All posts by csb10.top

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Indian board, has confirmed that Ahmedabad will be the venue for India’s first Test against New Zealand, which starts on October 8. “The Green Park stadium in Kanpur is not fit to stage the Test, so we have shifted the match to Ahmedabad.”As had earlier been anticipated, the game has been shifted from Green Park in Kanpur due to poor ground conditions there. Kanpur has experienced heavy monsoon rains which have damaged the newly laid pitch and the seating area in the stadium. Jyoti Bajpai, secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UCPA), expressed his disappointment, but agreed that there was no other solution.”Even the pitches committee had refused to take any responsibility regarding the Green Park wicket. Besides, it is not feasible to rectify the problems in the available time of two months,” he clarified. “Though it was a big blow to Kanpur but sometimes such types of blows are a must for good things to happen. Despite the shifting of the Test, our number in the rotation list will remain on top.”The second Test of the two-match series will be played at Mohali from October 16 to 20.

India’s scheduled tour of Pakistan next month was conclusively called off after Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya stated that the team would not be able to undertake the tour because of a government ban on bilateral cricket series with Pakistan.”It is known to everybody that the government is against bilateral cricketties with Pakistan,” Dalmiya told the Press Trust of India (PTI).”We had sought permission for the team to travel to Pakistan but have been told that the government’s position remains unchanged,” explained SK Nair, BCCI secretary. “The government has informed us that the security scenario in Pakistan is not conducive for an Indian tour.”Following that announcement, Pakistan for its part pulled out of a scheduled tour to India next year. “BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya informed us that though they were willing to tour Pakistan, the Indian government has not given them the approval,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson Samiul Hassan told PTI in Islamabad.According to the 10-year Test schedule drawn up by the International Cricket Council (ICC), India and Pakistan are scheduled to play four bilateral series until 2010.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body for cricket. The organisation currently generates turnover of £60 million and wishes to appoint a Commercial Director to develop revenue from existing sources, generate new income streams, attract new customers and improve customer satisfaction levels to achieve a turnover of a minimum of £100 million within 5 years.The Position

• Reports to the Chief Executive as a member of the senior executive team.
• Responsible for commercial affairs – both marketing and sales – of cricket in England and Wales. The role encompasses revenue generating activities and the wider marketing and servicing activities, i.e. brand development, customer awareness, pricing and promotion and commercial partner servicing.
• The Commercial Director will lead a team of 9 people in the Sales, Sponsorship Services and Marketing functions of the Department.

The Qualifications

• 10 years of successful management experience in a significant and complex business. Of graduate calibre, the successful candidate will have developed their career in the sales and marketing department of a large, consumer driven company or in a substantial agency.
• The successful candidate is likely to be currently in a senior marketing position and can demonstrate rapid progression through roles of increasing responsibility. A track record of negotiating and implementing joint venture agreements and/or significant third party contracts is desirable with a proven ability to negotiate at Chairman/CEO/Board level

Please apply quoting reference Finn – 3 with full career and salary details to: Ian Jones & Partners, 5 Aldford Street, London, W1K 2AF or email: [email protected]

State Central Hinds have named their side to play the State Otago Sparks at Logan Park in Dunedin on January 5 and 6.Megan Graham (captain, Hawke’s Bay), Abby Burrows (Hawke’s Bay), Philippa Gerrish (Horowhenua Kapiti), Erin McDonald (Hawke’s Bay), Sara McGlashan (Hawke’s Bay), Zara McWilliams (Hawke’s Bay), Aimee Mason (Taranaki), Melissa Murray (Manawatu), Kate Pulford (Nelson), Toni Street (Taranaki), Nicole Thessman (Manawatu). One to be added. Coach: Paul Unwin. Manager: Jacqui Gardiner.Cindy Forsyth (Manawatu) is unavailable for the two matches against Otago but will join the team for the matches against the State Canterbury Magicians at the Village Green, Christchurch on January 7-8.

Australia won the VB series in style and in the process showed that there were two ways of going about the winning business. The first is to crush the opponent underfoot, show no mercy, take no prisoners.This Australia did in the first final at Sydney. It was a performance meant to silence Nasser Hussain who had harboured some illusions about causing an upset.The Australians were awesome and the way that Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden went about reaching a modest target showed almost contempt for England’s bowling.The second way was to take the game to the wire and then, when all seemed to be lost, hand the ball to Brett Lee and to do, what we all hope in Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar will do in a crunch match in the World Cup – bowl fast, bowl deadly straight, and in the block-hole. Lee did that, on cue.Clearly, Australia was sending out a message. It is a red-hot favourite for the World Cup for very good reasons. It is a red-hot team. Does this make the World Cup a one-horse race? Not necessarily.There are far better teams than England and they will not fold as unceremoniously as England did. But they will have to play out of their skins to stop Australia.And I am not being patriotic when I suggest that Pakistan, on its day, is the world’s most dangerous team. “On its day” is a tough pre-qualification. But the talent is there and for Shoaib Akhtar, the moment of truth has arrived. There is tremendous back-up for him, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Abdul Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Afridi. But Pakistan will need Shoaib to fire on all cylinders. This could be his tournament and he will need to stamp his authority from the first game that Pakistan plays and which happens to be against Australia.All teams start with a clean slate. What has happened in the past has no bearing except in not repeating the mistakes that were made. An American Indian saying is appropriate: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”Pakistan will need better leadership than was shown on its tour of South Africa. Leadership means more than giving orders. It is the skill of getting the best out of others, the fostering of togetherness, the acrobatics of being a leader of the team while being a member of it. Both equal and first among equals.I don’t wish to seem to be harping on the subject but Pakistan teams, in the past, have been their own worst enemies. It is not uncommon for friendships to form within a team, friendships on the basis of common interests and common pursuits. This may give the perception of groupism. But the pre-eminent loyalty should be to the team’s cause and personality clashes should be put on hold. The PCB chairman has spoken to the senior players, as has Imran Khan. Both would have delivered the same message and there is no reason to doubt that the message will not be heeded.The function arranged at the Gaddafi Stadium to wish farewell to the team may have ended in a somewhat disorderly fashion but the large number of cricket fans who had assembled demonstrated unwavering support for the team.The players should be encouraged by this support. No team, not even Australia can win, if it does not give its best. In the World Cup, something more than the best will be needed.In the meanwhile, efforts are still being made to derail the matches in Zimbabwe. We now learn that the England players are not keen to play there, troubled by their conscience. That’s a bit rich. The team received anonymous threats in their hotel rooms. The threats could have been the work of some prankster or it could have been some “dirty tricks” by vested interests.If the England team does not want to play in Zimbabwe, it should simply forfeit its points, a small sacrifice given that they are conscience-stricken.Ironic that they should feel so strongly about the white farmers in Zimbabwe and have nothing to say about the prospects of thousand of Iraqis being killed when Tony Blair sends his army (air force and navy) into war. But that would be bringing in politics into sports. Precisely. But then, I suppose it is possible to have a selective conscience. Some call it double standards.

A fine all-round performance from Paultons’ Steve Mitchell was all to no avail in week four of the New Forest Indoor Cricket League at Lymington Sports Centre.Mitchell struck an unbeaten 26 in his sides’ total of 100 for 3 against Cadnam and then took three wickets for just 9 runs. Sadly the gritty northerner received little or no support from his team-mates as Paul Kerley (29no) and Simon Pollock (25no) guided Cadnam home to a three wicket victory in the tenth over.Swan Green are still looking for their first win in the top flight after suffering a 13-run defeat at the hands of North Baddesley. Jon Bance (25no) returned from injury to take Baddesley to 132 for 2 with the help of Pike (37no), Williams (22no) and Bewick (20). Williams then bagged two wickets as Swan were bowled out for 119.In Division Two, Lymington were soundly thrashed by a rampant Godshill who took full advantage of Lymington’s intriguing selection policy which involved picking four wicketkeepers but not one recognised bowler. Andy Cross (2-14) made early inroads into the Lymington top order and it was only some late resistance from veterans Robin Goff and Aubrey Hodder that enabled Lymington to creep up to 73 for 4.Godshill wasted no time in notching up a six wicket win with Gerald Pettley making an unbeaten 28.Matt Dowding’s 37 wasn’t enough to save Milford from defeat against Pylewell Park. Dowding led the seasiders’ reply after Pylewell had been dismissed for 124 (Trevor Mapes 32, Steve Gates 26). But Simon Pallister’s brace of wickets swung the game Pylewell’s way as Milford were bowled out for 112.Park II notched up their second consecutive big score in Division Three. With Graham Smith (29no), Colin Kitcher (28), Wayne Royan (28no) and Carl Brooks (25no) all among the runs, Pylewell rattled up a formidable 156 for 3 against Milford II. Brooks then took two quick wickets to leave Milford in dire straits at 18 for 5! Thankfully Colin France saved his team from complete embarrassment with a steadfast 41 not out, although the men from South Baddesley were still able to register a crushing 97 run victory.Burley II could only must five players for their clash with Esso III. Fiery fireman Les Browning (37no) set Burley on their way to 108 for 4, but Andy McEnhenney (25no) and Nick Chapman (27no) took full advantage of the extra gaps in the field to steer Esso to a three wicket victory with two overs to spare.

There has been one question occupying the minds of the cricket fraternity ever since the Sehwag row erupted. How far towards the brink was Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, prepared to go before pulling back?The answer came today in a statement from the International Cricket Council to the effect that Dalmiya had agreed that Virender Sehwag would be omitted from the Indian team to face England in the first Test scheduled for Mohali on Monday.Had he not done so, the match would not have been given Test status by the ICC, England would have withdrawn from the series, India might have retaliated by not touring England next summer, and world cricket would have been split down the middle.At the eleventh hour, a deal has been negotiated between the ICC and the BCCI whereby Dalmiya has agreed that Sehwag will be left out of the team, having originally been named in the squad as a direct challenge to ICC’s authority as the governing body of the game after the furore in South Africa.That led to endless negotiations between, on one side, Malcolm Gray, the president, and Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, and Dalmiya on the other. These negotiations appear to have borne fruit and the Test and tour can continue as planned.The deal was described as a “victory for common sense” by the ECB chairman Lord MacLaurin. “I am delighted to hear this news. The decision is a victory for common sense, and I congratulate both the ICC and BCCI on reaching an agreement.”As we have made clear the ECB has always been fully supportive of the ICC’sposition throughout this process. The decision will strengthen the ICC’s authority and integrity as the world governing body for cricket — but the family of cricket is the real winner.”Dalmiya said: “Cricket had to survive. In the larger interests of the game, Sehwag had to be dropped in this match.”Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the ECB, echoed his chairman’s views. “This is good news for the millions of cricket followers worldwide and England’s supporters. There is huge expectation about the series, and I am delighted that the tour can now proceed as planned and that the England team can continue their preparations for the first Test in Mohali without any further distractions.”All such deals require some give and take and, while the ICC has received the assurance that Sehwag will not play at Mohali, the governing body has also made some concessions towards the BCCI.There will be a “Referees Commission” established to examine whether the ICC Code of Conduct and proper procedures were followed when Mike Denness imposed the penalties during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.The BCCI will be consulted as to the composition of the commission, but ICC has said that membership will be confined to “persons of the highest reputation and at least two of them will be reputed former cricketers.”At the end of the day, Dalmiya must have realised that the ICC would not accede totally to his demands and could not afford the scheduled Test series against England to be jeopardised. Hence the outcome that gives him a concession to show to his board while the ICC has successfully upheld its authority as the governing body of the game.

Kent v Middlesex, Canterbury
Scorecard
Ed Smith scored a fine century as Kent took the first steps towards prising themselves off the foot of the first division, closing on a healthy 291 for 4 against Middlesex. Smith began slowly, and by the time rain prompted an early tea, he had eased to 48 not out. But he more than doubled that in the final session, adding 132 for the third wicket with Greg Blewett. Both men fell in the space of five balls shortly before the close, however, Smith being one of three wickets for the persevering Joe Dawes.Lancashire v Essex, Old Trafford
Scorecard
James Anderson virtually guaranteed himself a place in next week’s first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, by sandwiching his England captain, Nasser Hussain, in the middle of a hat-trick, as Essex stumbled to 97 for 7 before lunch. At 21, Anderson is the youngest player ever to take a hat-trick for Lancashire, and the first since Mike Watkinson in 1992. Peter Martin swept up the middle order, and it took a plucky 57 from James Foster, another man with half an eye on Lord’s next week, to carry Essex to the vaguely respectable total of 215. By the close however, Ian Sutcliffe has reached 50 not out in reply, and Lancashire were sitting pretty on 127 for 1, with Carl Hooper waiting in the wings after being cleared by the ECB to make his debut.Surrey v Leicestershire, The Oval
Scorecard
Earlier this week, Darren Maddy and Brad Hodge took Loughborough UCCE to the cleaners with a brace of unbeaten double-centuries and a stand of 436. Today, they found the County Champions a rather tougher proposition, however, adding just six runs for the third wicket as Surrey took command at The Oval. Leicestershire were bundled out for 200 in 51.3 overs, although that was a considerable improvement on their earlier efforts – Azhar Mahmood took four of the first five wickets to fall, and it took a long-handled 65 from 58 balls from their captain Phil DeFreitas, to salvage the innings after Leicestershire had slumped to 70 for 7. DeFreitas then trapped Ian Ward early in Surrey’s reply, but Alec Stewart and Mark Ramprakash made a brace of unbeaten half-centuries to close on 182 for 2.Division TwoDurham v Worcestershire, Stockton
Scorecard
Bad weather, and Worcestershire’s Stephen Peters, hampered Durham’s bid to leave the foot of the table, as play was restricted to just 44 overs at Stockton. Peters made a patient 62 before he fell lbw to Stephen Harmison, who conceded just two runs an over in his final chance to impress before the England team is announced on Saturday. Danny Law was the only other bowler to take a wicket – the prize scalp of Graeme Hick for 30 – as Anurag Singh had earlier run himself out for 16.Gloucestershire v Hampshire, Bristol
Scorecard
Simon Katich fell four runs short of a well-deserved century, as Hampshire subjected Gloucestershire to a day of hard toil in the field – their stiffest competition yet in a runaway start to the season. John Crawley, Will Kendall and Nic Pothas all scored between 63 and 69 as Hampshire closed on 351 for 6. Gloucestershire’s wickets were shared around, with Jon Lewis and Ian Butler grabbing two apiece.Northamptonshire v Yorkshire, Northampton
Scorecard
Michael Vaughan brought himself up to speed ahead of next week’s first Test with a timely 103, his first century of the season, but Northamptonshire’s spin pairing of Jason Brown and Monty Panesar took six wickets between them to keep Yorkshire within reach. Vaughan dominated a second-wicket stand of 142 with his captain Anthony McGrath (51), but Northants struck back with quick wickets in the middle order. An unbeaten half-century from Richard Dawson prevented a total collapse, however, as Yorkshire closed on 360 for 9.Somerset v Glamorgan, Taunton
Scorecard
Nixon McLean found inspiration in West Indies’ exploits in Antigua, taking 5 for 43 as Glamorgan were bundled out for 200. Even Matthew Maynard couldn’t save them this time, although his 55-run partnership with Adrian Dale came after McLean had reduced Glamorgan to 15 for 3. Robert Croft propped up the tail with 46, but Somerset were in utter command by the close, after Marcus Trescothick’s blistering 70 from 74 balls. Peter Bowler had made a more sedate 51 not out, in a total of 161 for 1.Other matchWarwickshire v Cardiff UCCE, Abergavenny
Scorecard
Warwickshire’s captain Michael Powell slapped the Cardiff students for a rapid 140, but Ian Bell missed the chance to remind the England selectors of his potential, as he was stumped for 21. Cardiff replied strongly to Warwickshire’s 367 for 4 dec, closing on 106 for 1.

It is on days like this, with the sun burning down from ablue sky, the pitch flawless, the outfield like a billiardtable top and his mind intently focused on a particularobjective that Brian Lara can elevate batting to heightsreserved for a select few.It is on days like this that his mastery presents arefreshing contrast to the sordid controversies stoked bymen in high places without an ounce of cricketing skill intheir bones who would undermine the game for the sake oftheir inflated egos.And it is on days like this, as with those earlier in theseries, that we wonder why his average should need boostingup above 50 once more, when 70 would be more appropriate tohis God-given talent, and why he should only now become thesixth West Indian to pass 7 000 Test runs instead of thethird to 8 000.His waning passion for the game clearly rekindled, Larareeled off his second Test hundred in ten days and his 17thin all on the opening day of the third and final Testyesterday that led the West Indies to 327 for three off theallocated 90 overs.He acknowledged at the start of the series he was concernedabout an average that had rapidly dipped a dozen points to47 and set himself the goal of bumping it back up to whereit belongs.His unbeaten 178, spread over five-and-three-quarter-hoursand 285 balls with a straight six from off-spinner ThilanSamaraweera and 20 fours in all directions, carried him towithin 30 runs of achieving his mission, after earlierscores of 178, 40, 74 and 45.It also lifted the West Indies from the early gloom oflosing openers cheaply again. Within five minutes of CarlHooper winning the toss, the left-handed Chris Gayle hadgone third ball for his second successive duck to yetanother indeterminate outside edge for a low catch to thekeeper.Half-hour later, the right-handed Daren Ganga was lbwplaying across an inswinger.The probing left-armer Chaminda Vaas was the bowler eachtime, the Sri Lankan Ashoka deSilva the umpire.A Sri Lankan bowler didn’t claim another wicket all day asLara shared successive partnerships of 194 with RamnareshSarwan, who was run out for 69, and 116 with captain Hooper,who was 52 at the end of a day that reduced even spin wizardMuttiah Muralitharan to 32 wicketless overs and theconcession of nine fours to Lara’s blade.The situation was almost identical to that at a similarstage of the first Test when the West Indies were 316 forthree, with Lara 117 and Hooper 34.Yet their all-round fraility led to defeat by ten wickets asit did when they failed by quarter-hour to hold out for adraw in the second that Sri Lanka won by 131 runs.It left Lara and Hooper with plenty of work to do to ensurea total that would allow their inexperienced bowling thefoundation from which to work and at least end the serieswith some pride restored.Along the way, Lara joined the elite company of Sir VivRichards, Sir Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidgeand Desmond Haynes as West Indians with over 7 000 Testruns.It was a statistic he acknowledged he was aware of before heset out and, as soon as he completed his 130th run that gothim there, he raised his helmet and his bat to the dressingroom.Such things matter to Lara and they might just be thecatalyst for the relaunching of a career that, when he quitthe captaincy and took a four-months break early in 2000,was in definite doubt.He committed few errors throughout his long vigil. At 85, heedged occasional off-spinner Russel Arnold through wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakarra’s gloves.At 99, he was a whisker away from an lbw decision in favourof Chaminda Vaas during an especially testing spell ofreverse swing with a ball past its 50th over.At 115, in the second over after tea, his call for a sharpsingle to cover’s right left the sprinting Sarwan short ofhis ground on Mahela Jayawardene’s swooping pick-up anddirect hit.It was the fifth time in his young Test career the 21-yearold right-hander had been run out and Lara held his head inanguish at the needless loss.Once again, Sarwan had filled the breach as virtual openeron Gayle’s first-over dismissal and batted with calm,sensible assurance.He took a blow behind the helmet from an outfield returnsoon after lunch that required attention and was neverentirely at ease to Muralitharan’s straight ball. But he wasquick to pounce on any overpitched offering with his elegantdriving. He had one sharp chance to short-leg offMuralitheran at 44 but was determined not to be shiftedbefore misfortune struck four hours into an innings thatoccupied 162 balls and had ten fours.

New Zealand might have only a 33% success rate in tri-series One-Day International tournaments but CLEAR Black Caps wicket-keeper Adam Parore says last year’s ICC KnockOut win in Nairobi had been an important step for the side towards improving that percentage.Just before flying out from Christchurch today for Colombo with the side for the 23rd three or four-nation tournament New Zealand has played in, Parore said that for a couple of years this New Zealand team had known they were capable of doing something, without ever having achieved it.Going to Sri Lanka was another seeming Mission Impossible. India has just completed a tour of Zimbabwe, while Sri Lanka were at home in their favourable conditions. The New Zealanders were coming out of the coldest winter in this country for nearly 30 years.But adapting to foreign conditions is becoming second nature to Black Cap sides and Parore believes the lessons of Nairobi could be an influence in the Coca-Cola Cup.”To know you can do it, and then to go out and finally do it, fills you with a lot of confidence,” he said.”Watching the professional golfers and tennis players on television in big tournaments they know that to win they have to go through unbeaten.”There are two or three moments in matches when, if you want to win, you have to put up and do it.”And there is no substitute for doing it.”Until you do it and then realise what you have done, you don’t appreciate how much it takes,” he said.That lesson was the most valuable thing to come out of the Nairobi success, Parore said.”Thinking you can do something, and actually doing something, are two completely different things,” he said.Having been one of the heaviest worked players during the last season, Parore relished the chance for a break after the series equalling victory against Pakistan.But it had been long enough and he pronounced himself impatient to get underway in Colombo.”There is only so much running, batting and training you can do each day. I don’t think I’ve ever been so keen to get back into action as I am now,” he said.Parore said that in hindsight the last season did not seem that tough and he felt the side came out of a difficult summer pretty well.It had been disappointing to lose key players at vital times. But in spite of those worries, the side had achieved some good results.Younger players had been brought in and had been exposed to top level cricket and were now more experienced as a result.He said the inclusion of players who had been through the Academy process had made it a lot easier for those introduced to adapt to their situation.There was a higher level of professionalism among the younger players but they still found the standard of cricket a bit of a shock.But New Zealand had been lucky with the players who came in last summer as they had developed well.As far as New Zealand’s record in tournaments was concerned, he said that was probably due to the fact that they all required a degree of adaptation and that invariably as the side played more games, their record improved in tournaments.”But because we are often coming out of our winter, we are having to start so far back on the grid and when you go to the sub continent you are going into the hardest conditions in which to have a cricket tour.”Personally, I enjoy the sub continent. It is a good place to tour. You have grounds that are full of roaring spectators who know their cricket. They know who you are, what your average is and all about you,” he said.Parore recalled holidaying in Dubai after the summer and finding that drinks stewards around the hotel pool he was staying in were able to talk to him about quite technical matters of the game.”They know what they are talking about and were able to give some quite technical analysis of Sachin Tendulkar’s batting,” he said.Parore said he only needed a few weeks off before he was keen to get back into action. Three months had been two months too long and he said he couldn’t wait to get on the plane and on the way.He didn’t see the tournament as the start of another tough new season. It was an interlude with a six-week break before the next tour to Pakistan when the Black Caps get down to the real business of the summer.TRI NATIONS RECORDS

Played Won Lost Tied Abandoned1980/81 Australia, India, New Zealand 14 7 6 11982/83 Australia, England, New Zealand 12 6 61985/86 Australia, India, New Zealand 10 3 6 1Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 2 1 1India, Pakistan, New Zealand 2 0 21987/88 Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 10 4 6India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 4 2 21989/90 Australia, India, New Zealand 5 1 4Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, NZ 3 1 21990/91 Australia, England, New Zealand 10 3 71993/94 Australia, South Africa, New Zealand 8 3 4 1Australia, Sri Lanka, India,UAE, Pakistan, New Zealand 3 1 21994/95 India, West Indies, New Zealand 4 0 3 1South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, NZ 6 0 6Australia, India, South Africa, NZ 4 2 21996/97 Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 5 1 3 1Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 3 1 21997/98 Australia, South Africa, New Zealand 8 2 6India, Australia, New Zealand 4 1 3Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand 6 0 2 42000/01 South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand 2 0 2Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand 3 1 2Total 128 40 79 1 8