Joe Denly’s impressive 217 set up a dominant day for the England Performance Programme (EPP) as they hammered home the advantage against the Titans at the LC de Villiers Oval

Cricinfo staff10-Dec-2009England Performance Programme 425 for 9 (Denly 217, Tredwell 70) and 44 for 1 lead Titans 235 (du Plessis 124*, Shahzad 4-37) by 234 runs


ScorecardJoe Denly starred for EPP in Pretoria•AFP

Joe Denly’s impressive 217 set up a dominant day for the England Performance Programme (EPP) as they hammered home the advantage against the Titans at the LC de Villiers Oval.Denly has had a difficult time in South Africa until now, failing to make an impact his two outings in the Twenty20 series, but after rescuing EPP from 133 for six to end up 188 not out on day one, he reached 217 on the second morning before falling to Imran Tahir’s leg-spin.He struck for 26 boundaries and four sixes in his 295-ball stay and lifted EPP to 425 for nine before Andrew Gale’s declaration put the Titans in.It was an important innings for Denly, who lost his spot in England’s one-day team to Jonathan Trott at the top of the order. Though Alastair Cook is England’s established Test opener, there remain doubts about his ability to deliver against the best teams and Denly could be next in line if he falters.Amjal Shazad, the Yorkshire paceman, and Sajid Mahmood then made inroads with a hostile new-ball spell. The Titans’ top-three batsmen were all dismissed without scoring and three more wickets fell quickly as the Titans slipped to 60 for 6. They were rescued by a fine, unbeaten hundred from captain Francois du Plessis, who also plays for Lancashire. His counter-attacking 124 came off 162 deliveries and lifted the home side to 235.Shazad cleaned up the tail to end with 4 for 37 while Mahmood’s 3 for 51 was a timely reminder to the England selectors of what they could be missing in the Test series.EPP took their 190-run first-innings lead up to 234 as they reached 44 for one in their second innings.

Rumesh Buddika and Banuka Rajapaksa starred with bat and ball respectively to help Sri Lanka Under-19 upstage the home side in a one-sided contest at the Wanderers

Cricinfo staff31-Dec-2009
ScorecardRumesh Buddika and Banuka Rajapaksa starred with bat and ball respectively to help Sri Lanka Under-19 trounce the home side in a one-sided contest at the Wanderers. Buddika’s 139 propelled Sri Lanka to 283 but South Africa Under-19’s response was so meek, they managed to bat out only 33 overs and conceded the game by 148 runs. Rajapaksa, for his part cleaned them up with a six-wicket haul.The Sri Lankans opted to bat but got off to a shaky start, losing their openers in the fifth over with the score on 17. South Africa held the advantage till the 15th over, when the fourth wicket fell on 82, before Buddika took the initiative away, and there was no looking back from thereon. Akshu Fernando added 123 for the fifth wicket with Buddika and that was the launch-pad for a big score. Fernando hit 51 off 59 balls before he was dismissed in the 35th over, ending an association with Buddika which lasted just over 20 overs. Buddika’s 139 featured 18 fours, before he was run out in the 47th over. Kirk Wernars, the right-arm seamer, ran through the lower order to pick up 4 for 42.The South African openers got the chase off to a good start, adding 53. However, they lost control after Chathura Peiris removed the pair in the same over. Thereafter, it was a downward slide as Rajapaksa ran through the middle order to finish with 6 for 29, more than compensating for his third-ball duck. The win also gave Sri Lanka a much-needed bonus point, after having lost both games prior to this.

The Bermuda Cricket Board has named David Moore as the coach of the national side, for the tour of Namibia in April

Cricinfo staff22-Jan-2010The Bermuda Cricket Board has named David Moore as the coach of the national side, which is competing in the ICC Intercontinental Shield. The news was confirmed by an announcement from the board president, Reginald Pearman.”I confirm that Mr. David Moore has been offered and has accepted the position of Bermuda national coach. Mr. Moore’s paperwork has recently been submitted to the Department of Immigration and we are optimistic that he will be able to join the squad before they leave for the Namibia tour in mid March,” Pearman said. “Bermuda will compete against Namibia for the ICC Shield on April 2,3,4 and 5 and will play two ODI’s on April 7 and April 8. Current plans include a pre-tournament training camp at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.”Bermuda, who lost their ODI status last year, will host the UAE in May in their second fixture of the Shield tournament. Prior to that they will host the Americas Division One in May.Squad (for the tour of Namibia): David Hemp (capt), Stephen Outerbridge, Stefan Kelly, Jekon Edness, Irving Romaine, Oliver Pitcher Jr., Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Jordan DeSilva, Justin Pitcher, Malachi Jones, Fiqre Crockwell, Chris Foggo, Joshua Gilbert, Regino Smith, Kyle Hodsoll, Ryan Steede, Shannon Raynor, Jim West, Kevin Tucker, David Lovell, Ryane Shepherd.

A triumphant Afghanistan team returned home to a joyous welcome from hundreds of fans after securing a place at the World Twenty20 tournament in West Indies.

Cricinfo staff25-Feb-2010A triumphant Afghanistan team returned home to a joyous welcome from hundreds of fans after securing a place at the World Twenty20 tournament in West Indies. A large crowd of supporters at Kabul’s airport waved the national flag and sang patriotic songs to greet the team on their arrival, reported.”Our national cricket team returns home today and we have come to show them our appreciation for their achievement and to further encourage them,” said Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, finance minister and Afghan Cricket Board chairman.After wins over Ireland, Scotland and USA in the group stages of the Qualifiers in Dubai, Afghanistan held their nerve to beat UAE in a low-scoring semi-final to be sure of admission to their first major tournament.”Certainly it was a dream of all the players and the Afghan people, and God fulfilled it,” captain Nowroz Mangal said of their winning streak at the Qualifiers.Afghanistan finished the qualifying tournament in style, beating Ireland by eight wickets in the final, meaning that they will now face India and South Africa in Group C of the World Twenty20, which begins on April 30.

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2010A solid second-innings batting performance helped Central Districts win their Plunket Shield match against Wellington by seven wickets in Napier, despite conceding a slender first-innings lead.Central asked Wellington to bat in what turned out to be a match with middling scores. Cameron Merchant and Luke Woodcock scored half-centuries in Wellington’s first innings but the lack of substantial scores from anyone else resulted in them being dismissed for 250. Doug Bracewell caused most of the damage, taking 5 for 47, and he was well supported by Adam Milne, who picked up 4 for 49. Central’s reply was weak: seven batsmen got past 20 but Brendon Diamanti’s 40 was the top score. Fast bowler Ili Tugaga took career-best figures of 5 for 77 to dismiss them for 232.Bracewell and Milne once again cut through the Wellington top order in the second innings and soon had in trouble at 26 for 3. Neal Parlene resisted with 90 but Wellington slipped to 207 all out. Bracewell, who finished the match with 9 for 109, and Milne, with seven wickets, had ensured their team had only 226 to chase for victory.Faced with a gettable target, Central’s top order delivered. The top three batsmen – Peter Ingram, Jamie How and Brad Patton – scored half-centuries and No. 4 Timothy Weston scored an unbeaten 41 to lead Central to 228 for 3 in only the 49th over. The victory kept Central Districts in second place in the league, behind Northern Districts.Canterbury edged ahead of Otago in the points table and took third place with a 158-run win in Queenstown. Their top order delivered a solid performance in the first innings – Michael Papps’ 83 and Dean Brownlie’s 63 were the highlights – and they were comfortably placed at 248 for 4 when the middle and lower order folded cheaply. They were dismissed for only 315 as a result.Canterbury’s bowlers rose to the challenge. Their new-ball operators, Hamish Bennett and Chris Martin, took three wickets each and Otago lost wickets steadily to be dismissed for 221. Derek de Boorder top scored 55 as they gave up a first-innings lead of 94. Canterbury’s batsmen performed once again in the second innings, with Papps leading the way with a century. He scored 122 and Johann Myburgh made 90, which allowed Canterbury to declare on 340 for 5, setting Otago a target of 435.Otago’s batsmen fared better in the chase. Opener Craig Cumming made 82 but a top-order hiccup resulted in a slide from 85 for 1 to 132 for 5. Sam Wells made a half-century in the middle order but became one of legspinner Todd Astle’s five wickets. Otago were eventually bowled out for 272 in the 93rd over of their innings.

Sarah Andrews, the Australian fast bowler, has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. Andrews, 28, has departed after a career of three Tests, 39 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 internationals

Cricinfo staff09-Mar-2010Sarah Andrews, the Australian fast bowler, has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. Andrews, 28, has departed after a career of three Tests, 39 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 internationals.Andrews was a member of the squad that recently returned from New Zealand with the Rose Bowl trophy and she was part of Australia’s 2008-09 World Cup group. She has also been a key player for the New South Wales Brakers during a dominant era for the team.”I’ve been playing representative cricket for the last 10 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been a big part of my life so this was always going to be a very tough decision,” Andrews said. “I am going to miss it a lot, especially my team mates and all the characters within the game. I’ve have a lot of fond memories of cricket and it’s been great to be part of so many successful teams.”Andrews leaves the game with 54 one-day international wickets at 21.14, placing her equal ninth on Australia’s all-time list. She also claimed four Test wickets at 33.75 and 10 Twenty20 victims at 36.80.

Despite a spirited performance, Ireland were unable to deny West Indies XI a clean sweep of the three match Twenty20 series, as the eased to a 16-run win in the curtailed third fixture at Sabina Park on Sunday

Cricinfo staff19-Apr-2010
ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan eased himself into form ahead of the World Twenty20, with a 27-ball 52•DigicelCricket.com

Despite a spirited performance, Ireland were unable to deny West Indies XI a clean sweep of the three match Twenty20 series, as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ravi Rampaul led the hosts to a 16-run win in the curtailed third fixture at Sabina Park on Sunday.Sarwan, on a comeback trail after a four-month injury break, looked close to hitting top form, smashing four fours and three sixes in his 27-ball 52. His knock was at the centre of the hosts’ recovery after Ireland drew first blood, running out Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a duck in the first over. Wavell Hinds and Andre Fletcher launched the innings with a stand of 39 off 27 balls, with the latter striking six fours in a score of 27. Hinds played second fiddle as Sarwan took over from Fletcher.Sarwan fell in the 13th over to Alex Cusack, and Hinds departed two balls later, when Trent Johnston held a stunner at third man. That gave Darren Sammy an opportunity to finish the innings with an aggressive flourish that yielded 19 off 8 balls.Despite cameos from William Porterfield and Johnston, Ireland were behind the eight-ball throughout the chase, losing wickets intermittently. Rampaul collected 3 for 26, as the visitors were restricted to 136 for 7 in their 15 overs.West Indies XI had easy victories in the first couple of games, by margins of 31 and 18 runs respectively. The 3-0 result gives West Indies the upperhand going into the World Twenty20 that begins on April 30, where they are slotted in the same group as Ireland, with England being the third team.

David Morgan, the outgoing ICC president, believes it “won’t be too long” before day-night Tests are played in Australia or India

Cricinfo staff19-May-2010David Morgan, the outgoing ICC president, believes it “won’t be too long” before day-night Tests are played in Australia or India. The ICC will meet at Lord’s this week and Morgan will soon leave his post and be succeeded by India’s Sharad Pawar.The prospect of day-night Tests has been raised to increase crowds but the concept has been held back by problems with coloured balls lasting 80 overs. However, Morgan is convinced they will happen.”I talked to administrators in Australia whom I expected to be so conservative as to be against day-night Test cricket but they are very much for it,” he told AFP. “I believe it won’t be too long before we see day-night Test cricket in Australia or India.”James Sutherland, Cricket Australia’s chief executive, is leading the push for Tests under lights and there were trials held in 2nd XI games in 2009-10. However, the pink and orange balls don’t last as long as the red ones, despite millions of dollars being spent on research.Morgan said the biggest regret of his two-year term as president was Pakistan becoming a no-go area for international cricket following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore last year. “I feel sad for the people of Pakistan and for the cricketers in Pakistan,” he said. “Pakistan has produced some of the most stylish cricketers in the last couple of decades – Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.”It’s a country we need to continue to be producing fine cricketers, a bit like the Welsh [rugby union] outside-half factory. When these things cease to flow, the game is a great deal poorer.”The development of coloured balls for floodlit cricket will be one of the key topics on the agenda of the ICC Cricket Committee, along with the progress of the Umpire Decision Review System (DRS), the format of ODI cricket and the status of the switch hit/reverse sweep.The Cricket Committee will be chaired by Clive Lloyd, with Gary Kirsten, the India coach, added to the board to replace Mickey Arthur as the Full Member team coach representative.
There will also be a review of the Laws 2010 edition and the impact on standard playing conditions as well as reports from the Women’s Cricket Committee and the Medical Committee.

Essex’s Matt Walker was left one run short of his first century of the season as Hampshire took a slender advantage going into day four of the County Championship Division One match at The Rose Bowl

06-Jun-2010

ScorecardJimmy Adams continued his good form this season with a patient half century•Getty Images

Essex’s Matt Walker was left one run short of his first century of the season as Hampshire took a slender advantage going into day four of the County Championship Division One match at The Rose Bowl.Walker’s mammoth five-hour innings came to an end eight balls before lunch as he was caught by Michael Carberry at backward point, after the Hampshire opener fumbled at the first attempt, to close the Essex innings. Jimmy Adams’ 56 then helped steer the hosts to a second innings lead of 250 and with four wickets in hand Hampshire will be looking to build a strong score before trying to skittle through the Essex order.Essex began the day on 209 for 7, 91 runs behind Hampshire, but lost the dangerous Graham Napier (35) when he nicked a David Balcombe delivery to James Vince at first slip. It proved welcome relief for the Hampshire attack after Carberry had dropped the one-day specialist on the second ball of the day when he was just on nine.Walker escaped a run out when umpire Trevor Jesty failed to spot he was out of his crease as bowler James Tomlinson palmed Napier’s straight drive onto the stumps, but with partners rapidly disappearing around him was Essex’s best source of runs. Danish Kaneria (eight) lasted just nine balls before playing on to a short ball from Sean Ervine and in the following over Walker’s frustration told as his desire to reach three figures got the better of him, cutting Balcombe down the throat of Carberry.With a narrow lead Hampshire began their second innings solidly as Carberry (35) and Adams shared 62 for the opening wicket in just 20 overs but the England international was deceived by an inswinging Ravi Bopara delivery which presented a bat/pad catch for Walker.Adams, in tandem with Michael Lumb (38) took Hampshire past the 100-mark, claiming his half century from 121 balls including one six off Kaneria but was unlucky to be give lbw to a Ryan ten Doeschate inswinger which looked to be heading down the leg side.At tea Hampshire were well placed on 128 for 2 but the final session saw the Essex attack enforce a mini-collapse and give them some hope of a result on day four. Neil McKenzie (nine) was the first to go after he was caught by James Foster off David Masters and then Vince (16) followed 10 overs later with the Essex wicketkeeper once more claiming the catch, this time from Maurice Chambers.Hampshire would have liked Lumb to have seen out the day’s play but he was deceived by Kaneria and then Ervine (19) went as he lost his head pulling Bopara to Jaik Mickleburgh at deep square leg to present the possibility of an intriguing final day.

American College Cricket has announced the dates of the 2011 Spring Break Championships – The Chanderpaul Trophy – which will feature more than 20 colleges from across USA and Canada

Cricinfo staff29-Jun-2010American College Cricket has announced the dates of the 2011 Spring Break Championships – The Chanderpaul Trophy – which will feature more than 20 colleges from across USA and Canada.The tournament, which earned its name after West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul donated the trophy in 2009, will start March 15 next year and last five days with a final scheduled for March 20. After the success of last year’s event the games will take place again at The Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida.The tournament began in 2009, with five Colleges, and quickly grew to 20 Colleges in 2010, when 47 games were played in five days. The 2010 competition, won by Canada’s York University, was the first major live video broadcast of any domestic cricket played in the USA, with games even carried live on the Jumbotrons at the Square One Mall in Toronto, Canada.American College Cricket vice-president Nino DiLoreto said he expects even better things next year. “The live webcast of the Semis and Finals was carried on our AmericanCollegeCricket.com, as well as by the International Cricket Council (ICC ), USA Cricket, Cricket Canada, and more. It was a huge success and we plan to broadcast more games in 2011.”The most recent event also saw innovations such as time limits that ensured games finished within three hours to make it more media and spectator friendly. American College Cricket president Lloyd Jodah said: “York University are eager to defend the Chanderpaul Trophy, and many new college clubs are joining American College Cricket. We are assisting in the formation of cricket clubs and developing teams at Universities all across the USA and Canada.”