ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Galle

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran14-Nov-2010

Match Facts

Monday, November 15

Start time 10.00 (04.30 GMT)
Does Dwayne Bravo still have the appetite for Test cricket?•AFP

The Big Picture

Two teams in a transitional phase come face-to-face in Galle on Monday. West Indies are led by Darren Sammy, a man who till last month wasn’t even sure of his place in the Test side. Two of their senior batsmen – Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo – have turned down central contracts in favour of keeping their options open for the lucre that comes with being Twenty20 freelancers. Another senior batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan, wasn’t even offered a contract, which caused more controversy, and is not part of the squad. In addition, they are without their two best fast bowlers – Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards – both of whom have long-term injuries.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have to come to terms with losing their greatest match-winner, Muttiah Muralitharan. No more can their captain toss the ball to Murali and expect the wickets to tumble. They are also pondering how best to use their limited-overs spearhead, Lasith Malinga, whose injury-prone body they are unwilling to subject to the rigours of Test cricket ahead of the World Cup. It leaves Kumar Sangakkara and the team management with the challenge of grooming a bowling combination that can regularly take 20 wickets in a Test.
The other similarity between the two teams is that neither of them have played much Test cricket in 2010, having had to make do with one three-Test home series each so far this year.Sri Lanka will start the series as clear favourites. Their No. 3 ranking puts them four spots above the West Indies, and they have a decent home record to be proud of – losing only one series in more than six years. West Indies, in contrast, haven’t won a series away from home – except against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe – since early 1995. They have a dreadful record in Sri Lanka as well, losing all five Tests in their previous two series and drawing the lone match on their first visit back in 1993.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LDWLL
West Indies: LDLLD

Watch out for…

Adrian Barath announced himself with a sparkling century on Test debut late last year, but injuries have hampered his progress since. He has played only one first-class match in 2010, and hasn’t been in the best of form in the domestic season. This series, though, will provide another chance to see how his potentially exciting opening partnership with Gayle develops.Thilan Samaraweera is unsure whether he’ll find a place in the one-day outfit, but he is a dead-cert when it comes to Tests. Whether he’s good enough to boast of a 50-plus average has been debated for long but Sri Lanka won’t care as long as he keeps performing like he did in his previous Test – making a century in the first innings, and 83 in the second to lift his side from the depths of 87 for 7.

Teams

Sri Lanka’s batting is pretty settled, with Nos 1 to 7 being guaranteed starters. The bowling isn’t though, in the absence of Malinga and Murali. Suraj Randiv has been picked out by Sangakkara as Sri Lanka’s main spinner, so he’s likely to play but it remains to be seen who will partner him. The fast bowlers will have an additional responsibilty as Angelo Mathews won’t be bowling his medium-pacers due to a thigh strain.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Chanaka Welegedera
West Indies are also missing key fast bowlers which leaves the young Kemar Roach as their pace spearhead. The pitch is expected to assist spinners, but will West Indies pick both Sulieman Benn and Shane Shillingford, or go with one spinner and expect Gayle to send down a few overs?West Indies (probable) 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Brendan Nash, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Bravo, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Nelon Pascal, 11 Sulieman Benn

Quotes

“Randiv has become the main spinner in the squad, while Herath is an experienced bowler who has done a great job for us. We expect Mendis to come back very strongly.”

“You saw Sri Lanka just won in Australia where they had never won (a one-day series). It’s an opportunity for the guys to use this as a motivation and go out there and be competitive and consistent.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the opening day in Adelaide where England made a stunning start

Andrew Miller and Peter English in Adelaide03-Dec-2010Diamond duck
Simon Katich joined an exclusive list of Australian batsmen run out without facing a ball when he was left high and dry by Shane Watson four balls into the game. Watson survived an lbw appeal but took off for a risky single without consulting Katich and Jonathan Trott’s superb direct hit from square leg left Katich a couple of metres short. He was so angry at his dismissal that almost two hours later he was still stewing as he sat on his own below the dressing room. Scorers recording balls-faced is a relatively modern measurement, but in the past 40 years only two other Australians have had so little to do before being dismissed. The opener Wayne Phillips lasted four minutes at Port of Spain in 1983-84 while Rodney Hogg was caught short at Edgbaston in 1981.150 and a duck
At the Gabba, Andrew Strauss’s bid to set the tone for England ended in catastrophe with a third-ball steer to gully; now, down at Adelaide, it was Ricky Ponting’s turn to register an untimely blob. Unlike his opposite number, Ponting was offered not a hint of width as Jimmy Anderson racked in the good fortune that had eluded him in the first Test, and grazed his outside edge for Graeme Swann to scoop low at second slip. There was an uncanny symmetry in the dismissal as well, for Ponting is playing in his 150th Test. The last Australian captain to reach that milestone was Steve Waugh, who also picked up a first-baller at Sharjah in 2002. In the final analysis of that match it scarcely mattered, however. Pakistan were shot out for 59 and 53.Flukey Finn
The talk before the Test was that Steven Finn might miss out despite his six-wicket haul at the Gabba last week. On a legendarily flat deck, and with fearsome temperatures predicted for the coming days, the temptation to include the reverse-swing specialist Ajmal Shahzad was genuine. But in the end, England stuck to their first-choice attack and while Finn was once again slow to locate the ideal length, his ability to make something of nothing remains an undeniable asset. Australia were regrouping and Marcus North had moved into the 20s, an achievement that promised riches of the highest order. But then, with less than three overs to go until tea, he poked at a short wide one and snicked through to the keeper.Swann comes to the party
Swann was not at his best throughout the first Test. Instead of an early wicket, his first one-off over went for 10, his first three for 26, and thereafter he was never allowed to settle as Mike Hussey got on his case and clobbered the short ball with unyielding power and accuracy. Today was different, right from the word go. Though he had to wait for his wickets, the incredible dominance of England’s first-hour performance meant he could attack from the word go and keep the Cathedral End tied up while the seamers rotating from the City. He had to wait 25 overs to strike, but when it came it was crucial, as his nemesis Hussey poked to slip, before Ryan Harris, on his home debut, was adjudged lbw for the second first-baller of the day.Technically out
Harris, however, was convinced he inside-edged his first ball, an offspinner from Swann, and immediately called for a review as umpire Marais Erasmus’s finger went up. The benefits of technology have been a regular issue during the first six days of the series and though the ball would have done little more than graze the outside of leg stump, this debate was over whether Hotspot showed a small spot on the side of Harris’ bat. Billy Doctrove, the third umpire, wasn’t convinced by the tiny mark that was visible on the replays, so Harris had to walk.Chappell’s near missA few people are grumpy at Greg Chappell and his fellow selectors after they dropped Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson, but are they disgruntled enough to take aim at his car? Chappell was on the phone when he opened the door of his taxi and it was ripped off by a passing vehicle. Eyewitnesses couldn’t confirm whether the car that caused the damage was steered by a supporter of two unhappy fast men. Chappell was fine and at tea was in the back of a ute, being paraded around the ground with his brother Ian and Greg Blewett.

Shahid Karim, Mohammad Amir’s lawyer, has said he would have preferred an independent tribunal to adjudicate on the charges against his client over the spot-fixing controversy

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2010Shahid Karim, Mohammad Amir’s lawyer, has said he would have preferred an independent tribunal to adjudicate on the charges against his client over the spot-fixing controversy, instead of the three-man panel set up by the ICC. Amir, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, has been provisionally suspended by the ICC for their alleged involvement in the controversy, and the final hearings are scheduled to be held over six days in Doha from January 6-11.”Looking at the case from a legalistic point of view, from the point of view of the case being presented to an independent and unbiased tribunal, then I think he has a fair chance of coming out clean,” Karim told . “However the situation is an odd one. Ideally we would have liked the tribunal to be completely independent of the ICC, but at this point in time I have to have full faith in the tribunal.”The ICC’s three-man tribunal includes Michael Beloff QC, Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Sharad Rao of Kenya. Beloff, the ICC code of conduct commissioner, had chaired the hearings into the appeals of Amir and Butt against their suspensions in Dubai, and had upheld the ICC’s decision. Subsequently, the PCB revoked the central contracts of the players.Beloff’s prior participation in the hearings drew objection from Karim. “We raised a slight objection to Michael Beloff QC chairing the hearing in Doha, as he had heard the case in the provisional hearing, but he chose not to remove himself,” Karim said. “However, my training as a lawyer requires me to have full faith in the forthcoming tribunal and I should expect a fair hearing.”Although the members of the three-man tribunal are already part of the anti-corruption commission which is a permanent body in the code of the ICC and are nominated by the ICC, and the tribunal members have been picked out of those members, I still think that I have faith in their independence and impartiality.”Karim was confident of a verdict in favour of Amir, claiming there were certain mitigating circumstances in his case. “One of the mitigating factors is age and the other mitigating factor is Amir’s previously unblemished record,” he said. “Emotionally he is drained, he’s been affected badly by it, but he’s coping as best he can and above all he is very confident that he will come out of this clean.”And in the event of an unfavourable verdict for Amir, Karim said he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. “If the hearing does not go our way we plan to take the matter further. The next stage of the process would be to go to the Court of Arbitration of Sport in Lausanne. It is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport and would be completely independent and divorced of the ICC.”Meanwhile, Butt’s lawyers have asked the ICC for a postponement of the hearings to prepare their reply.

John Hastings is a giant allrounder who is new on the scene and preparing for a bits-and-pieces role in Australia’s World Cup defence

Peter English31-Jan-2011John Hastings is a giant allrounder who is new on the scene and preparing for a bits-and-pieces role in Australia’s World Cup defence. Hastings contributed with the vital wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell in the series-sealing victory against England on Sunday to continue his steady rise.That is just the sort of effort the Australians want from him, although they are also hoping for some handy runs from No.8. At Victoria Hastings is seen more as an evenly weighted allrounder, but the national set-up likes him for his clever changes of pace, including the slower bouncer that upset Pietersen on Sunday night.Usually at this time in the World Cup cycle the teams are relying on players who have developed on the international stage over the previous couple of years. Hastings has appeared in only five ODIs and one Twenty20, so he will be learning on the job.”I have played a Champions League [Twenty20] over there and made my international debut over there as well, I love playing in India,” Hastings said before the team left for Sydney to prepare for Wednesday’s sixth ODI. “There’s massive crowds, lots of pressure, that’s what I strive to play for. The wickets are lower and slower so you have to mix your pace up a little bit and that’s why I think I have been brought into this team.”Hastings, 25, stands at 1.95m and is an intimidating presence on and off the field. He hasn’t modelled himself on anyone but rates himself similar to Andrew McDonald, his Victoria team-mate. “He’s a medium pacer with a lot of tricks and slower balls, and bats in the top six,” he said. “My batting is probably not there at the moment, but I’ve got to play my role as best I can.”He was a batsman as a junior in New South Wales but has graduated into an accomplished bowler since switching states. “Batting is there in the background so I’ve got to keep working away at that,” he said. “I can come in at No.8 and contribute, I’ve normally got five to 10 overs to bat.”Australia’s World Cup plans have started to come together during the four wins against England and the one loss in Adelaide. Brett Lee is fit and bowling fast, and the opening combination of Shane Watson and Brad Haddin is beginning to settle.Openers have been a major feature of Australia’s three World Cup wins, with Matthew Hayden dominating in 2007, Adam Gilchrist doing well in 2003 and Mark Waugh succeeding in 1999. Michael Clarke, the stand-in captain, said Watson and Haddin were capable of providing a similar partnership to Hayden and Gilchrist.”Watto and Hadds are a wonderful combination,” he said. “They suit each other because on any given day one of them can go off and the other can play that anchor role. Add Ricky Ponting into that top four and I think we’ve got a pretty good batting order. The subcontinent conditions will really suit Watto and Hadds and the first 10 to 15 overs will be crucial to get off to good starts.”

Stuart Broad was England’s hero after an epic but under-rewarded spell from Graeme Swann had sparked them into life, as South Africa’s bid to hunt down a mediocre total of 171 collapsed in a heap of wickets and dot-balls at Chennai

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan06-Mar-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Anderson put England back on track with the key wicket of AB de Villiers•Getty Images

What a World Cup England are producing. From a thrilling tie against India to the shock of losing to Ireland they have now conjured a stunning fightback to beat South Africa by six runs in a gripping contest on a tough pitch in Chennai. They took all ten wickets for 102 through a combination of spin, reverse swing, perseverance and the never-say-die-attitude which is such a trait of this team, with Stuart Broad sealing the victory with two wickets in four balls after Dale Steyn’s 31-ball 20 had taken his team close to the winning line.It showed you don’t need 600 runs to create an epic one-day international and the celebrations when Morne Morkel was caught behind proved how important it was for England spirits. Without it they would have faced the real possibility of heading home early, but can now approach the clashes against Bangladesh and West Indies with much greater heart. What will please Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower is that it was the much-maligned attack that won the match – after the batting struggled to post 171 – as Broad took 4 for 15, James Anderson produced a devastating burst of reverse swing shortly before the 34-over ball change and Graeme Swann bowled with guile and craft to set up the prospect of victory.Despite the tricky pitch, South Africa had broken the back of the run-chase after an opening stand of 63 between Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. However, they suffered two slumps; the first as three wickets fell for 19 – with Broad claiming the vital scalps of Amla and Jacques Kallis – then the more significant slide from 124 for 3 to 165 all out as Anderson produced some wonderful reverse swing, Ian Bell pulled off a fine piece of fielding at short leg to run out Faf du Plessis, and Broad cleaned up the tail.Swann could have dismissed Smith almost half a dozen times with spitting, turning deliveries until one finally bounced and brushed the thumb although it needed the DRS to overturn Asoka de Silva’s on-field not out decision. Amla had moved along serenely despite the testing surface until he became a little lazy against Broad and chopped into his stumps. Kallis then edged a drive and, in a rare sight, accepted Prior’s word on whether it had carried without asking for the umpires to check.AB de Villiers, who began the tournament with back-to-back hundreds, and du Plessis are normally free-flowing batsman, but they decided to consolidate rather than attack during their 42-run stand. It wasn’t a major problem for South Africa at the time with the asking rate remaining comfortable, but it conceded the momentum and when the breakthroughs came England still had runs to play with.Anderson produced his finest spell of reverse-swing since the Ashes as he trimmed de Villiers’ bails and then clattered JP Duminy’s stumps two balls after he’d been reprieved by the DRS having been given caught down the leg side. It had been a controversial moment because there didn’t seem enough evidence to overrule the on-field umpire, but Anderson soon made it irrelevant. In between those two wickets, Bell showed brilliant alertness at short leg as he stopped du Plessis’s shot and flicked it to Prior in time to complete the run out.

Smart Stats

• The 171 is the ninth time England have been bowled out for less than 200 in World Cups. Their lowest remains the 93 against Australia in the 1975 World Cup semi-final.

• Imran Tahir’s 4 for 38 is his best bowling performance in ODIs surpassing his 4 for 41 in the game against West Indies. The bowling performance is also the second best by a spinner against England in a World Cup game behind Abdul Qadir’s 4 for 31 in 1987.

• Robin Peterson’s 3 for 22 is his best bowling display in ODIs surpassing his 3 for 42 against Pakistan in Dubai.

• From a position of 124 for 3, South Africa lost their next four wickets for an additional three runs including three wickets with the score on 124.

• Stuart Broad’s 4 for 15 is the best bowling performance by ean England bowler in World Cup matches against South Africa and the seventh best by an English bowler overall in World Cups.

• The 99-run stand between Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara is the second highest for the fourth wicket for England in World Cups.

• Trott continued his excellent ODI form with his ninth half-century. He has now scored 1080 runs in 22 matches at an average of 54.

• England’s six-run win is their closest margin of victory in a World Cup match when thry have batted first. Their previous closest win was the nine-run win over India in the 1992 World Cup.

• The 172 is the lowest target that South Africa have failed to chase in World Cups and the third lowest in ODIs.

England were buzzing, having taken 3 for 0, and the scoring remained at a standstill for the next three overs as Morne van Wyk and Robin Peterson struggled against spin. Michael Yardy, the weak link in the attack, then had Peterson caught behind trying to cut but the mandatory ball-change at 34 overs meant the threat of reverse swing was momentarily removed.Andrew Strauss opted to keep Swann back for one over and used Yardy and Kevin Pietersen in tandem. Both were given one over too many as Steyn took advantage, driving Yardy through the covers and lofting Pietersen straight down the ground. Slowly but surely he and van Wyk chipped out 33 tension-filled runs.However, because of the extensive use of the spinners Strauss was able to return to his quicks at the death and with 12 needed Tim Bresnan found van Wyk’s inside-edge which crashed into the stumps. Then it was over to Broad who trapped Steyn lbw with his first ball and Morkel had clearly decided to try and finish the game quickly when he got the final edge.Despite proving to be yet another thriller, the match could not have been a greater contrast to the two run-fests England were involved in Bangalore. It became abundantly clear this wouldn’t be a 300-match when Peterson stunned everyone by removing both openers in his first over. The value of South Africa’s rounded attack was again on show as the frontline spinners took seven wickets and were backed up by Morkel and Steyn with England losing their top three for 15 and last six for 37, but their failure to cross the line will raise old concerns.Smith isn’t known for out-of-the-box captaincy but it was clever to hand Peterson the new ball. Strauss tried to take an attacking approach by using his feet, but could only pick out de Villiers, who took a fine running catch at deep midwicket. If that was a bonus for South Africa they could barely believe what happened three balls later when Pietersen pushed forward and got a regulation edge low to first slip. Bell soon became Peterson’s third as he pushed a return catch back to the bowler after being beaten in the flight.Ravi Bopara, back in the side at the expense of Paul Collingwood, set about the recovery with Jonathan Trott, who was saved by the DRS after being given lbw against Imran Tahir on 20. Bopara nearly ran himself out on 26 – it wouldn’t have been the first time – but a dive just saved him, then he broke a run of singles with a handsome straight drive for six before Trott reached fifty from 87 balls.Having used up considerable time Trott needed to up the tempo but Tahir pulled off a fine return catch after deceiving his former Warwickshire team-mate in the flight. Prior had the chance to build an innings after previously needing to slog from the start but was undone by Morkel.Bopara’s 60, his first ODI fifty since November 2008, remained the top score and will have given him huge confidence for the rest of the tournament as he showed he could adapt to conditions. The lower order couldn’t build momentum against Tahir and failing to use up 26 deliveries looked like being costly. However, once again England dug deep when all seemed lost and gave the World Cup another memorable finish.

Match Timeline

North Zone set up an encounter with West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy final, after they beat Central Zone comfortably in their semi-final at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2011
ScorecardNorth Zone set up an encounter with West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy final, after they beat Central Zone comfortably in their semi-final at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Chasing 239, North paced their innings well. Shikhar Dhawan played the anchor role, scoring a measured 71 at the top; Mithun Manhas upped the tempo a bit with his 40 off 39; and then Paras Dogra and Nitin Saini played brisk cameos to take North over the line with two overs to spare.Central had chosen to bat, but lost a couple of early wickets before Parvinder Singh came in and started to construct an innings. Parvinder, who had scored a half-century in the quarter-final, got to 102, but a constant fall of wickets at the other end meant Central could never really lift their scoring. Udit Birla joined Parvinder at the wicket with Central in trouble at 102 for 5, but he managed to get 64 and put together 126 for the sixth wicket with Parvinder.Amit Mishra was the most successful bowler for North, taking 3 for 43, and Sumit Narwal was economical, bowling 10 overs for just 40 runs.

Jon Kent and Yusuf Abdulla will not be retained by the Dolphins franchise while the Titans’ Blake Snijman had retired from the game

Firdose Moonda05-Apr-2011The Dolphins will not renew the contracts of allrounder Jon Kent and left-arm seamer Yusuf Abdulla for the 2011-2012 season. The decision was made in keeping with the franchise’s policy of blooding young talent, which started in February 2010 when they axed five senior players, including Andrew Hall.Kent, who will turn 32 next month and represented South Africa in two ODIs, has played for the Durban-based team for 11 seasons. He has a first-class batting average of 35.77 and was one of their strike bowlers. Although an experienced campaigner, he will be out of contract because the Dolphins have decided that they need to focus on development.’Unfortunately for Jon, the focus of Dolphins is to develop a team that will be successful in a couple of years. In order to achieve this, opportunity needs to be given to younger players to develop their skills and gain match experience,” Jesse Chellan, chief executive of Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union said. “Going forward, it is a concern that Jon would block the path of a young player.”Abdulla, who made his name during second season of the IPL in 2009 in South Africa with the Kings XI Punjab, has played two Twenty-20s for South Africa, but has seen his career slide downhill in the past 18 months. He has struggled to recover from injury, battled with his weight and failed to make the Dolphins team this season. “Yusuf has struggled with fitness and form for the past two seasons and moving forward we will be investing in a younger generation of bowlers,” Chellan said.While both Kent and Abdulla have fallen out of favour with their franchises, up north at the Titans, Blake Snijman has voluntarily opted to end his career. Snijman announced his retirement, even though he is only 25 years old, in order to further his business interests. Snijman made his debut for Gauteng in the 2003-04 season, where he become an accomplished opening batsman. He leaves the game with a first-class batting average of 31.36 and a List A average of 32.75.He moved to the Titans during the 2006-07 season and was part of the squad that won the SuperSport Series in 2008-09, the MTN limited-overs competition twice and the Standard Bank Pro20 in 2007-08. “I have been giving my career much thought over recent months and have decided that I will be retiring from cricket at the end of the current 2010/2011 season. I would especially like to thank the players. I have loved spending time with them and building friendships,” Snijman said.

Former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul has demanded an explanation from WICB chief Ernest Hilaire regarding the comments he made regarding the lack of discipline and application in the team, leading up to the massive post-World Cup overhaul

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2011Former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul has demanded an explanation from WICB chief Ernest Hilaire regarding the comments he made regarding the lack of discipline and application in the team, leading up to its massive post World Cup overhaul. In a strongly-worded letter addressed to Hilaire, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo, Chanderpaul questioned whether the comments were directed at him.Chanderpaul, along with senior players Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were axed from the side for the ongoing series against Pakistan. Hilaire’s interview with network, a copy of which was later released by the WICB, touched upon a number of the problems ailing West Indies cricket over the past 15 years.Chanderpaul’s concerns were over the following excerpt from the interview: “If you look at West Indies cricket since the mid-90s, a lot of the systems we had in place broke down. There’s no discipline, there’s no application. We’ve been doing that for 15 years and we’ve been losing. We need to put a new system in place. No one man is bigger than the team, no one man is such a superstar he can decide if he is training today, if he’s going to have treatment tomorrow, if he’s going to attend a team meeting. It cannot work that way.”In response, Chanderpaul wrote: “I am particularly concerned about the following statements: 1. There’s no discipline, there’s no application. 2. No one man is bigger than the team, no one man is such a superstar he can decide if he is training today, if he’s going to have treatment tomorrow, if he’s going to attend a team meeting.”I am of the opinion that anyone reading these comments in the specific context will conclude that:”1. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, am an indisciplined individual and during my tenure as a West Indies player over the past fifteen years have lacked discipline and contributed to the West Indies team losing.”2. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul have not applied myself or demonstrated any real application to my role as a member of the West Indies team over the past 15 years and by so doing have contributed to the West Indies team losing.”3. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, consider myself to be bigger than the team.”4. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have decided when I was training or not training.”5. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have decided when I was going to attend or not attend team meetings.”6. (Based on the accusations above) I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have disregarded the coaches and managerial staff or undermined team discipline by my actions and attitude.”Chanderpaul also questioned whether the statements were reflective of Hilaire’s personal opinion, or were made in his capacity as WICB chief. “If they were made by you, I note that you constantly use the word ‘we’ in the excerpt above,” Chanderpaul wrote. “I would like to know if this is a ‘royal we’ or, in other words, are you speaking for yourself, albeit as CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board or are you speaking for and on behalf of the West Indies Cricket Board itself? This is important to me since I believe I have served the WICB and West Indies Cricket faithfully and well during my career and it would be difficult for me to accept that the members of the board of directors of West Indies cricket have sanctioned those remarks. On what basis have you made those statements and with what purpose?”Asking Hilaire to reply urgently, Chanderpaul said he was worried the comments would damage his reputation. “I am convinced that those persons who do not know the sacrifices I have made on behalf of West Indies Cricket and my dedication to the cause of West Indies Cricket would believe, based on what you have said in your interview, that I lack discipline and application and have not demonstrated the sense of responsibility which I know that I have shown throughout my career. While I would refer you to my unblemished reputation for professionalism and to all the other CEOs, coaches and managers with whom I have worked, I believe that you have crossed the line by making these public accusations that, while they may include others, are also directed at me and if unchallenged and corrected may destroy my career.”Chanderpaul told Hilaire in his letter that if he did not receive an adequate explanation he would take whatever action necessary to clear his name. “While it would help if the WICB as an organisation repudiates your comments in this regards, it would still not be sufficient to erase the tremendous damage already done. I await your urgent response and reserve all of my rights in this matter.”

Andrew Gale set up the easiest of Yorkshire victories at New Road and left Worcestershire stranded at the foot of Group A after their fourth defeat in five Clydesdale Bank 40 games

22-May-2011
ScorecardAndrew Gale set up the easiest of Yorkshire victories at New Road and left Worcestershire stranded at the foot of Group A after their fourth defeat in five Clydesdale Bank 40 games.Steven Patterson took four for 28 in the Royals’ laboured progress to 155 for 9 and Gale continued his good form in the competition as Yorkshire eased home by seven wickets with 21 balls to spare.The Yorkshire captain made 56 and lifted his aggregate to 285 from five innings after sharing in successive half-century partnerships with fellow-left handers Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth.Rotherham-born left-arm spinner Shaaiq Choudhry secured Worcestershire’s first success when Ben Scott stumped Ballance for 27 and Moeen Ali’s off-spin accounted for Gale with a tumbling catch at mid-wicket by Jack Shantry.Yorkshire never had to rush and Lyth was able to bat within himself until he took an unnecessary risk in going for a second run which would have completed a half-century. He was comfortably beaten by Alexei Kervezee’s return from deep square leg.Worcestershire were hopelessly short of runs despite James Cameron’s third successive CB40 half-century and an eye-catching innings by 17-year-old schoolboy Aneesh Kapil. Kapil, who later bowled five overs at a lively pace, joined Cameron in a stand of 88 in 20 overs, which was all that stood between the home side and total collapse.Struggling at 30 for 4 after two wickets each for Yorkshire’s new-ball pair, Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, they folded again as soon as Kapil departed, lbw for 44 when pushing forward to the fourth delivery in a second spell by Adil Rashid.Kapil who played for Wolverhampton in the Birmingham League at the age of 13, was unfazed by registering a duck for his club team only 24 hours before he was called up for a competitive debut in the county side.A flamboyant stroke-maker, he hit four of the dozen fours that Worcestershire mustered in the entire innings, and fortunately for Yorkshire, a glaring let-off, when Hannon-Dalby put down a simple opportunity at short third man, cost them only two runs.Similarly a let-off for Cameron – Ballance spilling an awkward chance at mid-wicket – was quickly brushed over. One run later, the Zimbabwean-born left-hander fell for 51, driving to mid-off as Patterson struck twice in his second spell.Along the way, Cameron hoisted Rashid for a straight six but managed only two fours as Yorkshire, despite missing a contingent of first-teamers, took an unshakeable grip on what became a one-sided contest.

Paul Collingwood’s first Durham century since making six in 2005 put the Championship leaders in command against struggling Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street

20-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Paul Collingwood’s first Durham century since making six in 2005 put the Championship leaders in command against struggling Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street. Collingwood’s 108 helped Durham to 408 for 8 declared, a lead of 223, and in seven overs Yorkshire reached 13 without loss in their second innings.Rapid half-centuries from Gordon Muchall, Phil Mustard and Scott Borthwick helped Durham make up for the loss of a day and a half by scoring at 5.24 an over on a day when Yorkshire dropped six catches. They were not happy about umpire Tim Robinson changing his mind after giving out Mustard, lbw to Adil Rashid on 58, apparently realising that the Durham captain had edged the ball on to his pad.Mustard added 12 more runs, but what had really cost Yorkshire was putting him down first ball and again on one after he came in with the score on 141 for 5. The last three wickets at that point had gone to Steve Patterson, who bowled an excellent spell either side of lunch, forcing Collingwood to treat him with the utmost respect.Patterson was the bowler when Richard Pyrah dropped Mustard first ball at second slip then the same fielder put him down off Ryan Sidebottom. Collingwood’s was a very measured innings as he reached 50 off 75 balls and his century off 145. It was also chanceless and it was a surprise when he pushed forward and edged Joe Root’s offspin to slip.That gave Adam Lyth his third catch, but he was guilty of putting down Borthwick off Rashid on 18 and the young left-hander was one short of his career-best 68 when the declaration came.
He put on 68 in 11 overs with Callum Thorp, who drove Root for three sixes in reaching 29.This was the fourth successive match in which Durham had achieved maximum batting points without a significant contribution from Michael Di Venuto. He has scored 37 runs in four innings since his century at home to Somerset and had already survived a difficult chance to Rashid at third slip when he edged Shahzad to the same fielder.Bowling in attacking style, Shahzad kept feeding Muchall’s cut and cover drive and conceded 36 runs in five overs as Muchall raced to 50 off 40 balls. Yorkshire did enjoy a slice of luck in the day’s penultimate over, when Lyth, on four, survived a chance to Mustard’s left hand off Thorp.