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Irfan Pathan has said he is fit and fresh, and in line to better his performance in his debut season for India

Nagraj Gollapudi and Tariq Engineer04-Dec-2011Irfan Pathan has said he is fit and fresh, and in line to better his performance in his debut season for India – 2003-04 – after emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy’s Elite group so far, with 21 wickets. It’s a timely return to form with the selectors due to name Praveen Kumar’s replacement for the tour of Australia on Monday.”I feel I am one step ahead of what I wanted to be in terms of the way I am bowling,” he told ESPNcricinfo.He did not want to talk about selection but reasserted his goal. “My dream is still to play for my country, play for that jersey, play for the pride. I would do anything. I would go and bowl 100 overs if need be; I would keep performing to fulfil my goal.”Irfan’s last international match for India was during the 2009 World Twenty20; his last Test match was against South Africa in April 2008. He spent most of last season out with a severe back injury and even his IPL stock was plummeting as his bowling lost its prodigious swing.”The whole experience was enlightening,” Irfan said about his recovery from the back injury. “When you are fit you do not concentrate on yourself, you concentrate on the batsman – how to set him up, how to lure him into your trap. At least you try; it might work at times and it might not at other times. When you are not fit, when your action is not within your control; that is when the trouble starts.”The trouble, though, seems to be in the past. This Ranji season Irfan has had three five-wicket hauls – the first two, against Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, came in the second innings, but last week he overwhelmed Delhi in the first innings with both the new and old balls to pick up a seven-wicket haul.”At the moment the way the ball is leaving my hand is nearly the way I want it to leave,” Irfan said. “It is a very good sign. At the same time I have been quite lucky and quite blessed to perform well for Baroda so far. If things progress in the same fashion I really think this season is going to be even better than the 2003-04 one.” He had announced himself during India’s tour of Pakistan in March-April 2004 during which he took 12 wickets in the three Tests.In the past Irfan had said he regretted being the first-change bowler for India, as bowling with the old ball did not help him get as much swing as would have liked. Now, though, he says he has learned how to use the old ball much better. “The new ball has been wonderful, but I have a very good feel of the old ball and that is a positive sign for me. If you are getting set batsmen out with the old ball, it is most pleasing.”Irfan said the guidance of fast-bowling coach TA Sekar, who worked on Irfan’s bowling action after the 2011 IPL, has played a big role in him re-building his confidence. “He worked hard with me for a couple of months post the IPL with the idea that by the time the domestic season arrived my [tweaked] action would be second nature.”Sekar had helped Irfan in 2007 when Irfan had a disastrous year: he was sent back to India midway through the South Africa tour. He lost his confidence then but Sekar worked hard with Irfan to make sure he would not fall apart.This time the pair worked closely again with Irfan sending Sekar his match videos. Sekar even travelled to Rajkot to watch Irfan during the Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic Twenty20 tournament. “Primarily, he changed my whole body alignment going towards the target,” Irfan said. “In the past I was bowling with a mixed action but we corrected that. That has actually made my line much tighter, it has helped me keep my wrists straight and importantly allowed me to bowl where I want to bowl.”Irfan played the JP Atray tournament, the Challenger Trophy and the Syed-Mushtaq Ali Trophy to refine his action. “I knew by the time the Ranji Trophy comes I should be on top of my game, I should be match fit and I should be bowling the way I want to bowl. It was a process of two months but by the first match of the Ranji season I was on top of my game.”Irfan said he is spending less time in the gym than in previous years but “more and more” time on the ground.One of the reasons Irfan had been dropped from the India setup was that he had lost a few yards of pace. He said he is bowling at good speeds now but does not bother about what the speedometer’s readings say. “It is very important for me to have that zip off the pitch with which I can get a batsman lbw. When I lost out on a lot of things, when my action went wrong, people started talking about my pace, my wrist position, my swing. A lot of things were not going towards the target. But after the IPL if you look at my dismissals I have got them bowled, lbw, caught-behind or caught in the slips. That is a sign that I am getting the right zip from the pitch and I am bowling at the correct speeds.”I need to stop looking at the speedometer. If I can concentrate on dismissing batsmen by swinging it late, or making them play and miss, keeping them troubled with my lengths, then speed can take care of itself.”He said a good example of the way he should bowl was his performance on the first day of the match against Haryana, when he took just one wicket but kept the batsmen guessing. “I was beating the bat and I was very happy with my bowling.”

International cricket could next year be held in Australia in April for the first time since 1877, with the possibility of Canberra hosting the national team for the first time

Brydon Coverdale29-Mar-2012International cricket could next year be held in Australia in April for the first time since 1877, with the possibility of Canberra hosting the national team for the first time. The has reported that Australia are likely to host New Zealand in two limited-overs matches in the first week of April 2013, as part of the city’s centenary celebrations.Canberra’s Manuka Oval has been the venue of two one-day internationals, between South Africa and Zimbabwe in the 1992 World Cup, and between India and Sri Lanka in 2007-08. It is also the site of the annual Prime Minister’s XI game, but it is the only state or territory capital yet to host the Australia team in a full international match.”We’re looking at the centenary year as not just a one-off big party, it’s about setting the groundwork for longer-term legacies,” Andrew Barr, the Australian Capital Territory’s sports minister, told the paper. “There certainly was interest from Cricket Australia as a longer-term goal to look at having more international cricket in Canberra and they’re seeing the centenary year as a great opportunity.”This is obviously a big thing for Canberra, we’ve never had the national team in the national capital so Cricket Australia, the Australian government, the ACT government were all very keen for that to occur and have worked very hard behind the scenes to get us to this point.”Should the plan go ahead, it will be the first occasion international cricket has been held in Australia in April since the second Test of all, which started at the MCG on March 31, 1877. A Cricket Australia spokesman confirmed that CA was keen to hold cricket in Canberra next year as part of the centenary celebrations, but said details were yet to be finalised.

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening match of the Champions League Twenty20 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Warriors

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran22-Sep-2011Match factsRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Warriors, September 23
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Chris Gayle wowed the Bangalore crowds with his flamboyant batting in IPL 2011•AFPBig PictureRoyal Challengers Bangalore have a trend to break: they have played the opening games of two IPLs and one Champions League at home and ended up losing all three. They are among the favourites for the tournament, but are up against a side their coach rates highly – South Africa’s Warriors, who were the losing finalists last year.It’s likely to be a straight fight between Bangalore’s batting might and Warriors’ bowling strength. Bangalore have several of the most dangerous overseas Twenty20 batsmen in their line-up, as well as Virat Kohli, who has shown over the past couple of seasons that he can crack the game’s shortest format, and Saurabh Tiwary, who made his name in the 2010 IPL with batting that was unattractive but extremely effective.Ranged against this is the bowling of Warriors. Johan Botha, with his pushed-through offspinners, and the hugely experienced Nicky Boje form the spin department, while the pace attack is filled with players on the fringe of the South African side and a 101-Test stalwart in Makhaya Ntini.One of the big worries for Warriors is that the man who was instrumental in their march to the finals last year, former captain Davy Jacobs, isn’t with them this time around, having chosen to play for the Mumbai Indians. Botha insisted the team could thrive without Jacobs, who repeatedly provided explosive starts in the 2010 campaign.”We’ve known now [that Jacobs won’t be with Warriors] for a few months and we’ve got over it as a team,” Botha said. “Davy did do well in the CL, but after that he was injured quite a few times, and then in our local Twenty20 he had an up and down season, we’ve got young guys who can cover him.” Strong words but at the Pro20 this year, almost all their batsmen struck at a rate below 120, not nearly enough. Can they find a batsman who can turn the game around with a sustained burst of big-hitting?Watch out for …His international career may be mired in litigation, but Chris Gayle’s career as a Twenty20 freelancer is going great guns. He was the most arresting presence in the IPL: smashing a league-leading 608 runs at a strike-rate of 183.13. He also chipped in with his flat offspinners, taking eight wickets at the miserly economy-rate of 6.77.Can Johan Botha be the inspirational captain Jacobs was in the previous season? He has shown himself to be a shrewd leader when he got the chance with South Africa. He is also a successful limited-overs bowler, and also made runs when surprisingly pushed up to No. 3 by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.Team newsWhile most of the Bangalore squad have been training since the weekend at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli joined the squad on Thursday morning. They have five world-class players in their team. As captain, Daniel Vettori is an automatic pick; as the man who turbo-charged their IPL campaign, Gayle should start; in the absence of Zaheer Khan, Dirk Nannes should also be in the XI. And in a squad bereft of other wicketkeepers, AB de Villiers should get the nod ahead of Dilshan.In the absence of Jacobs, Warriors will likely open with Ashwell Prince and 23-year-old JJ Smuts. The big question for the management will be choosing the fast bowlers: Ntini was their most successful bowler in the Pro20, Justin Kreusch was their most economical bowler in the Pro20, Rusty Theron is their death overs specialist, and they have two other quicks with international experience in Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe.Stats and trivia Warriors made only one of the 16 highest totals in the Pro20 this season With 70 sixes, Gayle is fourth on the list of most sixes hit in the IPL, though he has played less than half the number of matches of the top three Bangalore will become the only team to have played all three seasons of the Champions LeagueQuotes”At St George’s Park, we get a nice vibe but we only get 15-20,000 people at capacity. The noise level here [at the Chinnaswamy Stadium] will be different for some of the guys who are experiencing it for the first time.”

“My pace has always been my strength. I’m not thinking of slowing down, perhaps speeding up if anything.”

A devastating spell from Kent’s left-arm seamer Adam Ball left their County Championship Division Two game against fellow strugglers Leicestershire finely poised at Grace Road

03-Aug-2011
Scorecard
A devastating spell from Kent’s left-arm seamer Adam Ball left their County Championship Division Two game against fellow strugglers Leicestershire finely poised at Grace Road. Ball took 3 for 14 in 7.2 overs as Leicestershire slipped from 126 for 2 to 148 for 5 to lead by 186 runs at the close of the second day.Earlier in the day Leicestershire offspinner Jigar Naik also produced an eye-catching performance with figures of 5 for 34 as Kent lost their last seven wickets for 58 runs, slumping to 219 all out to hand Leicestershire a first-innings lead of 38.The hosts then looked to be moving into a commanding position, with Will Jefferson and Matt Boyce sharing their second half-century opening partnership of the game. They put on 72 in 25 overs before off-spinner James Tredwell bowled Jefferson for 37 as the batsman tried to work the ball away on the leg side.Then Tredwell trapped Greg Smith lbw before Ball was brought into the attack and rapidly turned the match in Kent’s favour again. He first had Boyce caught behind two runs short of a half-century and then removed Josh Cobb in the same fashion as the youngster went for an ambitious drive outside the off stump.Ball struck again with what proved to be the last ball of the day, having Wayne White lbw for 14 to dampen Leicestershire’s hopes of achieving their first Championship win since the opening match of the season against Northamptonshire.Kent, who began the day at 47 for 3, had a good pre-lunch session with Martin van Jaarsveld and Darren Stevens sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 114 in 29 overs. They both enjoyed plenty of good fortune in the first hour of the day, with Stevens dropped at slip and several other shots flying through the cordon to the boundary.Both reached their half-centuries, with Stevens making it off just 60 balls and hitting 11 fours before finally edging Naik to slip shortly before lunch having made 67.But the afternoon session went Leicestershire’s way, with Naik the star performer. He picked up the big wicket of van Jaarsveld, who was also caught at slip, and then added the scalps of Tredwell, Ball and Geraint Jones to the list to claim his second five-wicket haul of the season.Nathan Buck also returned to something like his best form, picking up 3 for 49, with Kent’s last six wickets going down for 43 runs in nine overs.

With the exception of Alastair Cook, England’s batsmen failed to impress on the second day against the ICC Combined XI in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2012
ScorecardBoyd Rankin took two wickets include his county team-mate Ian Bell•AFPWith the exception of Alastair Cook, England’s batsmen failed to impress on the second day against the ICC Combined XI in Dubai as the visitors stumbled during the afternoon until Andrew Strauss declared 96 behind on 185 for 8. England’s pace bowlers then responded by reducing the ICC XI to 8 for 3 before they recovered to extend their lead to 186 at the close.Having yesterday fought back from 90 for 6 to post a decent first-innings total, the ICC XI continued to provide England with tough opposition in the build-up to their Test series against Pakistan. Hamid Hassan, the Afghanistan pace bowler, took two early wickets before injuring himself with a fall over the boundary fence and during the second session England lost six further wickets. Cook was sixth out for a well-compiled 76 but no one else passed 19 and a more convincing effort will be required in the run chase.England had started the day on 16 without loss and the opening stand moved to 44 when Andrew Strauss pulled Hassan to square leg. It didn’t take long for Hassan to double his tally when Jonathan Trott glanced a catch down the leg side but Cook, in the company of Kevin Pietersen, steadied England to 98 for 2 at lunch.However, any thoughts of a steady day of accumulation for the top order vanished after the break. Pietersen edged Boyd Rankin, the Ireland and Warwickshire paceman, to the keeper and Rankin then won the duel with his county team-mate Ian Bell. The collapse was in full swing when Eoin Morgan edged Mohammad Nabi to slip as the ICC XI gave an excellent account of themselves.Cook, meanwhile, had remained secure and steady much as he had for most of 2011. His fifty came off 66 balls as he picked up regular boundaries and he appeared set for three figures before giving Mohammad Shahzad his fourth catch of the innings. By this time Hassan had been taken to hospital after falling over the boundary fence while trying to stop the ball and, although he was cleared of serious problems, won’t take any further part in the match. George Dockrell, the Ireland left-arm spinner, replaced him for the second half of the game and will be allowed to bat and bowl.Majid Haq, the Scotland offspinner, struck with his first ball to remove Steven Davies and Broad, after some strong hitting, became Nabi’s second success of the day. Graeme Swann and James Anderson cut the deficit down to below three figures which prompted Strauss’s move to end the innings shortly before tea.England’s pace bowlers were soon among the wickets for a second time. William Porterfield was caught down the leg side and Broad’s impressive outing continued as he trapped Paul Stirling lbw then had Saqib Ali caught behind.Swann provided another breakthrough when Craig Williams drove to cover but Shahzad didn’t back down from the challenge and thumped his first ball from Swann straight down the ground. Shahzad continued in his attacking mindset and with the score on 71, ICC XI lost Kyle Coetzer when he dragged one onto his stumps.Shahzad was involved in a few words with the England bowlers as he and Nabi, his Afghanistan team-mate, guided the ICC XI to the close. After the efforts of the lower order on the opening day they will still be confident of leaving the visitors with a testing target on the final day.

Hot Spot will not be part of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) that will be used during the 2011 ICC World Cup

Sharda Ugra05-Feb-2011Hot Spot will not be part of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) that will be used during the 2011 ICC World Cup, reducing the system to its basic requirements: a ball-tracker (in this case Hawk-Eye), a super slow-mo camera and a ‘clear’ stump microphone.In October 2010, the ICC had announced that the Hot Spot cameras would be used in the semi-finals and final of the World Cup, to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Feb 19 to April 2. An ICC spokesman, however, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Saturday that, “the supplier of the Hot Spot technology advised that it was not willing to supply its cameras for the tournament so, accordingly, they will not be used at any stage in the tournament. The use of these cameras is not a minimum requirement for the DRS.”While the Hot Spot cameras are not a minimum requirement of the UDRS, they are thought to provide among the most accurate images of the contact between ball and bat, or pad, using infrared thermal imaging. The owners of the Hot Spot technology, Melbourne based BBG Sport, were unwilling to comment on their decision.The Hot Spot infrared cameras form part of military hardware used in jetfighters, tanks and warships, and they fall under the category of restricted equipment which, it is believed, needs a temporary export licence from the Australian Defence Department whenever they are taken out of the country. Part of that licence includes the return of the cameras to Australia within a seven-day period after the end of the event in which they are being used. An ICC spokesperson however said that the ICC was “unaware of the Australian government regulations to this effect.”The cameras were first brought into India during the 2009 Champions League Twenty20 event. It is possible that the logistical hurdle of moving the cameras, which are both expensive and sensitive security equipment, in and out of Sri Lanka and India could have led to the decision. India remains the only country in cricket that has not accepted the UDRS. Ironically, the only part of UDRS technology basket that is considered by the Indians to be the most trustworthy is the Hot Spot camera.

In his first series as Test captain, Michael Clarke has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC rankings, and broken his own personal drought with his first Test century in 18 months

The Report by Brydon Coverdale20-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Clarke made his first Test hundred as Australia’s captain•AFPSmart stats

Michael Hussey’s aggregate of 463 runs in the series is the fourth-highest overall by a batsman in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka and the second-highest among visiting batsmen after Brian Lara’s 688 runs in 2001-02.

This is the fourth time that Australia have scored over 400 in their second innings in Sri Lanka. On the three previous occasions, they went on to win the Test.

Michael Clarke scored his 15th century in Tests. It is also his first century since his 168 against New Zealand in March 2010.

Clarke scored 86 of his 112 runs in front of the wicket. In all, he hit 13 fours and three sixes. In contrast, Phil Hughes scored 63 of his 126 runs behind the wicket.

The five fifty-plus partnerships in Australia’s second innings is joint-second on the list of most fifty-plus stands for visiting teams in Sri Lanka. Pakistan are on top, with six fifty-plus stands in Galle in 2000.

The 176-run stand between Hussey and Clarke is the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for Australia against Sri Lanka.

This is Sri Lanka’s first defeat in a home series since the 1-0 loss to Pakistan in 2006. The previous series defeat in a three-match home series also came against Australia, in 2004, when they lost 3-0.

Australia’s 1-0 triumph is their first series win since the 2-0 win in New Zealand in 2010. In between, they drew a series against Pakistan and lost to India and England.

Rangana Herath’s haul of 7 for 157 is the best bowling performance by a Sri Lankan bowler in Tests against Australia. He also became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark in Tests.

In his first series as Test captain, Michael Clarke has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC Test rankings, retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy and broken his own personal drought with his first Test century in 18 months. Not a bad way to start a new job. On the final day of the series, Clarke played a true captain’s innings to deny Sri Lanka any hope of winning the match, which ended in a draw that was as good as a victory for Australia.Sri Lanka began the morning needing quick wickets to knock Australia over and set up a chase. By tea, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s men had added only two breakthroughs to the three wickets they had taken on the fourth afternoon, and they were left not only to rue their slow batting in a match they had to win, but also to wonder how long their attack will take to deliver them a Test win in the post-Muttiah Muralitharan era.Rangana Herath toiled manfully to earn a career-best 7 for 157, but the harsh truth is that Sri Lanka haven’t won a Test since Murali last played for them in July 2010. And by losing a home series for just the third time in ten years, they have fallen to fifth on the ICC rankings list. Besides Herath, none of the bowlers looked threatening on the final day, not that their task was an easy one on a pitch offering nothing.There was a glimmer of hope early, when Phillip Hughes (126) top-edged Herath to square leg, having added only four to his overnight total. But that brought Clarke and Michael Hussey together, and they proceeded to bat Sri Lanka out of the game in a 176-run partnership, an Australian fifth-wicket record against Sri Lanka, beating the 155 set by David Hookes and Allan Border in the first Test ever played between the two countries.And while Hussey missed the chance to score his third hundred of the series, falling for 93, Clarke didn’t waste his opportunity to end a drought that stretched back to Australia’s tour of New Zealand last March. It was an outstanding effort from Clarke, for when he came to the crease late on day four, a Sri Lanka victory was very much a possibility.He batted precisely the way a captain should in such circumstances, first and foremost guarding his wicket fiercely, but also ticking the scoreboard over to add to Sri Lanka’s problems. At one point during the morning, he was 24 from 80 deliveries, but he lifted his rate as the day wore on, three times advancing down the pitch to Herath to drive him down the ground for six.Although he survived a stumping chance when Prasanna Jayawardene failed to glove the ball cleanly, Clarke provided a masterclass in handling spin, using his feet and smothering the turn where he could. He brought up his century in exactly that manner, from his 139th ball, dancing down the pitch to clip Herath wide of mid-on for a boundary, and it was a fine way to cap off a tour during which his captaincy has been bold and thoughtful.Eventually, Clarke fell for 112 driving a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Herath, following some banter between Clarke and Kumar Sangakkara, and the chirping continued as Clarke walked off the field. But the most important thing was that he had ensured a series win.The only remaining point of interest was whether Hussey would finish his incredible tour with a century in each innings of a Test for the first time, having scored 118 in the first innings. Alas, he top-edged a sweep off Dilshan and was caught for 93. Still, he was unequivocally the Player of the Series, with scores of 95, 15, 142, 118 and 93, as well as two wickets and a stunning catch.It continued a remarkable renaissance for Hussey, 36, whose past two series, the Ashes at home and this Sri Lankan tour, have been the most prolific in his Test career. Herath also produced his best Test series, easily topping the wicket tally from either side with 16 at an average of 23, despite missing the second Test to injury, but it will hardly be a series he’ll remember with fondness.Still, he finished off strongly, securing his first six-for when Brad Haddin (30) was caught at wide mid-off, and that became a seven-wicket haul when he trapped Peter Siddle lbw for 26 as the sun set on the SSC. It was also his 100th Test wicket, making him the fourth Sri Lanka player to the milestone, after Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.Australia were finally bowled out for 488, and Sri Lanka had to bat for two overs before the captains could agree to an early end. Clarke handed the ball to Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon, who both debuted during the series, and finished with one over each.It was a fitting way to end a series in which Australia’s debutants – Lyon, Copeland and Shaun Marsh – played key roles. Their next job is to take on the world No.2, South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg. For now, Clarke and his men can celebrate. Finally, they are moving in the right direction.

A round-up of the final and third-place playoff of the ICC East Asia-Pacific Region Division One Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2011Papua New Guinea maintained their unbeaten run in the East Asia-Pacific Region Division One Twenty20, beating Vanuatu by a comfortable margin of 58 runs in the final in Port Moresby. The victory books PNG’s spot in the Global Division One Twenty20 playoff in the UAE early next year, which will determine the two Associates or Affiliates to play in the 12-team World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.PNG elected to bat and got off to a streaky start when in-form opener Asad Vala was dropped by opposing captain Andrew Mansale. Vala, who had 344 runs in the tournament leading up to the final, and Tony Ura took advantage of Vanuatu’s slip-up, adding 56 off 5.2 overs before Jelany Chilia got Vala to edge to the keeper. Ura stood firm though, putting on 47 runs with Chris Amini, before falling for 48. By then the platform was laid for PNG – with the scoreboard reading 103 for 2 in the 11th over – to push on to a big total. Mahuru Dai and Jason Kila provided the final surge, striking four sixes to carry PNG to 195 for 5.The Vanuatu openers got the chase off to a steady start, but wickets in the fifth and sixth overs put PNG in front. From there on PNG picked up wickets regularly and kept the batsmen in check. Only Patrick Matautaava was able to inject some much-needed momentum into the Vanuatu innings, striking two fours and three sixes in his 36 off 18 balls. But when he was caught off medium-pacer Joel Tom – who was the pick of the bowlers for PNG, claiming 3 for 31 – in the 19th over, victory was already beyond Vanuatu.PNG captain, Rarva Dikana said the win at home, especially in front of the sizeable crowd, was fitting. “It is a huge achievement for the country, especially considering all of the development work going on,” he said. “I’m glad we could do this for everyone involved in cricket in PNG.”Ura, who was the second highest-scorer in the tournament behind opening partner Vala, was named Man of the Match. Tom and Matautaava, along with Fiji’s Iniasi Cakacaka, were the tournament’s top wicket-takers with nine wickets.In the third-place play-off game, an all-round performance from Samoa earned them a 30-run victory over Fiji. Samoa were sent into bat and though they lost opener Sean Cotter early, a steady 43 from captain Geoff Clarke, followed by whirlwind knocks from Faasao Mulivai (67) and Pritchard Pritchard (28*), carried them to a competitive 172 for 3.Fiji’s chase started poorly when they lost opener Sekove Ravoka in the first over. A 58-run second wicket partnership between Joji Bulabalavu and Iniasi Cakacaka steadied the innings, but a flurry of quick wickets after that derailed their chase. They slumped from 58 for 1 to 68 for 5 and couldn’t get going after that, getting bowled out for 142. Samoa’s bowlers were steady with Cotter, the most successful, claiming 3 for 9 in three overs.

Round-up of the second day of the sixth round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2010Raheel Majeed’s career-best 162 resisted the impact of Mohammad Irfan’s five-wicket haul as Pakistan Television progressed to 325 before reducing Khan Research Laboratories to 160 for 5 at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. Majeed and Yasim Murtaza (60) extended their partnership to 147 before PTV lost their last three wickets for the addition of no runs. KRL’s reply was steered by a run-a-ball 82 from captain Mohammad Wasim, but Saad Altaf and Mohammad Ali, who bowled unchanged for 36 overs until stumps, made regular breakthroughs at the other end to leave the game in the balance.Peshawar’s batsmen stamped their authority on the second day at the Arbab Niaz Khan Stadium as Quetta lost ground following the bowler-dominated opening day. The visitors could only add 38 to their overnight 87 for 6, conceding a 87-run first innings lead. The wickets were shared around by the home seamers, with Imran Khan finishing with 4 for 50. Peshawar’s reply was driven by steady half-centuries from Ashfaq Ahmed, Sajjad Ahmed (1) and Tariq Khan. Quetta’s incisiveness was badly hampered by the absence of first-innings hero Arun Lal, who could bowl only three balls on the second day. Kashif Sattar picked up three wickets, but could not check Peshawar’s surge to an imposing 290 for 5 by stumps.It was slow progress all-round at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium where Abbottabad and State Bank of Pakistan were locked in an attritional battle for the upper hand. Resuming at 221 for 5, the hosts could not make much headway on the second day. Mohammad Naved, Ansar Javed and Nazar Hussain shared nine wickets to bowl Abbottabad out for the addition of 57 runs. SBP lost their captain Kashif Siddiq early in their reply and batted cautiously thereafter in search of the first-innings lead. Rameez Alam guided their reply to 150 for 3, and was unbeaten on an even 50 at stumps. Seamer Ahmed Jamal was responsible for all three breakthroughs.Karachi White’s bowlers dismissed Lahore Shalimar for 139, gaining a 122-run first-innings lead at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium in Karachi. Asif Khan was the only batsman to come to terms with the all-round host attack. Azam Hussain and Atif Maqbool finished with three wickets apiece while the remaining four were shared by Sohail Khan and Ali Mudassar. Inspired by the bowlers, the home batsmen responded with a strong start to their second innings, with unbeaten half-centuries from Asif Zakir and Rameez Aziz guiding them to 180 for 3 by stumps.Lahore Ravi were firmly in control of their match against Hyderabad, with centuries from Junaid Jan and Fahad-ul-Haq lifting them to 254 for 2 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Opener Mohammad Saad departed for 14, but thereafter it was a long fruitless day for the visitors. Fahad was the more aggressive of the pair, hitting 13 fours in his 103 off 160 balls. He perished after adding 164 for the second wicket, but Junaid stayed put till stumps, finishing unbeaten on 107 off 231 balls.

South Australia’s progress to the semi-finals has made it a crucial Sunday for the other four teams in Group B. Lions will start as clear favourites against Guyana in the first game tomorrow

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit18-Sep-2010Match factsSunday, September 19
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)Big PictureNeil McKenzie has been in good touch in the Champions League•Getty ImagesSouth Australia’s qualification to the semi-finals has made it a crucial Sunday for the other four teams in Group B. If the Lions lose to Guyana and Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bangalore, the last group game between the Lions and Bangalore will become a virtual quarter-final, with net run-rate also coming into play. The Lions would want to avoid that situation with a win at the Wanderers over a Guyana side that has struggled in its first two games.It is hard to believe that this is the same side that beat Trinidad & Tobago on their way to the Caribbean T20 title less than two months ago. T&T had an unbeaten run to the final of the inaugural Champions League last year with a style of play that was distinctly Caribbean. The only thing distinct about Guyana has been their inability to compete with the IPL sides, who themselves haven’t done well against better opposition. Defeat will put Guyana on the flight back home and even a win will barely keep them alive, given their woeful net run-rate.While the batting that clicked in the Caribbean T20 – particularly Travis Dowlin, Jonathan Foo and Sewnarine Chattergoon – looked out of touch against Bangalore, the bowling was mauled by Mumbai’s Kieron Pollard. It will be hard for Guyana to recover from that thrashing within three days.Weekend scheduling means the Lions have had six days off after their previous match. Their bowlers have gone for almost nine an over so far, putting pressure on the batting. And but for Shane Burger’s twin strikes against Mumbai, they might well have been in a situation similar to Guyana’s. Still, the home team will start as clear favourites tomorrow.Team newsShane Burger missed the match against South Australia due to injury and should be back for this game.Lions (probable): 1 Alviro Petersen (capt), 2 Jonathan Vandiar, 3 Richard Cameron, 4 Vaughan van Jaarsveld, 5 Neil McKenzie, 6 Robert Frylinck, 7 Zander de Bruyn, 8 Thami Tsolekile (wk), 9 Shane Burger, 10 Aaron Phangiso, 11 Ethan O’ReillyFast bowler Paul Wintz replaced offspinner Lennox Cush in the previous match, and was smashed for 46 runs in four overs. Cush should regain his place in the XI.Guyana (possible): 1 Travis Dowlin, 2 Sewnarine Chattergoon, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan (capt), 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Chistopher Barnwell, 6 Robert Crandon, 7 Jonathan Foo, 8 Derwin Christian (wk), 9 Lennox Cush, 10 Esuan Crandon, 11 Devendra BishooWatch out for …Guyana are heavily dependent on Ramnaresh Sarwan, their only world-class batsman, and he knows it. He has to fire if Guyana are to have even a remote chance of winning.Neil McKenzie delighted with his strokeplay against Mumbai and was looking good against South Australia till a brilliant piece of fielding led to his run-out. Guyana’s bowling should not pose too many worries.Key contestsDevendra Bishoo v Lions’ batting: The legspinner was Man-of-the-Series in the Caribbean T20 and took three wickets against Mumbai, including that of Sachin Tendulkar. How the South Africans tackle him could determine Guyana’s chances.Stats and triviaTravis Dowlin has made five of the six half-centuries for Guyana in T20s.Neil McKenzie has made the most T20 runs for Lions, 914 from 36 games at a strike rate of 123.34.