England on Friday evening as they cantered to their first 10-wicket victory in a Twenty20 international and their momentum showed no signs of abating as the season comes to an end. The match was a contest for 10 overs, but from 97 for 2 West Indies subsided in dismal fashion against a combination of Ravi Bopara, Jade Dernbach and England’s outstanding fielding.Graeme Swann had to do some thinking as Dwayne Smith cut loose in the Powerplay but he remained calm and produced a number of clever bowling changes, including using Samit Patel early then entrusting Bopara with the death overs. No wonder he was in a chipper mood after the match. Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad won’t hear the end of Swann’s time as captain.For a while West Indies suggested they would present a challenge, but the batsmen struggled against spin as inexperience shone through. However, everyone knew this was a raw side coming over, and deficiencies in batting and bowling can almost be accepted. The shocking standard of fielding, though, was really embarrassing. No matter how inexperienced a team is, they should be able to compete with commitment through diving, catching and throwing.It was West Indies’ first game after their off-season, so some rustiness was to be expected, but the squad had spent time at a camp in Barbados before this trip. Ottis Gibson, the coach, must be exasperated by what he was watching. It’s hard to see much changing with one day between games, but West Indies will cling to the hope that one performance can win a Twenty20 match. In truth, though, it will take more much to stop England.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
England WWLLW
West Indies LLWLL

Spotlight

Craig Kieswetter and Alex Hales both played superbly to knock off the target in the first match, but the 10-wicket margin meant there wasn’t a chance to see England’s exciting middle-order in action. Jos Buttler, the Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman, has played two Twenty20 internationals and still hasn’t got to the middle. Although a keeper by trade he has shown some brilliance in the outfield and produced a direct hit to run out Devendra Bishoo on Friday. Straight after this series is finished he is heading off to join Somerset at the Champions League Twenty20.Marlon Samuels is an experienced player amid a host of new faces for West Indies but he struggled for 4 off 7 balls before being cleaned up by Swann. He’d come in after a flying start provided by Dwayne Smith and it was disappointing that he couldn’t consolidate. It’s difficult to come in and fire straight away against quality bowlers, but Samuels could have given himself a little more time. West Indies need him to perform.

Team news

There was plenty of assistance for England’s spinners in the opening game so there will be a temptation to play either Scott Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, or Hampshire left-arm spinner Danny Briggs, although it’s hard to see how they would fit in. One option would be to leave out Steven Finn, but that would mean using Dernbach earlier in the innings.England (possible): 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann (capt), 10 Steven Finn, 11 Jade DernbachIt’s hard to know what West Indies can do, but they can’t lose anything by making a few changes. Nkruma Bonner looked out of his depth with bat and ball so Miles Bascombe may get a game, while the left-arm spin of Garey Mathurin could be used on a worn surface.West Indies (possible): 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Danza Hyatt, 5 Miles Bascombe, 6 Derwin Christian (wk), 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Garey Mathurin, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Fidel Edwards

Pitch and conditions

The same pitch will be used on Sunday so expect more assistance for the spinners. Bopara also showed the value of taking the pace off the ball and bowling straight. The weather is also set fair with the UK enjoying some belated summer weather as the season draws to a close.

Stats and trivia

• Ravi Bopara’s 4 for 10 were the best figures by an England player bowling in Twenty20 internationals, beating the previous record of 4 for 22 held by Jade Dernbach and Paul Collingwood.
• England haven’t lost a match since July 3 when they were beaten by Sri Lanka in the third one-day international at Lord’s.

Quotes

“I’ll take that, it was a dream start as captain. I asked the boys to give everything and they did that, I was delighted with the way everybody performed.”

“When you get a good start you have to capitalise. The batsmen coming in have to be more responsible.

Ryan McLaren has replaced Albie Morkel in South Africa’s squad for the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia on October 13 and 16

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2011Allrounder Ryan McLaren has replaced Albie Morkel in South Africa’s squad for the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia on October 13 and 16. Morkel is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks after suffering an abdominal muscle tear while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League Twenty20.”Although it is a blow to lose Albie Morkel, Ryan McLaren has always done well for us in this format,” Andrew Hudson, the convener of selectors, said. “He is one of the few bowlers to take five wickets in a T20 international. In addition he comes into the series in good form, having made a big century for the Knights at the weekend.”Mark Boucher also suffered an injury, to his hamstring, while playing for Warriors in the Champions League T20. He missed the final group game and is expected to recover in eight to 10 days, in time for the ODI series against Australia which begins on October 19.Legspinner Imran Tahir, who is also in the ODI squad, had a mild groin strain and was withdrawn from the Dolphins squad for this weekend’s SuperSport Series match as a precautionary measure. His availability for the ODI series was not in doubt.South Africa have already lost AB de Villiers, their Twenty20 and ODI captain, for the limited-overs matches against Australia. de Villiers broke his finger during a training session with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League Twenty20.

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.”