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Daniel Vettori believes his recent time on the sidelines has rekindled his passion for the game although he remains reluctant to commit to how much his body will allow him to the play in the future

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2013Daniel Vettori believes his recent time on the sidelines has rekindled his passion for the game although he remains reluctant to commit to how much his body will allow him to the play in the future.Vettori said he retains ambitions to return in all formats for New Zealand and he will make his comeback in the one-day series against England which precedes the Champions Trophy. Vettori had previously stepped away from the one-day game but the Achilles injury which has kept him out of action since the World Twenty20 last September has reminded him what he is missing about international competition.”I suppose the eight months out that I’ve had has rejuvenated a passion for the game, regardless of which format,” he told Alison Mitchell as part of ESPNcricinfo’s Tea Break series. “I think if I’d played all through those eight months I might not have been available for one-dayers, but now I just want to play some cricket.”He does concede, however, that there is an element of stepping into the unknown regardless of how much training he has been able to do during this time at the IPL and in practice matches such as the one earlier this week against a Northamptonshire Select XI where he struck 150 and took four wickets.”I should be alright,” he said. “The hardest thing is that I’ve had literally no cricket in the last eight months. Couple of one-day games for my provincial team back home, then the warm-up game here. It’s felt pretty good. I got through a lot of training during the IPL but you never know until you actually get into a game situation, so that’s the hardest thing – the game situation is an international and you don’t ideally want to be trying things out in those sorts of games.”I batted for a while the other day, and it hurt a little bit after that. I think if I can manage it as much as possible, then I can play games and hopefully build up to Test matches later in the year.”When Bruce Martin was ruled out of the second Test at Headingley, Vettori was drafted into the squad and for a while he appeared set to play before conceding that he would not yet be up to the strains of a five-day game. That, however, has not quelled his desire for a return as part of what he sees, despite the recent reversals, as a promising Test side under development.”If I can come back into the side, it’ll be about contributing to some wins. I think that’s what everyone’s desperate for. We’ve got a fantastic pace bowling attack, and if I can complement them, particularly with the subcontinent tours coming up, and be part of Test match wins, that’s what I’m really excited about. I look back on my career and those have been my best times of my cricket career, so I’d like a few more of those.”

The BCCI and Cricket South Africa had supported a Cricket Australia (CA) proposal, during an ICC board meeting in Dubai in January, for introducing internet access in dressing rooms during international matches

Amol Karhadkar27-Jun-2013Nearly two months before the start of the sixth IPL season, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa had supported a Cricket Australia (CA) proposal, during an ICC board meeting in Dubai, for introducing internet access in dressing rooms during international matches. The proposal was opposed by YP Singh, the head of ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).The ACSU has consistently opposed access to internet in the players’ and officials’ area since it poses a danger of information being disseminated to the outside world.According to the minutes of the ICC board meeting held on January 29 this year – which were accessed by ESPNcricinfo on Thursday – BCCI president N Srinivasan had supported Cricket Australia’s proposal, which had been struck down once earlier, because “live performance data could be transferred into the PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) for live use by analysts”. However, Srinivasan wasn’t the only one to support this cause.”Despite concerns raised by Mr Singh as to the ability of the ACSU to monitor the kind of system being proposed, Mr Srinivasan and Mr Faul [then acting CEO of CSA] expressed support for CA’s proposal,” the minutes read.The discussion concluded with the board being of the view that “alternate technology must be available to provide a solution to the concerns of the ACSU”. As a result, CA and the England and Wales Cricket Board were asked to carry out further work with the ACSU on a “trial” basis and revert to the board with a progress report “at an appropriate time”.Singh, who was a special invitee for the meeting, had reiterated the ACSU’s stand of not making internet access available to players, support staff and match officials.During the third Test of India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2010 at the P Sara Oval, an ACSU officer had forced the Sri Lankan media manager to introduce a password for the wi-fi connection in the press box. Since the media box was very close to the dressing room, the analysts and match officials could access internet meant for the press. The moment ACSU realised it, it was brought to the match referee’s attention and a password was introduced for wi-fi access in the press box.The minutes also mention Singh having raised an alarm over ownership patterns of a few franchises, without specifying the domestic Twenty20 leagues. “Mr (Giles) Clarke reported that Mr Singh had explained in a meeting the previous day that his biggest concern was in respect of the identity of the owners of certain domestic franchises, and the lack of transparent process around how those franchises had been awarded and how they could financially be sustained.”

If there were any suspicions that 100 days without a competitive innings might have somehow dulled Kevin Pietersen’s edge, they can be discounted after only one visit to the crease.

Jon Culley at Headingley23-Jun-2013
ScorecardKevin Pietersen was back to his imperious best•Getty ImagesNo need to talk about Kevin, clearly. If there were any suspicions among the England hierarchy that 100 days without a competitive innings while nursing his damaged right knee back to health might have somehow dulled Kevin Pietersen’s edge, they can be discounted already, after only one visit to the crease.Two days in the field had left him moderately sore, and certainly not in a position to dodge any sessions in the ice bath, but the deep-seated bone bruising that had laid him low since the second Test in Wellington in March appears no longer to be a problem. With bat in hand, which is, after all, the way in which he is judged, Pietersen was nothing less than brilliant, responding to his latest challenge with an unbeaten 177, his 48th first-class hundred and his ninth-largest.As statements go, it was stunningly impressive, even though the quality of his ball-striking, the timing, the frighteningly deceptive power, the spontaneous innovation, is entirely familiar. He began like a coiled spring, almost running himself out off his first ball as he chanced a single from a push into the off side and was lucky that Adil Rashid’s shy from cover was poor. But thereafter it became clear that his footwork was good, his eye sharp and that Yorkshire were in for a hard day. Ricky Ponting, regretful that an injured hand robbed him of the chance to play alongside his temporary colleague, can only have worried on behalf of his former Australian team-mates.It was a decent Yorkshire seam attack, albeit an overworked one after Steven Patterson suffered a broken toe batting. With two former Test bowlers in Liam Plunkett and Ryan Sidebottom and another keen to emulate them in Jack Brooks, they offered Pietersen as tough an examination as England could have lined up for him at this stage, but his response was that of a player determined to quash all doubts.Once he had settled, he unleashed an awesome repertoire, mixing clean, crisp drives off the front foot with sharp punches off the back and pulling brutally. Adil Rashid, the legspinner, suffered a fair few of those, along with reverse and conventional sweeps, even the odd ramp. He alone went for 73 off 55 deliveries, including four sixes. When he was offered a half-chance in the shape of a return catch, it was struck low and hard and he could not hold on, bravely through he dived.

Alec Stewart reflects on Kevin Pietersen’s 177* against Yorkshire from Surrey Cricket on Vimeo.

Sidebottom took his share, too, conceding 36 off 44 balls, Pietersen swatting him over the midwicket boundary so disdainfully late in the piece he must have felt there was nowhere he could safely bowl.His first half-century spanned 71 balls, the second only 35, with Rashid at his most vulnerable. He went for 34 runs in the space of just 14 deliveries during that onslaught but with only Adam Lyth and the debutant, Jack Leaning, as alternatives, Andrew Gale had little option but to stick with him, or else bowl his three seamers into the ground. Lyth, ironically, was the closest to getting him out when Andy Hodd put down a chance behind the stumps when he was 120.In the context of the match, the innings began 17 minutes into the third day after a start delayed by an hour following the dismissals of Tim Linley, the nightwatchman, and Vikram Solanki, who was well caught by Andrew Gale at midwicket off a full-blooded pull. It ended when Surrey declared at 353 for 7, taking a fourth batting point but conceding a lead of 80 in the interests of advancing the game, at which point Pietersen’s boundary tally comprised 17 fours as well as the seven sixes. He had shared partnerships with Zander de Bruyn of 97 and 118 with Steven Davies.Pietersen declined to talk about his innings or the state of his right knee but had earlier pronounced himself in good order by tweeting: “And by the way – after fielding for 136 overs, my knee feels top drawer!! All smiles this Sunday!!”He took a brief time out as Yorkshire began their second innings, but was back on the field after 10 overs, allaying any fears that he might have seized up. By the close, Yorkshire had extended their lead to 132 for the loss of the young opener, Alex Lees.Captain Gale may set a target at some point on the final day, although with one bowler light and Pietersen in this form, the timing of any declaration will be a particularly unenviable task.On Pietersen’s behalf, it was left to Stuart Barnes, the bowling coach and nominally Ian Salisbury’s stand-in following the latter’s sacking, to speak. He described the innings as that of “a genius”, admitting that the experience of working with Pietersen at close quarters was entirely new.”I’ve only seen him in the nets during this game and he is clearly a genius,” Barnes said. “What I’ve seen of him is very impressive. I’m not surprised he is world class cricketer. The one thing that stood out this morning is that he likes to practice in tough ways, getting people to bowl and throw off a short distance. He does the tough stuff very well, which is great because that’s the message we want to put across to the lads in the dressing room.”It was just a brilliant innings. The reverse hits, his signature shots, were superb but his hitting down the ground, the positions he gets into, were unbelievable and consistent too. That’s what he was practising this morning, so I’m not surprised he executed them so well.”Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire coach, said his bowlers were blameless. “I thought our bowlers bowled quite well, to be perfectly honest. I thought our seamers were very good and Rash was very good even though he went for over 100. We just hit a lad in very good form.”It was pretty obvious he was getting himself enough match practice to get himself ready for England, and he batted that way. He was very positive and played with incredible intent. We bowled well, but couldn’t get him out. It was as simple as that.”

IPL champions Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will kick off the Champions League 2013 in Jaipur on September 21

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2013Champions League 2013 groups

Group A
Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Lions, Perth Scorchers, Qualifier 1
Group B
Chennai Super Kings, Brisbane Heat, Titans, Trinidad & Tobago, Qualifier 2

IPL champions Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will kick off the Champions League 2013 in Jaipur on September 21. They will be joined by Lions, winners of South Africa’s T20 competition, and Australia’s Perth Scorchers to make up Group A. Group B includes former winners Chennai Super Kings, Big Bash League champions Brisbane Heat, South Africa’s Titans and Trinidad & Tobago, who have qualified directly into the tournament for the first time.Otago Volts, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Faisalabad Wolves and the winner of Sri Lanka’s domestic T20 tournament, which is yet to take place, will play the Qualifiers beginning on September 17 in Hyderabad. The two top-ranked sides will progress to take the one spot remaining in each group.The group stage will have each team facing the other once to decide the seeding in the semi-finals. The table toppers from Group A will meet the team ranked second from Group B, while the winners of Group B will take on the second-placed team from Group A in Jaipur and Delhi respectively. Delhi will also host the final on October 6.Ranchi and Ahmedabad join Jaipur in hosting Champions League matches for the first time this year.

Worcestershire kept their slim hopes of promotion alive with a nine-wicket victory against bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire in their Championship clash at Grace Road

31-Aug-2013
ScorecardMatt Pardoe finished unbeaten on 76 as Worcestershire completed a comfortable chase•PA PhotosWorcestershire kept their slim hopes of promotion alive with a nine-wicket victory against bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire in their Championship clash at Grace Road. After dismissing the home side for 248 in the last over before lunch, Worcestershire reached their target of 185 in 45.1 overs to claim their fourth win of the season.It earned them 22 points but they still trail second-placed Northamptonshire by 45 points with three games to play.Matthew Pardoe and Moeen Ali both hit half-centuries and shared an unbroken second-wicket stand of 123 to see Worcestershire home after Daryl Mitchell was bowled by Matthew Hoggard for 35.Worcestershire were 112 for 1 at tea but Pardoe and Moeen unleashed a barrage of boundaries on the resumption, scoring 73 runs in 13.1 overs. Pardew finished on 76 not out off 126 balls with 12 fours, while Moeen faced 76 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 63.The only bright spot for Leicestershire, who have not won a game in the Championship this season, was a second century in the match for Ned Eckersley. He followed up his first-innings 106 with 119 second time around before being bowled by Jack Shantry. Eckersley faced 224 balls and hit 14 fours to become the first man to score two centuries in a game for Leicestershire since Brad Hodge did it in 2004.Leicestershire, resuming at 190 for 6, added 58 runs for the last four wickets in 28.2 overs. It took Eckersley half an hour to score the runs he needed for his century, which came with a leg glance to the boundary off Alan Richardson.James Sykes was then trapped lbw by Richardson for 32 to end a stand of 92 for the seventh wicket and the end came quickly after that. Shantry had Ollie Freckingham caught at cover before bowling Eckersley off an inside edge and Hoggard was pinned lbw to Shaaiq Choudhry with the last ball before lunch.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth Natwest ODI between England and Australia in Cardiff

The Preview by Alex Winter13-Sep-2013Match factsSeptember 14, Cardiff
Start time 10.15 (0915 GMT)Steven Finn is still searching for form to prove he is a superstar in the making•PA PhotosBig PictureThis series has been reduced to a three-match contest following the abandonment at Edgbaston, so England now face, in Eoin Morgan’s words, a “semi-final and a final” in the remaining two matches if they are to win this series.Winning is the stated aim for England despite their experimental squad and, given the shortened nature of the series, winning is perhaps all they can expect to take from it because there is now little opportunity to have a look at the players they called up. Michael Carberry won’t want to be judged on just three innings and Morgan said he will retain his place as opener for the rest of this series. Likewise, England would like Steven Finn to get some more game time to gauge where his bowling is ahead of the winter Ashes tour; Finn perhaps feels that he needs a solid performance to nail down a place as backup bowler in the Test squad.Jamie Overton and Chris Jordan will now probably get one chance at best to announce their arrival in international cricket and none of the batsmen now need a rest so the opportunity for Luke Wright to return is slim.What cricket there has been in this series, Australia have played by far the best of it and they will be eager to get back on the park again and continue their progress. They have been motivated, sharp in all departments and desperately keen to take something away from what has been a tough tour. The form of George Bailey at Old Trafford suggested Michael Clarke might find some support and Mitchell Johnson has been back to his terrifying best, suggesting he could become a fine bowler in all forms of the game again.Form guide England LWLWW (Completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWLLWWatch out forSteven Finn can’t make up his mind whether he’s a high class international bowler or not. He has all the attributes to do so but there has been a sense of him being dragged from pillar to post by England and Middlesex. A change of run up and back again; in and out of the Test side; none of it can have helped Finn’s confidence but if he can rediscover the form that tore through New Zealand in the ODI series back in February, we could be talking about Finn as England’s next superstar again.Aaron Finch showed what a blistering player he can be in the Twenty20 at the Ageas Bowl. He followed that up with a battering of Scotland and is primed to show he can produce regularly in ODIs. He endured a lean series against West Indies in February but is now clearly striking the ball at his best.Team newsEngland are a pretty stubborn bunch when it comes to selection and just because they were rolled over once does not mean the make-up of their side needs to change, despite widespread opinion that they are a bowler light. It might take one more failure before they get the message, so expect an unchanged XI.England (possible) 1 Michael Carberry, 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Joe Root, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Ben Stokes, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Steven FinnAustralia are also likely to stick with the same side that handed down a thumping to England at Old Trafford.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Adam Voges, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Fawad AhmedPitch and conditionsWe have a decent forecast again so hopefully this match will be uninterrupted. But the pitch in Cardiff is unpredictable. During the Champions Trophy, a run-fest ensued between South Africa and India before the bowlers took charge when New Zealand played Sri Lanka. Scores in the Yorkshire Bank 40 have also been a mixed bag.Stats and trivia Australia have to go back to 2001 for their only win in an ODI at Cardiff; a seven-wicket triumph over Pakistan in the NatWest seriesEngland have pitched up six times to Cardiff for an ODI but on only three occasions have they completed the matchOf those three matches, England have won them all, including beating Australia by four wickets in 2010George Bailey is 30 runs short of 1000 in ODIsQuotes”It’s always nice to be around the environment, and if you do the right things you can put your name in the ring.”
“It’s pretty catchy. I didn’t like it when I first came over. I didn’t expect it. Now, it doesn’t bother me. It’s all part of the game, I know what to expect over here now.”

Sachin Tendulkar will have to earn every single run when he plays his last two Tests against the visiting West Indies side, Richie Richardson, the West Indies team manager, has said

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2013Sachin Tendulkar will have to earn every single run when he plays his last two Tests against the visiting West Indies side, Richie Richardson, the West Indies team manager, has said. Richardson added that West Indies were focused on their primary aim of winning the series but revealed they have planned a tribute for Tendulkar.”We want to make it clear that we have come here with a mission to win the series,” Richardson said. “We will try our best to stop him from scoring runs. We will not let him an inch. He has to earn every run.”We all have thought about giving a fitting tribute to Tendulkar after his last Test at Wankhede,” Richardson said. “We don’t want to reveal our plans. It will be a big surprise for him.”Even during West Indies’ last tour to India in 2011, Tendulkar was the centre of attention as he neared his 100th international century. However, during the Mumbai Test, he came within six runs of the landmark before being dismissed by Ravi Rampaul. West Indies lost that series 2-0, but Tendulkar also failed to get a century in the series.”Winning a series in the sub-continent is a big challenge for every team,” Richardson said. “It’s a big opportunity for the youngsters.”West Indies last won a Test series in India 30 years ago, when Clive Lloyd-led team beat India three times in the six-Test series, with the other games ending in a draw.Richardson played against Tendulkar till his retirement from international cricket in 1996 and said the young batsman was then set for greatness, just like Brian Lara, but he added, “We don’t want to compare between the two players. Both are great.”People back in the Caribbean worship Sunil Gavaskar for his fearless cricket. He’s always been on top of people’s mind. Despite the greatness of Gavaskar, Tendulkar has been able to create a place for himself. That’s the biggest achievement of Tendulkar.”

Pakistan’s new opening pair, Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood, put on 135 runs and heaped the pressure on South Africa

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran15-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPakistan opener Shan Masood made a promising debut•AFPUsually, a couple of hours into a Pakistan Test innings, Younis Khan is in the middle trying to rescue the team after the top order has floundered. In Abu Dhabi, he was relaxing in the pavilion, fiddling around with a camera while chatting with Junaid Khan. He could afford to joke around as Pakistan’s new opening pair, Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood, put on 135 runs, Pakistan’s first century stand for the first wicket since January 2012, back when they were making a mockery of England’s No. 1 ranking.It is much too soon to talk of them making a mockery of the current No.1 side in the world, but Pakistan’s sixth opening combination in seven Tests put them on course for a healthy first-innings score. Manzoor went on to his maiden Test century, the first by a Pakistan opener against South Africa in a decade, to heap the pressure on Graeme Smith’s side.Manzoor is only playing his 10th Test, spread over more than four years, but was already deemed the senior opener in the squad, after Mohammad Hafeez was axed. He is fresh off twin half-centuries in his previous Test, and though he had a few nervy moments early on, he didn’t throw away his wicket. He was generally watchful against the quicks, wearing a blow on his ribs from Jacques Kallis, and only opened out just before lunch when the spinners came on, taking three boundaries in two overs.What stood out as much as his crisp strokeplay and concentration was his desire to get a big score. He regularly chided himself when he played a loose shot, even knocking his helmet with his bat several times after chasing a wide one from Vernon Philander and nearly nicking it when on 90. It was a bit of struggle for him around that time, scoring only one run in 24 deliveries. Just as the pressure was mounting on him, he broke free with consecutive boundaries off Robin Peterson. The century arrived soon after with a push towards cover for two, celebrating in a chest-thumpingly exuberant manner.His combativeness was also on display late in the day, when a wicketless Dale Steyn charged in with the second new ball. When Steyn flung the ball at him after fielding it, Manzoor didn’t back down, instead blowing kisses back at him.His opening partner Masood, making his debut, outside-edged his first ball in international cricket past the slips, survived a half chance to Jacques Kallis at second slip and had several plays-and-misses but he didn’t look out of his depth in Test cricket. He pounced on the many leg-stump deliveries offered in the morning session and kept up a brisk scoring rate, and also eased the pressure with several quick singles. He looked particularly strong on the leg side, confidently pulling Philander and using his wrists when Steyn overpitched.Steyn had a rare off day with the new ball, leaking 31 in five overs and didn’t pose a threat consistently enough. Philander, playing his first Test in Asia, maintained the tight line he is renowned for but pitched a touch too short on a surface which is slower than the ones he is accustomed to. Morne Morkel was the best of the bowlers, probing away around off and getting the ball to rear at the batsmen.The slow pitch wasn’t giving the quicks anything though, and South Africa’s most glaring weakness – their spin department – was asked to deliver. Robin Peterson didn’t show the accuracy necessary for a lead spinner, and it was JP Duminy who finally provided the breakthrough, getting Masood lbw with tea approaching.South Africa got a couple more wickets early in the final session – Azhar Ali’s wretched form extended and Younis was undone by a snorter from Morkel – but Pakistan didn’t unravel as their batting rock, Misbah-ul-Haq, resisted with Manzoor for nearly two hours. Misbah used the reverse-sweep and paddle-sweep to exploit the gaps in the field and ended the day unbeaten on 44.South Africa’s day didn’t get off to the best of starts either as their final two wickets went down within 19 deliveries and their innings wrapped up for the addition of just four runs to the overnight score.

Rain is expected to interfere again, as Sri Lanka will look to protect their No. 1 ranking while New Zealand will look to build depth going into the World T20 in Bangladesh

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Nov-2013Match factsTuesday, November 19, 2013
Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)Nathan McCullum is in ominous form with both bat and ball going into the T20s•Associated PressBig PictureIt should perhaps go without saying at this stage in the tour, but once again, rain shapes to be the defining influence of the match. The past two days in Pallekele have been hot and humid, before rain has arrived after dusk, around the time the match is scheduled to begin. Tuesday’s forecast is for more of the same.But if the weather relents long enough to allow a result, both teams have concrete goals for the series. Sri Lanka’s first task will be to protect their No. 1 ranking, having maintained it for over a year now. Their longevity atop the points table is perhaps as much a reflection of the infrequency of Twenty20 cricket as Sri Lanka’s affinity for it, but it has been a point of pride for the side in a lean year of cricket. They need one win in the two matches to keep their top ranking, unless both matches are washed out.New Zealand have four Twenty20s scheduled before the World T20 in Bangladesh, which begins this March and this series will be another exercise in building depth. James Neesham and Neil Broom had had match-winning turns for Otago in the Champions League, and if picked, both men will hope to replicate their results on turning pitches, and secure a place in the side bound for the World T20. In Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor’s absence, men like Luke Ronchi and Colin Munro have the opportunity to capture the attention of the selectors.The hosts, however, will seek to finalise their combination for the World T20. They had rotated the seniors to free up a space for a young player in their last T20 series, but captain Dinesh Chandimal has suggested his team will play its best XI this time.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)

 Sri Lanka: WLLWW
New Zealand: WWLWLIn the spotlight Doubts about Dinesh Chandimal’s aptitude for T20 have been voiced since he was appointed Sri Lanka’s captain in the format in February, and though Sri Lanka have only played four T20s since, his ODI form does not suggest fluency in limited-overs cricket. As the team now embarks on the home stretch to the World T20, he must prove to himself, and his team, that he deserves a place in the side he leads.Nathan McCullum’s cricket has gathered steam over the back end of New Zealand’s trip to the subcontinent. In Hambantota, he walloped 32 off 9 balls to effect an unlikely win, and in Dambulla, he removed Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara within three balls, and had sparked worry in the opposition, when he blasted another 35 not out with the bat. After that match, Kyle Mills had spoken of the team’s confidence in him to finish matches, and Sri Lanka will be aware that even if New Zealand’s top order goes cheaply, an in-form match-winner lurks lower down.Pitch and conditions The Pallekele pitch has tended to provide assistance to seam bowling under lights, though on occasion it has also been a happy venue for spinners. If rain is in the air, teams may choose to bowl first, reasoning that it is more difficult to defend a total with a wet ball.Team newsRamith Rambukwella and Seekkuge Prasanna have been added to Sri Lanka’s squad, but it’s unlikely they will appear in the XI, unless injury rules a spinner out. Having sat in the dressing room throughout the ODI series, Kusal Perera may be in line for a game at the expense of Lahiru Thirimanne, even if Jayawardene continues to open the innings. But Ajantha Mendis is likely come into the side.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera/ Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Sachithra Senanayake, 10. Lasith Malinga, 11. Ajantha MendisNeil Broom has a chance of figuring in New Zealand’s top order, while Anton Devcich may find his place under threat from Hamish Rutherford after three poor innings in the ODIs. Corey Anderson’s absence means Neesham will almost certainly play, while Andrew Ellis’ place is less secure.New Zealand (probable): 1 Anton Devcich/ Hamish Rutherford, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Neil Broom, 4 Grant Elliott, 5 Colin Munro, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Andrew Ellis, 10 Kyle Mills (capt), 11 Mitchell McClenaghanStats and trivia As an opener, Mahela Jayawardene averages 42.57 and has a strike rate of 138.52. Like in ODIs, these figures are substantially better than his returns lower down the order. In five matches in Pallekele, New Zealand have been involved in two ties. Both times, during last year’s World T20, they lost in the Super Over. Quotes”We experimented by resting some senior players in the last series, but we have only another six T20 internationals to play prior to the T20 World Cup, so we don’t want to experiment too much.”
“When it comes to T20 it’s a pretty even bunch. On the day if somebody is going to have a good performance, they will contribute to the team which hopefully will win. You can’t have a clear stand out team in the T20 format.”

IPL franchises will be allowed to retain up to five players ahead of the 2014 auction, and have the option of buying back additional members of their squads at the auction via “right to match” cards

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2013Money brackets for retaining players

Irrespective of the IPL fee agreed to between the franchise and the retained player, a fixed amount will be deducted from the franchise’s salary cap per player retained. The break-up is as follows:
Capped players
Player 1 – Rs 125 million
Player 2 – Rs 95 million
Player 3 – Rs 75 million
Player 4 – Rs 55 million
Player 5 – Rs 40 million
Uncapped players
Rs 40 million for each uncapped player retained

IPL franchises will be allowed to retain up to five players ahead of the 2014 auction, and have the option of buying back additional members of their squads at the auction via “right to match” cards, according to the rules released on Tuesday. The auction will be on February 12, and carried into February 13 if required, at a venue yet to be decided.The right to match essentially gives a franchise the first right of refusal to its players, allowing it to buy its player back after other franchises have completed the bidding process for him. For example, if Mumbai Indians have already retained five players but want Player X, they merely have to wait till the bidding in the open auction for Player X is over and match the highest bid offered for him.The number of right to match cards available to each franchise will depend on the number of players already retained. A franchise retaining between three and five players will have one right to match card, while a franchise retaining up to two players will have two right to match cards; those not retaining any player will have three cards to play.In all, combining players retained before the auction and those for whom the right to match is exercised, a franchise cannot retain more than four capped India players.The salary cap for franchises is set at Rs 600 million (approx US$ 9.6 million at the current exchange rate) for 2014. All players, including uncapped Indians, will go into the auction. Indians will be paid in rupees starting from the 2014 season, while overseas players have the option of choosing the currency in which they are paid. Players will be paid an additional 10% of their IPL fee, if they play in the Champions League T20 for their franchise.