All posts by h716a5.icu

The stand-off between suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi and the BCCI has intensified with the board preparing to file charges against Modi in the run-up to its next annual general election

Sharda Ugra and Osman Samiuddin27-Aug-2010The stand-off between suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi and the BCCI has intensified with the board preparing to file charges against Modi in the run-up to its next annual general election. The BCCI’s action is expected to reduce the heat on its secretary N Srinivasan, who this week has faced allegations, which he has denied, of intervention in the second IPL auction in January 2009.The move to file charges in a Chennai court against Modi – confirmed to Cricinfo by an official – is a continuation of decisions taken at a special general meeting of the board in June this year at which it was decided to institute a disciplinary committee and begin action against Modi. “It has taken us this long because the secretary had to prepare the papers and the complaint was to be vetted by our legal experts,” the official said.Working against Modi was the pressure on the BCCI by the various agencies investigating the financial irregularities in the IPL’s business deals, particularly the controversial ‘facilitation fee’ deal between MSM and WSG and franchise ownership patterns. “The agencies said to us that if you don’t put up a complaint against him, there can be no impact of our work”, the official said.Insiders believe the move is also a means by which the BCCI can isolate Modi from its ranks in the only designation he still holds in name as the IPL chairman with a five-year term, even though in a suspended state. The matter could be discussed on Saturday when the BCCI’s final working committee meeting before its September Annual General Meeting takes place in Mumbai.The allegations against Srinivasan, which have gained momentum in the Indian media over the past few days, revolves round the plan by Chennai Super Kings to secure the services of Andrew Flintoff at the IPL’s 2009 auction. Srinivasan is head of India Cements, the company that owns Chennai Super Kings.A set of e-mails between Modi and Srinivasan – written around the time of the auction, and which Cricinfo has accessed – suggests that they communicated over Flintoff’s availability; he was eventually bought by Chennai, who bid higher than Rajasthan Royals.”What a nightmare to convince them not to terminate [Sohail] Tanveer and also not to take Flintoff,” reads one email, from Modi to Srinivasan. “[Shane] Warne [the Rajasthan captain] went off the handle. But have managed it by using stick and carrot strategy.” In response, a mail from Srinivasan thanks Modi.For his part, Modi told Cricinfo via e-mail on Thursday that Srinivasan and, through him, Chennai, “pressurised the [IPL] operating team” to get the Flintoff auction to work in the franchise’s favour. Other than Chennai, only two other teams had bid for Flintoff, with Kings XI Punjab first standing down and Rajasthan losing out with a bid of US$1.5m as against Chennai’s $1.55m.Asked whether there were many similar cases to Flintoff’s, Modi replied, “Yes to my knowledge”. He refused to go into detail, saying, “Flintoff’s was the only case at that auction.”Srinivasan denied the allegations of collusion,. “I am a sportsman myself, a golfer, and I believe in playing fair. Why would I ever resort to such means?” he told . “I had the money and could have gone up to US$ 2 million to outbid them. Let’s get one thing clear — it was the franchisee with the bigger purse that won the bid. I never asked for anyone’s favour to acquire Flintoff.”The BCCI president, Shashank Manohar, also backed Srinivasan. “I can produce papers which prove that the charges levelled by Mr Modi against Mr Srinivasan are blatant lies,” Manohar said.A Rajasthan spokesman denied allegations of having been part of the alleged fix, saying their participation in all IPL auctions “have been entirely transparent at all times” and refused to comment further on “any insinuations.”

The Sydney Cricket Ground will continue to host Tests and one-dayers for the next five years but Twenty20 internationals could be held in the city’s larger ANZ Stadium, which hosted the 2000 Olympics

Cricinfo staff13-Jul-2010The Sydney Cricket Ground will continue to host Tests and one-dayers for the next five years but Twenty20 internationals could be held in the city’s larger ANZ Stadium, which hosted the 2000 Olympics. An agreement between Cricket Australia and Cricket New South Wales will ensure Tests and one-day internationals remain at the SCG for the next five years.Last November, the possibility was raised of the SCG losing out as a venue for the 2010-11 Ashes following a staging row between Cricket NSW and the SCG Trust.”The SCG is the home of cricket in Australia, one of the world’s two finest cricket grounds,” Rodney Cavalier, the SCG Trust chairman, said. “Test matches have been played at the SCG since 1882. That tradition will continue. The SCG is where the players want to play, where the cricket lover wants to come.”Ashes tickets go on sale to Australian Cricket Family members on Wednesday and will be on general sale from July 20.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been gifted a huge double injury boost ahead of the weekend…

What’s the latest?

The Yorkshire giants head to east London once again to face West Ham United for the second of this week’s double-header, having been defeated by the Irons in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

But this time, the Argentinian head coach is likely to welcome back two important members of the first-team squad, according to Daily Mirror reporter David Anderson.

“Leeds’ injury crisis is showing signs of easing and Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo should be fit for Sunday’s return trip to West Ham,” he revealed on Twitter.

Huge boost

This will come as a huge boost to Bielsa and his squad as it’ll give them some sort of threat in the final third at long last.

Bamford has been absent for large parts of the 2021/22 campaign, having missed 13 of their last 14 games in the Premier League. His only appearance since mid-September was a 22-minute cameo which brought his second goal of the season but since then, he’s been back on the treatment table.

Last season, the England international was Bielsa’s top goalscorer as he found the net 17 times in 38 appearances. He has been sorely missed as no Leeds player, apart from Raphinha (eight), has scored more than two goals from their 19 top-flight games.

Meanwhile, only five teams have scored fewer goals than the Yorkshiremen this term, three of which occupy a place in the relegation zone.

Rodrigo’s likely return is also encouraging as the Spaniard is a versatile attacker capable of playing in multiple roles. If Bamford wasn’t also returning, then he could be deployed up top, though his position has often been in the no.10 under Bielsa.

His presence could then help generate more chances as he ranks second to Raphinha for creativity, averaging 1.6 key passes per game. The likes of Dan James (0.9) and Jack Harrison (1.1) aren’t doing enough to help right now.

There is also the mounting injury crisis at Thorp Arch. As recently as last month, United were without 11 players for the defeat to Arsenal, so having Bamford and Rodrigo return is certainly encouraging.

Therefore, on the above evidence, Bielsa will be absolutely buzzing to see two of his key squad members back this weekend.

AND in other news, “I’m not so sure..”: Fabrizio Romano drops Raphinha update, fans will be fuming…

Wolves have reportedly seen a big-money bid for Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile rejected but a deal may still be possible in the future.

The Lowdown: January reinforcements possible

Wanderers have enjoyed an impressive first half of the season, sitting in the top half of the Premier League and still basking in the glory of the 1-0 win away to Manchester United earlier this week.

It could be that reinforcements come in during the January transfer window, as Bruno Lage looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the coming months and really challenge for a European place.

Defence could be an area Wolves look at improving further given the injury issues surrounding Willy Boly and Yerson Mosquera, with youngster Dion Sanderson needing to return from a loan spell at Birmingham to try and fix that problem.

The Latest: Badiashile bid rejected

According to L’Equipe [via Sport Witness], Wolves’ €30million (£25m) offer for Badiashile has been turned down by Monaco and the defender ‘does not intend’ to leave the Ligue 1 side currently.

That being said, the situation is not thought to be considered a ‘closed file’ and a summer move could possibly come to fruition if the right offer arrives.

The Verdict: Exciting long-term signing

At 20, Badishile would be a long-term acquisition for Wolves if a deal happens, and a hugely exciting one at that.

The 6 foot 3 tall Frenchman has already made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, not to mention four in the Europa League, averaging a whopping 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the latter.

Badiashile could come in and be an initial backup option for the likes of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss, eventually forcing his way into Lage’s regular plans in the future.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gone wild over training ground footage that has emerged. Read more here.

Yorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match

The Bulletin by John Ward at Headingley24-Sep-2009
ScorecardYorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match. Four wickets by Ajmal Shahzad helped to remove Hampshire soon after lunch, and then an excellent opening partnership of 162 between Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers gave Yorkshire a good platform for a possible victory.The second day began with the match evenly balanced, with Hampshire on 227 for 4, Michael Lumb 72 not out. Lumb never settled down again and his overnight partner Nic Pothas made most of the 16 runs scored in five overs before the second new ball was taken. Matthew Hoggard, who took it, had two confident lbw shouts against Lumb in his first over, and soon afterwards the batsman jabbed at a ball from Shahzad that moved away from him and was caught at second slip for 81.Shahzad, who at the lunch interval received the award for Yorkshire’s Young Cricketer of the Year, was the best of Yorkshire’s bowlers, working up a good pace and having the batsmen frequently groping at the ball. Dimitri Mascarenhas was most uncomfortable, eventually falling for 8 when he flashed at a ball from Hoggard and Anthony McGrath brought off his third fine catch of the innings at second slip.Hampshire suffered another blow when Pothas, who had begun his innings fluently, became bogged down and eventually edged Dion Kruis to the keeper. Kruis initially lost his direction, but then settled down to bowl a good testing spell. Dominic Cork applied himself thoroughly to building an innings, and at lunch Hampshire had reached 321 for 7.Cork and James Tomlinson accumulated runs steadily for a while until Shahzad removed the latter with a fast yorker, and the last two batsmen were soon snuffed out. The last three wickets fell for six runs, the team finishing with 351, which is just about par for the course in county cricket these days. Cork, who did not try to shield his last two partners, was unbeaten with 42.Yorkshire began their innings amid various assumptions, the chief of them being that if they reached 300 they would be secure in the top division for another season, no matter what Sussex did in their match with Nottinghamshire. Rudolph began as if he planned to get them all before tea, lashing the first ball of the innings backward of point to the boundary, and driving the third through the covers for four. At the other end Joe Sayers assumed the mantle of Geoffrey Boycott and took 25 balls to get off the mark.The Hampshire bowlers settled, though, and for a while both batsmen became seriously bogged down by their accuracy, backed by tight fielding, Mascarenhas turning in an opening spell of 6-3-4-0, mostly to Sayers. But the batsmen did not lose their nerve or patience, and worked through their difficult period until just before tea, when Rudolph broke free again with 12 in an over off Tomlinson.The score at the interval was 49, and the imminent landmark was reached immediately afterwards, as Sayers cut the first ball, from Tomlinson, to the boundary. Runs then began to flow, helped by a disastrous spell from Sean Ervine, who went for 35 runs in four overs, liberally sprayed with a wide and four no-balls. Sayers hit both his first two deliveries to the boundary and almost caught Rudolph, although taking most of the bowling. Rudolph reached his 50 off 99 balls, and three deliveries later Sayers joined him, off 123.Just before five o’clock, the news came through that Sussex had been dismissed for 243, and Yorkshire’s bacon had been saved for another season; this was the third year out of four that they had earned a last-minute reprieve from Death Row. The opening stand went on to record 162 runs, at which point Rudolph fell for 68 (Sayers then 69) when he mistimed a drive to mid-on off Danny Briggs. David Wainwright saw out the day, leaving Yorkshire in provisionally the better position overnight.

Since the punishments Raqib has publicly spoken of his surprise at the fines and bans but the board today released a statement claiming that Raqib had wanted players to be heavily fined

Osman Samiuddin15-Mar-2010Younis Khan axing Mohammad Yousuf from the second ODI against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last November ultimately led to his own resignation from the captaincy and created problems within the team, according to the report of the manager of the side Abdur Raqib. This, and a number of other revelations, was announced by the PCB today in a press release salvo aimed at the former manager, who was with the side on tours to Abu Dhabi, New Zealand and Australia.The three tours culminated with a winless trip to Australia and the results led to an inquiry committee looking at the reasons behind the loss. The committee – with assent from the board chairman Ijaz Butt – last week handed out severe fines and bans to seven senior players for various breaches of discipline. But the board, to mounting criticism, has refused to make public the committee report, which itself took inputs from reports of the coach, manager and interviews with many players. This release, in which details of Raqib’s reports are released, could however mark the beginning of a drip-drip release of the entire report.Since the punishments Raqib has publicly spoken of his surprise – and in some cases disappointment – at the fines and bans. But the board today released a statement claiming that Raqib had wanted players to be heavily fined. According to the board, in his manager’s report, Raqib writes “that when Younis Khan decided to drop Mohammad Yousuf for the second ODI against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi [Yousuf played the second ODI, but was dropped from the third match], it led to a series of events that ultimately forced Younis Khan to resign. Raquib’s tour report clearly mentioned that when Yousuf was told he was dropped on account of his poor fielding he curtly replied, “I have been fielding like this for the last 7 years”. He publicly argued with the team coach and the resulting disquiet in the team led to the dropping of Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal. Raquib stated that it was in the backdrop of these events that team unity completely broke down and eventually Younis Khan resigned from the captaincy. Raquib has also admitted that he was unable to take any corrective action and remained totally helpless to arrest the sharply falling team morale in during these events.”Other incidents revealed in the report confirm the impression that there was considerable disquiet within the side through the three-month trip. Most damaging is the apparent confirmation of the behaviour of the Akmal brothers after the Sydney Test. Kamran was fined for making statements to the Australian press about playing in Hobart, but Raqib’s report also says that younger brother Umar complained of a non-existent back injury in the run-up to the Test. “After the second Test in Sydney when Kamran Akmal was apparently being dropped for poor performance he started giving statements in the Australian Press which was a clear breach of the player’s code of Conduct. Consequently Umar Akmal complained of a back injury; however after a medical check up no injury was found. Umar Akmal however also violated the code of conduct by giving statements to the press.”A “brawl” between Yousuf and coach Intikhab Alam is also documented, during the fifth and final ODI in Perth, which Yousuf eventually sat out amid much speculation at the time. “Raquib has also written in his tour report that after the 5th ODI against Australia a brawl took place between Mohammad Yousuf and the team coach on the selection of the team, as Shahid Afridi had made two changes and dropped Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik,” the PCB said. The report also confirmed rumours of an altercation between Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer during a Test in New Zealand, one serious enough to incur heavy fines.The board said it “completely rejected Raquib’s recent statements in the press where he has denied complaining about player indiscipline during his stint as Team Manager. In his recent appearance before the Australian Tour Inquiry Committee when asked what action should be taken against those players who were found to be in breach of team discipline Mr. Raquib had suggested that they should be heavily fined. It is disappointing to note that Mr. Raquib has chosen to deny what is already well recorded and documented. Raquib had repeated his complaints during his appearance before the Australia Tour Inquiry Committee. Now Mr. Raquib is issuing statements that are completely opposite to his own stated positions.”

Cricinfo previews the return match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

The Preview by Nitin Sundar12-Apr-2010 Match factsMumbai v Delhi, Mumbai
Tuesday, April 13
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Will Delhi’s biggest name fire in a crunch game?•Indian Premier League Big PictureDelhi Daredevils have somehow managed to get into a tight spot. After reeling off four successive wins, they misfired against two relatively weak sides to be left competing with the midfield runners in the race to the semi-finals. Gautam Gambhir’s men will be desperate to reverse their losing run against Mumbai Indians, since the margin for error is minimal leading into their final set of league games.
All of Delhi’s three remaining matches are against teams that defeated them in the first half of the tournament. A win against Mumbai, besides taking them to second place, will give them confidence and some elbow-room, while defeat could put them into sudden-death mode. For a side that made it to the last four without much fuss in the previous editions, that will be a tough situation to handle.Mumbai are at the other end of the spectrum: Having almost reached the semis, for the first time in three years, they now have a few games to attain complete perfection ahead of the knockout stage. They were surprised twice in their last three matches and, on each occasion, their batting struggled when Sachin Tendulkar failed. The young Indians manning the top order – Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary – have shown class but not consistency, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s indifferent IPL continued against Rajasthan. In his current form, Tendulkar is capable of taking Mumbai all the way on his own, but it is in his team’s best interests to prepare for every eventuality.Form guide (most recent first)Mumbai Indians WLLWW
Delhi Daredevils LLWWWTeam talkGiven Mumbai’s position and the impending World Twenty20, both Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga rightfully deserve breathers. It is unlikely that Mumbai will bench both of them in the same match and, depending on who sits out, either Dhawal Kulkarni or Ryan McLaren can expect to play. Jayasuriya has struggled to 33 runs in four matches and Dhawan deserves to reclaim the opening spot. Can Dwayne Bravo, a match-winner when he gets going, find a way back into the side?
Delhi are unlikely to make any changes despite losing their last game. Ashish Nehra should hold his spot, and so should Mithun Manhas ahead of Kedar Jadhav. Previously…Mumbai 2, Delhi 3
When these sides clashed earlier this year, Tendulkar and Tiwary smashed their way to a mammoth 218, which the hosts fell well short of on a Kotla pitch that slowed to a crawl under lights. Thankfully for Delhi, their bowling combination is now quite different to the one that was plundered in that game. In the spotlightVirender Sehwag knows he is due for a match-winning innings and must be itching to go after Mumbai’s strong pace attack. Without being even close to his best, he has been Delhi’s best batsman this year, and a Sehwag-special can seal the issue in a matter of overs. Mumbai have used Harbhajan Singh as a striking weapon with the new ball and if these two face off, expect sparks to fly.
It will take a brave man to bet against another Tendulkar show, and Gambhir will have to be spot on with his plans against him. Twice in three games, spin has contributed to his fall and Gambhir’s best bet may be to let his in-form slow men – Amit Mishra and Daniel Vettori – have a go at him. Prime numbers Zaheer, Malinga and Harbhajan hold the 5th, 6th and 8th spots in the race for the purple cap, and have 38 wickets between them. No other team has more than two bowlers in the top-ten Sehwag’s 170.52 is the best strike-rate among the top ten run-scorers in the tournamentMalinga is the only bowler with two entries in the top ten bowling performances of the tournament, with 4 for 22 against Kings XI Punjab and 3 for 12 against Deccan Chargers The chatter “I personally would prefer to play away matches as a batsman and bowler.”

“I better make sure I keep scoring fifties.”

Noel Whelan has been reacting to Celtic’s reported swoop for former Leeds United midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Terms agreed

Celtic don’t seem to be wasting any time when it comes to getting a head-start on their January business.

Ideguchi could well be one of the first to arrive at Parkhead in 2022, with the Hoops reportedly agreeing on terms with Gamba Osaka in recent days for the 25-year-old.

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A medical has been pencilled in before the end of the month, with hopes of a transfer being finalised ahead of January 1.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who regularly contributes for BBC Radio Leeds, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Ideguchi.

Here is what he had to say in reply about the 25-year-old, backing Ange Postecoglou to bring out the ‘superstar’ in the Japan international.

“He was one of these players that came into Leeds United that no one ever saw

“As soon as he came in he was sent out on loan.

“Look, Postecoglou has obviously done his homework. He knows of the player

“Where would he fit in the team? Well, he’s an attacking midfield player. We had so many high hopes and heard rave reviews when he came into Leeds. He was the next star.

“It didn’t really materialise but maybe Postecoglou can get the best out of him and find the position that’s going to bring out that superstar status when he signed for Leeds.

“Right now, you can’t question the signings that he’s made.”

The Verdict: Needed?

Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull in midfield this season, with summer signing James McCarthy struggling at the beginning of his Parkhead career.

The Irishman has struggled ‘in training with the pace and intensity of Postecoglou’s sessions and the demands of his midfielders’ and has been restricted to just five starts in all competitions.

On that basis, bringing in Ideguchi, who can play in a central or attacking midfield role, could be a shrewd move in the long run to bolster Celtic’s ranks in the middle of the park.

In other news: Celtic allegedly now looking at signing 34-assist ace in January; he’s his agency’s biggest star

Cricinfo rounds up the action from the third day of the 2009-10 Duleep Trophy semi-finals

Cricinfo staff28-Jan-2010
Scorecard
A gigantic first-innings lead of 475 didn’t convince West Zone to enforce the follow-on against North Zone in Rajkot. North were bowled out for 294 chasing 769 but West decided to come out and bat again, virtually ruling out the possibility of an outright win unless North collapse on the final day. North were already in trouble overnight on the second day at 36 for 3, before the middle order stepped up. Virat Kohli and Rajat Bhatia made fifties while Vikramjeet Malik and Mithun Manhas made forties. Manhas and Bhatia added an exact 100 for the sixth wicket but it was the only century stand North managed. They needed more of those to get close to the follow-on target but succumbed to the duo of Irfan Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets apiece. West came out and batted out 14 overs but lost Ajinkya Rahane for a duck. They ended with an overall lead of 531 and with the first-innings lead in the bag, they may well choose to bat out the final day since they’re virtually assured of a place in the final.
Scorecard
The other semi-final in Indore was nothing like the drab affair in Rajkot, with all four results possible on the final day. After South Zone surrendered a first-innings lead, R Ashwin brought his team back into the game with a six-wicket haul to bowl out Central Zone for 252, leaving them a target of 291. Resuming on 254 for 8, Vinay Kumar frustrated the Central bowlers with an attacking 48 off 53 balls. His Karnataka team-mate Abhimanyu Mithun joined him in a tenth-wicket stand of 37 but it wasn’t enough as South fell short of Central’s first-innings score by 38. Vinay and Mithun struck early to reduce Central to 39 for 3 before Suresh Raina resisted with a fifty. Ashwin chipped away at the middle order as Central were in a spot of bother at 150 for 7. However, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar staged another revival with a brisk stand of 62. Chawla made a run-a-ball 56 while Praveen made 40 off 39 balls. Ashwin finished with 6 for 67 while Mithun, who was named in the Indian Test squad to face South Africa, took two wickets. South lost Robin Uthappa early but the Tamil Nadu duo of Abhinav Mukund and Arun Karthik remained unbeaten. South will go into the final day needing a further 234 for a place in the final.

The Cobras’ three-wicket victory earned them the right to play the table-topping Lions in Friday’s final at the Wanderers

The Report by Firdose Moonda09-Dec-2012
Scorecard Justin Ontong made an unbeaten 82 to help the Cobras reach the Momentum Cup final•Getty ImagesDale Steyn’s five-wicket haul for the Cobras helped offset AB de Villiers’ century for the Titans as national heavyweights played starring roles in the one-day cup playoff. The Cobras’ three-wicket victory earned them the right to play the table-topping Lions in Friday’s final at the Wanderers.They had their bowlers to thank for restricting the Titans to a below-par score on a slow Newlands pitch and Justin Ontong and Yaseen Vallie’s century stand for anchoring the chase. Despite, eventful dismissals – like Dane Vilas’ for obstructing the field – the Cobras won with 21 balls to spare.Steyn was not even due to play this match after he signed a one-game deal with the Brisbane Heat for Australia’s Big Bash League. CSA withdrew his NOC at the last minute and even though Steyn said he was disappointed not to be able to participate in the BBL, he did not show it. Instead, he struck telling blows for the Cobras against his former franchise, with two wickets in his first spell and three in one over in his last.The Titans were without their BBL-contracted player, Faf du Plessis, who returned from Australia on Saturday but was left out of the XI. They did have Morne Morkel at their disposal, but his efforts with the ball were not enough, despite an early breakthrough.After Eden Links caught Andrew Puttick spectacularly at short midwicket off Roelof van der Merwe, Morkel had Stiaan van Zyl caught at third man. Richard Levi got a top-edge a heave over long-off to leave the Cobras 72 for 3 in the 14th over.Vilas should have been out caught off the glove when he was on 23 but stood his ground and the umpire did not raise the finger. In the next over, Vilas danced out of his crease and drove the ball back to David Wiese. Before Vilas had made his ground, Wiese threw the ball back and Vilas got into position to block it with his bat.The Titans appealed for obstruction and, after a lengthy delay, Vilas was given out. Graeme Smith, the national captain who plays for the Cobras but missed the match through injury, called the dismissal a “disgraceful decision setting the wrong precedent,” on Twitter.Ontong and Vallie ensured Vilas’ departure did not affect the Cobras too badly. They played aggressively and targeted relative newcomer Tumi Masekela. Vallie became van der Merwe’s third victim and Robin Peterson his fourth but Ontong batted to the end, turning it on against Henry Davids* when he hit the medium-pacer for back-to-back sixes over square leg. But, it was Rory Kleinveldt who blasted the winning runs in boundaries off Wiese, who he hit for two fours and a six.Earlier, Steyn found swing on a warm Cape Town day and dismissed the Titans openers cheaply. When de Villiers walked in, his side was in trouble on 18 for 2 in the fifth over. He joined fellow international Jacques Rudolph and the two did a good repair job to add 49 runs for the third-wicket before Rudolph was run-out.The Titans then had another wobble. When Martin van Jaarsveld was caught behind off Rory Kleinveldt they were 85 for 4 but with de Villiers still there to build the second recovery. De Villiers and Farhaan Behardien rotated the strike well, with de Villiers finding boundaries off Johann Louw.Their 120-run fifth wicket stand gave the Titans a launch pad but the rocket did not take off. De Villiers was run out by a direct hit from Ontong at point and the Titans stalled. Steyn was brought back in the 47th over and pegged them back further.He had Wiese caught behind off the first ball and Behardien deceived by a change of pace off the fourth. But his marquee wicket was bowling his South Africa team-mate Morkel, who did not get forward to a delivery that uprooted off stump.With their lower-order in tatters, the Titans stuttered to 241 for 9. It was a score that did not look enough and in the end, proved not to be.*11.58 GMT, December 11, 2012: Corrected bowler from Eden Links to Henry Davids