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West Indies succumbed to a third innings defeat in four Tests, collapsing twice to lose 16 wickets in a day to New Zealand’s swing and pace

The Report by Abhishek Purohit12-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTrent Boult claimed his best innings and match figures of 6 for 40 and 10 for 80•Getty ImagesWest Indies succumbed to a third innings defeat in four Tests, collapsing twice to lose 16 wickets in a day to New Zealand’s swing and pace. In the first innings, they lost their last six wickets in 35 deliveries to crumble to 193. In the second, they stumbled from 74 for 0 to be dismissed for 175 about an hour after tea. It was New Zealand’s first win in 11 Tests in 2013 and also Brendon McCullum’s first as captain.Nine of the 16 wickets on the third day were taken by Trent Boult, who put on an exhibition of fast, accurate inswing bowling. McCullum enforced the follow-on again after the unsuccessful attempt in Dunedin, and Tim Southee rebounded from an average display in the morning to break the opening partnership and deliver three key wickets.Starting the day on 158 for 4, West Indies lasted just 12.5 overs, unable to adjust their gung-ho approach to tackle Boult. Four of Boult’s five victims in the morning were right-hand batsmen who insisted on driving at the original line despite the copious inswing. Boult ended with his best innings figures of 6 for 40, his final four wickets coming in just six balls.Narsingh Deonarine started the meltdown after being worked over by Boult and prodded a straightening delivery to first slip. It was the beginning of a swift end. Marlon Samuels, who’d timed a couple of fours down the ground, kept on trying the off-drive without much foot movement, and succumbed as Boult’s inswing induced a thick inside edge to the wicketkeeper.The next three batsmen were all bowled, refusing to adapt to the swing and not even managing an inside edge on their attempted drives. Darren Sammy lasted two balls, leaving a gaping distance between bat and pad as he drove weakly. As did Shane Shillingford and Tino Best. In the space of five balls.Southee completed the job in the next over, an outswinger hitting Shannon Gabriel’s off stump. It was a perfect demolition of the lower order, the last four batsmen bowled for ducks.The disappointment of Dunedin would have been on McCullum’s mind, but the momentum Boult generated was too intense to be ignored, and West Indies were sent in for another trial by swing. McCullum would have had thoughts of Dunedin again when Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards put on 74 for the first wicket.Boult had been held back after a couple of overs, and Southee was brought back only after lunch. Though a wicket never looked far away, the openers survived against Corey Anderson and Neil Wagner. They were beaten numerous times, they fended off bouncers, but didn’t try to hit their way out of the pressure. Edwards scored his first boundary off his 72nd delivery, and also successfully reviewed after he was given out caught at short leg off Kane Williamson, replays showing there was no bat involved.Even as the deficit decreased steadily, Southee stepped up with a spell of 9-1-19-3 after lunch. Powell went for 36 in a manner similar to the first innings, missing a full one swinging into him. Wagner, who had charged in without too much consistency, produced a sharp lifter next over to have Dunedin double-centurion Darren Bravo caught behind off the glove for a duck.The shots started to appear now from West Indies as the pressure increased. Edwards tried driving Southee, only to be snapped up superbly by Williamson at gully for 35. Southee also ended Samuels’ desperate, uncertain attempts at hitting out, a feeble drive ending at third slip.It had been all Boult in the morning, it was to be all Boult in the afternoon. Returning to bowl before tea, Boult made immediate impact as Deonarine rode the bounce on one only to chop it on. After the break, he leaped at backward point to snatch Denesh Ramdin’s cut in his left hand. He then handed Sammy a pair, the West Indies captain lasting a collective eight balls in the match as he was trapped in front by an inswinger.Fittingly, Boult swung one in through the gate to bowl last man Gabriel to finish with 10 for 80, his best return in a match.

Australia’s cricketers want nothing more than to complete a 5-0 Ashes sweep of England with the same XI who walked out onto the Gabba for the first day of a series that has surpassed all their expectations

Daniel Brettig01-Jan-20140:00

Haddin sees evidence of England struggles

Feted by the nation across the Boxing Day Test and by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott on New Year’s Day in Sydney, Australia’s cricketers want nothing more than to complete a 5-0 Ashes sweep of England with the same XI who walked out onto the Gabba for the first day of a series that has surpassed all their expectations.Stability has been an important ingredient of Australia’s success, after the earlier series in England was used by the new coach Darren Lehmann to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a few players. Two of the greatest moments of Australian Test history were characterised by a similar lack of selection conjecture – the 1989 Ashes victors changed their team only once in six Tests, while Mark Taylor’s men won a quasi-world title fight in the Caribbean in 1995 with the same XI over four matches.None of Australia’s pacemen bowled at the SCG on the first morning of 2014, resting up in preparation for a final tilt at England. James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who played for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League on New Year’s Eve, are in reserve. Brad Haddin, the vice-captain and a heavily influential contributor to the current margin, explained how much the players wanted to go through unchanged.Johnson angered by Pietersen

Mitchell Johnson has already defended his confrontation with Kevin Pietersen in Melbourne for pulling away from a delivery because of movement behind the bowler’s arm – and now he has accused the entire England team of indulging in the same tactics. Further verbals will usher in the New Year in Sydney should another batsmen choose to pull away with Australia’s spearhead in delivery stride. Johnson considers that the tactic is designed to distract him, resulting in his angry response on day three at the MCG.
“That’s how they play the game and have always played the game since I’ve been playing,” Johnson said. “It’s always happened so I don’t think they’ll change. It definitely is frustrating when it happens all the time but that’s part of the game, it’s part of their tactics.”
“The only thing I regret is throwing the ball,” he said. “I think that was probably a little bit inappropriate but the rest of it was fine I just let [Pietersen] know that he needed to stop doing it. The sightscreens are big enough, he should be watching the game. I won’t back down if it happens again.”
England have yet to retaliate by claiming that the child who was wandering in front of the sightscreen when Pietersen halted play was secretly all part of an Aussie plot. Whatever England’s motive, Johnson’s 31 wickets have so far rendered their gambit extremely ineffective.

“It’d be great if we could keep the same group together, that’s what we’re working towards.” Haddin said. “The fast bowlers didn’t do much today. They’re all in pretty good shape, we just have to see tomorrow after they have a bowl but it’s all looking in the right direction that we can hold the same group together and from our point of view that would be a massive achievement heading into this Test with the same group we started with. Pretty special for everyone.”With back to back Test matches, [the bowlers] had a big work load so they didn’t need to do much today. It varies, just monitoring on how they’re feeling to be perfectly honest. The staff take good care of that and they all looked in pretty good spirits. Bodies feel fine, obviously tired like everyone is at the back end of a five-Test series but they’re no different to what we are. We would love to have the same group go out that we did at the start of the tour and if they are right to go they deserve that right to come out in this fifth Test.”As Michael Clarke’s deputy and also wicketkeeper, Haddin is constantly measuring the wellbeing of his team. He looks less for individual efforts with bat or ball than those in the field that emphasise team spirit – returns in from the outfield, backing up, chasing and generally supporting the bowlers. When asked how he viewed England’s current state, he observed these areas had looked tellingly deficient in Melbourne.”I don’t think they’re in a great place to be perfectly honest,” Haddin said. “I think you could probably tell a bit of that in their fielding the other day. I think that’s the first thing to go when you’re struggling a bit. All the team stuff, all those little one percenters, they’re the first thing to go when you’re struggling as a team.Brad Haddin hopes the same XI that took the field at the Gabba for the first Ashes Test could come out for the final one at the SCG•Getty Images”The batting and bowling it’s an individual thing but I think the team stuff looked like it was breaking a bit the other day. They can ask themselves those questions [if they can turn it around] and they’re the only ones who can come up with the answers.”Sydney’s pitch has lost much of its support for spin bowlers in recent summers, tending towards a surface more likely to seam early before flattening out into an ideal batting pitch then turning a little more late in the match. The current strip appeared well-grassed on Wednesday, with Haddin saying the roles of the spinners included in the match would revolve as much around bounce as spin.”It looks like it’s got a bit more grass than normal at the SCG. But that also allows spin early in the game,” Haddin said. “It holds and you get some spin early in the game. We’ll have a close look at what it’s like. I think the one thing with spinners and Nathan [Lyon] is that it’s not so much whether it breaks up, it’s the bounce. If there’s enough bounce in there Nathan will get enough out of it.”As for Scott Borthwick, England’s prospective legspin debutant, Haddin offered no deviation from the plan of unrelenting attack that has rendered Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar all but impotent throughout the series. Swann is now retired, while Panesar’s omission for Borthwick would be a major blow to his own career.”It’d be an exciting time for him. It’s a first Test and it’s an Ashes campaign so it’s an exciting time,” Haddin said. “But interesting to see how we approach him. No doubt [we’ll get after him].”

CSA and BCCI have resumed discussions about a possible patch-up that may result in the former supporting the ICC revamp

Firdose Moonda and Amol Karhadkar03-Feb-2014Cricket South Africa and BCCI have resumed discussions about a possible patch-up that may result in the former supporting the ICC revamp in exchange of the CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat being reintegrated into top administration.If the discussions end positively, then it is possible that not only could CSA vote in favour of the proposed ICC overhaul but also that Lorgat resumes attending ICC meetings and CSA’s dealings with their Indian counterpart. More importantly, India and South Africa could be seen in action against each more frequently than over the last few years.While a South Africa cricket insider claimed that the BCCI had made “an offer” to CSA, a BCCI administrator maintained they haven’t “offered anything to anyone” for supporting the Big Three (the boards of India, England and Australia) proposal that is likely to be voted on during a special ICC Board meeting on Dubai over the weekend.The BCCI insider, on the other hand, conceded that CSA and Lorgat are keen to patch up with the BCCI and have informally approached them. Since the decision on Lorgat is an “ICC resolution”, the BCCI “cannot do anything”, according to him. Though it couldn’t be ascertained independently whether ICC has passed a resolution against Lorgat, his role in former ICC head of legal David Becker’s statements during the BCCI-CSA impasse is being probed by an independent ICC panel.CSA’s turnaround in their stance is significant since they were the first full member to oppose the Big Three proposal that would alter the dynamics of international cricket’s governance. CSA, in a statement ahead of the January 28 ICC Board meeting, had appealed to the ICC president Alan Isaac to withdraw the proposal.In the course of informal discussions, CSA and BCCI are believed to be discussing more bilateral series. The CSA chief executive’s appointment and the allegedly unilateral announcement of the itinerary for India’s tour to South Africa led to the relations between the two boards reaching an all-time low. The BCCI agreed for a curtailed tour only after CSA withdrew Lorgat from all the ICC and BCCI-related matters.This breakdown in relations between the BCCI and CSA was followed by the Big Three leaving CSA in the dark about the proposed revamp as well as the sideline meetings around the ICC Board meeting in Dubai last week.

Misbah-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan’s blend of experienced players and newcomers has had success and the team remains confident of successfully defending their Asia Cup title

Mohammad Isam23-Feb-2014Misbah-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan’s blend of experienced players and newcomers has had success and the team remains confident of successfully defending their Asia Cup title. Pakistan, who beat Bangladesh in the 2012 final, come to the tournament on the back of series wins over Sri Lanka and South Africa.”The [Pakistan] team is in good shape,” Misbah said. “Cricket is a confidence game and we have been playing well in the last three-four months. We have to do our basics right to have a good chance.”Misbah and Mohammad Hafeez have led Pakistan with the bat in the last 12 months, scoring in excess of thousand runs, and Ahmed Shehzad has not been far behind. Misbah was also confident that the relatively inexperienced group that includes Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Talha, Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali will give the team balance.”Ahmed Shehzad has been part of our team for quite a while, he has been doing well,” Misbah said. “He has improved. Sharjeel Khan had an average series, but he gave glimpses of being a good player, he can time the ball well. We are looking forward to see him develop into a good player.”[Sohaib] Maqsood played well in South Africa and against Sri Lanka. With experienced players, few youngsters like Anwar Ali and Bilawal Bhatti, they are putting some good scores. I am happy that it is a good, balanced unit. Youngsters are always contributing with the senior players.”Misbah said the competition in the Asia Cup was going to be tough, as all the teams understood the conditions. He also said Afghanistan, the first-timers in the tournament, were not to be taken lightly.”All teams have ability to win against any side,” he said. “It will be good competition. Last Asia Cup was witness of that. Bangladesh beat two big teams, they came close to us. You can expect any team can win against any team.”Afghanistan are a new, exciting team. They can do anything on a given day. They are not experienced, but they give their 100%. They have players that can really challenge other teams.”With the 2015 World Cup less than a year away, this is Pakistan’s opportunity to groom their team. “I think it is good for the team that there is a chance to improve as a group. Somewhere there is a knockout stage in these tournaments, so the competition level is there. You prepare yourself as a team so I think this is good preparation before the 2015 World Cup. These tournaments have their own importance.”

The team that wins goes through to the semi-finals. West Indies have a superior net run-rate

The Preview by Umar Farooq31-Mar-20141:03

Crowe: 50-50 between Pakistan and West Indies

Match factsTuesday, April 1, 2014
Start time 1930 local (13:30 GMT)Shoaib Malik is yet to fire and he hasn’t been utilised with the ball•BCCIBig PictureIt is a knockout scenario for both teams, with the winner going through to the semi-finals. They have the same number of wins (two) and points (four) but the defending champions West Indies enjoy a higher net run-rate, +1.223, against Pakistan’s +0.893. In the event of a washout West Indies will go through on their higher net run-rate, but the forecast is for clear weather.Pakistan batted first in their last three games but they are yet to be tested chasing a target. West Indies, on the contrary, have defended and chased targets in the group stage. Hence, the toss could be a decisive factor for Pakistan.Both teams have quality spinners and are capable of posting big scores. Both lost their opening matches to India but bounced back strongly to register successive victories against Australia and Bangladesh. The contest on April 1 will be their first ever meeting in a World T20. They have played just three T20s in two bilateral series since 2011, with Pakistan winning their last two encounters in 2013.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Pakistan WWLLW
West Indies WWLLWIn the spotlightThough he has scores of 34, 48 and 53, Chris Gayle hasn’t exploded in the manner he is known for. He was unusually cautious against Bangladesh, scoring a run-a-ball 48. However, bowlers like Saeed Ajmal cannot be complacent against him and will have to guard against a backlash from Gayle.With every passing game, Shoaib Malik’s role in the side comes under the scanner. He has scores of 18, 6* and 26, and hasn’t bowled in any of the three games. He is playing his fourth World T20 and all have been quiet, with bat and ball.Pitch and conditionsWith sunshine predicted through the day, the Mirpur pitch is expected to remain dry but it gets sluggish in the evening. The dew hasn’t been a factor in the last three matches but Pakistan have been training with the wet ball recently to get used to it.Team newsWest Indies might retain their winning line-up from the Australia match.West Indies (likely): 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Lendl Simmons, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Sammy (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Krishmar Santokie.Pakistan too have no reason to change their winning combination. In the previous match, Pakistan brought in the experienced bowler Sohail Tanvir.Pakistan (likely): 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Sohaib Maqsood, 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Zulfiqar BabarStat and trivia In three matches against West Indies, Mohammad Hafeez has figures of 3 for 36 from 9 overs, with an average of 12 and an economy rate of 4. He has dismissed Gayle twice in these matches, for 5 and 1 Umar Akmal has two 40-plus scores in three T20I innings against West Indies, including a Man-of-the-Match effort of 46 not out the last time the two teams played each other, in Kingstown in 2013 In the tournament so far, West Indies’ spinners have taken 13 wickets at an average of 14.38 and an economy rate of 6.09, compared to Pakistan spinners’ 10 wickets at 24.40 and an economy-rate of 6.59Quotes”It is very difficult to predict how the teams will play but I know it will be a nail-biting game. Come that game, we will be aware of what exactly we need to do. We need to play well to get out of this group of death and look forward to playing in the semi-final.”
“The team that plays spinners well will win the match. We know that it is a match where we can’t make a mistake.”

The ICC and the BCCI are close to signing a deal for their respective anti-corruption mechanisms to work in tandem over the next three IPL seasons, starting with 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2014The ICC and the BCCI are close to signing a deal for their respective anti-corruption mechanisms to work in tandem over the next three IPL seasons, starting with 2014. The decision is a result of the corruption scandal that overshadowed IPL 2013 and resulted in arrests of players and team officials.”Our office is in Dubai, so we have certain facilities which we will make available to the BCCI if they need them. Essentially though, our involvement would be on the anti-corruption side,” ICC chief executive Dave Richardson in Dhaka on Friday. “As wespeak, I think the contract between the BCCI and the ICC ACSU is under negotiation. So it is a little bit premature to say if our services are actually going to be used but that’s probably very likely.”A BCCI official involved in the negotiations confirmed to ESPNcricinfo the ACSU “will be in place for the IPL,” but said the association between the two bodies had nothing to do with the IPL’s first leg being in the UAE. “The protocols are being worked between the two ACSU departments,” he said.Another BCCI official confirmed the BCCI had been in touch with the ICC before the decision to shift the IPL to the UAE was made. “We were in consultations with the ICC ACSU since the last year’s events and we have been close to signing a three-year deal with them,” he said.Less than a year after the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit was formed, its weaknesses were exposed during the spot-fixing and betting scandal in IPL 2013. The BCCI unit headed by Ravi Sawani will co-ordinate with the ICC’s ACSU chief YP Singh and his team to share inputs for a corruption-free IPL.Soon after the BCCI had announced its decision to move the first leg of the IPL to the UAE, the ICC had supported the shift. “I think the IPL coming to the UAE will do wonders for cricket in the region, in particular in Dubai,” Richardson had said. “And the other point we wanted to make from the media release was that rightly or wrongly, the region sometimes gets accused of having integrity issues. And we wanted to assure everybody in that respect certainly, we are keeping a very close eye on the tournament and making sure that it remains above board.”

In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Modi admitted RCA is the door he will use to re-enter the BCCI. He revealed that the BCCI hurt him deeply and he wanted “to prove a point” to his opponents within the BCCI

Nagraj Gollapudi06-May-2014How big is this victory and what does it mean to you?
It is a big victory. It has been four years since I have been fighting the previous cricket establishment at the RCA because of the deteriorating facilities. During my previous tenure as RCA president we had made it the premier state association. We had built of a state-of-the-art academy, a good stadium and we had plans to build a new stadium. Apparently the academy has fallen apart, there was bias in the selection process (of both first-class and age-group teams) and there was not much cricket happening in Rajasthan anymore. After I left, the administration had become political. The CP Joshi regime did not do anything worthy of note at the RCA.My top priority would be to bring RCA back to its former glory. To do that we need to rectify the house within. We need to introspect and see what went wrong. And this time I want to build a system which just will not fall apart irrespective of who runs the RCA.When did you start planning your comeback – the day you were banned by the BCCI or when you were suspended?
When the BCCI banned me I had to prove a point. Show to everybody that banning me does not mean that I am going to stay way. It actually gave me greater resolve to fight them. All they (the Srinivasan administration) are doing right now is to trying to fix everything: whether it is the game, the establishment, the meetings. Everything has become a one-man show. They are now trying to do the same at the ICC. To me that is just unacceptable. I just love the game. And hence cannot keep quiet.You don’t give up?
Why should I give up?So you agree that the RCA is a stepping stone to returning to the BCCI?
I am not denying that. We have to cleanse cricket. The Supreme Court has helped in that activity by appointing Justice Mudgal panel to probe the allegations of corruption in the IPL.But your return to India, at least in the near future, is uncertain. So how do you aim to run the RCA sitting in London?
It is not uncertain. I will be back soon. As and when the Indian (federal) government changes we will see. In ten days’ time the election results will be out, so we never know how soon I will be back.Why do you think if a new government comes into power you might be able to return quicker to India?
I will feel more secure (under a new government). We were afraid of the security troubles I had in the past (under the United Progressive Alliance, the existing government). I am sure under a new government there will be no witch hunt like it was there under the existing one. There is not a single chargesheet filed (against me) in the last four years. I hope I am able to go back and do what I am able to do.In the interim my plan is to have capable people running the RCA. I will be in constant touch, overseeing and monitoring the activity from London. But the first thing is to get a good, stable team. We need to introspect and stop the outflow of the money that was vanishing from the RCA coffers under the Joshi administration. We need to ensure that a concrete plan is put in place right away.You are aware the BCCI has already challenged your nomination and is threatening to bar the RCA. There is now a clear danger of RCA losing its affiliation. How do you aim to tackle that issue?
Let them try. I am not afraid of that fight. I have not been afraid of any fight. If they want to cancel our affiliation, let them do that. That does not mean cricket in Rajasthan is going to stop. What are they going to do: not allow us to play matches? We are going to fight for our rights and fight for our boys.The biggest loss, if RCA affiliation is terminated, would be suffered by the Rajasthan players. A few of the players we spoke with are certain your return will boost their confidence, but they are worried about their future. How do you plan to give them confidence?
I have always looked after the players. They are the lifeline of the game. It is extremely important that I have an interaction with the boys. We will talk to them and make sure they are taken care of one way or the other.Is this not a Pyrrhic victory – you win the elections but you lose everything else?
There is nothing to lose. I have been fighting the BCCI for some time now. If it wasn’t for me fighting N Srinivasan from London it (Srinivasan being asked to step aside by the Supreme Court in March) would not have happened in the first place. If I hadn’t supported all the people who are fighting him, he would not have been pushed into a corner like he is right now.You are talking about the Cricket Association of Bihar?
Yes, I have given CAB full support. I am with them, talking with them, strategising with them, providing them with documentation.You have been a vocal critic of Srinivasan. But even if, hypothetically, he goes, you do not have many friends in the BCCI. So how do you tackle your life ban?
Says who? I have many friends in the BCCI. A lot of them are afraid to come out and have their hands chopped off by Srinivasan. But for now we will take it one day at a time. Me winning in the RCA and then standing back and watching the BCCI falling apart … that is not me. I am cut out be a fighter and I am going to take on whoever tries to take us down.Under the previous regime the RCA was in tatters and there were allegations of corruption against your predecessor and the acting secretary KK Sharma. How do you plan to unseat any deeply embedded roots of corruption while sitting abroad?
When I ran the show there was no corruption. I am a no-nonsense administrator. If somebody in my administration is doing wrong then I am doing something wrong because I am in charge. I will ensure corruption is weeded out. I am not on a witch hunt, but yes I am going to put things right.The administration troubles have spilled over on to the field with Rajasthan having lost their way after 2012. How do you aim to correct that?
Without the facilities the Rajasthan team cannot go anywhere. During my time the team was enjoying the facilities, we were recruiting youngsters and developing them at the RCA academy right from the their mid-teens. Some of them have grown to become good players. We have good talent but to enhance that you need the facilities up and running, good coaches and staff, and that is my job as an administrator.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) corruption tribunal will take extra time to complete its detailed verdict, according to Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury, the convener of the three-member committee

Mohammad Isam29-May-2014The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) corruption tribunal will take extra time to complete its detailed verdict, according to Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury, the convener of the three-member committee. The verdict was expected to be pronounced by the end of May, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he was worried by the delay and had been questioned by the ICC about it.The delay is due to the process of deciding on the punishment for those who have pleaded guilty and been charged so far. One of the three who had pleaded guilty was former Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful, suspended from all cricket by the BCB since 2013.”This is a very big case and we have done plenty of work to give out the short verdict,” Khademul told the . “We will try our best to submit the detailed verdict as soon as possible. We are working on it.”We need to sit at court again in order to decide the kind of punishment to be given to those who have been charged and those who confessed. We have not decided a date for that, but it will be completed as soon as possible.”The short verdict was released on February 26 when one of the nine accused was found guilty. Shihab Chowdury, co-owner of the Dhaka Gladiators franchise was found guilty of “being party to an effort to fix” a match in the BPL’s second edition, while Ashraful and another player had confessed to being involved in corruption in the BPL. Six others were discharged as not guilty by the tribunal.BCB chief Hassan, however, expressed doubts about those who were found not guilty. “I am worried about the delay. The ICC asked me during the last meeting why it is taking so much time,” Hassan said. “When we talked about Ashraful, they asked me how can a person who has admitted to fixing be punished but the party from whom he has taken money be discharged? I could not answer that.”I spoke to my colleagues about the tribunal about 15-20 days ago, at which time they said it will be done in two-three weeks. I don’t see any signs of it now. I will wait till May 30 and then give them [the tribunal] a letter.”

Disappointment can often be a good motivator and in a week when he lost his Test spot, Chris Jordan almost managed to haul Sussex across the line in the T20 Blast

Ryan Bailey11-Jul-2014
ScorecardAlex Blake ensured Kent had a solid total to bowl at•Getty ImagesDisappointment can often be a good motivator and in a week when he lost his Test spot, Chris Jordan almost managed to haul Sussex across the line in the T20 Blast. If truth be told, it was a bitty showing from Jordan and embodied a slapdash performance from Sussex as their faint hopes of T20 Blast progression ended.If Jordan had hoped for a competent homecoming on the back of his England omission, Kent were in no mood to bestow him handouts. The name on the back of the shirt counts for little on the county circuit and although his 37 brought Sussex to within a blow of victory, a couple of overzealous overs proved decisive and irreparable.Straying onto the leg side more often or not, he was picked off with ease and when he returned in the 17th over of Kent’s stodgy innings, the subsequent six deliveries changed the dynamic of the game.His additional zip gave Ben Brown, the Sussex wicketkeeper, little chance with a steep bouncer that proved too quick for anyone and then Alex Blake tucked into successive sixes, who scored an unbeaten fifty, one of which came off a no-ball to lift Kent towards a target that had looked improbable when they slouched to 77 for 6; 38 came off Jordan’s three overs.In the end, their 149 for 9 was just enough despite Jordan’s late hitting. Requiring 17 off the final over, a towering blow over long-off kept the Hove crowd on the edge of their seats before he could only pick out the fielder with a couple of deliveries remaining. His, and indeed Sussex’s, race was run.Kent, however, still harbour hopes of progression. Having gone six games without a victory in the South Group, few would have given them a sniff as they toiled on a slow surface. Will Beer, predominately deployed in the shortest-format, wreaked havoc with a competent display of leg spin as the top-order subsided with little fight, Daniel Bell Drummond – who underpinned the Powerplay overs with 34 – apart.Fabian Cowdrey missed a straight one from Beer before Stefan Piolet took all the pace off to outwit Darren Stevens next over. That only provided the platform for Blake. A well-organised left-hander, he batted without any inhibitions on a track that required a clear mind and convincing strokes. He struck five sixes, including the two off Jordan that gave Kent the impetus, to give his bowlers something to defend. Beer, who finished with career best figures of 3 for 18, was unable to put his feet up.Much like Kent’s batting order, the hosts flopped in the face of the battery of slower bowlers Rob Key had little hesitation in deploying. Such are the idiosyncrasies of the loan system that James Tredwell, who was in the home dressing room during the week, played a major part in foiling his part-time team-mates.He nonchalantly had Yasir Arafat caught and bowled, just as the game threatened to swing back in Sussex’s favour, before cold water was poured over Jordan’s fireworks.

Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), one of the seven teams in the West Indies domestic circuit, have been excluded from the Regional four-day competition from the upcoming season, the West Indies Cricket Board announced

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2014Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), one of the seven teams in the West Indies domestic circuit, have been excluded from the regional four-day competition from the upcoming season, the West Indies Cricket Board announced. The team will continue to be a part of the Nagico Super50 List-A competition.”The Board approved a recommendation for the WICB First Class Competition to consist of the six premier regional teams – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Windward Islands,” the WICB release said.”The Board approved a recommendation for six teams along with the Combined Campuses and Colleges along with other invitational teams to participate in the 2015 edition of the Nagico Super50.”The reduction of teams in the first-class competition was one of the recommendations made in a report presented by Richard Pybus, WICB’s director of cricket, in March 2014. The report was based on a comprehensive region-wise study conducted by Pybus between November 2013 and January 2014. He had suggested downsizing the first-class competition to make it more competitive.CCC were first included for domestic competitions in 2007-08 and made it to the final of the first-class competition in 2011 – their best show. Jason Holder and Chadwick Walton, who have played internationals have represented the team.