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Quota-stir leader in Gujarat, Hardik Patel, today threatened to block the way of the India and South Africa teams to the Rajkot stadium on match day of the third ODI of the Gandhi-Mandela series

PTI16-Oct-2015Quota-stir leader in Gujarat, Hardik Patel, today threatened to block the way of the India and South Africa teams to the Rajkot stadium on match day (October 18) of the third ODI of the Gandhi-Mandela series.The 22-year-old Patel, who is agitating to get reservations for his community, said that Patel community members will cordon off the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Khanderi village on the outskirts of Rajkot city, as tickets were allegedly not sold to his community members.The police have made elaborate security arrangements after the threat by Hardik, deciding to fortify the stadium and the city with a large deployment to ensure the smooth conduct of the match. The police will deploy three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 90 CCTV cameras will be installed for security purposes.Both the Indian and South Africa teams arrived in the city on Thursday, and will train at the ground on Saturday.”Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) should clarify why they declared that all tickets are sold in spite of the fact that many tickets yet remain unsold,” Hardik, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), said. “PAAS will block the way of both the teams to the stadium and we will also cordon the entire stadium.”Hardik accused India’s ruling political party, the BJP, of playing politics over the cricket match. “The government was saying till now that the match should not be turned into an agitation venue, but now this government is itself playing politics over the match,” he said. “I request to declare the details of ticket selling, because we believe that SCA has given all the match tickets to the BJP people.”Earlier, Hardik had threatened that his community members will go in large numbers into the stadium on match day and protest for quota.

The IPL’s average first-week viewership has marginally dropped compared to the corresponding figures from 2012, according to Tam Media Research

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2013The IPL’s average first-week viewership has marginally dropped compared to the corresponding figures from 2012, according to Tam Media Research, the leading television ratings agency in India. The television viewer ratings* (TVR) for the first week slipped from 3.9 in 2012 to 3.8 this year, however there were only five games in the first week (till Saturday) as opposed to six in 2012.The tournament’s broadcaster, Multi Screen Media, put the drop down to the ongoing digitisation of cable television across dozens of Indian cities. “With digitisation, there is a chaos, uncertainty. We have opened right in the middle of all of that,” Neeraj Vyas, executive vice-president and business head of Max (the entertainment channel that telecasts the matches), told . “The LC1 markets (towns with population exceeding one million) hold 25% of the weightage. If you discount the LC1 markets, there has actually been a growth and the ratings show a 4.5, which is higher than last year.”The TVR figures also include the viewership on the broadcasters’ sports channel, Six, which is showing the IPL for the first time, alongside Max, which has telecast the league every season. The ratings have also fallen for the IPL opening ceremony, down to 1.2 from 1.8 in 2012.While the league’s television ratings have dipped consistently, the numbers are relatively still healthy; typically, if a television programme on a general entertainment channel posts an average TVR of 4.00, it is considered to be a success.

Chennai coach Stephen Fleming believes the pressure of expectation, which comes from winning two successive IPL titles, has contributed to his team’s defeats

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2012Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has said he believes the pressure of expectation, which comes from winning two successive IPL titles, contributed to his team’s defeats against Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians.Against Daredevils on Tuesday, Super Kings imploded for 110, with M Vijay, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath and R Ashwin being run out – which Fleming also attributed to pressure.The Super Kings’ captain MS Dhoni scored 11, taking his aggregate to 22 runs in three matches, but he was backed by Fleming. “Yes he’s under pressure but it’s a pressure where he’s thrived before and one that he lives with, day in and day out, playing for India, so it’s nothing new.”He has a desire to win, so he will feel pressure to perform like all other players do, and him more so because he’s a very talented player and a key component of this side,” Fleming said. “When he’s playing well, nine times out of ten we win the matches.”Run-outs cost Super Kings dearly in both their losses, with three batsmen (Dhoni, Ashwin and Faf du Plessis) erring in the season opener against Mumbai Indians on April 4. “We panicked, we were trying to create runs that weren’t there and we paid the price,” Fleming said. “I don’t want to make run-outs an issue, but it’s mainly due to the pressure we’re being put under.”However, Fleming said it’s still early days in the tournament. “It’s too early to give you big synopses of what is going wrong; it’s two games we haven’t played well, we want to rectify it.””We are not an up-and-down side, we are usually consistent, but we’ve been beaten twice now and have been well off the mark. We just need to reassess how hard we’re going with the bat and may be set our sights a little bit lower, and if we over achieve then we’re in the game.”

Aizaz Cheema has been declared unfit by doctors, and will be replaced in Pakistan’s squad for the West Indies tour by Sadaf Hussain, a left-arm fast bowler from Rawalpindi

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2011Aizaz Cheema, the 31-year-old seamer who was picked for the limited-overs’ leg of Pakistan’s tour of West Indies, has been declared unfit by doctors. Aizaz will be replaced by Sadaf Hussain, a left-arm fast bowler from Rawalpindi.Hussain, 21, was one of the reserve players named by the selectors when they announced the team yesterday. He had a prolific Quaid-e-Azam season, capturing 64 wickets, with a career-best haul of 6 for 40. He has taken 90 wickets in 18 first-class games, including nine five-wicket hauls, and two ten-wicket match-hauls.The tour kicks off with a warm-up game from April 18, while the only Twenty20 will be played on April 21 in St Lucia. The five-match ODI series will begin on April 23, and the Test leg of the tour will commence on May 12. The squad for the Tests hasn’t yet been named.

Tom Westley confirmed his rich promise by guiding Essex out of trouble in their
County Championship clash against Hampshire at Chelmsfor

11-Apr-2010
ScorecardTom Westley confirmed his rich promise by guiding Essex out of trouble in their
County Championship clash against Hampshire at Chelmsford.Although they only trailed by nine runs on the first innings, the home county
lost Billy Godleman and John Maunders in the first couple of overs before the
arrears were cleared. But 21-year-old Westley played the leading role with captain Mark Pettini to start a recovery which ended with Essex reaching the close on 131 for four. He
will resume the final day on 69.Westley laced his innings with nine boundaries, many of them well-struck drives
either side of the wicket. While he was prepared to attack, Pettini adopted a cautious approach and needed 60 deliveries to move into double figures. Pettini went on to contribute just 19 from 83 deliveries before he cut David Griffiths into the hands of Mike Carberry in the gully.His dismissal brought to an end a stand of 80 in 28 overs, after which Westley
became subdued. After his entertaining progress that carried him to his half-century from 68
deliveries, he took a further 88 to add another 19. The value of his effort, however, was further highlighted when James Foster, in the final over of the day, pulled a delivery from Griffiths into the waiting hands of Chris Benham at square leg.Essex will go into the final day with a lead of 122 and with Hampshire hoping
to make quick inroads to inspire hopes of victory. But given that the pitch is still very friendly, the odds are on the match ending in a draw.Earlier in the day, Hampshire were bowled out for 354 after resuming on 234 for
five in response to an Essex total of 345 all out. Nearly half their runs came from Jimmy Adams who, resuming on 113, went on to make 169 before he was ninth man out.Fast bowler David Masters finally ended his resistance by bowling him to bring
the curtain down on an innings which spanned eight hours. During that time he
faced 356 balls and collected 23 fours. Masters went on to return figures of four for 67 in 36.4 overs.

No.3 scores 101 off 44 balls to feast on a below-par Middlesex attack

ECB Reporters Network02-Jun-2024Michael Pepper led the carnage with a hard-hitting century, spiced with six sixes, to get Essex’s Vitality Blast campaign up and running with a four-wicket victory over Middlesex at Chelmsford.Last year’s finalists had lost their opening two matches down in the West Country against Gloucestershire and Somerset, but bounced back with a vengeance as Essex’s batters feasted on a below-par Middlesex attack.Pepper came in at 14 for 1 and was finally out for 101 with just 15 runs required. He put on 83 with Dean Elgar (32) for the second wicket to spark the run chase into action. Jordan Cox hammered 22 from eight balls, Matt Critchley 16 from 11, but they were merely supporting players as Essex got home with 14 balls to spare.Middlesex’s innings was underpinned by an unbeaten 85 from 42 balls from Max Holden and set in motion by 49 from 31 balls by opener Martin Andersson. But they have now lost their first two games of the season.Middlesex, put in, overcame the loss of Stevie Eskinazi to the seventh ball of the innings when he feathered Aaron Beard to a flying leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Adam Rossington. A second-wicket stand of 65 in six overs between Andersson and Ryan Higgins set the platform for the visitors to post 203 for 7, a significant improvement on their 107 all out against Kent on Friday.Higgins survived a dropped catch by Pepper at point on 5 and had advanced to 27 from 23 balls when he misjudged one from Matt Critchley and was stumped.Andersson hit five fours and three sixes in almost doubling his previous highest T20 score of 25 to be third out with the score in 93. However, the ball after he had pulled Luc Benkenstein over midwicket for six, his attempt to cut the same bowler ended up in the hands of backward gully.Holden was also given a life on 10 when Beard rushed in from deep square leg and failed to hang on, and he made Simon Harmer pay with two sixes in an over lofted straight down the ground. A single cut off Walter took him to a 26-ball fifty.But he lost fourth-wicket partner Joe Cracknell after the pair had put on 62 runs. Cracknell had just scooped Beard for six over square leg when he was caught at the second attempt by Daniel Sams. Two balls later Josh de Caires was cleaned out swishing at a full-length ball from Paul Walter.Jack Davies followed soon after, lobbing the ball into the covers off Sams, who in his next over accounted for Luke Hollman, caught on the deep point boundary. But Holden remained and he hit the Australian for his fifth six and eighth four in the last over to take Middlesex past 200.In reply, Rossington eased Tom Helm over square leg for six, but then fell to a spectacular grab high to his right by Davies. That brought in Pepper, who smashed Blake Cullen for four blistered boundaries in an over and added two more off Helm in the next to accelerate the Essex scoring rate.Elgar could only watch and admire at the other end but joined the party with a swept six off Noah Cornwell to bring up 50 inside five overs, with the half-century stand taking just 22 balls. A second six from the South African cleared a sightscreen and Pepper deposited another into the Pavilion seating before another took him to his own fifty from 20 balls.The partnership was worth 83 when Elgar departed for 32 to a catch at deep extra cover off de Caires. It did not stop the agony for Middlesex as Cox’s brief innings included two sixes that sailed out of the ground, before he picked out an in-rushing deep midwicket to give Higgins a wicket.Pepper had not finished and ramped Higgins effortlessly over fine leg for another maximum and lofted Cullen for another into the Pavilion. A sixth over midwicket took him to a 43-ball century that ended next ball when he was lbw to Hollman.

Tasmania fold for 179 after winning the toss as WA look to secure a home final for the second straight year

Tristan Lavalette02-Mar-2023Offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli claimed four wickets on the pace-friendly WACA surface as defending Sheffield Shield champions Western Australia continued their stranglehold over Tasmania after a dominant day one performance.Rocchiccioli equalled his best first-class figures of 4 for 31 to tear through Tasmania, who were bowled out for 179 after winning the toss.In reply, WA were 1 for 67 at stumps as they eye victory to secure a home final for the second straight year.Opener Cameron Bancroft, the leading Shield run-scorer this season, looked in superb touch before prodding offspinner Jarrod Freeman to short-leg on 28.With rain falling, a rarity in Perth this time of year, there was a 20-minute delay late in the final session but Sam Whiteman refocused on resumption alongside nightwatchman Rocchiccioli to complete WA’s strong opening day.With their hopes of qualifying for the final in the balance, Tasmania were desperate to make amends after copping a 383-run thrashing to WA at home last week.Skipper Jordan Silk elected to bowl in humid and overcast conditions. It seemed a risk on a green-tinged surface and with seam bowling dominating the bat in the matches at the ground earlier in the season.But in the first Shield match at the WACA in almost three months, the surface appeared benign with Tasmania openers Tim Ward and Caleb Jewell relatively untroubled in a 72-run partnership.They almost batted through the opening session until Jewell fell just before lunch for 40 after being brilliantly caught by Mitchell Marsh at slip off the bowling of Rocchiccioli.No.3 Jake Doran had a reprieve moments later when he was dropped by Bancroft at slip as Tasmania reached lunch at 1 for 80.Having bowled within themselves in the first session, WA’s attack was ignited by a stunning one-handed return catch low to the ground from quick Charlie Stobo to remove Ward for 44.It triggered a collapse for Tasmania, who lost 3 for 11 with Doran and Mac Wright falling to brilliant line and length bowling from Stobo and Matt Kelly.But Silk and Tim Paine steadied the ship with a fighting partnership to thwart a WA attack intent on opening up the lower order.Marsh, who impressed with his rotation of bowlers, pulled a masterstroke by reverting back to under-used Rocchiccioli just before tea. Once again, the offspinner snared a wicket before a break when he removed Silk for 18.As the threat of a thunderstorm loomed, Tasmania’s lower order were blown away after Paine holed out for 17. They lost their last six wickets for 30 to ensure Tasmania failed to reach 200 runs for the third straight innings against WA.Rocchiccioli finished with the spoils having retained his spot in the side as spinning allrounder Ashton Agar, who was sent home from Australia’s tour of India after being overlooked for selection, focuses on white-ball cricket.Agar is set to play in the 50-over Marsh Cup final between WA and South Australia on March 8 before returning to India for the ODI leg of the tour.Marsh, meanwhile, stepped up his preparation for the ODI series having recently returned from a three-month injury layoff. The allrounder will play as a specialist batter in his first Shield match in two years.Tasmania dropped wicketkeeper-batter Ben McDermott, a former Australia ODI and T20I player who has struggled this domestic season, while veteran seamer Peter Siddle was rested.