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Their season begins on January 11 with a game against Johannesburg Super Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022Quinton de Kock has been named the captain of Durban Super Giants for the inaugural edition of the SA20 competition.De Kock, 29, is one of South Africa’s key players. His left-handedness and aggression at the top of the order make him a sought after commodity in the T20 cricket. Alongside his runs – 8497 at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 138 – de Kock also has experience captaining the national side. He has led them in four Tests, eight ODIs and 11 T20Is. De Kock is also on the books of the Lucknow Super Giants, the IPL team that shares the same owners as this Durban team.Related

• Inaugural SA20 league to begin on January 10

• Gautam Gambhir named 'global mentor' for all Super Giants teams

• Jofra Archer is MI Cape Town's wildcard signing for SA20

In December 2021, de Kock retired from Test cricket, citing the difficulty to play all three formats.De Kock had a highly successful IPL in 2022 – 508 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150 – and followed it up with a good CPL as well – 221 runs at a strike rate of nearly 130. But his returns slipped in the Hundred in England and his most recent assignment – the men’s T20 World Cup – didn’t go according to plan either. South Africa were eliminated at the group stage of the tournament after defeat to the Netherlands.While the Test players are preparing for a tour of Australia in December, de Kock will be free to plot his SA20 campaign. At Durban, he will have Keshav Maharaj, Jason Holder and head coach Lance Klusener to help him take the team forward. Their season begins on January 11 with a game against the franchise that represents de Kock’s birth place, the Johannesburg Super Kings.

de Kock’s opening partner remains far from finalised; captain says a “seaming allrounder will come back into the mix”

Firdose Moonda02-Jul-2021South Africa have yet to make a firm decision on who will partner Quinton de Kock or who their sixth bowling option will be for the T20 World Cup later this year. With approximately seven fixtures left (one vs West Indies, three vs Ireland, and three vs Sri Lanka) before the tournament, they have limited time and matches to settle on a strategy.That the team is still in the experimental stage of things is down in part to the disruption to the cricketing calendar and the continued postponement of a T20I series against India which was initially meant to happen last August and now won’t take place at all. While that series would have kicked off South Africa’s preparations for the World Cup, selection calls around the team for the ongoing tour of the West Indies have also raised some questions.Why, for example, have they included four opening batters in their squad? Or two seam-bowling allrounders, neither of whom have played in the West Indies series so far? And how can they ensure they have enough big-hitters in the middle-order as well as enough bowlers to cover for someone who may have an off day? At the moment, they don’t seem to know.”In terms of combinations, we are looking at who can partner Quinny at the top. Reeza (Hendricks) is the guy at the moment and we believe he has done it well. David (Miller) is our seasoned finisher. He has done it for many years but unfortunately at the moment he is battling with form, as are a number of batters,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s limited-overs captain, said after their defeat in the fourth T20I.”I’m sure a seaming allrounder will come back into the mix. Where we find ourselves at the moment is that we are looking for someone who can effectively play that sixth bowling role. If you look at a guy like Aiden (Markram), he gives you more than just the bowling option. He is someone we see as versatile in terms of his batting position. He can bat at the top as well as batting in the middle and he has been given that opportunity now, albeit in tough conditions. From a bowling front, that (the sixth-bowler) we haven’t nailed down.”Related

• Finals pressure for South Africa in T20Is decider

What’s clear so far is that South Africa want to play at least three of their five openers: Hendricks, Bavuma and Markram. That means Janneman Malan, who has played 20 fewer T20Is than Markram and whose average is similar, is unlikely to be able to force his way back in at the moment. It also means that Bavuma, who started off his T20 career as an opener, is being used at No.3, where he has not come off yet. With Markram in the middle order, there is no space for either Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Verreynne or anyone else South Africa may want to be there, except maybe Faf du Plessis. But that would create the same problem of only five bowling options that South Africa had in the first two matches against West Indies, so it will be interesting to see if du Plessis, the former captain, fits back in.Although South Africa can’t say for sure if Markram is a long-term sixth-bowling option, they are intent on finding out and used him to open the bowling in the last match with less than ideal results. Markram conceded 20 runs, which Bavuma identified as putting South Africa under pressure immediately and though it’s an isolated incident, it remains a cause of concern.Reeza Hendricks made 2, 17, 42, 17 partnering Quinton de Kock in the combination in the T20Is against West Indies•AFP/Getty Images

Seemingly, a more secure choice would be to include a proven allrounder in Markram’s spot but South Africa have left both Wiaan Mulder and Andile Phehlukwayo on the bench. Whether they will opt for Dwaine Pretorius, who missed this tour after contracting Covid-19, remains to be seen.Then, there’s the consideration that they already have an allrounder in the team in George Linde, who has earned his place with the ball but has the ability to do it with the bat. It’s possible that South Africa don’t want to appear to have a softer middle order with two allrounders at Nos. 6 and 7, especially as they have no choice but to start the lower order at No. 8.Their three-pronged pace pack of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi were exceptional in the Tests but have not reproduced that form with the white ball. Bavuma put that down to conditions. “Our bowlers, in terms of aggression and pace, we have always thrived on bowling on quick, bouncy wickets. That’s a skill set that becomes null and void in these type (West Indian) of conditions,” he said. “Maybe we have been found wanting in that department.”While Nortje has bowled some back-of-the-hand slower balls, South Africa overall have not adjusted to the surfaces as well as West Indies and Ngidi, in particular, has been expensive. Apart from Phehlukwayo and Mulder, South Africa have Beuran Hendricks, Lizaad Willams and Sisanda Magala (though he is currently battling an ankle injury) in reserve and have not used any of them yet. Bavuma indicated Williams may come into contention for the series-deciding fifth and final T20I, after an impressive debut earlier in the year. He was their leading bowler against Pakistan in the series in April.The only position not under some scrutiny is Tabrazi Shamsi’s. The world’s leading T20I bowler has operated as both strike bowler and container, and his form means it’s unlikely Imran Tahir, who has not retired from the shortest format, will don a South African shirt again. That, unless Tahir is afforded the opportunity and South Africa opt to field a four-spin attack in the UAE. They have the personnel in Tahir, Shamsi, Linde and Bjorn Fortuin. Imagine that.

Mir, who made her debut in 2005, took 151 wickets in 120 ODIs and 89 wickets in 106 T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2020Sana Mir, arguably the greatest woman cricketer Pakistan has produced, has announced her retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a 15-year career. Mir, who made her international debut in 2005, took 151 wickets at an average of 24.27 in 120 ODIs and 89 wickets at 23.42 in 106 T20Is. Apart from that, she also scored 1630 runs in ODIs at 17.91 and 802 in T20Is at 14.07.Last November, Mir had taken a break from international cricket and had missed Pakistan’s tour of England. Subsequently, she was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia following a run of poor form.ALSO READ: ‘A true stalwart of Pakistan cricket, a catalyst for the women’s game’“Last few months have provided me with an opportunity to contemplate,” Mir said in a statement. “I feel it is the right time for me to move on. I believe I have contributed to the best of my ability for my country and the sport.”When I reflect on my debut, it gives me great satisfaction that I have been part of the process that has eventually resulted in a packed-to-capacity Lord’s for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final, something that was further boosted by a record 87,000 spectators for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. These are great success stories for women’s cricket.”In her statement, Mir thanked her family and mentors and hoped to continue “serving” her departmental team Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL).”I also want to thank my family and mentors who provided unconditional support that allowed me to fulfil my dreams of representing Pakistan at a global stage and would also like to thank my departmental team ZTBL for their support throughout my career. I look forward to continue serving them if department cricket continues.”Mir retires as the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODIs and second-highest behind Nida Dar in T20Is. Her most productive year was 2014, when he took 21 wickets in 11 ODIs at 12.57. In October 2018, she topped the ICC ODI rankings. She has two Asian Games gold medals from 2010 and 2014.She captained 72 times in ODIs, of which Pakistan won 26 and lost 45. In her 65 T20Is as captain, Pakistan won 26 and lost 36. She stepped down from the T20I captaincy after the 2016 Women’s World T20, and lost the ODI captaincy in 2017, when the PCB elevated Bismah Maroof to the role.Wasim Khan, PCB’s CEO, paid tribute to Mir: “On behalf of Pakistan cricket, I congratulate Sana Mir on a highly successful career. She has been the face of Pakistan women’s cricket for many years and the real source of inspiration for the young generation of women cricketers.”Through her determination and passion, Sana broke the glass ceiling for women cricketers in the country. Through her performances, she not only improved the profile of women’s cricket in Pakistan, but also enhanced the image of Pakistan globally. Sana is a true legend of women’s cricket who attracted, inspired and motivated young women athletes. Moving forward, I am sure she will continue to contribute positively to women’s cricket.”

Dhaka Dynamites produced an emphatic performance to sneak into the playoffs on the last day of the league stage

The Report by Peter Della Penna02-Feb-2019
How the game played outControlling their playoff destiny heading into the final match of the regular season, Dhaka Dynamites produced a nerveless and dominant performance to dispose of Khulna Titans – the worst team in BPL 2019 – by six wickets with 31 balls to spare. Rajshahi Kings needed a miracle from the Titans to ensure the Dynamites would not steal the final playoff berth available but Titans did them no such favors.On a good batting pitch, Titans stuttered through the Powerplay to get behind the eight-ball before the middle order shot themselves in the foot with overambitious shot selection in an effort to compensate for the slow start. At 81 for 6 in the 14th, the Titans tail scrapped their way to 123 as David Wiese grinded out a top score of 30 off 27 balls.But the paltry total was never going to be enough and Dynamites soon made a mockery of the chase, more than doubling what Titans had produced in the Powerplay to reach 71 for 2 after six thanks to openers Sunil Narine and Upul Tharanga. Having entered the match with a sizable net run rate advantage over Kings, singles were all that was needed to clinch a playoff berth and Kieron Pollard played a sedate innings alongside Nurul Hasan in a 36-run stand to take Dynamites over the line and into the playoffs.Turning points

• Brendan Taylor made a confident start with 18 off 14 balls before missing a sweep to fall lbw to Shakib in the fourth over to spark the initial top-order slide
• Al-Amin tried to play a reverse hit against Sunil Narine in the 13th but only managed to pull a full toss to point. Nasir Hossain fell in similarly audacious fashion in the next over to Shakib, walking way too far across his stumps to be bowled behind his legs to make it 81 for 6
• Narine slaughtered Titans bowlers in the Powerplay, in particular against Saddam Hossain in the third over by pulling a no-ball for four first ball, then slamming the free hit over midwicket for six, before another six over cover two balls later

Star of the dayNarine produced another splendid all-round effort. After taking a solid 1 for 20 with the ball, he crushed the Titans opening the chase. Narine faced 13 of the first 16 balls. By the time he was out, the score was already at 43 and he had singlehandedly equaled the Titans Powerplay total of 35 after a ruthless assault on Subashis Roy, Junaid Khan and Saddam that mercifully ended when he drove Saddam to cover.The big missAndre Russell showed his deft agility to avoid major injury at the long-on boundary. In the 17th over of the first innings, Taijul Islam drove Narine for four down the ground. Russell tried in vain to cut the ball off before the rope, but his dead sprint took him in the path of one of the TV broadcast cameramen. He swerved left at the last moment before hurdling an advertising board to avoid a freak injury that might have curtailed his participation in the playoff phase.Where the teams standKhulna had sealed the wooden spoon several matches earlier but end the season in last place with just four points, six behind Sylhet Sixers. Dynamites win allowed them to move up to fourth place on 12 points to leapfrog Rajshahi Kings on net run rate into the first playoff eliminator against Chittagong Vikings.

Former captain and World Cup winner Kapil Dev on the impact the late Jagmohan Dalmiya had on Indian cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2017Kapil Dev admires his likeness at the Delhi launch of a Madame Tussauds museum•AFP

I’m nervous to talk about cricket. But if you tell me to come and speak about Jagmohan Dalmiya, I do not know what to say about him because in my mind he was truly one of the finest heroes we have.There are two types of heroes. One is on the field and one is off the field and I think if I have to say about him, if all of us, we cricketers are enjoying [ourselves, it is] thanks to this man. Without him I think we would have been struggling. Already a lot of things have been said about him, I only want to say in the last 50 years in the world, he was the best administrator in all sports. When India used to struggle, we always looked up to England and Australia, and we used to say ‘Can we get wages like Australia, England?’. That was the thought process. In 20 years, all these countries will say, ‘Can we get wages like India?’ and that is the change he did.Sometimes for players it does not really matter when we are on the field, when we play the game. But it is important to get good money. Jagmohan Dalmiya understood that these cricketers have a career of only 10 to 15 years maximum. Everybody is not Sachin Tendulkar, who can play for 24 years. Eight years and 10 years and you give your prime time and what money does in those 15 years of cricket, if you can make the life the same you have today. That tells a lot and that credit goes to my hero.When I met him first, he did not make that much of an impression on me. As I kept on meeting him, I think I had realised that he was not the best of speakers but there was none better than him to understand word by word, full stop to comma, what is right, what is wrong. Nobody has done better contracts than this man. That was his strength. Let’s say, everybody does not have the art of speaking. Some people can write well. But this man was one of those persons who understood where he could nail down other people.The best part is that he kept everybody happy. We cricketers of that 80s batch, the first time we thought that the cricket board came close to the players [was under Dalmiya]. Otherwise the board was far away from the players and players were far away from the board. The players came close to the board.Before that [it was like] might is right. Whatever the board said, nobody could question the cricket control board of India. But Jagmohan Dalmiya said no to that. He said we needed to have dialogue. I think half of the battle was won for the players. The administration was ready to listen to you. He had given the opportunity.Jagmohan Dalmiya at a BCCI special general meeting in Kolkata•Hindustan Times

A lot of administrators have seen and had been there with the board. But for him, love of the game and passion of the game brought the cricketers together. I do not think we had the guts or had any board president invited for a cup of tea or coffee. They used to get orders and that is how it used to run. But he changed for the betterment of the game. I do not know the inside stories of this part of the world. But I’m sure he was instrumental in bringing the cricketers together and the people who bring people together, they are leaders. In my mind, he was the leader to get things done.From there Sourav [Ganguly, the CAB president] asked me do not talk too much about Dalmiya, talk about cricket, but also about Indian cricket. I just want to tell the present Indian cricket team, we always respect players from CK Nayadu to Amarnath to Vinoo Mankad, Hazare, Merchant, Polly Umrigar. From time to time cricket has changed, Tiger Pataudi, Bishen Singh Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar and then another batch came. Sunil Gavaskar, Viswanath, and then another batch came, which was a big change. Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh. During that period I think we got the best cricketers of all time and after that the great Dhoni, Yuvraj and now baton is in your hand, Virat.I think you can take Indian team ahead because you have the responsibility. You are the one people look up to and we look up to you. Take the game to where nobody can imagine. You are a hero and you are like Dalmiya. You can change the things, which you have done this year or last few years is the fitness which I can be proud of. It is required in Indian cricket. Every captain comes out with something new; new thought process, new way of thinking. I think that is more important. We, as cricketers, can say you keep up the good work. We love you all.

India have agreed to use DRS for the Test series against England on “trial basis” to “evaluate the improvements made” in the system

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-20164:33

Agarkar: 95% of cricketers will be in favour of DRS

India have agreed to use DRS for the upcoming Test series against England on a “trial basis” to “evaluate the improvements made” in the system. India had played in the first series with umpire reviews, against Sri Lanka in 2008, but this will be their first bilateral contest since then with all the components of the DRS – including ball-tracking technology – in place.”We are happy to note that Hawk-Eye has institutionalised all the recommendations made by BCCI, and we confirm that this improved version of DRS will be used on a trial basis during the forthcoming series against England,” the BCCI president Anurag Thakur said. “Based on the performance of the system and the feedback that we will receive, further continuation in forthcoming series will be decided.”One of India’s biggest concerns with the DRS, the predicted path of the ball after it hits the pad in the case of lbw decisions, will be addressed by the use of ultra-motion cameras. The manual intervention in determining the point of impact will be minimised by the introduction of Ultra Edge, which according to a BCCI release had been approved by Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]. It will also eliminate the possibility of another touch after the first impact affecting the predicted path or point of impact.”Earlier, there was a possibility that the operator would have missed a delivery and hence an lbw appeal could have been missed,” the BCCI release said. “Now, Hawk-Eye has developed the technology to record and save all images so that in case an operator fails to arm the tracking system, the images can be rewound and replayed.”Since their first experience with the system in its nascent stages, India were the biggest opponents of the DRS. The only times India used it since that 2008 series was in ICC events and in one Test series against England in 2011. In that series, the DRS was not used for lbw decisions.The BCCI’s sustained refusal to use the DRS meant that other countries would not use the system only when playing India. The board rarely articulated its opposition to the system in detail; India’s former Test captain MS Dhoni used to say they would use DRS only when it was 100% accurate.The current India coach Anil Kumble, who is also the head of the ICC cricket committee, had made a visit to MIT before he took over the India job to be apprised of the latest developments in the DRS technology. During the recent series against New Zealand, India’s current Test captain Virat Kohli had said India “definitely wanted to think about DRS”, which was the first significant departure from their previous stance.On October 19, the ICC general manager Geoff Allardice made a presentation in Delhi that was attended by Kumble. Two days later, India confirmed their acceptance of the system albeit on a trial basis.

Sikandar Raza produced a fine knock under pressure to guide Zimbabwe to a 1-0 series lead against Ireland in Harare

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Harare09-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:04

Raza, Ervine deny Ireland

It was expected that Ireland’s series in Zimbabwe would be a close one, and the first one-day international produced a thrilling finish as the hosts squeaked home by two wickets with just an over to spare. Zimbabwe’s pursuit of Ireland’s 219 for 8 was defined by a pair of half centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, but on a slow pitch that played ever slower as the afternoon wore on, it was Raza’s busy 60 that took Zimbabwe home.Just as Ireland had come unstuck against Zimbabwe’s spinners earlier in the day, so did the hosts as they stumbled in the middle of their chase, but Raza found just enough help from the tailenders to get the hosts over the line. He marshalled the second half of Zimbabwe’s chase, having arrived at the crease in the 27th over after Elton Chigumbura’s dismissal.At the time, Ireland’s spinners – and George Dockrell in particular – were keeping the Zimbabwe batsmen in check and the pressure quickly started to build. Ervine, who returned to the side after missing the ODI series against Pakistan with a hamstring strain, had helped to lay a platform with a characteristically languid knock. With Raza at the other end, he brought up a 65-ball fifty in the 28th over but was then caught behind off the bowling of offspinner Andrew McBrine as Ireland found another opening.A nervous innings from Malcolm Waller was ended when he picked out Stuart Thompson in the deep and when Luke Jongwe was run-out, Zimbabwe still needed 48 from the final ten overs with just three wickets in hand. Raza had only the tail for company, but he found a surprisingly able partner in debutant Wellington Masakadza. Together they pinched singles through the smallest of gaps, pushing for every run, and Raza kept Zimbabwe just in front with the odd boundary, bringing up his own fifty in the 46th over.With the match drawing to a nail-biting finish, the pair pushed for one run too many and Masakadza was run out for 10 to bring Tinashe Panyangara to the wicket. Zimbabwe needed 11 from the last three overs, and importantly Ireland had ran out of spin options. When the equation came down to single figures in the penultimate over, Ireland captain William Porterfield brought the field in with Panyangara on strike. The burly quick responded in brave fashion, stepping down the track to club Tim Murtagh down the ground, ending the match and sparking fevered celebrations from the modest crowd that had gathered to watch it.Though Raza’s knock sealed the result, the character of this game was decided by the spinners on both sides. Zimbabwe’s combination of John Nyumbu, Sean Williams and Masakadza took a combined 5 for 125 in 29 overs, while Dockrell was a handful in the afternoon and Ireland’s slow bowlers kept Zimbabwe to 117 for 4 in 30 overs.Ireland had relied upon a pair of fifties of their own to reach what proved to be a very challenging total in the conditions. Ed Joyce, accumulating busily, helped to keep the score ticking over after three early wickets had pegged back Ireland’s rollicking start against the new ball and he was soon joined at the crease by wicketkeeper Gary Wilson.Both men have the technique and temperament for these conditions, and they added 83 for the fourth wicket in 18.3 overs. Joyce perished for 53, slicing Nyumbu to Chigumbura in the covers, and Ireland then slipped to 176 for 8 in the 46th over as the lower order perished in the pursuit of quick runs.But Wilson remained, and with an adventurous Andrew McBrine he boosted the score with 28 runs in the last two overs. Wilson finished unbeaten on 70 at the close, but all his hard work in the stifling mid-day heat wasn’t quite enough to set up an Ireland win.

Michael Clarke performed a feat of rare diplomacy on the eve of his side’s ODI series against the West Indies as he managed to balance his friendship with Shane Warne, and his fealty to Cricket Australia’s high performance chief Pat Howard

Daniel Brettig31-Jan-2013Australia’s captain Michael Clarke performed a feat of rare diplomacy on the eve of his side’s ODI series against the West Indies as he simultaneously managed to balance his friendship with Shane Warne, and his fealty to Cricket Australia’s high performance chief Pat Howard.Of those who have reacted to Warne’s parallel universe for Australian cricket in the past 24 hours, Clarke’s response was the one caught in the most invidious position. He is both a part of the selection panel that advocates concepts Warne cannot stomach, and also an eager sponge for all the cricket knowledge the former Test leg spinner and his own mentor Ian Chappell can provide.Caught between Warne and Howard, Clarke trod a narrow path down the middle, stating the former was entitled to his opinion and would be listened to by those in power, but also reiterating his belief that the latter was doing a strong job in the face of much criticism from those unwilling to watch the high-end of the game be managed by a former rugby international.”Warnie and I are great friends and we always will be,” Clarke said in Perth. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, and he’s certainly earned the right to voice his opinion on Australian cricket. I speak to Warnie often about things I can do personally to improve my game. Not only has he been a great friend, but he’s a mentor to me as well.”Pat Howard has been doing a fantastic job. A lot of people will take a lot of notice of what Warnie has to say. But people have jobs and are trying to do that job to the best of their ability. And that’s all we can do. I’m a part of that as well. The people who make the decisions on who gets employed, they’ll definitely take notice. They’ll read what Warnie had to say. And I’m sure they’ll do whatever they have to do.”Among other targets of Warne’s push for change in the Australian game, the national selector John Inverarity declined to comment, other than to say he was happy he lived in a country granted a free press and unfettered expression of ideas. Warne had suggested Inverarity be replaced by his fellow selector and friend Rod Marsh.The national coach Mickey Arthur, who Warne argued should be replaced by the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, was less diplomatic in his assessment: taking issue with Warne’s clear preference for the simpler ways of the past – namely the 1970s when his mentor Chappell led a team of self-reliant and contrasting characters.”He’s living in a dream world to be honest,” Arthur told 6PR Radio in Perth. “It’s just not possible [to always pick your best team] with the amount of time the players have at their disposal. He’s living in a dream world and clearly he’s not up with the times.”We don’t sit there and rotate players and think, ‘he is going to play here and he is going to play here and there’. What we do, is we manage our players. So it’s about player management. If there is a player who is not 100 percent fit, we don’t take the risk with him. We want guys that are going out on the field 100 percent fine and ready to go all of the time.”Peter Siddle, Warne’s fellow Victorian and one of the players referred to as part of a strong core of the current Test team, offered the following view: “That’s just Warnie being Warnie. Warnie has done that when he played. He just likes the limelight.”

Dinesh Karthik, the lone centurion for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final, has blamed the Chepauk pitch for spoiling his team’s chances of winning the title

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jan-2012Dinesh Karthik, the lone centurion for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final, has blamed the Chepauk pitch for spoiling his team’s chances of winning the title. The pitch became the focal point of the debate after Rajasthan amassed 621 runs across the first three days, taking advantage of a surface that was devoid of any bounce or pace. Though the game was drawn, Rajasthan took the title on first-innings points.The Rajasthan opening pair of Vineet Saxena and Aakash Chopra remained unconquered on a tedious first day when only 221 runs were scored.”To some extent, yes,” Karthik said, when asked if he would blame the pitch for Tamil Nadu finishing as runners-up. “Because after playing eight quality games you come up for the final only to realise it is going to be so toss-based. Any game for that matter should not be toss-based. There should be a pitch for both batsmen and bowlers. That is the key to sport, a contest.” Karthik’s previous century in a Ranji final came when Tamil Nadu played Mumbai at the same venue in the 2003-04 season.Incidentally the pitch for the final was the same surface Tamil Nadu had played Madhya Pradesh (group game) and Maharashtra (quarter-finals). In both those games, Tamil Nadu managed to bowl out the opposition at least once, but in the final they were made to toil fruitlessly. The fears of a weary pitch were realised completely: if the lack of pace on the dry pitch kept the fast bowlers parched, the spinners were hurt by the lack of bounce.Describing the pitch, Karthik said it was initially slow to start on day one and the cracks started getting wider over the subsequent days. “It is a little annoying to bat on (after day 3) you cannot play freely. If you are a positive player, there are not many shots you can play because you are not going to get value for your shots. That is why the run rate remained consistent at 2 to 2.2 types.”On the penultimate day, the pitch had become extremely slow. Still, Karthik’s century was the best innings in terms of strokeplay. It did not come easy, Karthik stressed. “It was far more difficult to bat than on what it was at the start of the match. The wicket was slow throughout the game but it became slower from the third day and the odd ball was keeping low and the cracks were opening.”Karthik failed to understand why such an important match could not be hosted on a better pitch, which would have retained the balance between bat and ball. He even cited the examples of venues like Mumbai and Baroda being fit to host the domestic season’s most important match. “I am disappointed at the fact that we cannot play on a wicket like a Wankhede or Baroda (Moti Bagh) wickets which are conducive to both batting and bowling. The scoreline would have been much more different.”However, Karthik credited the Rajasthan bowlers for maintaining accurate lines and the batsmen for their admirable patience. Tamil Nadu suffered a setback as soon as they started their innings after the new ball pair of Rituraj Singh and Pankaj Singh sent back their top order by bowling fast and keeping the length full. Being in the field for the first eight sessions had affected the hosts’ batsmen mentally and physically.”It is very easy for me to say that the Rajasthan bowlers bowled well and they definitely did that. But there is no doubting the fact they had a cushion of 620 runs,” Karthik said. “And they bowled to their strengths, bowling in straight lines consistently.”At the same time the, Karthik did not blame his own bowlers for failing to stall the opposition. “Our bowlers did a fantastic job throughout the season but this was the game where the Rajasthan batsmen applied themselves and the wicket was very good to bat on (on the first two days) and they did not make any mistake at all.”Karthik appreciated Saxena’s relaxed demeanour throughout his marathon knock of 257, spread across 907 minutes. “It is very difficult to concentrate for such long periods of time without making a mistake and that was fantastic. Nor did he play a false stroke.”Comparatively, Tamil Nadu were hurt by the lack of partnerships: if Rajasthan had one double-century and two century partnerships, the highest for the hosts was the 76-run alliance between Karthik and R Prasanna for the fourth wicket. “To put it simply, there were about fifteen sessions in the game and they won all fifteen whether it be batting and bowling. Their lowest partnership must have been close to a hundred. We could not even get one hundred partnership and they had a double-hundred partnership. That is how good they were.”Despite failing to win the title once again, Karthik said there was no need for any drastic measures. In fact, he said the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association had supported the players by retaining the group across the last few years. If anything, he said Tamil Nadu should be proud. “In all honesty, to finish No.2 is nothing to be ashamed about. It was a proud achievement the way we have played our cricket. It was the only game in the entire Ranji Trophy we had lost and it says a lot about this team.”Karthik said the bowling attack, led by L Balaji was a big improvement over the previous years. However, he picked one area of improvement. “I would love to see a pool of spinners to choose from. At the moment I see four spinners – two left-armers and two off spinners – (so) I would like see a leg spinner who can come and help us.”

England are well placed to earn their first series victory in Australia for 24 years having already retained the Ashes after a day of dominant batting at the SCG as they built a lead of 208

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at the SCG05-Jan-2011

ScorecardIan Bell played wonderfully for his first hundred against Australia but it was tinged with controversy•Getty Images

England are well placed to earn their first series victory in Australia for 24 years, having already retained the Ashes, after a day of dominant batting at the SCG as they built a lead of 208. The record-breaking Alastair Cook led the way with 189, his third hundred of the series, and Ian Bell scored his first century against Australia with an elegant, albeit controversial, 115.Cook and Bell added 154 for the sixth wicket in the match-defining partnership and England’s command was cemented when Matt Prior joined to add 107 for the seventh with Bell. It was another chastening day for Australia, who couldn’t stem the flow of runs, and for Michael Clarke who now really knows the challenge ahead if he is the long-term captain.As he did at Brisbane, Cook went through a host of records and by the time he fell had 766 series runs, leaving him second behind Wally Hammond’s 905 in the 1928-29 Ashes for England batsmen. Incredibly, in an era when there are few tour matches, he also passed 1000 first-class runs for the trip and has now also spent longer at the crease in a series than any other England player.For Bell this was the innings he’d been waiting his career to play, converting his pristine form into that cherished hundred. He has never played better than on this trip and again he oozed class. His cover drives continually bisected the field with timing to beat the deep sweepers but it wasn’t an innings without controversy. On 67 he was given caught behind off an inside edge only for the decision to be overturned on review, even though there didn’t appear to be conclusive evidence, and Snicko later proved Bell had edged the ball.He was also dropped on 84, a firmly-struck return catch to Steve Smith, but was rarely troubled and reached his hundred with a back-foot push through the covers. While Bell didn’t sweat much in the 90s, Cook had a nervous wait on 99 when he flicked a delivery from Michael Beer towards short leg where Phil Hughes claimed the catch and the Australians began celebrating. Cook, though, stood his ground and TV replays showed the ball clearly bounced and Hughes was unsure before joining in late with the appeal.

Smart Stats

• Alastair Cook’s aggregate of 766 runs is the second highest by an England batsman in an Ashes series. The highest is Wally Hammond’s 905 runs in 1928-29.

• Cook’s century was his third of the series, making it the 23rd occasion that a batsman has scored three or more hundreds in an Ashes series. The previous occasion that an England batsman achieved this was when Michael Vaughan scored three centuries in 2002-03.

• The 154 run stand between Cook and Ian Bell is the fifth highest for the sixth wicket for a visiting team in Australia.

• England have passed 400 in four of the five Tests so far, which is the second time that a visiting team has achieved the feat. The last time England scored more than 400 on at least four occasions in a Test series in Australia was in 1928-29.

• Bell scored his first Ashes century in his 18th Test. He has now scored 11 half-centuries and one century at an average of 32.36.

It was the second time Beer had been denied Cook’s wicket after yesterday’s no-ball and in the spinner’s next over, Cook worked a single into the leg side to reach his hundred. He’d had a few other tricky moments, when he edged Shane Watson short of second slip on 87 then after passing his hundred nearly chipped Beer to midwicket, but it was a commanding display as he worked his way through the record books once again.England really put their foot on Australia’s throat when the second new ball was taken shortly before lunch as Cook and Bell both took advantage of the extra hardness. Clarke couldn’t find a combination that worked as he made seven bowling changes in 14 overs. Ben Hilfenhaus’s first over back went for eight then Bell played two perfect straight drives off Peter Siddle having taken time to play himself in. Bell knew this was the chance to make his good form count when it could make a real difference.He had so much time to play against the quicks and toyed with Beer’s length as he waited for anything short. Cook was also positive against the left-armer despite having a few more issues from the footmarks and drove impressively through the covers. Bell reached his fifty by using his feet against Smith – finally given a bowl in the 101st over – and launching him straight down the ground. By tea even Mike Hussey was having a bowl.Cook looked set to join Hammond as the only England batsman with two double hundreds in a series but finally edged a drive to Hussey in the gully. However, his dismissal barely hampered England’s progress as Prior played the perfect role to build England’s lead at a swift pace. He lofted Smith for six and peppered the off side in a 54-ball half-century and, after passing his hundred, Bell joined in with ever more expressive strokeplay until edging Mitchell Johnson to slip.The only sour note on England’s day was another failure for Paul Collingwood who can only dream of the form shown by Cook and Bell. He found the middle of his bat largely elusive during a 41-ball stay and Johnson’s first delivery of the day had reared to take the glove but looped fine of short leg. Collingwood wanted to be positive, which brought his downfall when he advanced at Beer and miscued his lofted drive towards mid-on where Hilfenhaus took a back-peddling catch.It was a huge moment of relief for Beer who gave the umpire a quick look, just to make sure, and this time was able to celebrate his first Test wicket. At that point the match was fascinatingly poised but it was the last time Australia had any grip on proceedings. Now they face a mighty task to escape with a draw.