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Rory Hamilton-Brown played a captain’s innings as Surrey signed off a successful season with silverware at Lord’s by claiming the Clydesdale Bank 40

The Report by Andrew McGlashan at Lord's17-Sep-2011
ScorecardRory Hamilton-Brown’s rapid 78 set up Surrey’s successful run chase in the CB40 final at Lord’s•Getty Images

Rory Hamilton-Brown played a captain’s innings as Surrey signed off a successful season with silverware at Lord’s by claiming the Clydesdale Bank 40. In a season so blighted by the weather it was somewhat fitting that rain played a part with Surrey’s target reduced to 186 off 30 overs and they won with 15 balls to spare to leave Somerset as bridesmaids for the fifth time in two seasons.Surrey were equal with the Duckworth-Lewis target when rain arrived after 5.5 overs despite losing Jason Roy the ball before they went off. They resumed for another seven balls before the rain returned and from there on Surrey were always ahead of the game. When play resumed Somerset removed Tom Maynard to give them some hope, but Hamilton-Brown remained calm with 78 off 62 balls. Crucially, Hamilton-Brown had been dropped off the third ball of the innings when he pulled to midwicket but Murali Kartik spilled the chance. Defending 214, as they were at that point, Somerset had to take every chance.Then, as the innings approach the 20-over cut-off, which guaranteed a result before the reserve day, Nick Compton missed a chance to run out the Surrey captain although even then Somerset would have remained behind. Chris Schofield played an important hand in a 58-run stand until he fell to Alfonso Thomas and when Hamilton-Brown run out by a direct hit from Jos Buttler there was a hint of pressure.The running became frenetic but Somerset missed three opportunities to hit the stumps and the constant head-in-hands summed up their day as Zander de Bruyn, whose experience is vital in a young Surrey team, and Matthew Spriegel, one of the key players in the one-day side, finished the job. It meant Surrey had secured their first trophy since the 2003 Twenty20 Cup and first victory in a Lord’s final since 2001. The hard work of the last couple of seasons at The Oval is starting to bring rewards.Somerset, on the other hand, will continue to wonder what they have to do to break their trophy drought, although on this occasion the answer is fairly simple as they slumped to 79 for 5 having chosen to bat first. That they got as far as 214 was down to Buttler who produced a mature 86 off 72 balls to enhance an already formidable reputation. On what was another good day for young, English talent – following last night’s performance from Jonny Bairstow in the one-day international – Jade Dernbach bagged 4 for 30. Given that he and Buttler (along with Craig Kieswetter) made a late-night dash back from Cardiff they were commendable efforts.Somerset’s innings was a story of wasted starts as five batsmen fell between 10 and 16. Having been forced to field first, not their preferred method, Surrey stuck to their plan of opening with spin as Spriegel bowled the first over. Marcus Trescothick, playing with an injured ankle, managed a couple of boundaries but then ran past a delivery and was comfortably stumped. Somerset’s talisman was gone.Kieswetter, meanwhile, never looked settled during his 23-ball stay which ended with a big top edge and the short ball worked again when Peter Trego top-edged a flick to long leg and the power-hitting top order had been dispatched. James Hildreth played all over a delivery from Schofield as the spinners continued to play a key role, then Compton’s missed reverse sweep and Craig Meschede’s leading edge left Somerset 146 for 7.Buttler, though, was outstanding as he pushed his case for a spot on the one-day tour to India. His fifty came off 48 balls and as the innings drew to a close – and the batting Powerplay was taken – he started to expand his strokeplay as he uppercut Dernbach over third man for the first six of the innings. Somerset, however, needed more than one innings of substance. On Sunday night they board a plane for Hyderabad and the Champions League, but the domestic season ends with a host of familiar questions being asked.

Middlesex were in sight of victory and promotion at the end of the third day of their County Championship Division Two match against Leicestershire

14-Sep-2011
Scorecard
Middlesex were in sight of victory and promotion at the end of the third day of their County Championship Division Two match against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Gareth Berg hit a career-best unbeaten 130 as Middlesex totalled 502 to secure a first-innings lead of 183 runs.Then their bowlers took over leaving Leicestershire tottering on 222 for 7 by the close. Tim Murtagh dismissed both Leicestershire openers in his first two overs before offspinner Ollie Rayner took three for 32 as the home side crumbled in the evening session despite half-centuries from Greg Smith and James Taylor.Middlesex now look set to clinch the victory that would send them up as Division Two champions. They began the day at 401 for 8 and added another 101 runs in 19 overs with Berg and Murtagh sharing a record ninth-wicket partnership of 172.It beat the previous best of 160 set by Patsy Hendren and Jack Durston against Essex at Leyton in 1927. The runs came quickly against some erratic Leicestershire bowling with Berg reaching the second century of his career off 122 balls with three sixes and 11 fours.Murtagh also enjoyed himself cracking nine boundaries on the way to his first half-century of the season. He finally succumbed, edging a delivery from Wayne White that provided wicket-keeper Ned Eckersley with his sixth catch of the innings, one short of the record held by Neil Burns against Somerset 10 years ago.With a lead of 183 Middlesex made immediate inroads into Leicestershire’s second innings with openers Matt Boyce and Will Jones back in the pavilion in less than three overs for the second time in the match. After striking two crisp fours in Murtagh’s first over Boyce was out lbw to the final delivery.Jones, out for a duck in the first innings, managed two runs before he too was trapped lbw by Murtagh leaving Leicestershire at 11 for 2. But a battling third-wicket stand of 121 in 34 overs between Smith and Taylor put the break on Middlesex’s progress.The two of them showed plenty of determination and concentration with Smith reaching his second half-century of the game with a glorious off-driven boundary against Steven Crook. Taylor also went to his 50 off 89 balls with six boundaries and the pair of them finally began to give Leicestershire some hope of staging a fight back.But Smith was then trapped lbw by a quicker delivery from Jamie Dalrymple for 58 and although Taylor continued to look in good form wickets began falling at the other end.Having reached 80 Taylor edged a short pitch delivery from Crook through to the wicket-keeper and Rayner bagged the wickets of Jacques Du Toit, White and Rob Taylor as the home side lost four wickets for 35 runs in the final session.

The England fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been fined 7.5% of his match fee by the ICC for showing dissent towards an umpire during Thursday’s third ODI against India in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2011The England fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been fined 7.5% of his match fee by the ICC for showing dissent towards an umpire during Thursday’s third ODI against India in Mohali.Bresnan was deemed to have committed a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct at the end of the 18th over of India’s innings, when he snatched his cap from umpire Sudhir Asnani after finishing his fifth over.Bresnan pleaded not guilty to the charge, which led to a hearing at the end of the match attended by the player, the umpires, England coach Andy Flower and England team manager Phil Neale.”The umpires deserve the utmost respect not only because they do a difficult job in the middle but also because millions of budding and aspiring cricketers watch every move of the players,” said Roshan Mahanama, the ICC match referee.”This makes all the international cricketers more responsible and accountable for their actions, particularly in their dealings with the umpires in various match situations.”Bresnan’s action came during an ill-tempered performance from England, who failed to defend a total of 298 for 4 and so lost the match by five wickets and the series 3-0 with two games to play.”A bit of chit-chat is fine, that makes the game interesting,” noted India’s captain, MS Dhoni. “You don’t always want a friendly series, as long as things don’t get too personal but I think they should change the plan for the next two games.”

A round-up of the action from the eighth match-day of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2011West Indies Women completed a thumping 130-run win against Pakistan Women in the final of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Mirpur. West Indies chose to bat and put on 250 for 5, driven by a hard-hitting career-best 95 from Deandra Dottin. The top order all contributed, with cameos, opener Juliana Nero also hitting a half-century. While Dottin’s knock included seven sixes and five fours, Nero steered the innings with a 98-ball 63. Pakistan’s opener Qanita Jalil put the side on course with a fluent 53, but once offspinner Anisa Mohammed came on, the innings collapsed. Anisa too put in a career-best performance, claiming 7 for 14 in 8.3 overs to bowl Pakistan out for 120.West Indies’ captain, Merissa Aguilleira said she was happy the side had moved up in the rankings. “It is truly fantastic to walk away with the tournament trophy and undefeated at that, and to also know we have improved on the global rankings,” she said. “It’s been a brilliant event, with some competitive cricket played – I’m extremely happy with the team effort, we have been consistent out there and it has paid off.”Player of the Match, Anisa said she had enjoyed playing in spin-friendly conditions. “It’s been great to play here in the subcontinent, where the wickets are good for spin. I had hoped to take five wickets in the final but to walk away with seven wickets, I’m thrilled.”Stafanie Taylor, who was the Player of the Series praised the team effort that went into the win. “I’m thrilled to have received the Player of the Tournament trophy, but it was very much a team effort throughout the event and I’m happy we’ve walked away with the trophy.”Sri Lanka Women chased down 193 in a close game against South Africa Women in Fatullah, to finish third in the tournament. After batting, South Africa were steered by a patient 68 from opener Shandre Fritz. The Sri Lanka bowlers shared the wickets around, but Sandamali Dolawatte was the pick, claiming three wickets with her legspin, as well as a run out. Sri Lanka’s chase was then set up by a century stand from their openers, Chamari Atapattu and Yasoda Mendis. The pair dismissed in quick succession, for 60 and 47 respectively, and South Africa picked up wickets at regular intervals thereafter, but it was not enough. Sri Lanka sneaked home with three wickets in hand and two balls to spare.Hosts Bangladesh Women eased to an 82-run win against Ireland Women in Savar, in the fifth-place play-off. Batting first, Bangladesh made 210 for 7, on the back of a 113-run stand from their openers, Suktara Rahaman and Sharmin Akhter Supta. While Rahaman and Supta got fifties, none of the other batsmen could build on the starts they got but the cameos they made was enough to push Bangladesh past 200. Medium-pacer Jill Whelan finished with the best figures for Ireland, 3 for 31, and also effected two run outs. The Ireland chase never really got going, and there was panic as four of their line-up were run out. None of the Ireland batsmen managed more than opener Cecelia Joyce’s 42.Netherlands Women secured seventh place by beating USA Women by 126 runs in Savar. Netherlands were put into bat and built their total around solid contributions from their top order. Captain Helmien Rambaldo and Kerry-Anne Tomlinson made half-centuries, with Tomlinson top scoring with 73, as Netherlands finished with 293 for 7. USA could manage only 167 for 8 in reply, Tomlinson again the star for Netherlands with four wickets. The result would have been much worse for USA if it hadn’t been for a 72-run stand for the eighth wicket between Triholder Marshall and Anahita Arora.

Australia are hopeful that their best batsman from the first innings, Ed Cowan, will be fit on the third day in Melbourne after he spent much of the second day in the rooms receiving treatment for a sore back

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG27-Dec-2011Australia are hopeful that their best batsman from the first innings, Ed Cowan, will be fit on the third day in Melbourne after he spent much of the second day in the rooms receiving treatment for a sore back. The debutant Cowan, who made 68 on Boxing Day, was on and off the field on Tuesday. His place was taken by the substitute Daniel Christian while the physio Alex Kountouris worked on Cowan.Cowan batted for nearly three hours in his first Test innings but that wasn’t the cause of his problem, according to Brad Haddin, the vice-captain. Haddin said Cowan had been a little over-enthusiastic in his warm-ups on the second morning.”Ed got a bit excited in the warm-up in his first Test, he was diving around too much,” Haddin said. “He twinged his back. Alex worked on him through the day and he came back all right.”That Cowan did return to the field during the day was encouraging for Australia, who conceded the advantage to India on a sunny afternoon that offered little assistance for the fast bowlers, after Australia pushed their way to 333 in the morning. India closed the afternoon at 3 for 214, with Rahul Dravid well set, and they could see the potential for a big first-innings lead.”If the sun is going to belt down like this and the wicket eases more and more, I think we’ll have to look at batting out as much time as possible and trying to get as much ahead in the game as possible,” the India offspinner R Ashwin said. “That is very important. I think it’s all about the first-innings lead, or the first-innings situation that both teams find themselves in.”Haddin said the focus for the Australians on the third morning would be to build on the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, which was collected by Peter Siddle in the final over of the day. That was a major fillip for Australia, who spent much of the afternoon working hard for no reward, although VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni still loom large.”I think it’s important tomorrow we shut that scoreboard down a bit,” Haddin said. “If we can do that we’ll create chances and give ourselves the best opportunity to get into that middle order. I think we’re about 15 overs to the new ball but if we can create some opportunities, building pressure with a few dots and putting some overs together, I think we can get into that middle order.”At the moment I think India might be a little bit in front of us in the game. But it’s evenly poised tomorrow if we start the first session well.”Haddin said he was especially impressed with the way Siddle responded after bowling Dravid off a no-ball, the decision only confirmed when the umpire Marais Erasmus asked for the third umpire to check the footage. Siddle did not let the incident faze him, and he hit the 150kph mark in the last over of the day.”It felt like he did come through 5ks quicker after that, which was good,” Haddin said. “I thought he showed a bit of character coming back after what happened, to get Tendulkar late in the day. He looked pretty good today, so that was a good effort to get him.”

Ahead of the presentation of the full Morgan Review to the board of the ECB, ESPNcricinfo tried to speak to all 18 counties to gauge their reaction

10-Jan-2012Ahead of the presentation of the full Morgan Review to the board of the ECB, ESPNcricinfo sought out the views of the 18 first-class countiesHow will the public benefit from changes to county cricket?•PA Photos

Derbyshire
Derbyshire have been identified as one of the most vulnerable counties for so long that it is no surprise that their chairman Keith Loring states: “We want to be on the boat, not rocking it.” In better financial health than most, they want strong decisions that stand the test of time and bring stability as a result. – David HoppsDurham
County cricket needs to restructure in a way that does not just delight the dyed-in-the-wool cricket supporter, but the potential cricket supporter, according to Durham’s chief executive David Harker. He suspects like many that the Morgan Review is a fait accompli. “We would like to see proof that this has been genuinely customer led,” he said. “Then we need to stop naval gazing and have the confidence to promote it.” – DHEssex
Failed to return calls.Glamorgan
Alan Hamer, Glamorgan’s chief executive, is generally supportive of the Morgan Review but is eager to see more meat on the bones. “We’re supportive of the change, particularly 40-over to 50-over cricket. On T20, we need to understand more about when the games are going to be played. We understand broadcasting commitments and the need to have matches played on regular days throughout the week.” – Alex WinterGloucestershire
Tom Richardson, Gloucestershire’s chief executive, is more focused on getting the scheduling right rather than the type of cricket that is played. “We’re reasonably ambivalent about 40 or 50-over cricket. We’re keener that it’s played at the right time.” He originally signed up for more T20 with a longer period in which to play it. “It’s far better that we play seven games over a longer period of time and we end up with one a week. The supporter can then plan his time – he knows, a bit like rugby, that you’re going to be playing a home game every other weekend.” – AWHampshire
Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire’s chief executive, has always been an advocate of a more ambitious county set-up: fewer games, marketed more confidently, so bringing more credence to the first-class game. “If we play a bit less but better cricket, and integrate more with the England fixtures, the counties will see more of the England players and that will help everyone,” he said. There is little to delight him in Morgan’s pragmatism. – DH.Lancashire’s chief executive, Jim Cumbes, doesn’t think the issue of too much cricket has been solved•Getty Images

Kent
“Cutting the Championship programme is probably a necessary step if you accept that the Champions League is a feature of our season,” said Jamie Clifford, the chief executive of Kent. “Personally I don’t think it should be and feel that most of the scheduling problems we currently have would disappear if we didn’t take part in it.” – George DobellLancashire
Morgan’s proposals have not solved the problem of too much cricket, according to Lancashire’s chief executive Jim Cumbes. “They have reduced the Championship but why have they increased Twenty20?” he asked. Lancashire supported the reduction to ten T20 matches in 2012 in the belief that fewer matches can be promoted more aggressively and want it to be given a fair trial. – DHLeicestershire
“What I don’t quite understand,” said Mike Siddall, the Leicestershire chief executive, “is that we discussed cutting the championship a couple of years ago and agreed we didn’t want to. I’m not sure what has changed.” Options for a reduced Championship programme “lack integrity,” he argued. Leicestershire would welcome any cut in the salary cap. For a county that has lost several of its brightest talents – the likes of Stuart Broad, James Taylor and Luke Wright in recent years – anything that limits the spending power of their rivals will be gratefully received. – GDMiddlesex
Middlesex are in the unique position that they don’t own their main home ground which means less financial risk on their part. They believe two division cricket has been a success but are not convinced by a return to 14 Twenty20 matches. “If you lose your first batch of games the rest can be like pulling teeth and that doesn’t make for good cricket,” said Angus Fraser, the managing director of cricket. – Andrew McGlashanNorthamptonshire
“I’d be disappointed if there wasn’t any further room to debate David Morgan’s findings,” said Northamptonshire’s new chief executive, David Smith. “I’m a supporter of the 16-game, two division Championship and I think it’s played a big role in helping England becoming the best side in the world. I’m not a supporter of 50-over cricket, either, and think we’ll damage attendances if we return to it.” – GDSurrey play three Twenty20 matches in four days at The Oval next season and hope for a more sensible fixture list•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire’s priority was to protect the two-divisional championship, with promotion and relegation and that has been achieved. Beyond that they are anxious to see a county programme that makes sense. “The county programme must be put together holistically,” said Nottinghamshire’s outgoing chief executive Derek Brewer. “The customer must be at the forefront of the strategy.” – DH.Somerset
Somerset support fewer Championship matches. “There has to be a reduction so we can prioritise quality over quantity,” said their chairman Andy Nash. “The rational benefits will outweigh the emotional concerns and will help England remain on top of the world rankings.” They will reluctantly accept a switch from 40-over to 50-over cricket, but feel that the future lies with T20. “Within five years, I believe it will be played every weekend during the summer. I just hope they change finals day: it’s a drunkfest. Nobody wants a ten-hour marathon. We’d like to see finals day separated from semi-finals day.” – GDSurrey
Surrey, the biggest spenders in the country, will be nervously watching Morgan’s final decision on the salary cap. The cap, which is intended to protect the interests of the poorer counties, will continue, but Surrey contend that there should be dispensation for young players who have been brought up within the county system. Surrey do welcome a commitment to a more coherent fixture list. Their chief executive, Richard Gould, said: “Next summer we play three T20 home games in four days – that can’t be good for the game.” – DHSussex
Big supporters of 40-over cricket – which contribute significantly to their finances – and reluctant to see the championship schedule cut, Sussex are unlikely to be pleased by Morgan’s conclusions. “The purpose of this report was to create a vibrant domestic game,” said Sussex chief executive, Dave Brooks, “so I don’t really understand why we’re going to return to 50-over cricket at the request of Team England. It really wasn’t meant to be about them. Besides, it’s just not true that playing over 40 or 50 overs is key to England’s success. We didn’t win a World Cup even when we did play over 50 overs.” Brooks is also concerned by a reduced Championship. “It’s essential, in the first division at least, that there is a symmetrical system. We can’t have champions crowned because they’d played a weaker team twice and a strong one just once.” – GDWarwickshire
“It was never going to be possible to keep everyone happy,” said Warwickshire’s chief executive, Colin Povey. “There are just too many interested parties: the bigger clubs, the smaller clubs, Team England, the broadcasters and the spectators. David Morgan has consulted widely and done a commendable job, but there’s going to be a lot of gnashing of teeth over this.” Warwickshire oppose a tighter salary cap and a reduction from 16 Championship games. “The Championship was the one competition that was working well,” said Povey. “All it needed was a good schedule – and there’s a real danger we’re going to undermine its integrity.” – GDWorcestershire
Worcestershire were reluctant to comment “at the request of the ECB.” But like many of the smaller counties, they were keen to retain the 40-over competition and nervous about the reaction of their members to the cutting of the Championship. In 2011 they enjoyed higher attendances on some days of Championship cricket than for all but one or two T20 games. – GDYorkshire
Yorkshire’s chairman Colin Graves, desperate to reinvigorate a financially-stricken county, has been the most vociferous in the build-up to the Lord’s meeting, stating that he will use his position on the board to argue for the Championship to be split into three divisions of seven. “I will be putting my ideas forward and I hope that people will take them on board,” he says. He will be wasting his breath. – DH

Alan Butcher, the Zimbabwe coach, has said his players were embarrassed by their loss inside three days to New Zealand in Napier

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2012Alan Butcher, the Zimbabwe coach, has said his players were embarrassed by their loss inside three days to New Zealand in Napier. Zimbabwe were bowled out twice on the third day of the Test, and lost by an innings and 301 runs, slumping to their lowest Test total, 51, in the process.”They [the players] were embarrassed in the dressing-room and they should have been,” Butcher told . “They all felt we let ourselves down badly and that we hadn’t given a good account of ourselves.”Zimbabwe have performed creditably in Tests since returning from a six-year self-imposed exile last August. They beat Bangladesh in their comeback Test and then pushed New Zealand till deep into the fifth day in Bulawayo in November. The Napier Test was their first on foreign soil for six years and though Butcher knew it would be hard, he expected his team to at least last all five days.”Regardless of how the result had gone, it wasn’t going to be easy for us to play a Test away from home, having been out of Test cricket for some time,” he said, “but we hoped we would at least provide five days of competitive cricket. We got nowhere near that.”The Zimbabweans had fared well in the warm-up match, against a New Zealand XI in Gisborne; their batsmen built a total of 329 to give them a first-innings lead. The sudden slide in form between that game and the Test match was something Butcher said he could not understand.”It was disappointing. It bore no relation to how we’ve been practising and how we’ve played in recent times. Not only the batting on Saturday, but I thought we didn’t bowl particularly well on the first day. All around I think we were below par and New Zealand played well and took full advantage.”With the bat we played at a lot of wide balls and we played across straight balls. We didn’t do things that we’ve been doing pretty well. It’s difficult to know why we should collapse collectively, twice, with the exception of Regis [Chakabva] who played very well and showed you could make runs. They did bowl some bad balls that we could score from.”Zimbabwe will now travel to Dunedin for the first of three ODIs, which will be followed by two Twenty20 internationals. When New Zealand toured Zimbabwe in October last year, Zimbabwe managed to win the last of the three ODIs by chasing 329. Butcher said they needed to replicate that kind of performance.”That will be in their [New Zealand’s] minds; to know we can compete in a much better fashion than we did in the Test match. We’ve got to. If we keep losing like that, then we’ll find ourselves back where we were five or six years ago.”

Brett Lee and Ben Hilfenhaus splintered India’s top order, leaving MS Dhoni to attempt a salvage operation, as the visitors reached 5 for 89 in pursuit of a distant 289 to win after 25 overs

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey and Peter Forrest were involved in a century stand•AFP

Ben Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee splintered India to return Australia to the top of the table with a 110-run victory that reaped a bonus point at the Gabba. On a day when Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar both glimpsed their mortality in the limited-overs game, Australia’s 5 for 288 proved far too tall a target for India’s batsmen, who looked as uncomfortable as ever when faced by Brisbane’s bounce and a home side recovering from two straight losses.Making use of a hard, fast pitch and the early swing offered by the new ball, Lee and Hilfenhaus nipped out four wickets between them to slide India to 4 for 36, and had snared eight by the end of the night. Hilfenhaus was playing his first ODI since November 2009, in place of the ill Clint McKay, and made a strong case for his retention by moving the ball at good pace on a disciplined line to take five wickets for the first time. He had an ideal counterpoint in Lee, who offered slippery pace and plenty of aggression.Tendulkar played a particularly fretful innings, struck on the helmet by Lee, caught at third man off Hilfenhaus. Soon after, Kohli lingered unhappily at the crease after video evidence was used to confirm he had been caught at slip by David Hussey. MS Dhoni’s innings proved merely a parting shot as the match faded out.Ponting won the toss in what is expected to be his last match in charge before Michael Clarke returns. David Warner made a wasteful exit for a swift 43, Ponting struggled badly for placement and occupied 26 balls for 7, and Matthew Wade fought his way to 45 only to give it up with a tame return catch.Peter Forrest and Michael Hussey righted the ship with a century partnership, but Christian and David Hussey made equally vital contributions with a stand of 65 in the final six overs. Michael Hussey’s innings might have been over on 1, when MS Dhoni appealed for a stumping. Replays showed Hussey may have had some of his back foot safely behind the line, and there was some surprise when the red “out” signal flashed on the big screen. However Hussey’s trudge off the field was swiftly aborted by the umpires, as it emerged that the wrong verdict from the third umpire Bruce Oxenford had somehow been relayed.Needing close to six runs per over, India needed a strong start, but were unlikely to get one from the moment Lee found a way past Gautam Gambhir. In the Tests Gambhir had often been out fencing at deliveries going across him, but Lee’s delivery gave him little choice, starting to bend in before seaming the other way off the track to clip the outside edge.

Smart stats

• Australia’s victory margin of 110 runs makes it the seventh time that they have managed a 100-run-plus win over India. Four of those wins have come in ODIs in Australia.

• Australia’s total of 288 is the joint fifth-highest for them in ODIs against India at home. Their highest total overall against India is 359 in Johannesburg and Sydney.

• Ben Hilfenhaus followed up his excellent Test series by picking up his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. His 5 for 33 is seventh on the list of best bowling performances for Australia against India.

• Matthew Wade held five catches in the Indian innings making it the 13th instance of an Australian wicketkeeper taking five or more catches in an ODI. Adam Gilchrist has achieved the feat on nine occasions.

• Michael Hussey became the 13th Australian batsman to reach the 5000-run mark. His average of 50.52 is the second-highest after Michael Bevan among Australian batsmen with 5000-plus runs.

• The partnership run-rate of 10.83 between Daniel Christian and David Hussey for the sixth wicket is the fifth-highest for Australia for fifty-plus stands.

Tendulkar’s unhappy tour gained another chapter of discontent against the new ball. Struck a hefty blow on the head by a Lee bouncer, he struggled to lay a bat on Hilfenhaus’ away swing, and when he did connect, the ball floated down to Xavier Doherty, who had dropped Kohli the ball before. Tendulkar seems even further away from the barrier of 100 international centuries than he had been at the start of the summer.Not for the first time, Kohli had looked distracted by crowd chants in the field, and he carried that anger with him to the crease. He watched Rohit Sharma’s undoing, waving his bat at Lee’s bounce and away movement, then took his dismissal for 12, via Hussey’s low catch, as something approaching a personal slight. He waited for some time after the verdict to leave the field.Suresh Raina sallied forth to deposit Mitchell Starc into the stands. However Christian was delivering a neat spell, and he gained the break with a delivery running across Raina that caught a nick.Dhoni went on to 56 as the required rate climbed, but his dismissal, pulling Hilfenhaus to midwicket, signalled the end of formal resistance.During the Australian innings, Wade and Warner found the early going slow against tight bowling from Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan. Wade enjoyed an escape off the second ball of the match, edging Zaheer towards Tendulkar at first slip, only for Rohit to dive across from second and knock the ball away from the man best placed to catch it. Warner began to look fluent, but he was to curse himself with some venom when he chipped the last ball of the 13th over to a waiting midwicket.The ensuing passage was dominated by Ponting’s struggles. He made a deliberate start, defending staunchly against Raina’s modest offerings, then found himself struggling to find the boundaries to counterbalance this early conservatism. One charge down the wicket resulted in an edge to third man, and Ponting was still searching for momentum when he picked up a Zaheer delivery and sent it looping into deep midwicket’s hands. His scores for the series now read 2, 1, 6, 2 and 7.Hussey and Forrest fought with determination and intelligence, finding the odd boundary but mainly keeping the innings going with their running between the wickets. Apart from his stumping reprieve, Hussey was also dropped twice, while Forrest endured numerous periods without free-scoring but lifted his rate as he went.Their stand was worth 100 when Hussey fell to combination of urgency and fatigue, swinging Irfan into the deep, and in the same over Forrest did likewise, ending another innings of promise by the prospective Test batsman. David Hussey and Christian added some clean blows to swell the total in the final overs, distorting Vinay’s figures by taking his last over for 18 runs. Another 15 were spirited away from the last, leaving India with a chase that proved well beyond their means.

A round-up of matches from the One-Day National Cup 2012, Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2012Khurram Manzoor’s hundred went in vain as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) beat National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) by three wickets and three balls to spare at Gaddafi Stadium. PIA’s Najaf Shah and Anwar Ali picked up two and three wickets each to rip through NBP’s batting order, though Manzoor (121 off 142 balls) and Fawad Alam (67 off 88 balls) resisted and led their team to 230. NBP fought hard to defend but Faraz Ali (73) and the captain Shoaib Malik (64) set up the victory and secured PIA a place in the semi-finals.The Farhat brothers, Imran and Humayun, scored centuries to help Habib Bank Limited (HBL) beat State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Imran Farhat (105 off 111) and Humayun Farhat (100 off 51 balls) boosted HBL to 310, while Mohammad Naved and Kashif Siddiq managed to take three wickets each. SBP made a decent chase but a fifty from Mohtashim Ali and century from Rameez Aziz went in vain. Aftab Alam took 2 for 27, while Danish Kaneria claimed 3 for 57 to dismiss SBP for 291.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by two wickets in a dead rubber at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Zulfiqar Babar and Imranullah Aslam took four wickets each to cut through ZTBL, dismissing them for 143 in 32.4 overs. Sharjeel Khan top scored with 53 off 50 balls. WAPDA made a poor start to the chase and were 7 for 2 after the openers fell. Rafatullah Mohamad scored 69 off 67 balls and led his side to victory in 35.1 overs. Junaid Nadir, Junaid Zia, Jawad Hameed took two wickets each for ZTBL.Half centuries by Kamran Younis and Mohammad Ayub steered Sialkot Stallions to a six-wicket win over Karachi Dolphins at Jinnah Stadium. Dolphins, with half-centuries from Shahzaib Hasan (72) and Asad Baig (80), managed to post 232 before they were dismissed in 49 overs. Atif Jabbar took 4 for 48 for Sialkot. During the chase, Sialkot lost four wickets before achieving the target in 39.3 overs to book their place in the semi-final.Zeeshan Mushtaq’s unbeaten century led Islamabad Leopards to a thrilling, one-wicket victory against Rawalpindi Rams at Diamond Club Ground. Chasing a target of 224, Islamabad were reeling at 51 for 5 but Mushtaq kept his cool with Naeem Anjum, who made 48 off 47 balls, to secure victory with four balls to spare. Earlier, Nasrullah Khan dented Rawalpindi’s innings with four wickets to restrict them to 223. Shoaib Ahmed top scored with 56 while Babar Naeem made 49.Faisalabad Wolves beat Abbottabad Falcons by two wickets at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Asked to bat first, Abbottabad rode on Mohamamd Naeem’s hundred to post 292. Ehsan Adil and Aqeel Ahmed took two wickets each, while Waqas Masood conceded 63 runs for three wickets. Murtaza Anees (51) and Hasan Mahmood (71) scored half-centuries and Faisalabad eventually secured victory in the final over.

Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer

Mohammad Isam and George Dobell21-Apr-2012Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer. This, even before the board has formally advertised the vacancy left by Stuart Law – a sea change from the past, and credited to Bangladesh’s recent successes on the field and off it.Days after Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman tweeted that he’d been contacted by the board and was considering the offer, Dermot Reeve, the former England allrounder, said he was keen to succeed Law when he steps down at the end of June. It is also understood that some of Law’s current colleagues on the coaching staff are interested in replacing him.Reeve, 49, has coached Somerset and Central Districts in New Zealand and has also been bowling coach of the New Zealand Twenty20 side and of Pune Warriors in the IPL. He is currently working as a television commentator and says there hasn’t been an offer laid on the table.”Yes, I would be very interested in the job,” Reeve told ESPNcricinfo, “but there have been no offers or formal talks or anything like that. Coaching Bangladesh would be a wonderful opportunity. I honestly believe they will win world cups one day and there is no reason it shouldn’t start with the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.”There is a huge amount of talent within the Bangladesh set-up. Shakib Al Hasan is ranked the No. 1 allrounder in the world in Tests and ODIs; others can do that if they follow his commitment and acquire his mental toughness. They just need absolute, total belief and some fine tuning to turn them into one of the world’s leading sides.”According to the BCB, the candidates will be asked to send in their applications with a forwarding letter to the acting CEO, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, by May 15.The board’s cricket operations committee chairman Enayet Hossain Siraj said that they have only just begun the process so there’s no question of a favourite, but he was happy to learn that coaches are interested in the job.”This is a positive [development] and think it has come about, firstly, through the BPL, where the foreign coaches understood that the working environment in Bangladesh is favourable,” Siraj said. “Second, of course, is the Asia Cup performance of the team where the world has learned that success is possible for Bangladesh.”We have only just started to look for a coach so by the deadline we have provided, we will draw up a shortlist and then process our requirements.”It’s a far cry from the BCB’s past struggles to find a coach. After Dav Whatmore left the job in 2007, the BCB made Shaun Williams the interim coach and only after Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the former national captain, intervened and traced Jamie Siddons did he take the job. The appointment of Law, too, had its problems as he was keen on having roles in the Twenty20 tournaments apart from holding the Bangladesh job. Other candidates sounded out at the time wanted the option of being able to have a freelance role during the off season.