Plays of the day from the IPL match between Pune Warriors and Kolkata Knight Riders

Devashish Fuloria09-May-2013The short fuse
“You’re calling me a cheat,” grumbled Jacques Kallis to umpire Sudhir Asnani in a rare moment of rage after his appeal for a run out at the non-striker’s end was turned down by the third umpire, Simon Taufel, because of lack of evidence. The ball, according to the bowler, had flicked his boot on its way to the stumps and had caught the non-striker Aaron Finch backing up too far. Two balls later, Kallis hit Finch’s offstump with a cutter and immediately turned back to give Asnani another long stare. He did talk to the umpire at the end of the over to clear the air.A first for the bowler
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had picked up 235 wickets in all forms of cricket before this match, but his 236th was the first of its kind for him. Knight Riders’ openers were cruising along, often charging out, which prompted Finch to ask the wicketkeeper to stand up to the bowler. Bhuvneshwar got one to swing back into Manvinder Bisla, it sneaked through the gap between bat and pad and Mahesh Rawat flicked the bails off as the batsman dragged the foot out, giving the bowler his first wicket through a stumping.The slap
Ryan ten Doeschate played only three matches last season and it didn’t look like this season was going to bring any more luck as the allrounder didn’t find a place in the XI till today. With Knight Riders’ campaign all but over, he finally did get a look in. When he arrived in the middle to bat, the team had squandered a frenetic start to get bogged down, but ten Doeschate provided the release with a ferocious slap shot off an Angelo Mathews delivery in the 17th over that went a long over midwicket and set the tone for the late acceleration.The slap that didn’t go too farParvez Rasool bowled an impressive spell in his debut IPL match but when the allrounder came in to bat, the match was all but over. In the last over bowled by L Balaji, he charged down the pitch, made some room and flat-batted a slower delivery back to the bowler, but Balaji, in his follow through, stuck his right hand out and grabbed the speeding ball out of thin air, leaving Rasool smiling at the absolute absurdity of that catch.

Mohammad Ashraful has shown a new solidity to his batting on this tour, but the one-off T20I is an ideal time for him to utilise his old strengths and range of strokeplay

Mohammad Isam in Pallekele30-Mar-2013In their final match of the tour, Bangladesh’s momentum and confidence from a much-improved tour of Sri Lanka may provoke Mohammad Ashraful to return to his old ways of uninhibited strokeplay in the Twenty20 game. He will open the innings and, based on what he served up in the second ODI, there is every chance he will bring out all his shots for one last time on this tour.His success this tour has been based on his tightened technique, part of a personal effort to rejuvenate his international career. With two hundreds on tour, his confidence has received a real boost.Captain Mushfiqur Rahim praised Ashraful’s revival, saying that his ability and good form will be required in the crucial position of opener, particularly since the team is missing Tamim Iqbal.”Ashraful is a superb player, and he has done well on this tour,” Mushfiqur said. “But experience without performance doesn’t count for much.”We would want him to continue in this form, because our opener’s spot is very important. We hope he gives us a good start. He got us boundaries frequently, and it has given us confidence.”Ashraful’s hundred in Matara was soothing to the eyes. There he often went into spells of dot balls before quickly picking up the rate to make up for the lost time and impetus. In the Galle Test that followed, he brought out the solidity that had been sorely missing in his international career of nearly twelve years. What was a relief to Bangladesh fans was how he never got bogged down completely.In the past, his resourcefulness as a batsman has sometimes brought about his downfall as he tried one too many shots. He has cut out on those shots, and has admitted how difficult it is to sometimes resist those temptations outside off-stump where he, infamously, plays an airy poke.Since he is a batsman of some class, Ashraful often finds the boundary off good balls. After Sri Lanka had posted a formidable 302 for 9 in the third ODI, it was up to him and Anamul Haque to provide Bangladesh with a fast start.He quietly played out eleven deliveries until he burst into action for the next half hour. He first expertly opened his wrists and glided the ball past point, off the last ball of the fifth over. He continued the trend by picking up two more fours off the final deliveries of the next two overs. Both were cover drives, but both looked different through his range of footwork, the gap he picked, as well as the power behind the stroke. The first one was like buttered knife over bread while the next one was a slap.Off Lasith Malinga, he flicked one past midwicket, and against Sachithra Senanayake, Ashraful cut through point. But in the offspinner’s next over, he was given out leg-before. As he walked away, he told his partner the ball had taken an inside edge.It cut short a promising innings, but he hardly looked like a batsman who was opening in an ODI for the first time since October 2006. His 38-ball 29 helped put up a quickfire 77-run stand with Anamul Haque, providing Bangladesh a secure start in a rain-affected encounter.As usual, much is expected from this enigmatic batsman, but he has learnt the hard way, so it would be sensible to give him time to adjust to the different demands of international cricket. Last year he was asked to open in Twenty20s, and needed time to grow in that position. Sometimes, even the best of talents have to be humble.To continue on his comeback trail, he will have to remain that way, but there will be moments when he has to bring out the old guns. The Twenty20 in Pallekele will be one of those moments, but he will still have to use them shrewdly.For someone who can second guess what people will say to him if he doesn’t score, and has the nous to recall the exact ball number in which he played a late-cut, Ashraful is one who can be counted on to be a shrewd operator. It is about time he keeps showing it in public.

All you needed to know, in quintets, about this IPL

Sidharth Monga02-Apr-2013Return of the fast bowlersIrfan Pathan, Delhi Daredevils
Has been injury-prone over the past few years. Has managed to get in only seven first-class games since the end of the 2009-10. Last played first-class cricket in November 2012, scoring a century. A knee injury put him out of action, and he made a comeback only towards the end of the Indian season.Zaheer Khan, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Was dropped from the Indian Test side after the Kolkata Test against England in December. Went back to India’s first-class competition, the Ranji Trophy, to force a comeback, but injured his calf. Missed the final stages of Ranji Trophy. Is slowly working his way back to full fitness.Munaf Patel, Mumbai Indians
Since India’s World Cup win, in April 2011, has played two first-class games, 20 List A games, and 27 matches in the IPL. Began this season with appearances in the Challenger Trophy (the premier domestic one-day tournament), but then played only the Deodhar Trophy (the zonal one-dayers), after which he didn’t represent Baroda in the domestic Twenty20s.Umesh Yadav, Delhi Daredevils
Last played for India in the Ahmedabad Test against England in November 2012 before a stress reaction in the back ruled him out. Came back after rehab to represent Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (the domestic T20s), and took five wickets in the first match back.RP Singh, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Has played only seven first-class games since his infamous Test comeback in August 2011, missing the whole 2012-13 season. Returned to action with his appearance for Air India in the Corporate Trophy in February 2013, and has represented Uttar Pradesh in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy since then.Five with India stakesIndia’s next international assignment will be the Champions Trophy, and there are ODI slots up for grabs. Here are a few who will want to make a case for themselves:Virender Sehwag, Delhi Daredevils
Dropped from the ODI side after the Pakistan series in December-January, Sehwag will know the team still needs to firm up its opening options. He has not had enough time in domestic cricket to command a return, so he will be hoping for a bumper IPL season to remind the selectors of his existence before he is written off.Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata Knight Riders
Hasn’t lost his ODI slot yet, but is under pressure (one fifty in eight ODIs this season). Will have the added responsibility of the Knight Riders’ captaincy. A solid showing with the bat and another strong performance from Knight Riders might be the best chance for him to keep his ODI place.Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians
Rohit had a horrible limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka last year, which cost him his bench-warming privileges in Tests too. He has since come back with an innings of 83, opening against England, but that knock surely doesn’t guarantee him a place in the side?Ishant Sharma, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ishant made his ODI comeback only because of injuries to other fast bowlers, and 12 wickets in eight matches on his return don’t quite make him a certainty to hold down his place. However, he will have Waqar Younis and Dale Steyn by his side in the IPL, and that can’t be a bad thing.The heat is on for Sehwag and Gambhir•Associated PressUnmukt Chand, Delhi Daredevils
An outsider, but Chand is a name that has been around for a long time, courtesy his under-19 performances, which include leading India to a World Cup victory. More recently, he scored back-to-back hundreds in the domestic Twenty20s.First-timer foreign playersDarren Sammy, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Big hitter, steady bowler, exceptional fielder, captain of the world champion side, bought for the first time, and now playing for a relatively low-profile IPL team, Sammy should get enough opportunities to make an impact.Samuel Badree, Rajasthan Royals
Conceding 4.83 an over, Badree owns the best economy rate among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 300 balls in Twenty20 cricket. It is surprising that it took this long for Badree to make his way into the IPL. Royals play their home matches on a slow pitch surrounded by a big outfield, so he should enjoy the experience.Kusal Perera, Rajasthan Royals
Perera’s last two international innings are 64 and 56 and, before that, 336 and 97 in first-class cricket. With a batting style resembling quintessential limited-overs man Sanath Jayasuriya’s, he could be just the man Royals need.Quinton de Kock, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Considered by many the best young player in South Africa, de Kock has averaged 38 at a strike rate of 141 over 36 T20 games. In JP Duminy’s absence, de Kock – who can keep wicket when needed – has a good chance to make the starting XI in more than a few games.Sachithra Senanayake, Kolkata Knight Riders
After their success with Sunil Narine last year, Knight Riders have signed another spinner who is difficult to pick. Expect turning pitches at Eden Gardens, and don’t be surprised if both of the overseas spinners feature in home clashes.Club 40 Rahul Dravid Sachin Tendulkar (who will turn 40 on April 24) Adam Gilchrist Brad Hogg Muttiah MuralitharanUnder the radarManprit Juneja, Delhi Daredevils
Only the fourth Indian to have scored a double-century on first-class debut, Juneja has phenomenal statistics after a little more than a year of big-time cricket. He averages 74 in first-class cricket, and his sedate first-class strike rate of 46 takes a turn for the spectacular in T20s. After 12 games, he is averaging 43 at a strike rate of 152, and recently scored a 50-ball 108 to take Gujarat to the final of the domestic T20s, which they won.Sachin Baby, Rajasthan Royals
Named, according to legend, after Sachin Tendulkar, though he was born a year before the latter made his Test debut. Twenty-four years later, Baby could be playing against Tendulkar in the IPL. Baby doesn’t have the stats so far, but there must be something in his attacking left-hand batting and part-time offbreaks that has attracted the interest of the franchise.*Pravin Tambe, Rajasthan Royals
The most fascinating story leading up to this IPL. A 42-year-old legspinner from Mumbai, he has hardly played any official cricket, was picked for Mumbai’s one-day side this year without getting a debut, and has now been picked by Royals. What was that line again, about legspinners maturing late?Parvez Rasool, Pune Warriors
First came 594 runs and 33 wickets for this offspinning allrounder in the 2012-13 Ranji season, then a chance to bowl in the India nets, and eventually a place in the tour match against the Australians, where he took 7 for 45. Now he has an IPL contract with Pune Warriors, and a chance to enhance his reputation as the best-known cricketer from the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir.With captains like these: Ponting and Harbhajan, before they knew they would be team-mates•AFPBaba Aparajith, Chennai Super Kings
Like Sachin Baby, Baba Aparajith and his brother Indrajith were born to a cricket-loving father. The twins are nicknamed Sachin and Sunny. Aparajith, who bowls with an action similar to R Ashwin’s, is a useful allrounder, who played a crucial part in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph.Intriguing storylines Ricky Ponting captaining Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar Virat Kohli’s first taste of captaining a senior side fulltime, especially since he is widely regarded as the heir apparent to MS Dhoni Chennai will not host Sri Lankan players. How much will it affect teams like Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils who rely heavily on Sri Lankans? Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Ranchi in Jharkhand are the newest outposts for the IPL And then there is the newest team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have inherited most of the Deccan Chargers players but have brought in a new and impressive coaching staff that includes Tom Moody and Waqar YounisMissing in action Sourav Ganguly. Just ask the people of Kolkata what they think about this Alfonso Thomas. With 211 wickets, the most successful T20 bowler, one ahead of Dirk Nannes’ 210 Mitchell Starc. May be injured now, but this bowler of a deadly yorker and handy hitter down the order didn’t put himself up for auction Vernon Philander. Before he became one of the most phenomenal Test debutants, he paid his bills through T20 specialisation for Cape Cobras Doug Bollinger. Had become Chennai Super Kings’ own, winning them matches with sheer pace and bounce, until they released him and no other team bought him21.30GMT, April 2: The article had previously said Sachin Baby is part of Delhi Daredevils. This has been corrected.

As South Africa look to improve a dismal record in Sri Lanka, their spinners will have to rethink their strategy and find better ways to utilise the helpful conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Jul-2013One of the more stunning statistics in ODI cricket is South Africa’s record in Sri Lanka. The teams have now played 12 completed matches on the island. Out of those, South Africa have won one. Their captain in that game was Kepler Wessels, and current chief selector Andrew Hudson opened the batting. In almost two decades since, they haven’t even come close to the hosts, and so far in this series, they have been outplayed just as comprehensively.It has not helped that South Africa’s best bowler and best batsman have not played in the series. Dale Steyn was ruled out of the tour through injury, and Hashim Amla missed the first match with neck spasms, before sustaining a grade one tear in his groin while fielding in the second. But another one of South Africa’s woes, which has little to do with either player, has been the bane of their ODI game for long.Spin bowlers Robin Peterson and Aaron Phangiso bowled their full quota of overs on Tuesday, and took one wicket apiece. On the surface, this not have seemed a poor return, but in South Africa’s innings, their inadequacy was laid bare. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is better than a part-timer perhaps, but still no ace with the ball, out-bowled South Africa’s frontline spinners and extracted more turn than either. His modes of attack were more creative – flighting several outside off before darting a couple on the toes to finish the over. The visiting slow bowlers persevered on a humdrum line, without major variations to flight or pace, and reaped results that fit their bland exertion. On a pitch as slow as this worn Premadasa track, Sri Lanka’s 223 for 9 was always going to be a testing total, even with Amla opening the innings and without the intermittent rain.Part of South Africa’s problem is that their opponents are too adept at defusing left-arm spin. Sri Lankan batsmen are weaned on the stuff and the domestic competitions have lately been inundated with high-quality, left-arm spinners. There are also five left-handed batsmen in Sri Lanka’s top eight, who will not be daunted by the ball turning into them, particularly as neither spinner possesses a delivery that spins the other way. So thin are South Africa’s slow-bowling stocks, there is also no offspinner to call on apart from the part-time efforts of JP Duminy. Imran Tahir, meanwhile, appears to have been discarded like so many South African slow bowlers before him.Yet, even given these handicaps, Peterson and Phangiso have hardly made the best of helpful conditions. Rangana Herath may be the finest proponent of the left-arm slow bowlers’ craft in the world, but he still should not have more wickets from 12.5 overs than all three of South Africa’s spinners combined, who have collectively sent down 44. Herath is bowling in familiar conditions, but he is effective the world over, and adapts his game cleverly and quickly. He is no great spinner of the ball either and his guile, calculation and subtlety may mark the route to progress for the visiting spinners. Their captain might also be persuaded to set more attacking fields in conditions where slow bowlers should be dismissing batsmen.The action now moves to Pallekele, where South Africa may have some respite on a surface that tends to be faster, bouncier and more seam-friendly than the track they have encountered in Colombo. Their pace attack may set about hiding the flaws in the slow-bowling there, but for a side aspiring to build a cricketing dynasty, that cannot suffice. A greater emphasis on developing spin-bowling talent – at least at the top-level, may light the way, or perhaps a prodigy must be unearthed and moulded to plug the mighty hole in an otherwise impressive ship.Less than a year ago, they were the top team in all formats, but now they have slid to fifth in the ODI rankings, behind Sri Lanka, and have ceded the top T20 spot to the same team. Their limited-overs woes should serve as an ongoing reminder to South Africa that although they fly through in Tests on their vicious pace attack and a formidable row of batsmen, there may come a day when they succumb to their kryptonite, even in the longest format.

South Africa are a team in transition, and their coach has his plate full managing the rebuilding process

Firdose Moonda19-Jul-2013A Rwandan proverb asks a question Russell Domingo and his new management will have to answer over the next two years: “If you’re building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail?”The answer seems obvious. But what if the window panes, the floorboards, some of the doors, and even a wall or two are no longer usable? Maybe then you have to stop building, reassess, get a different supplier and start again.At the moment Domingo is attempting to rebuild South Africa’s limited-overs squads using the resources available to him, while finding ways to fix or replace the broken nails.To start, he will need some perspective, which has not been easy to get in the aftermath of South Africa’s semi-final exit from the Champions Trophy. Their defeat to England stung because it reopened wounds that had barely healed.While it exposed their biggest weakness – the inability to perform under pressure – it did not dump the team to the bottom of the pile or turn them into inadequate has-beens. They are ranked No. 4 on the ODI list and No. 6 in T20, which is fair considering their focus has largely been on Tests over the last two years.Adjusting priorities so that he is not as single-mindedly looking at the five-day format as Gary Kirsten was will be Domingo’s first job, and the fixture list has given him no choice but to do so quickly. Over the next eight months South Africa play eight Tests and they are all tough assignments. They face Pakistan away and India and Australia at home. They also play 17 ODIs and ten T20s before the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, and many more ODIs will no doubt be organised ahead of the 2015 World Cup.Winning one or both of those tournaments could define Domingo’s days in charge, and the administrators have made sure he will have enough time with both teams to not have any excuses about lack of preparation.That is not the only area they need to assist him in, though. The performance of a national team is a reflection of what is taking place at lower levels, and a glance reveals a few things to worry about. Boeta Dippenaar is one of the people who believes the limited-overs squads’ current problems have their roots in South Africa’s domestic game.He identified the amateur one-day competition, the semi-professional level below the franchise system, as a source of major concern. “If you look at that competition, the one-day games are always played after a three-day day game on the same pitch, which means you’re not getting the best surface,” he said. “The scores will be lower, so you get bowlers with false perceptions of how good they are, and batsmen that don’t know how to chase down 300, or bat 50 overs, and when to take calculated risks.”The average length of a first innings in the 50-over amateur competition over the 2012-13 season was 45.06. Previously the games were 40-over affairs, and although the format now mirrors international cricket, that statistic indicates the players have not made the transition to a longer game fully yet. The average first-innings score was only 201.Dippenaar is not the only one who subscribes to the theory that the pitches are to blame. Rob Walter, who spent several years as fitness and fielding coach of the South African team, and has taken over as head coach of the Titans, agrees that domestic surfaces are not often of the same standard as international ones.”There is a distinct difference in terms of preparation of facilities,” he said. “One-day pitches around the world are so good – there is no lateral movement and very little turn, but locally sometimes the guys can end up playing on sub-par pitches, and that affects the game.”It eventually affects the development of players’ skill sets, and the quality of personnel being produced for the national team. “If you look at the current South African attack, sometimes they lack something when there is not a lot in the pitch,” Dippenaar said. “That’s because in some of our domestic competitions we produce pitches where as long as you put the ball somewhere in the right area, you can take wickets.” Although outright pace, like Dale Steyn or Chris Morris offer, always has a role to play, the subtleties that bowlers like Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt and Ryan McLaren rely on are not being honed as a result of conditions in the domestic game.Walter can see the same happening with batsmen. “If we have too many situations where teams are three or four down early, we’re not getting to the phase of the game where you need to improve your skills,” he said. “That’s at the back end of the innings, and that’s what helps give guys a very real understanding of what is required at international level.”On tricky pitches, top-order batsmen don’t have enough time at the crease, leaving middle orders exposed too early – an issue that has affected the South African team.Dippenaar would like to see a “national cricket strategy” and a window created for the amateur domestic one-day game that will see it being played independently of the three-day competition. Financial considerations such as travel costs are among the speed bumps on the road to achieving that.What CSA has done is make changes to the level above: the franchise one-day competition. This summer will open with the one-day competition in October-November, which will mean pitches different from the late-season ones usually used for the tournament. The change in the schedule was prompted by the requirements of the national team, which opens its home campaign with seven ODIs against India.The board has also planned the domestic T20 tournament for January and early February, with the World Twenty20 in mind. An added benefit is that the national players will be available for the bulk of this tournament as well.South Africa’s one-day top order has suffered from too much of a reliance on AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla•AFPThis solution only goes one level deep but it could still have an impact higher up, even on players who are already part of the national set-up. In fact, they are probably the ones who need the most work because they have already been identified as torchbearers for the limited-overs cause.Domingo believes the squad he has at his disposal now is “the best available group of players that we can choose from”. When Steyn recovers from the niggles he suffered during the Champions Trophy, he will be added to that list.Even with that addition, the outfit is obviously lacking in seniority. Although Graeme Smith was often criticised for lack of one-day form, the difference he made was massive, and the longest he went without a half-century was 13 innings in 2004-05. Smith captained the team for eight years and was one of its constants.In his absence, South Africa have failed to find a stable opening pair, with no one ready to partner Hashim Amla full-time. Without certainty in the top two, and minus the rock that is Jacques Kallis at No. 3, the rest of the order is always on the cusp of fragility. “We saw in the Champions Trophy that Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers felt the pressure of not having anyone to turn to other than themselves,” Dippenaar said.Early indications from Domingo’s strategic think tank are that he will do away with the concept of a floating batting line-up. That will ensure role definition is clearer. South Africans teams have shown in the past that they perform better when given obvious direction.An understanding of how his players operate is Domingo’s strength because he has been coaching within the structures for a decade and a half. However, finding a reliable bowler and settling on a top order are pressing concerns. Moulding the mindset of the limited-overs squads is necessary.Having been scarred by the manner in which they have been knocked out of previous ICC events, pressure continues to cripple South Africa in must-win situations. There is no easy fix for that but Dippenaar hopes Domingo will institute a long-term plan to help change the team’s psyche.”We tend to bring in help in that department just before a World Cup, and when there is a crisis, and we think if someone comes and waves a wand, everything will change,” he said. “That does not work. We should have someone available all of the time so those who want to make use of it can.” If that nail too is replaced, the house could end up standing pretty soon.

For so many years a cricket ground, the home of Bradman, Chappell and Hookes has become a stadium after $500m redevelopment

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide02-Dec-2013From the right seats, at the right angle, St Peter’s Cathedral is still visible beyond the Moreton Bay Figs. Once in plain sight to all, that evocative spire can no longer be seen by the vast majority of the thousands who will descend this week upon Adelaide Oval. For so many years a cricket ground, the home of Bradman, Chappell and Hookes has become a stadium.A redevelopment to cater for football cost more than A$500m (US$456m) in government funding and has almost completely recast Adelaide’s previously genteel ambience. Cathedral views have been obscured by a temple at which the denizens of many sports – and lovers of stadium rock shows – will henceforth indulge in their rowdier forms of worship.As Ricky Ponting put it, “cricket is just a small part of what these entertainment complexes have to offer”, and Ashes visitors will duly be greeted by the sight of construction work timed to be complete by the start of the 2014 AFL season. The southern stand is more or less complete and will play host to the annual Test match dinner, while spectators will be catered for in the bottom tier of the eastern structure. Over the River Torrens, the not-quite-complete pedestrian bridge will be opened for partial use on Thursday morning.The green mounds that once accommodated the majority of Adelaide’s crowds have now been reduced to a single strip across the back of the northern end, leaving the venerable scoreboard as a final link to the past. While the source of information on tallies of runs and wickets remains unchanged, it will be the only familiar sensation to greet players in the middle, for even the ground beneath their feet has been vigorously overturned.Nothing symbolises the marriage of convenience between cricket, football and state government desires for a vibrant all-year precinct on the banks of the River Torrens quite like the arrival of drop-in pitches, an AFL stipulation that overruled years of the two games co-existing at the ground. Straw-coloured and set to dry further before the match begins on Thursday morning, it is a variable that not even the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) custodians can be entirely sure of.Rolling Stones to Shield final in three easy steps

On the day South Australia leapt to the top of the Sheffield Shield table with an outright victory over Victoria at the MCG, the SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw revealed the ground can still accommodate the final despite hosting both the Rolling Stones and an AFL fixture only days before.
The performance of the ageing English rock band – among whom their frontman Mick Jagger is a noted cricket follower – has been billed as a celebration of the new AFL-friendly ground, but Bradshaw said he wanted to prove the game had not been entirely shunted from the front rank itself.
“We can still play the Shield final. I’ve had chats with Cricket Australia about that,” he said. “The Stones will come in, play their concert, we bump out the stage, we bump out all the infrastructure for them, then we play the first Showdown [between Adelaide and Port Adelaide].
“We can then bump out one of the football trays, bring in a pitch, take down the goalposts, play a game of cricket, then get it in and play footy the next weekend. It’s a logistical challenge I would love to have and I’m feeling quite positive about the way the Redbacks are performing at the moment … I’m really optimistic that will happen.”

“It’ll be very interesting to see how the pitch deteriorates over the five days,” Keith Bradshaw, the SACA chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “The first two matches it probably hasn’t deteriorated quite to the level it has in the past. The second game it did break up a little more than the first. I think [curator] Damian Hough is becoming more familiar now with what he’s dealing with. I’d expect to see a traditional Adelaide pitch for this Test match.”There’s been a huge effort made to ensure that we maintained the character of the way the game’s played and has always been played at Adelaide Oval, and in terms of the surface that we’re playing on we had a few issues when it was re-laid but we’ve overcome that now. You can have the best facilities and stands and hospitality in the world, but if the surface isn’t world-class as well, then the quality of the product is compromised, so that’s a very important part of what we’ve done.”Bradshaw knows a thing or two about marrying past, present and future, having been a popular and visionary overseer of Lord’s during his time as chief executive of the MCC. He arrived at the SACA after the decision to redevelop it for wider use had been reached, but has watched approvingly as the stands have risen up in a manner he thinks has retained as much character as possible.”Part of the beauty of Adelaide Oval is the design has kept the ambience of what it meant to come here to watch cricket,” he said. “Now it is catered for football as well, but the fact you have that northern mound, the historic scoreboard, the Moreton Bay figs, the Cathedral in the background and the stands themselves as individual stands, that adds to the character of the ground.”The facilities are second to none in the world I believe. There is an aura about what’s being implemented, and we need to recognise too that no ground can stay still. It will really form quite a cathedral feeling, while the structures are a lot larger there is still a degree of intimacy, which I think is really important.”Irrespective of the aura created by the construction of the new stands and the uncertainty brought by the early days of the drop-in pitch, it is ultimately the cricketers themselves who will build Adelaide’s new reputation. The manner of their play will have an impact, but so too the plain-spoken words they will utter about the way the stadium has been put together.George Bailey has made plenty of runs in Adelaide for Tasmania down the years, and he spoke enthusiastically of his first experience training in the middle of a ground now ringed with stands where once it had been garlanded with mounds, terraces and marquees. But he had one wry objection. “Those red seats behind the bowler’s arm,” Bailey quipped. “Whoever’s come up with that is a genius. I’m sure it’ll be good for the Adelaide Crows…”

Despite all the festive chaos in Kolkata, Sachin Tendulkar has kept his customary focus coming into his final ten days of cricket

Nagraj Gollapudi in Kolkata06-Nov-2013At the end of batting in the nets on Tuesday morning, which had lasted 20 minutes, Sachin Tendulkar walked and stood ten yards away from the team’s training. The helmet was still on. The gloves were off. The bat leaned against his right leg, below his hip, as he crossed his left leg. He stared nowhere in particular. A few moments later he practised the bat swing (without the bat) with his left hand. Then he took a proper stance and started tilting his head forward and backwards, as if he was ready to face a delivery. Then, once again he stood still. The bat was now under his left hip while his right foot crossed across the other leg. Tendulkar stared into the distance.Tendulkar has just ten days of cricket left to play in his life. As he stood there in the middle of an empty Eden Gardens, he was left alone to ponder. In the cacophony surrounding his dip in form, he always maintained that he would depart when he was ready. He is, presumably, now ready.Tendulkar’s message after he finished 20 years in cricket was to never be afraid to chase dreams. The result is not his motive, if you understand Tendulkar. He once explained that as a captain all he expected from his players was 100% commitment. It did not matter if some dreams remained unfulfilled.And, perhaps surprisingly given all he has achieved, even Tendulkar has some unfulfilled dreams. On the eve of the historic Lord’s Test in 2011 (the 2000th Test), on his final visit to England, Tendulkar devoted himself to extensive net sessions at the Nursery ground, separate from the team training sessions. Tendulkar never had a century at Lord’s but his aim in the nets was to make sure he was trying to negate all the doubts in his mind concerning the damp conditions as well as the seam movement. In the end he left Lord’s without managing to engrave his name on the Honours’ Board.It was a period when Tendulkar was failing to notch his hundredth international century. Later that year when, on his home ground in Mumbai against West Indies, six runs short of the landmark, slightly desperate, he would steer into the hands of Darren Sammy. As he walked back dejected, he stared at the bat face as if to say: why did you deceive me.The next ten days of cricket will doubtless contain other dreams and targets. He would surely like to go out on a high; more than a century or a fifty, what he’d most want is a team victory. MS Dhoni, speaking to the said that the team would do their best and Tendulkar would have to play his part.An established Tendulkar trait is to cut himself off from everything, to keep his focus solely on the game. In Kolkata you already see that happening. He has switched off his mobile phone, politely requested friends to not bother him during his preparations. It has been three days since he landed in Kolkata but Tendulkar has shunned all attention.One of Tendulkar’s biggest strengths has been to live in the moment. In a week when two young men, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – earmarked to inherit his No.4 position in the Test team – captured the headlines, Tendulkar would have only been happy that he is passing on the baton at the right moment.

Qualification scenarios for teams in Group B of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

Kanishkaa Balachandran29-Dec-2013Tamil Nadu and Bengal face-off in what is essentially a do-or-die game for both teams, and will still need other results to go their way after victory•ESPNcricinfo LtdPoints and tie-breaker

Innings victory or win by 10 wickets – 7 (for winners) and 0 (for losers)

Other outright wins – 6 and 0

First-innings lead in a draw – 3 and 1

First innings not completed – 1 and 1.

If teams are equal on points at the end of the league, the number of wins will be the first tie-breaker. If that is also equal, the quotient is taken into account. A team’s quotient is arrived at by a set of divisions. Runs scored against wickets lost divided by runs conceded against wickets taken.

Uttar Pradesh –
UP were denied enough time to push for a win in their previous match against Madhya Pradesh, due to fog in Kanpur. They had to settle for three points in the draw. They will need at least three points in their next game to seal their qualification. If they lose, they will have to hope that the Tamil Nadu-Bengal game is drawn. If that game isn’t drawn, they will need Baroda to take no more than one point against Rajasthan because if the two teams are tied on points, Baroda will be ahead because they have more wins.Baroda –
A last-minute win against Saurashtra has boosted their chances of qualifying, but there’s much left to do. Currently in third place, a win in their final game against the struggling Rajasthan will take them through. A draw with innings points will take them to 23, and then they will need other results to go their way. A UP defeat will certainly help, and they will hope that the Tamil Nadu-Bengal clash doesn’t end in an outright victory. They will also keep an eye on Saurashtra’s fortunes. If Saurashtra win with a bonus point, and Baroda get first-innings lead, the teams will be tied on 23. But Baroda have the edge over Saurashtra by virtue of more outright wins in the competition.Tamil Nadu –
In fourth place, Tamil Nadu haven’t dropped a game in the tournament, but go into the final game desperate for points. A win will take them to either 24 or 25. Wins for UP and Baroda will knock Tamil Nadu out. Essentially, they need a victory, preferably with a bonus point, and need UP and Baroda to collect minimal points. A draw with an innings lead will take Tamil Nadu to 21, which will still give them a theoretical chance. Then, if Baroda get one point from a draw, Tamil Nadu and Baroda will be tied on 21 points but the latter will go through by virtue of more victories (three as opposed to one).Bengal –
Bengal’s position is exactly like Tamil Nadu’s, and since these two are playing each other, Bengal will need to beat Tamil Nadu with a bonus point to feel safe.Saurashtra –
Down but not out. Last year’s finalists failed to squeeze out a point against Baroda and need nothing less than a bonus-point win in their final game to stay in the race. If they end the league on 23 points, they will need other results to go their way. With a bonus-point win, they could be tied on points with UP, if the latter are defeated. Both teams will also be tied on number of wins, with the quotient coming into play. They will also hope the TN-Bengal game is drawn.Rajasthan –
Seventh-placed Rajasthan need nothing less than a bonus point to have a mathematical chance. That will take them to 21. They will also need the TN-Bengal match to end in a draw. Should that happen, then they will be tied with either of the two teams on 21 but will go through on the basis of more outright wins.Madhya Pradesh –
No chance of qualification. They will, however, escape relegation to Group C if Services fail to win their final game.Services –
No chance of qualifying, but can escape relegation if they win their final game, with or without a bonus point. That will push MP to the bottom.

Group B table

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Railways 7 3 0 0 4 0 27 1.157 2685/93 2496/100 Uttar Pradesh 7 2 1 0 4 0 23 1.177 3143/95 2924/104 Baroda 7 3 3 0 0 1 20 1.045 2528/108 2127/95 Tamil Nadu 7 1 0 0 6 0 18 1.170 3055/73 2790/78 Bengal 7 1 0 0 5 1 18 1.040 2600/81 2501/81 Saurashtra 7 1 1 0 5 0 16 1.262 3453/77 3446/97 Rajasthan 7 1 2 0 4 0 14 0.884 2991/104 3124/96 Madhya Pradesh 8 0 2 0 6 0 12 0.895 3602/113 3812/107 Services 7 0 3 0 4 0 6 0.645 2468/103 3305/89

Plays of the Day from the 1st Twenty20 between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Chittagong

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong12-Feb-2014The sunglasses
Kumar Sangakkara timed a short Shakib Al Hasan delivery towards midwicket, perhaps hoping to pick up a couple if not a boundary. But as Nasir Hossain hared towards the long-on and midwicket curve, the speed of the pick-up shot was evident. By the time Nasir had taken the catch, the ball was slightly past him. But the most telling piece was when Nasir’s sunglasses first bumped up on his forehead, and then fell right into place on the impact of his fall.The gymnast
Kusal Perara was starting to settle down after crossing fifty, but Anamul Haque’s gymnastic landing brought an end to his innings. He stood at deep midwicket and just as the ball was going to sail over his head, he caught the ball, turned and twisted, and made sure he balanced himself awkwardly at first, and then like a balance beam gymnast, on one leg.The smack
Shamsur Rahman had just smacked Ajantha Mendis to the left of mid-off but the batsman suddenly crumpled to the ground. In his follow through, the bat had swung back and struck him in the back of his head. The physio came out, and there was no joy of playing such a class shot.The sight
Tamim Iqbal was on fire when his innings was cut short by an excellent running catch, perhaps the best technical catch of the day compared to Nasir and Anamul’s pyrotechnics. As Tamim miscued the ball, Angelo Mathews ran back from midwicket, dived full length and completed the catch perfectly. The best part of the catch was his eye level, which never wavered despite the difficulty in turning back and finding the ball in the right trajectory.The full toss
Thisara Perera had almost lost the match for Sri Lanka when Anamul Haque went after him with 11 needed off the last three balls. He bowled a full toss, when Bangladesh needed three off the last ball, which should have been deposited in the stands, but it was top-edged, and went up to be taken easily. Sri Lanka got another scare when the umpires checked for no ball, which it was not going to be since Perera bowled it from inside the crease, and it was not too high either as it was the perfect length to hammer out of the ground.

Plays of the day from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi

Siddarth Ravindran16-Apr-2014The mix-up
The start of a league match is usually preceded by an exuberant welcome to fans by Ravi Shastri. “We are united in the United Arab Emirates,” he shouted in Abu Dhabi, just before Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma spun the coin. Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir called ‘heads’, and match referee Andy Pycroft deemed it to have come down as ‘tails’. It was only when Shastri asked again and the camera zoomed in on the coin that Pycroft realised it was actually ‘heads’. For a tournament mired in controversy, it was ironic that the season began with a misstep at the toss.The yorker
Lasith Malinga’s unplayable toe-crushers have made him a Twenty20 superstar, and a rich man. It took him only four balls to show off that ability and an already struggling Gautam Gambhir had no clue against it. The Kolkata captain, who had scored nothing in seven deliveries, managed to get his toes out of harm’s way but couldn’t prevent the ball from crashing into the base of his stumps.The drop
Malinga may be a fan favourite, but he is unlikely to be a favourite of any fielding coach. In the 14th over, Jacques Kallis flicked a full ball towards short fine leg. It reached Malinga at waist-height, at not too great a pace, and he didn’t have to move to reach it – all combining to make it a pretty comfortable take. Malinga made a hash of it, though, letting it through his fingers to reprieve Kallis on 34. Mumbai have had perhaps the greatest fielder of all time, Jonty Rhodes, as their fielding coach for years, but the lessons don’t seem to have worked on Malinga. The shot
Suryakumar Yadav had been with the Mumbai side till last season, and he showed them what they are missing when he came out to bat for Kolkata. In the final over, he walked down the track to launch Corey Anderson to the deep-backward square leg boundary, before following it up with the shot of the innings – a nonchalant reverse-flick that sent the ball fine past the keeper for four more.The second chance
Robin Uthappa is not a regular wicketkeeper, and it showed as he faced up to the variations of Sunil Narine, struggling at times to pick which way the ball would turn. It wasn’t collecting the ball that caused the problem in the 17th over, after Ambati Rayudu was baffled by Narine. Uthappa had the ball in his gloves, Rayudu was well out, but Uthappa missed the stumps on his first attempt to break them. He connected on the second time, though, with Rayudu still well out. Uthappa clearly enjoyed the dismissal, evidenced by a ebullient, fist-pumping celebration.The watch
When Kieron Pollard walked in to bat in the 16th over, the game was nearly out of Mumbai’s grasp. He came in with Morne Morkel delivering an intense spell, and was greeted by a shortish ball that reared up at him. Pollard put up an unconvincing attempted defence, and was struck on the wrist causing his watch to shatter into several pieces. It prompted a barrage of jokes over how he will time the ball, but Mumbai will probably be more concerned about timing Pollard’s entry in the innings so that his power-hitting isn’t wasted.