Sanath Jayasuriya believes Sri Lanka’s historic win over South Africa in Durban could rival their triumph over England at the Oval 13 years ago as the country’s most significant victory outside the subcontinent.

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-2011Sanath Jayasuriya believes Sri Lanka’s historic win over South Africa in Durban could rival their triumph over England at The Oval 13 years ago as the country’s most significant victory outside the subcontinent. Jayasuriya, the former Sri Lanka captain, scored a sensational double-hundred while Muttiah Muralitharan took 16 wickets in that match, which was achieved under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga. The Kingsmead win was Sri Lanka’s first since Muralitharan retired 16 months ago and gave Tillakaratne Dilshan his first success as captain.”This win is very important because of all these dramas the cricketers have gone through,” a delighted Jayasuiya told ESPNcricinfo. “The team has not been doing well and they have had some administrative problems and mentally, they were quite down. They have done a very good thing now and they are on a high.”Russell Arnold, who was in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 1998 England tour, told ESPNcricinfo in his post-match analysis he regarded the South African success as even sweeter than the win over England because of the current state of the team. With two of their bowling stalwarts, Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, retired and their impressive batting line-up, which includes Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, constantly under-performing in the last six months, Arnold said Sri Lanka’s performance in Durban defied belief. No-one, not even Arnold, thought they would be able to compete and challenge South Africa on home soil.Sri Lanka were shot out for 180 and 150 in the first Test in Centurion and Jayasuriya said their failure to adapt to conditions was worrying, but not insurmountable. On a less hostile surface, which allowed for a more even contest between bat and ball, it was South Africa who looked unable to adjust. Sri Lanka boasted two hundreds in the match, having only had one of their countrymen score a century in South Africa before, as both Thilan Samaraweera and Sangakkara achieved milestones.”It was exactly what I said before. We needed partnerships and one of the top six to get a hundred. That was the key,” Jayasuriya said, “Once we were able to put on more than 300, it gives the bowlers something to work with.” Sri Lanka scored 338 in the first innings, thanks to Samaraweera’s efforts and a crucial partnership with debutant wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.The bowlers made use of the uneven bounce and turn out of the rough to run through South Africa for 168 and then Sangakkara returned to form with a century that took the match away from the hosts. Sangakkara had scores of 1, 2 and 0 in his previous three innings and was dropped on 3 in Durban, something which Jayasuriya said would have been his signal to end his barren patch. “Any batsman will hurt a lot after going through a bad patch,” said Jayasuriya. “But he got a chance and capitalised on it. When Sanga gets a start, he goes on to make big runs.”Chandimal also featured in a century stand in the second innings, with Sangakkara, to cap off a solid maiden Test. “I am very happy for him,” said Jayasuriya. “The selectors gave him an opportunity and he used it well.”Collectively, as Arnold said, rather than through a handful of performances from top players, Sri Lanka preyed on South Africa’s weaknesses – which ranged from tentativeness against a disciplined attack to an incurable mindset, stuck in the three previous defeats they have sunk to in Durban. It was this mental aspect that Jayasuriya said opened a crack for Sri Lanka and they did well not to waste it.”We choked them really nicely,” Jayasuriya said, using a word that will no doubt cause the South African squad to bristle. “We’ve seen with their history when it comes to crunch situations they don’t do well.”Jayasuriya expects South Africa to make the home advantage count in the decider in Cape Town, which starts on Tuesday. “They won’t want a flat wicket, so they will probably prepare something with pace and bounce,” he said. However, the Newlands pitch is the surface which best accommodates spin, which will be welcome news for Rangana Herath and Sri Lanka’s batsmen, who will likely feel a little more at home in South Africa now.

Technology conspired against Michael Hussey in the first innings at the MCG. He wasn’t finished yet

Daniel Brettig01-Jan-2012By indulging in a spot of impromptu primal scream therapy following his Boxing Day dismissal in Melbourne, Michael Hussey betrayed the frustrations of a dire run of scores. Having yelled to the heavens for a little more good fortune as he marched off the field, Hussey duly received it in the second innings, making a pivotal 89 with the help of a dropped catch and an edge behind that was not detected by the umpires.That performance, in a partnership of great value with Ricky Ponting, shored up Hussey’s place in Australia’s immediate plans, after a sequence of innings in which he had been getting out at all the wrong times. As perplexing for Hussey were the ways in which technology had conspired against him. In Hobart he was lbw first ball on referral, then at the MCG he was given out for another golden duck without having recourse to refer due to India’s reluctance to employ the DRS.”I said something like ‘give us a break’,” Hussey said of his scream. “I just felt like I’d been preparing so well, I felt really good in my mind, I felt like I’d been hitting the ball really well in the last couple of months but I hadn’t felt like I’d got any reward for the hard work that I’d been putting in. I was almost just yelling at the cricket gods really to give me a break here, you know? I probably got a bit of a break in the second innings so it’s amazing how the game works.”The DRS shall remain a point of conjecture throughout the series, and Hussey maintained Australia’s support of it, while offering some reservations about the veracity of ball-tracking technology.”I’m a fan of the DRS just to give the umpires a helping hand there for one, but also just because we want to get more correct decisions in the match,” he said. “I do still think that the technology can be improved, I’m not 100% convinced that there’s complete accuracy with the tracking system of the ball. Which is, I believe, one of the reasons the Indians don’t want to use it and that’s fair enough.”I’d have to say that I think the umpires did an outstanding job. They’ve got to make a decision within a split second on what they see and they don’t have the benefit of doing the slow-mo replays, having the technology to make their decision. Generally speaking, the umpires down in Melbourne did a great job.”As fortunate as Hussey was at times in the second innings, he also made his own luck by pursuing runs purposefully and aggressively from a position where Australia might easily have been bowled out for their third score of less than 100 within 12 months. Hussey’s first 20 balls, the subject of a dressing room placard urging focus at the start of an innings, reaped 23 runs, and India’s grip on the second innings slackened greatly thereafter.”I didn’t come out with any pre-conceived idea,” Hussey said. “I felt in really good touch in my own mind … it’s just a case of being able to get away with a bit of a start. I was lucky enough to get a ball on my pads to start with and just by getting away early it can sometimes give you that confidence and impetus to continue playing positively.”They were attacking obviously, because they had us in a lot of trouble. That opened up scoring opportunities for us and enabled Ricky and I to get a little partnership together and quite a positive one. It was really tough. I think Ishant Sharma was bowling up around 150km/h and it’s what Test cricket is all about.”From that base Australia built up to one of the team’s most satisfying Test victories of 2011, causing Hussey’s duties as leader of the team chant to be played out with particular gusto in the middle of the MCG some hours after the win was completed.”A very, very satisfying innings and partnership with Ricky,” Hussey said. “There’s no greater feeling to come in with your team under pressure and to be able to get a partnership to where your team can win the match. When you do go on and win the match you can sit back and after that game and really remember such great feelings. That’s where you get your respect from your peers, just going out and doing the business in a real pressure situation. Just a fantastic win by the boys.”

England’s first-class counties will play just 14 Championship games per season as the ECB board looks set to ratify the vast majority of the Morgan Review at Lord’s on Thursday

George Dobell10-Jan-2012England’s first-class counties will play just 14 Championship games per season as the ECB Management Board looks set to ratify the vast majority of the Morgan Review at Lord’s on Thursday.Barring a major u-turn from the ECB, the changes will be implemented ahead of the 2014 season. Other features will include a return to 50-over List A cricket, a minimum 14 Twenty20 games per county and a cut in the level of the salary cap.While few counties are happy with the results, most seem willing to accept them. David Morgan, the former ICC and ECB chairman, consulted widely throughout 2011 and county officials have accepted, after years of prevarication, that the ECB needed to show leadership. Whether spectators, who have had little chance to put forward their views, accept the report so readily remains to be seen.The biggest winners of the Morgan Review are Team England. They were keen that the quantity of domestic cricket be reduced and keen that domestic limited-overs cricket should mirror the international game. It will be an irony lost on few that the Morgan was initially appointed in May to lead a review into “the business of county cricket.”Though Morgan presented his interim report in November to the widespread approval of the board, his full report will not be submitted until Thursday. After ratification, an almost inevitable event, the county chief executives will be invited for a meeting at Lord’s on January 23 to discuss the report’s implications. David Morgan will not be present, although he may join the meeting by video conference. As Dave Brooks, the chief executive of Sussex put it: “There will be no more consultation about the domestic structure.”Fundamental to the changes is the scheduling of the Champions League. The tournament, which has been allocated its own space in the ICC’s Future Tours Program, will, in most seasons, be staged from mid-September. That has created fixture congestion in the English domestic season and seen the season end almost two weeks earlier than previously.

India’s feted openers exited too early, and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home

The Report by Nitin Sundar08-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli’s authoritative 77 set up India’s chase•Getty Images

India’s feted openers did not cause significant damage and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home. Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77 set the agenda, but India began to falter when he had cramps around the mid-point of the innings. His exit, run out while attempting a hopeless single, left India’s lower order 53 tricky runs to get. Ashwin and Jadeja did the rest, braving the Lasith Malinga threat and the epidemic of nerves that had blighted the middle order.For some reason Sri Lanka did not go hard enough at India after Kohli’s fall. Malinga, who yorked the stumps with a slingshot throw from mid-on to catch a diving Kohli short in the 36th over, had four overs left. Mahela Jayawardene brought his trump card on quickly, but didn’t provide him with the attacking fields the situation demanded. Malinga was off after two quick overs that were handled well, and by the time he returned for the 45th over, India needed only 17 more. It was too late – Ashwin and Jadeja had played themselves in, and ticked the runs away with composure.

Smart stats

• Sachin Tendulkar went past 3000 runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs. He is the only player to pass that mark against two teams (Australia and Sri Lanka). His century tally of nine and eight against these two teams is also the highest for a batsman against a particular opposition.

• Virat Kohli’s half-century is his 19th in ODIs to go with eight centuries. He now has 2968 runs in 76 matches at an average of 47.11. It is also his sixth half-century against Sri Lanka.

• Sri Lanka’s score of 233 equalled their highest total in Perth. The previous one was in a defeat against Australia in 2006. The target chased by India is the fifth highest they have achieved in ODIs in Australia.

• The 234-run target is also the joint fifth-highest chased by any team in Perth. Three of those have come against Australia.

• R Ashwin picked up three wickets in an innings for the seventh time, and for the first time against Sri Lanka. The 3 for 32 is also his third-best performance and second three-wicket haul outside India.

• The 53-run stand between Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is the sixth fifty-plus stand for the seventh wicket for India against Sri Lanka. It is also the second half-century stand against Sri Lanka for the pair, after their 51-run partnership in Harare in 2010.

• Dinesh Chandimal’s half-century is his first against India and fourth overall in ODIs. He also has two centuries in 23 matches at an average of 37.63.

The only moment of indiscretion came when India needed one to win. Ashwin tried to loft Angelo Mathews down the ground and hit it straight up in the air. Three men converged, and mid-off, who should have taken it easily, backed off following some miscommunication, as India scrambled through for the win. The fielder at mid-off was Malinga.The batting effort capped Ashwin’s best day on tour, when he reduced his pace, tossed the ball up, and extracted a lot more spin than is the norm in Perth. He came into the attack at an ideal moment, soon after Zaheer Khan had dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in the 17th over with an away seamer. That was Zaheer’s second moment of excellence against a left-hand batsman, after he took just 10 balls in his opening spell to work over Upul Tharanga. Thereafter, Ashwin suffocated Sri Lanka’s momentum in partnership with Zaheer. Between them, they reaped combined returns of 20-2-76-5. That included 14 of the 20 Powerplay overs, which yielded 4 for 42.Tillakaratne Dilshan fought through Zaheer’s opening burst, and was primed to take off after beavering to 48, but gifted his wicket away. Dinesh Chandimal took charge, walking across his stumps to clip Praveen fine, steering with soft hands into the covers and setting himself up early for swings to the leg side. He had added 52 in 11.2 overs with Jayawardene, at which point Ashwin began to wield his influence.The carom ball was scarcely used, as Ashwin focused on loop, drift and traditional turn to good effect. He first induced Jayawardene to top-edge a sweep to fine leg in the batting Powerplay. He then dented hopes of a quick recovery by weaving a sharp offbreak past Thisara Perera, before dismissing Chandimal in the 44th over. That put paid to Sri Lanka’s prospects of a flying finish, though Mathews slogged hard and ran harder to provide some late succour.Sri Lanka’s all-seam attack, in contrast to their opponents earlier in the day, attempted to use pace and bounce to unsettle India. Virender Sehwag perished attempting his patent upper cut, which did not carry beyond third man. Sachin Tendulkar’s fans enjoyed 48 runs of sublime batting, before he once again succumbed without completing the most eagerly anticipated century in cricket history. Until he played on to Mathews, attempting a cheeky dab to third man, Tendulkar lined up a bunch of pleasing shots, with head stationary and feet moving well. A firm front-foot push off Malinga was as good as any stroke played through the day, until Kohli began to dazzle.Kohli imperiously flicked his second ball through square leg for four. The extra pace on the pitch seemed to play into Kohli’s hands, as he pranced into position early to play attacking shots on either side of the pitch. His control was epitomised by the ease with which he pulled a pacy Dhammika Prasad bumper through square leg. Rohit Sharma’s lethargic movements at the other end were only accentuated by Kohli’s quick feet and hands.India were coasting when Rohit played a loose cut to be caught at point. Suresh Raina kept the flag aflutter with a couple of pleasing cover drives, but the threat of the short ball was imminently around the corner. With Kohli cramping, Raina took it upon himself to go for the boundaries, and holed out while trying to pull Mathews. MS Dhoni too returned without making a dent, late on a pull that spiralled to mid-on. When Kohli ran himself out, India had lost three big wickets for 24 in 3.5 overs. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, that was the last time Malinga hit the stumps.

Twenty minutes of play was lost in bright sunshine on the second morning of the Trinidad Test because officials wanted to make sure no commercial contracts would be breached

Daniel Brettig in Port-of-Spain17-Apr-2012Twenty minutes of play was lost in bright sunshine on the second morning of the Trinidad Test because officials wanted to make sure no commercial contracts would be breached if the match continued without television coverage due to a power failure.In a Test that had already lost two hours to rain and lost more time on the second afternoon, the sight of the West Indies and Australia players marching back off the ground after assembling for the scheduled 9.30am start drew groans from the Tuesday crowd in Port-of-Spain. Play did not get underway until 9.50.Observers at the ground, including local radio commentators, speculated that upon hearing in the middle that DRS referrals would not be available, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke took his men from the field. However ESPNcricinfo understands that none of the players, umpires Marais Erasmus and Ian Gould, or the match referee Jeff Crowe, knew of the power cut until informed by the television production crew moments before the scheduled start.Upon discovering it, the umpires took the players from the field and a meeting was convened between management on both sides, the match officials and the WICB. The meeting concluded that play should re-start at 9.50 irrespective of whether or not the power returned. Any further cuts to television’s power source at the Queen’s Park Oval will not stop play from continuing.The power outage on the second morning was not the first of the match, as one Michael Beer over on the second evening was played out without television working at the ground. In that over Beer appealed strongly for lbw against Adrian Barath, but Australia were unable to refer the decision due to the lack of television pictures.Matches have gone on in the past when DRS referrals are not available for environmental or technical reasons. Australia played on in the field against New Zealand at Wellington’s Basin Reserve in 2010 when strong winds shook television cameras and rendered ball-tracking technology inaccurate.There have also been past instances of matches being delayed by the loss of television pictures, including the India versus Sri Lanka ODI at Bellerive Oval in Hobart during this year’s triangular series in Australia.The relevant passage of the ICC’s Test match playing conditions state that the match referee has the final call on the use of DRS in a match. “Where practical usage or further testing indicates that any of the above forms of technology cannot reliably provide accurate and timely information, then it may be removed prior to or during a match,” the conditions state. “The final decision regarding the technology to be used in a given match will be taken by the ICC Match Referee in consultation with the ICC Technical Official, ICC Management and the competing teams’ governing bodies.”

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has said it is “unlikely” they will agree to Bangladesh’s proposal to play three ODIs and five Twenty20s in May

Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2012The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has said it is “unlikely” they will agree to Bangladesh’s proposal to play three ODIs and five Twenty20s in May. SACA will meet with Cricket South Africa on Tuesday to discuss the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s offer but association chief executive Tony Irish told ESPNcricinfo it is doubtful they will rubber-stamp the fixtures.Should they withhold permission, the tour cannot take place, as Irish explained. “Because this will fall outside the Future Tours Programme, it needs the permission of SACA to take place,” Irish said. “And what I can say at the moment is that it is unlikely we will go through with it.”Irish said the main reason for SACA’s hesitancy is the packed schedule facing the national team. Most South Africa players are currently involved in the IPL or in county cricket, with the notable exceptions being Graeme Smith, who is recovering from ankle injury and Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Mark Boucher, who did not secure IPL deals.Bangladesh’s proposal to play the matches in May will leave South Africa without some of their players who are occupied in either India or England and could result in avoidable fatigue in a busy year. South Africa will play Zimbabwe in five practice Twenty20 matches in June, will then travel to England for over two months from July from where they will head to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. They also visit Australia in October-November and host New Zealand in December.Jacques Faul, CSA acting chief executive, said timing would be the biggest consideration when the relevant stakeholders meet to make a decision. “We always want to play cricket and foster cricket but we’ve got to be careful with how much preparation and how much rest we give our team,” Faul said. “It is quite important how we pace the team.”Irish’s comments indicated that it was in the best interest of the players not to include an extra tour, as it may result in overload. “With the way the international season is scheduled, it is quite difficult to fit other matches in, unless they are on special request from the team,” Irish said. The five matches in Zimbabwe are an example of this, with the fixtures taking place after national coach Gary Kirsten asked for more T20s before the World Twenty20.Zimbabwe have made special arrangements to accommodate South Africa’s request for the practice matches. They moved the dates for maintenance work on the pitches in Harare and Bulawayo from June to July, which also resulted in them having to postpone their scheduled tour against Bangladesh to later in the year.This has left Bangladesh with no international cricket before the World Twenty20 and motivated them to seek fixtures from South Africa. Bangladesh have also mooted the idea of a tri-series between themselves, South Africa and Zimbabwe although that also appears unlikely to happen.

Kings XI Punjab, slow starters in this IPL, broke through into the top half of the points table

The Report by Siddhartha Talya02-May-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Nitin Saini made his maiden Twenty20 half-century•AFP

Kings XI Punjab, slow starters in this IPL, broke through into the top half of the points table with what should have been a comfortable win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, who fell significantly short of the formidable target they looked good to set. Kings XI scaled down 159 amid some late panic that produced three run-outs, taking the game to the penultimate ball when it deserved a swifter ending.The platform for a successful chase was laid by youngsters Mandeep Singh and Nitin Saini, who batted assuredly, and stand-in captain David Hussey took them close with a fiery cameo. In the end, Piyush Chawla’s match-sealing six apart, Kings XI’s bowlers made the difference, with Praveen Kumar’s excellent opening spell and Azhar Mahmood’s economy at the death combining to undermine another Chris Gayle special and Virat Kohli’s return to form.Kings XI had no business losing with 13 needed off the last four overs. Not even after Saini fell trying to finish things off, miscuing a catch after scoring a half-century. Just one run came off the 17th over, and Mahmood was caught short in the next by an accurate throw from KP Appanna in the deep. Hussey followed when six were needed off nine, his dive to complete a second run beaten by AB de Villiers’ superb collection of a throw on the half-volley. Abhishek Nayar went next ball, trying an impossible run.Vinay Kumar brought it down to five off four in the final over, and the game was on a knife’s edge with two needed off two. Then came a length ball, allowing Chawla to free his arms, and he thrashed Vinay over deep midwicket. It brought up Kings XI’s fourth away win of the season, they’ve won five in all.The manic end almost undid an impressive show by Kings XI’s two upcoming talents. Mandeep was occasionally scratchy but delivered the start his team needed, timing the ball beautifully and even displaying some spunk against the accomplished bowling of Zaheer Khan. He pulled over midwicket and whipped over square leg for six, and slashed Vinay through point. He took the lead in the chase, over the more experienced Shaun Marsh, and Saini consolidated the good start.Saini was less attacking but batted with maturity, picking off the singles and twos comfortably, interspersed with some lovely strokeplay of his own. He drove Andrew McDonald beautifully down the ground, cut well against medium pace and spin, and marched close to his half-century with a confident pull off Zaheer. Saini didn’t feel the urgency to open up, his job made easier by Hussey, who smashed the left-arm spin of Appanna for two massive sixes before delivering the same treatment to Asad Pathan. By then, the pair had added 73 in 43 balls and the game was as good as over. Or so we thought.The batting backed up a superior show with the ball by Kings XI. Praveen, who conceded just eight off his four overs, the most economical spell this season, was the beneficiary of some early swing after his team chose to field. Though he went wicketless, the batsmen had few answers against his exploitation of the conditions, which included good bounce. Praveen beat the bat often, squaring up Gayle, troubling Kohli with outswing, forcing the batsmen to look for an opening at the other end while playing him with caution.Having conceded just 48 off the first nine overs, Kings XI were ahead but the introduction of spin and stark decline in the quality of bowling sparked a turn in the tide. Gayle and Kohli feasted on Piyush Chawla’s long hops, collecting 11 off his first over, and then launching him for a six each in his next. Gayle – who was dropped on 39 – then targeted an erratic Parvinder Awana, taking 19 in an over that included a powerful, flat six over long-on. The pair tore into length balls from Abhishek Nayar the next over, dispatching them over the fence, and five overs had suddenly yielded 68 runs. Just as Royal Challengers looked set for a commanding score, the momentum changed hands again.Gayle holed out in the deep against Mahmood, Kohli was done in by a skidder from Chawla – the two had added 119 – and the batsmen who followed weren’t able to bat as freely. Andrew McDonald and de Villiers targeted Awana for 14 in an over but fell in a space off three deliveries in the final over from Mahmood, who conceded only four off it. He varied his pace, surprised the batsmen with the short ball and was on target with his yorkers, ensuring Kings XI walked back satisfied with the hope of chasing a gettable total.

For the first time since 1964 – at Lord’s against Australia – the first two days of an England home Test were washed out after the second day at Edgbaston went the same way as the first.

Andrew McGlashan08-Jun-2012For the first time since 1964 – at Lord’s against Australia – the first two days of an England home Test were washed out after the second day at Edgbaston went the same way as the first. Such had been the volume of rain in Birmingham that the umpires took the decision shortly after the scheduled lunch interval and no one was surprised.The forecast for the weekend is better – although showers remain likely – but the outfield has taken a battering over recent days and despite improved drainage there are a number of very soggy areas that will cause concern. With the series decided none of the players will want to take risks on a wet outfield.It was clear from well before the start time that play was unlikely and some England players did not bother rushing to the ground. A few used the indoor net facilities while Kevin Pietersen spent time signing autographs for those supporters who lingered through the dire conditions.It remains to be seen whether the shortened match increases the chances of England resting Stuart Broad alongside James Anderson which would mean places for Steven Finn and Graham Onions. However, the second washout gives Shivnarine Chanderpaul further time to rest the side injury that forced him to visit hospital on Thursday.

A half-century by captain and opener Babar Azam took Pakistan Under-19s to a six-wicket win over Australia Under-19s at Gold Coast

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2012
Scorecard
A half-century from captain and opening batsman Babar Azam led Pakistan Under-19s to a six-wicket win over Australia Under-19s at Gold Coast. The visitors reached the target of 188 with four overs to spare, after the Australians had stuttered in their innings despite an 83 from Kurtis Patterson. Pakistan lead the three-match Youth ODI series 1-0 as they prepare for the Under-19 World Cup, which begins on August 11.Azam scored 79 off 121 balls to control Pakistan’s chase, building partnerships of 80 each with Imam-ul-Haq and Umar Waheed for the second and third wicket. Sami Aslam, Pakistah’s other opener, had departed early but Australia could not consolidate with further inroads. Pakistan accelerated towards the second half of the innings – the third-wicket stand took only 13.4 overs – and safely reached the target.”[Pakistan’s] captain, who opened the batting today, was very solid all day and kept the batting ticking over,” William Bosisto, the Australian captain, said.Unlike Pakistan, Australia’s innings lacked steadiness. Although Patterson tried to hold his side together, wickets continued to fall at the other end. A 67-run stand for the fourth wicket between Patterson and Bosisto was the only partnership of any substance. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz took 3 for 36.”I think Kurtis Patterson batted really well at No. 3 today and was the mainstay of our innings and also scored quite quickly. We just needed a few other batters to bat around him to get the score up to around the 220-230 mark,” Bosisto said. “Bowling wise Pakistan have got a lot of spinners who were quite accurate and difficult to score from.”The second Youth ODI is on July 31.

Canada’s inaugural multi-format National Cricket League, involving five teams representing different regions, will be played from August 2 to August 11

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2012Canada’s inaugural multi-format National Cricket League, involving five teams representing different regions, will be played from August 2 to August 11 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario. The tournament starts with a 50-over leg from August 2 to 5 followed by a Twenty20 leg from August 6 to 11.Country’s top 21 high performance cricketers and 44 elite cricketers have been divided among the five teams – Pacific Edge, Eastern Fury, Western Stallions, Prairie Fire and Central Shield. Canada’s national team captain Jimmy Hansra will lead the Pacific Edge team while allrounder Rizwan Cheema has been appointed the captain for Eastern Fury.