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Full coverage of the controversies in the lead-up to India’s tour of South Africa in 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2013July 8
News – Boxing Day Test back on SA home calendar
July 22
News – BCCI relationship Lorgat’s top priority
September 1
News – Uncertainty over India’s South Africa tour schedule
September 2
News – India itinerary mess leaves franchises in limbo
September 3
Features – Moonda: A marriage on the rocks
September 4
News – ‘Would be nice if Lorgat apologises’ – Dalmiya
September 16
Features – SA tour in balance at Dubai meeting
September 17
News – Decision on SA tour deferred till month end
September 22
News – CSA underestimated cost of BCCI warning
September 30
News – SA players want CSA, BCCI to sort fixtures soon
October 3
News – CSA broke protocol, created impasse – BCCI
October 8
News – India invite CSA for tour talks
October 9
News – CSA chief to meet with BCCI on Friday
October 10
News – FTP is legally binding document, says ex-ICC official
October 12
News – BCCI, CSA in ‘fruitful’ discussions
October 17
News – Decision on India’s SA tour likely ‘before weekend’
October 20
News – Shortened SA tour likely in December
October 21
News – BCCI confirms two Tests, three ODIs in South Africa
October 22
News – ICC sanctions independent probe into Becker comments
October 26
News – ‘Lorgat wasn’t involved in my letter’ – Becker
October 28
News – I don’t believe my position is untenable – Lorgat
October 30
News – Tour schedule finalised, Cape Town misses out

The BCCI disciplinary committee’s decision to exonerate Harmeet Singh of wrongdoing in the IPL spot-fixing controversy has come as a “huge relief” for the Mumbai left-arm spinner who turned 21 last week

Amol Karhadkar13-Sep-2013The BCCI disciplinary committee’s decision to exonerate Harmeet Singh of wrongdoing in the IPL spot-fixing controversy has come as a “huge relief” for the Mumbai left-arm spinner who turned 21 last week.”Obviously it’s a huge relief,” Harmeet told ESPNcricinfo from Delhi. “More importantly, I am happy that the truth has come out. I had always maintained that I have had no role to play in all these activities. And I am thankful to the disciplinary committee for taking my honest stance into consideration.”Harmeet, who had appeared before Delhi Police in July after his name was dragged into the spot-fixing controversy by a bookie who was arrested, said Friday’s hearing was “easy and comfortable”. “There was no pressure on to say things. They knew my version [as per Sawani’s report] but just wanted to get some of the things clarified.”After having impressed the likes of Ian Chappell during India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2012, Harmeet has been in the news for unwanted reasons over the past three months, something that he describes as a “bad phase”. However, at no point did he let his circumstance get the better of him, Harmeet said: “I have not stopped training even for one day, ever since I came back [to Mumbai] after giving my statement to the police. I know the only thing that would help people forget this episode is once I start performing on the field, and I am ready for that.”The spot-fixing episode had also left Harmeet in danger of missing out on the domestic season. Following his inability to break into Mumbai’s Ranji squad last season, Harmeet had sought an NOC during the off-season from the Mumbai Cricket Association after being approached by the Vidarbha Cricket Association. However, VCA decided to put their offer on hold once media reports indicating Harmeet’s alleged links with the spot-fixing scandal appeared.Now, Harmeet said the MCA welcomed him “back into the fold” and he was “looking forward to working hard for a month and a half and being a regular in Mumbai’s team”. It won’t be surprising if Harmeet replaces Ankeet Chavan – his Mumbai senior who was the team’s leading spinner last year but was banned for life on Friday for spot-fixing – as the side’s primary spin option in the forthcoming domestic season.

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has given a decidedly strong indication he wants David Warner in his first Test team, despite the left-hander’s lack of match preparation

Daniel Brettig at New Road05-Jul-2013Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has given a decidedly strong indication he wants David Warner in his first Test team, despite the left-hander’s lack of match preparation. It will now be a matter of whether or not the selectors agree with reinstating Warner immediately after his suspension for punching Joe Root, or demure for reasons of Test match readiness.Speaking for the first time since the day of Mickey Arthur’s replacement as the national team coach by Darren Lehmann and his resignation as a selector, Clarke expressed the staunch view that Warner has now served his punishment for events at the Walkabout in Birmingham during the Champions Trophy, and that the left-hander is not the kind of player to need matches behind him in order to feel confident.Should Warner be chosen it will be in a middle order role, after Lehmann confirmed Shane Watson and Chris Rogers had been inked in as opening batsmen for the series. The concept of a powerful counter-puncher at No. 6 has grown on the tourists, though his selection would not only run contrary to Warner’s lack of preparation but his form before that. Scores of 0, 0 and 9 in his three innings so far in Britain followed on from an indifferent IPL and a poor Test series against India.”He’s certainly served his punishment,” Clarke said, echoing Lehmann’s words about Warner having a “clean slate” under the new regime. “His punishment was no cricket up until the first Test match and now it’s about working out what our best team is. I don’t believe David won’t be selected because of punishment. I think that’s been dealt with. It’ll be about working out our best team.”Certainly the selectors are going to take into consideration that he hasn’t played much cricket over the past couple of weeks but on the other side of that the type of player Davey is it’s more about his mind being clear and playing with that intent. I don’t think Dave is the type of player that needs two four day games to make some runs to feel confident.”If he’s in the right place batting well in the nets I’m confident if the selectors do decide to pick him he can walk straight out onto the first Test to make a hundred.”I pick the batting order – Clarke

Though he is happy to no longer be a selector, Michael Clarke has stressed his authority over the composition of the Australian batting order, after the coach Darren Lehmann confirmed the selection of Shane Watson and Chris Rogers as the team’s openers to face England.

Lehmann’s confident declaration of first Watson and then Rogers as openers was a departure from the natural order of things, and Clarke politely refused to acknowledge the finality of the decision. However he did indicate that Watson and Rogers were discussed as a likely opening pair well before Lehmann’s arrival.

“I haven’t picked the batting order yet but I will do at some stage,” Clarke said. “Chris and Shane have certainly put their hand up as opening batters in the tour games but in regards to the batting order it hasn’t been selected. I haven’t got an 11 player team to pick the batting order at this stage.

“There has certainly been some communication over the last few months since coming back from India with Shane about where he wants to bat, where I see him most suited to the team. Then obviously once Chris was selected on this tour there was some communication there from both Mickey Arthur and myself. We will wait and see.”

Apart from their fitness and persistence, Clarke and the selectors gained little in the way of relevant knowledge about their bowlers on the final day at New Road. It was a fitting name for the ground given the way the pitch behaved, steadfastly refusing to break up or offer anything but the most minimal assistance. There has been some speculation about Peter Siddle’s place given a lack of wickets, but Clarke spoke generously of the most experienced fast bowler at his disposal.”Form certainly helps but Sidds has been a strike weapon for us over the last couple of years,” Clarke said. “The selectors will pick the best attack, you don’t necessarily have to be one of the best bowlers, it will be a complementary attack that helps us have success in the conditions we’re about to face. I think it’s one of his strengths. But they will need to pick an attack, not an individual bowler.”While admittedly close to Arthur, Clarke said the team had settled quickly following Lehmann’s appointment, and spoke happily of the displays put on against Somerset and Worcestershire, which suggested a team growing in confidence, unity and belief in their skills. For this he joined the rest of the squad in praising Lehmann, recalling their earlier time in the Test team together.”We’re talking more about old times, that’s for sure,” Clarke said. “I was lucky enough to play a fair bit of cricket with Darren so it’s nice to be back talking cricket with him. He’s got an amazing amount of knowledge about the game. I guess we’ve got a lot of similarities in the way we want to play. I had a great relationship with Mickey and I still do. The people who know Darren and know me know we were very close when we were playing as well.”There’s no doubt the boys have handled what’s happened over the past month as well as they possibly could I think our momentum is slowly building. I think our performance in both four-dayers, there are a lot of positives to take out of both games. We’re just about ready to play this first Test.”

Match facts

Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Not a familiar sight for Mumbai fans•BCCI

Big Picture

The last time Ricky Ponting played at Wankhede Stadium, he was leading Australia in a one-dayer against India. There was no IPL yet. Ponting made a half-century, and one can imagine the kind of reception he must have got from the Mumbai crowd, which has a ready ability to heckle visiting teams and captains. More than five years later, when Ponting walks out to the toss on Tuesday night, you can be sure there’ll be nothing hostile about the crowd’s behaviour towards the Mumbai Indians captain. It’ll be the franchise’s first home game of the season, and Wankhede will know, and respect, what it is witnessing when Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar walk out together.Not only will Mumbai be backed by the screaming hordes, they will also be lifted by the presence of their key bowler, Lasith Malinga, who is likely to be fit for his first match this season. Malinga should come in for one of Mitchell Johnson or Dwayne Smith.Mumbai had a batting failure against Chennai Super Kings, and were hauled back from the edge of defeat by an acrobatic catch from Kieron Pollard, who had bailed them out with an unbeaten fifty earlier in the game.Till the penultimate over against Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils were winning the game easily, David Warner having guided the chase sensibly. Then Warner was run out, and the rest choked. Daredevils have lost both matches so far, and will be hoping Virender Sehwag has recovered enough from his back troubles to play. Daredevils will also welcome back last season’s highest wicket-taker, Morne Morkel, and the feisty Roelof van der Merwe, who will join the squad after playing in South Africa’s domestic T20 final.

Players to watch

Sachin Tendulkar has received many shocking lbw decisions over his career. The one he got against Chennai Super Kings wasn’t one of them, still, his reaction was about as livid as you’ll ever see Tendulkar on the field. It is surprising the match referee did not have anything to say. That is a different matter, but Tendulkar’s disgust showed his desperation to make runs. Has the presence of another legend at the other end made him even more determined?Morne Morkel had 25 wickets last IPL season at just over seven runs an over. Indications are he will play, and if he does, the tall fast bowler should enjoy the bounce the Wankhede generally offers. Mumbai have had batting stutters in both matches so far, and facing Morkel will be a testing prospect.

Stats and trivia

• Last year at Wankhede, Mumbai Indians were shot out for 92, with the Daredevils quick bowlers picking up seven wickets.
• Kieron Pollard is eight short of 3500 T20 runs

Quotes

“T20 is a game of improvisation but you have to strike a balance between improvising and sticking to your own style. I want to balance it out even more so that it does not get too much one-sided.”

David Warner believes if Michael Clarke moves up from No. 5, it will add much-needed stability to Australia’s top order but, he said, it would be disappointing as it meant the rest of the batsmen had not been performing

Brydon Coverdale11-Mar-2013David Warner believes if Michael Clarke moves up from No. 5, it will add much-needed stability to Australia’s top order but he said it would be disappointing if such a change was required because it meant the rest of the batsmen had not been performing adequately. Clarke’s batting position for the Mohali Test has not yet been confirmed but after the loss in Hyderabad, where he was out for 91 in the first innings trying to score quickly with the tail, he indicated he would need to promote himself.Clarke, who has scored more than twice as many runs as any other members of the top six on this tour, could bat at either first drop or second drop given how early India have been using their spinners. So far in the series, Clarke has come in at 126 for 3, 65 for 3, 57 for 3 and 75 for 3, and although the conditions have played a part in those low scores, three-down for very few has become an all-too-familiar sight on Australia’s scorecard in recent years.”I just think it will stabilise us a lot, instead of losing three wickets we might only lose one wicket and rotate the strike more,” Warner said. “I don’t think it is necessarily about having Michael at three; it is about us, the top four, to knuckling down and scoring runs, that’s the main issue. If we can do our job right there is no reason to reshuffle the order.”Warner started the series with a scratchy half-century in the first innings in Chennai and since then has had little impact, despite making a couple of starts and reaching the 20s. In the second innings in Hyderabad he was bowled around his legs trying to sweep the first ball he faced from R Ashwin over the wicket and it was a shot that frustrated the coach Mickey Arthur, who had that morning instilled in the team the need to avoid cross-bat shots.Warner could have spent some time adjusting to Ashwin’s new line and perhaps even kicked the ball away given that it was pitching outside leg stump and he could not be lbw. Another option would have been to flick the ball through midwicket but that would have carried the risk of a leading edge. Warner said in hindsight his best play would have been to come down the pitch and reach the ball on the full.”If you’re pushing a ball through midwicket against the turn you could get a leading edge and get caught at slip,” Warner said. “I think that ball, when I look back at it, if I took the stride down the wicket, I could have got to it on the full. If I had a second line of defence I wouldn’t have got bowled. They’re the things that you look at and the decisions that you make at the time.”I saw the ball drift late. What happens if you [try to pad it away and] miss it? It drifted at the last minute. If you go to pad those away you’re still leaving a gap between your legs, unless you’re guarding the stumps like a castle.”Australia enter the Mohali Test, which starts on Thursday, needing a victory to keep the series and their chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy alive after going down 2-0 in Chennai and Hyderabad. The innings loss inside three and a half days in the second Test led the former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar to ponder in a newspaper column whether this was the worst Australian team ever to tour India, but Warner said it was important to remember that historically teams have struggled in the conditions.”We’ve won one tour [in the last 40 years],” Warner said. “Four out of the 16 blokes who are here have played Test-match cricket here [before]. We’re doing pretty well to put up a fight at least. We’ve had the best of conditions in both the first innings, that’s no excuse. But in the second innings with the ball turning, it has been tough for us because we aren’t used to the conditions.”In the first innings there’s no excuse, we’re supposed to be scoring well into high-300s, early-400s. We’ve got the capabilities of doing that. Hopefully in the next two Test matches we can not only prove everyone wrong but prove to ourselves that we’re good enough. We’ve got the right team and the right balance to do that.”

Result lifts Mumbai Indians to fifth spot, Punjab Kings go to sixth

Peter Della Penna28-Sep-20212:02

Kieron Pollard gets to 300 T20 wickets: ‘Fabulous awareness, reading of the game’

Not for the first time this season, Punjab Kings paid the price for losing their nerve at the death. After failing to score any boundaries in the final four overs to stutter to 135 for 6, their own death bowlers leaked a combination of four fours and three sixes to the power-hitting pair of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard from the 17th to 19th, rending the last over unnecessary as a 15-minute sequence turned a tense chase into an easy six-wicket win for Mumbai Indians.Hardik made Kings pay for giving him an extra life on 7 in the 14th over when Harpreet Brar spilled a relatively straightforward chance above his head trying to intercept a cut at backward point off Arshdeep Singh. With momentum swinging ever so slightly to Kings after the fall of Saurabh Tiwary in the 16th for 45 to leave Indians needing 40 off the last four overs, Hardik stole it back by flicking Mohammed Shami for four and six over the leg side in the 17th. Pollard that drove a pair of misfired yorkers from Arshdeep over the off side for four and six in the 18th before a trio of boundaries from Hardik off Shami clinched the match one over later as the winning runs were spilled once again over the rope at long-on by Deepak Hooda.Collapse of the KingsAfter a relatively decent start moving to 36 for 0 in the sixth over having been sent in to bat first, Kings innings went haywire in a 15-ball sequence that saw them lose four wickets for 12 runs. Mandeep Singh was the first to go, tied down by Krunal Pandya’s left-arm spin in the powerplay and pressured into trying a sweep to release the pressure only to be pinned lbw for 15. It was Krunal’s 50th wicket in the IPL, making him just the eighth player in the tournament’s history to pull off the 50-wicket, 1000 run career double.

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More achievements were unlocked in the seventh over when Pollard had Chris Gayle driving to long-on for 1 followed by KL Rahul mistiming a pull to short fine leg for 21 just two balls later. It was Pollard’s only over of the night but it was all he needed to move up to 300 career wickets in T20 cricket. The mini collapse concluded in the eighth when Nicholas Pooran clumsily played around a full toss from Jasprit Bumrah and was given out lbw for 2, a decision that was upheld on DRS. At 48 for 4, Kings were brought back to respectability thanks to a 61-run stand between Aiden Markram and Hooda, but all their hard work was undone by Mumbai death bowling thanks to a pair of usual suspects.Bumrah and Coulter-Nile stifle Kings furtherMarkram started off the 16th with a four clipped off Rahul Chahar. Despite having six wickets in hand and 29 balls remaining, that would prove to be the last boundary of the Kings innings. Markram was bowled missing a sweep next ball to Chahar before the legspinner handed over the death bowling reins to Bumrah and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who were relentless in the final four overs.Jasprit Bumrah had Nicholas Pooran out lbw•BCCI

Bumrah had Hooda chipping to Pollard at long-off in the 19th for the sixth and final wicket to fall in the innings, though he had another put down on his next delivery on a near collision between himself and Suryakumar Yadav running in from deep midwicket. But he only managed to concede 11 runs off his last two overs. Coulter-Nile was practically just as stingy, giving up 12 off his final 12 balls as Kings ran out of gunpowder once the set pair of Markram and Hooda departed.Kings stumble again near the finish lineRavi Bishnoi struck a pair of blows in the fourth over, getting Rohit Sharma to slap a catch to mid-on for 8 before bowling Suryakumar with a googly first ball. Tiwary nearly rounded off a would-be hat-trick sequence but his leading edge fell just short of cover. Still at 16 for 2, Mumbai progressed in first gear for the first half of the chase as Quinton de Kock’s pained innings finally came to an end in the 10th over for 27 off 29 balls when he dragged Shami onto his stumps.Needing 74 off the last 10, Kings kept Mumbai under pressure but were let down by their fielding in the end. Hardik was dropped twice on the way to his unbeaten 40 off 30 balls, the first one on 7 proving especially costly. Whereas Bumrah and Coulter-Nile showcased their surgical precision at the death, Shami and Arshdeep could not get their lengths right. Pollard’s brief punishment of Arshdeep in the 18th swung momentum fully to Mumbai and cemented his Player of the Match award ahead of both Hardik and Tiwary when combined with his double-wicket over in the first half of play which claimed Gayle and Rahul.

Andy Flower, the England team director, could miss the ODI tour of India in January as the ECB looksto ease his workload

George Dobell20-Nov-2012Andy Flower, the England team director, could miss the ODI leg of England’s tour of India in January as the ECB looks to ease his workload.Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket who is currently in India as England’s selector on tour, is in contention to deputise for Flower along with his long-regarded natural heir, England assistant coach Richard Halsall.Flower’s relentless schedule has been a concern to the ECB for some time. Few players are required for all three formats of the game but Flower is intimately involved in the planning, selection and management of the ODI, Test and T20 teams. While individual players have enjoyed rest periods, Flower has been granted only an occasional, brief absence. It is understood there is a particular concern that the Kevin Pietersen saga left Flower drained.The ECB has, therefore, urged Flower to take a break. It believes that investing in a period of rest will help retain Flower’s services for several more years and ensure he remains enthused and motivated.Halsall has deputised for Flower in the past. He stood in for two days of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in November 2010 when Flower required surgery to remove a melanoma from below his right eye and also when Flower was given a break for the ODI in Dublin in August 2011.But it is understood that Giles is seen as a more suitable long-term substitute. Giles, a former England player and current national selector, recently led Warwickshire to the County Championship title and is emerging as the obvious natural successor to Flower. There could be an element of succession planning in his temporary appointment.No final decision has been made and other options are being considered. Flower could also skip the ODI or the Test section of the New Zealand tour in February. But, with the next World Cup to be played in New Zealand and Australia in 2015, Flower will be reluctant to miss an opportunity to see players in those conditions.

Thisara Perera’s three-wicket burst derailed the India innings and put Sri Lanka on course for their thumping nine-wicket win in Hambantota

The Report by George Binoy24-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThisara Perera took three wickets before conceding a run•AFPFor the first three overs on a blustery afternoon in Hambantota, Sri Lanka looked thrown. Running in through strong winds, their opening bowlers found rhythm elusive and lines hard to control. Lasith Malinga got no movement; the debutant Isuru Udana’s first over comprised 11 balls and contained 16 runs; there were careless overthrows and misfields; and India scored 31 for 0 with barely a risk. And then Thisara Perera, in the midst of his best home summer, changed everything and turned Sri Lanka’s quest to draw level in the series into a cruise.Perera made the ball swing in the air and seam off the surface. He did not bowl grenades, but he did not need to. Against accurate lengths and stingy lines, India’s batsmen weren’t far from playing an impatient shot. Perera took a wicket in each of his first three overs without conceding a run, and he could have had a fourth had Angelo Mathews not dropped MS Dhoni at first slip. His spell of 3-3-0-3 left India on 41 for 4 after eight overs, a slide that did not subside.As India collapsed like an undercooked cake at one end, Gautam Gambhir held the other up. He’d begun with a crisp square drive and a flick off the pads as early as Malinga’s second over, but his steadiness was swamped by the ineptness of his team-mates. He nearly became the first India player to carry his bat in a one-day international but was the last man out, for 65.Having dismissed India for 138 in the 34th over, Sri Lanka had nine overs to bat before the dinner break. The wind was still blowing in Hambantota, and Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan capitalised on several loose deliveries to score 64 before the interval. The remaining 75 was added without much alarm as well, though Dilshan’s dismissal prevented Sri Lanka from achieving their first ten-wicket victory against India in ODIs.Smart stats

The number of balls remaining for Sri Lanka at the end of their successful chase (181) is the second-highest for them in an ODI against India. The highest is 209 in Dambulla in 2010. It is also the second-biggest defeat for India against any team in terms of balls remaining.

The nine-wicket win equals Sri Lanka’s best ever victory margin in a chase against India. The previous nine-wicket win came in Colombo in 1996.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga were involved in their ninth century stand. This takes them joint-third on the list of Sri Lankan pairs with most century stands. The pair now has the most century stands (9) for Sri Lanka for the opening wicket.

This is the 18th time that India have been bowled out in an innings lasting less than 35 overs. It is also the fourth such occurrence for India in ODIs in Sri Lanka (third against Sri Lanka) in ODIs since 2008.

The number of deliveries bowled in the game (320) is the fifth-lowest in an India-Sri Lanka ODI. Three of the top four, however, were rain-affected games.

Gautam Gambhir, who was the last man dismissed, closely missed out on becoming the only Indian batsman to carry his bat through a completed innings (team all out).

Thisara Perera won his sixth player-of-the-match award in just his 41st match. His rate of an award every seven matches is better than any Sri Lankan player with six-plus match awards.

The momentum shift after Dhoni won his second toss in two games, and chose to bat in favourable conditions, had been sudden. It occurred when Perera lunged to his right, throwing his large frame against the momentum of his follow through, to catch with both hands a loose push from Virender Sehwag. In his second over, Perera got rid of the bogeyman by inducing a thick edge from Virat Kohli, who had hundreds in his previous three innings against Sri Lanka. He made 1 today after failing to execute a steer to third man.Perera hurt India further in his third over. Suresh Raina hung his bat outside off stump, reaching for the ball angling across him without fluent footwork, and played on. A ball later, he found another edge, off Dhoni’s bat, but it was put down at first slip.Mathews, who had extended Rohit Sharma’s wretched run by bowling him off the inside edge for a duck, soon made amends for his gaffe. He got the ball to bounce off a good length, cramp Dhoni for room on the cut and take the edge to Sangakkara. Between those edges, Dhoni had played two fluent off drives against Perera for boundaries.After Irfan Pathan holed out to Perera at mid-off, Gambhir and R Ashwin put on 28 for the seventh wicket before a comical run-out ended the partnership. Having cut the ball towards third man, Ashwin wanted a third but was sent back. His turning radius was so large and his movement so slow that he failed to cover the short distance even though he dived. Gambhir looked on in despair. Sri Lanka ended the India innings well before dinner; the only pity was there were so few people to watch their clinical performance.The crowd was bigger when Sri Lanka began their chase and the sound of celebratory trumpets was ever-present. The hosts could have lost Dilshan on 1 but Sehwag grassed the edge off the attempted booming drive against Irfan. India barely had another opportunity. Dilshan scored at more than a run-a-ball despite hitting only four boundaries. Tharanga, in contrast, hit fours more frequently, freeing his arms to play the drive and the cut when given room outside off stump.Both India’s left-arm bowlers – Zaheer Khan and Irfan – bowled wayward lines in the wind. Between them, they conceded 14 runs through wides. There were 24 extras in all. India were a beaten side before the dinner break and Dilshan flicked the first ball after resumption to the midwicket boundary, continuing Sri Lanka’s inexorable march towards victory, which was achieved with 30.1 overs to spare.

To paraphrase that north-eastern philosopher Terry Collier, of The Likely Lads fame, Lancashire and Durham supporters have hardly been filled with jollity and merriment this season with no wins beteween them in 13 matches

Paul Edwards30-May-2012
ScorecardGraham Onions’ four wickets put Durham back into the match against Lancashire but Paul Horton’s dogged innings held his side together•Getty ImagesTo paraphrase that north-eastern philosopher Terry Collier, of The Likely Lads fame, the homes of Lancashire and Durham supporters have hardly been filled with jollity and merriment this season. In Bacup and Blaydon, expectations have had to be adjusted downwards as the teams who have bagged the title in three of the last four years have failed to muster a championship win between them in 13 attempts.So it was not surprising that the first day’s play at Chester-le-Street saw both sides exhibit the batting frailties that have bedevilled their early seasons. Eighteen wickets fell, and by no means all of them could be explained by the pitch or the atmosphere, helpful as the latter was.For the sixth time in nine completed first-class innings this year Durham were dismissed for under 164 and their 102 all out was their lowest total since they managed a mere 90 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2008.For their part, Lancashire have been bowled out for fewer than 200 six times this season and it astonished few pundits when they lost four wickets, all of them to the resurgent Graham Onions, in reaching 19. Paul Horton and Luke Procter then ground out 44 runs for the fifth wicket but even that most modest of revivals was stifled when Procter played an uncharacteristically loose cut to Ben Stokes.Horton ploughed doggedly on, though, batting throughout the 40 overs faced by Lancashire. Helped by Gareth Cross, Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg, he batted , making 31 not out off 103 balls, and by the close Lancashire had carved out an advantage of 39 runs. For all that he was bowled by a Jamie Harrison no-ball when on six and dropped at slip by Gordon Muchall off Stokes when 11, Horton’s was a gutsy effort, well befitting the man who batted nearly eight hours to save a game against Warwickshire less than a fortnight ago.The consequences of his vigilance may be considerable here too: an advantage of 50 runs could be decisive in this match.”Paul’s effort was brilliant because to come away with 30 out there is like getting 50 or 60 in normal conditions,” said Procter. “He held the innings together and people batted round him. Kyle Hogg’s still there and we’ve a chance of building a vital lead.”Nevertheless, when wickets fall with such a clatter, suspicious eyes are directed towards the pitch or the atmosphere, and there was certainly enough in the conditions to encourage Chapple’s decision to bowl first on winning the toss.However, the first four Durham wickets all owed more to batting error than any other factor, with Hogg taking three wickets in six balls, the best of them that of Stokes, who edged a catch to Cross when trying to take the bat away. Will Smith, though, was bowled round his legs and Muchall simply chased a wide one – which he thought he didn’t touch. Mark Stoneman had begun the decline by steering Chapple straight to Simon Kerrigan at square leg.Dale Benkenstein and Paul Collingwood added 44 runs for the fifth wicket – precisely as Procter and Horton did in the late afternoon – but any hopes of prolonged circumspection dissolved when the Zimbabwean edged a slash off Procter to Cross.That was the start of a remarkable spell for Procter, the Oldham-born medium-fast bowler, who profited from the increasingly heavy atmosphere to take a career-best five for 17. Collingwood was lbw for 25 when half forward to Procter as Mustard’s side lost their last four wickets in just 7.3 overs of the afternoon session.Rain prevented Lancashire beginning their innings for nearly two hours, but if the clouds were higher when the game resumed, the threat of Onions was in no way diminished.As if attempting to batter his way into the England side regardless of rotation policies or player fatigue, the Durham seamer extracted enough movement from the wicket to persuade both Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince to give slip catches. Karl Brown was trapped on the crease by one that came back into him and Croft departed having played an ugly slash.Perhaps the Lancashire batsman was not prepared to wait for the ball “with his name on it”, although as Horton could later testify, it doesn’t half help if that delivery is a no-ball.

ESPNcricinfo previews the triangular series ODI between Australia and India in Sydney

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran25-Feb-2012Match factsFebruary 26, Sydney
Start time 1420 (0320 GMT)India will hope Virender Sehwag can shrug off his recent troubles•Getty ImagesBig PictureIndia are usually known to be slow starters, but in the CB series, they were top of the table at the halfway stage. A week later, India are now sliding towards the exit. Not only have they lost their previous two matches, there has been plenty of off-field drama as well.”Rift” and “communication breakdown” are the words dominating India’s sports pages over the past few days, with board officials reverting to the usual “he was misquoted” refrain to try to douse the controversy. The Indian media manager addressed the press to ostensibly bring clarity on the matter, though the mantra of that session was “let’s look ahead and forget about the past”.With India most likely needing to win both their remaining matches to qualify, their rotation policy is being shelved. All three of their experienced batsmen – Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir – are set to feature despite MS Dhoni’s now famous claims that playing all three together would cost the team 20 runs in the field. Dhoni himself will return from a one-match suspension, adding steel to the listless lower middle-order.Australia, on the other hand, have had far fewer problems in giving their youngsters opportunities. Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin have been eased out of the side, and their place has been taken by Peter Forrest and Matthew Wade. They have an easier route to the final as well, with one win guaranteeing them qualification.Form guideAustralia LWLLW (Most recent first)
India LLTWWIn the spotlightIndia’s death bowling has cost them dearly in the last couple of matches: 101 against Australia at the Gabba when Dan Christian and David Hussey took them apart; 91 against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, when Virender Sehwag decided to use Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli for the final two overs instead of the specialists. Who will Dhoni turn to on Sunday?David Warner had a glorious Test summer, defying critics with his strong performances at the top of the order. His one-day form has been less bright – he has still to make a half-century after eight matches. With Shane Watson returning to full fitness, Warner has had to give up the vice-captain’s spot. He might give up a place in the XI as well, if he doesn’t provide the selectors another reminder of his explosive ability.Team newsThe main question for Australia to ponder is how to accommodate Watson in the XI. One of David Warner and Daniel Christian will have to make way if Watson is to play his first home game of the summer. Michael Clarke pulled up with a stiff back against Sri Lanka when he scored a half-century. He expected to be ready for Sunday’s game, but if he pulls out, Watson could be captaining Australia in his comeback game. The other change the hosts may consider is bringing in Clint McKay for Ryan Harris, who was feeling his knee rather gingerly after taking a tumble while fielding against Sri Lanka on Friday.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Peter Forrest, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Daniel Christian/Shane Watson, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Clint McKay/Ryan Harris, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.India are missing their most experienced bowler, Zaheer Khan, to a calf injury, while a hamstring problem is likely to sideline their regular new-ball bowler Vinay Kumar. That means Praveen Kumar, a revelation during the CB series four years ago, will return to the XI.India (possible) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav.Pitch and conditionsThe only match of this series in Sydney proved to be a low-scoring encounter with Sri Lanka’s medium-pacers dismantling Australia. Sunday is expected to be a pleasant day for cricket, with a maximum temperature of 29C.Stats and trivia India had lost all 11 of their ODIs against Australia at the SCG, before beating them in the 2007-08 CB series final Over the past 12 months, Dhoni averages 80 in ODIs, at a strike-rate of 89.97 Quotes”It [yesterday’s result] has made the calculation easier. Rather than thinking of anything else, we need to win games. How we win is not really important.”

Edited by Nikita Bastian