James Taylor has declared himself far better prepared for Test cricket now than he was on debut last year, despite conceding that his unbeaten century against the Australians in Hove was less than fluent

Brydon Coverdale in Hove28-Jul-2013James Taylor has declared himself far better prepared for Test cricket now than he was on debut last year, despite conceding that his unbeaten century against the Australians in Hove was less than fluent. Taylor and his temporary county team-mate Monty Panesar both enjoyed their audition against the Australians and both will hope to face them again next week after being named in England’s 14-man squad for the Old Trafford Test.Panesar’s chances of playing hinge largely on the condition of the pitch in Manchester, while Taylor’s hopes rest on the condition of Kevin Pietersen’s troublesome calf. Taylor, parachuted in from Nottinghamshire in order to gain some experience against the Australians, scratched around for his 121 not out and was dropped twice before he reached triple-figures but said if he received the nod in Manchester he would be ready.”It wasn’t the best innings I’ve played, it wasn’t one of my most fluent at all, but it’s about finding a way when you’re not feeling in the best touch and I did that,” Taylor said. “Mentally and technically I feel in a good place. I’m delighted to score runs, I don’t really mind how. It’s not how, it’s how many, and that’s how I go about my game.”Taylor’s two Tests against South Africa last year brought scores of 34, 10 and 4, and he was told by the selectors to go away, work on some technical issues and churn out the runs at domestic level. He has done that, piling up 824 for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship this season, and his hundred against the Australians was his third first-class century this summer.”I’ve worked hard on my game since I was left out,” he said. “It was a great experience playing against South Africa but it was all too brief, and I’ve gone away and worked really hard since getting left out. I’ve piled on the runs like the selectors asked me to and I feel like I’m in a good place now.”I was in a kind of a no-win situation in this game, but the purpose was to spend time in the middle against the red ball after all the T20 cricket in recent weeks and it was nice to do that against a decent attack. It was definitely a pressure situation – if I hadn’t scored any runs everybody would have commented on that, but luckily I did and got what I needed out of the game.”Like Taylor, Panesar got what he wanted out of the match against the Australians, picking up 3 for 70 in the first innings, and it was another confidence-booster after a difficult start to the summer. Panesar has managed only 21 wickets at 40.09 during the Championship this season but he said some remedial work with Peter Such, England’s spin bowling coach, had put his season back on track.”I kind of struggled early season, I was not getting the action I wanted to get, and then I went away and did a bit of work with Peter Such on a one-to-one basis to get my action in the right order,” Panesar said. “Over the Twenty20 period I’ve used the time to get my action in order, and in the Championship games and in the dry weather we’ve had I’ve tried to perform and prepare myself if the call came.”Panesar has an outstanding record at Old Trafford, where he has collected 25 wickets at 16.72 in three Tests, but it is five years since he last played a Test there. If, as expected, the teams are greeted with a dry pitch, a two-man spin attack could well be employed by England, and Panesar said he would fancy his chances against the Australians in such circumstances.”The England team have put them slightly under pressure, but the Australia team is a very competitive team, they are going to come hard at us. You always feel maybe against spin there is an opportunity,” he said. “But they are good players, you can’t completely discard Australia, they’re a competitive cricket team – but I do feel even in this game I was always in with a chance.”

Although Ireland-England at cricket does not match the level of the corresponding rugby clash in the Six Nations, this biennial meeting is becoming something of a grudge match

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan02-Sep-2013

Match Facts

September 3, Malahide
Start time 10.30am (0930GMT)William Porterfield and Eoin Morgan pose with the trophy•Getty Images

The Big Picture

This is more than just another one-day international. Although Ireland-England at cricket does not match the level of the corresponding rugby clash in the Six Nations, this biennial meeting is becoming something of a grudge match, especially since that heady evening in Bangalore, which is forever etched in Irish cricket history.This match, regardless of the result, will also mark a historic occasion for Ireland with a record 10,000 sell-out crowd expected at the new stadium in Malahide outside of Dublin.The Irish have a point to prove. Or, rather, want to continue proving their point. There is a strong feeling their credentials are still not taken seriously by Full Member nations – there continue to be grumbles, some not entirely fair, about the ECB’s role – as they maintain their push for Test status by 2020.As in 2011, England are not sending over a full-strength side although that is not a one-off decision for this match – key players, including captain Alastair Cook, will also miss the Australia one-day series. Eoin Morgan captains the side as he did two years ago, which is another subject to spark debate, while the possible presence of Boyd Rankin in the England attack will stir the emotions.Ireland had long-since accepted that they had lost Rankin, but to see him make his international debut in a T20 (a format he rarely plays for Warwickshire) and potentially begin the second phase of his ODI career against his former team-mates has not sat easily with many around Dublin and beyond.Away from the debate about poaching players and the politics of world cricket Rankin is one of a number of England players eager to catch the eye. Gary Ballance, the Yorkshire batsman, is in line for an ODI debut while Jamie Overton, the Somerset fast bowler, will become England’s youngest debutant since Brian Close if he makes the final XI.Players on both sides will know each other well: Rankin could end up opening the bowler against Ed Joyce, a role reversal of the 2007 World Cup when Rankin bowled Joyce with his first ball when the latter was playing for England. William Porterfield, Niall O’Brien, Gary Wilson, Paul Stirling, Tim Murtagh and George Dockrell are all established county players, while Kevin O’Brien has just returned from the Caribbean Premier League. Points to prove, for a lot of people.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Ireland TWLTW
England LWWLW

Watch out for…

Trent Johnston has decided to call time on his career at the end of this year, a surprise to many who expected him to continue until at least the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. But the knees and various other ailing body parts can only take so much. He has been a wonderful servant of Irish cricket; opening bowler, captain, motivator, spokesman, politician. A victory here would be a fitting send-off.Two years ago, in the corresponding fixture, Boyd Rankin opened the bowling and claimed the wicket of James Taylor. This time they are in the same squad. If Rankin makes the XI, his second ODI debut will come after a record of 37 matches and 43 wickets at 32.34 for Ireland. A potential new-ball spell against Joyce and his county team-mate William Porterfield could be one of the highlights of the match.

Team news

England could hand out four new ODI caps – Michael Carberry, Jamie Overton, Chris Jordan and Gary Ballance – while giving Rankin his first appearance in 50-over cricket for the Three Lions. Quite what combination of pace bowlers they go for remains to be seen, but Steven Finn, with his experience, should lead the line. Danny Briggs was preferred to James Tredwell in the Twenty20s, but Tredwell’s recent ODI form has been impressive.England (possible) 1 Michael Carberry, 2 James Taylor, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Gary Ballance, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 James Tredwell, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Steven FinnApart from missing Alex Cusack through injury Ireland will be at full strength. Their side is packed with international and county experience; Tim Murtagh has helped compensate for the loss of Rankin – while George Dockrell is the latest player Ireland are desperate to protect from English interests.Ireland (possible) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O’Brien (wk), 5 Gary Wilson, 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Andrew White, 8 Max Sorensen, 9 Trent Johnston, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 George Dockrell

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch on a new ground so something of the unknown as Malahide hosts its first one-day international. However, Phil Simmons said that in some of the domestic matches played there the keeper has been standing a fair way back. There is good news on the weather front – after damp days for the 2009 and 2011 fixtures – with a dry, bright day forecast.

Stats and trivia

• England will field no more than four players who appeared in the Champions Trophy final against India
• In the four ODIs he has played this year, Joyce is averaging 133 including a career-best 116 not out against Pakistan. Joyce also averaged 57.57 in the YB40 for Sussex
• If England do hand out four new caps, it will be their most since they picked four new players against Zimbabwe, at Harare, in 2001-02

Quotes

“I think we have brought a strong side, a young and very talented side. Given opportunities, hopefully they will show they are world-beaters.”
“If you look through their side, there are some pretty exciting young players in there. If you look at the performances of all those lads, especially in country cricket, they have all got a future in the game.”

Jacques Kallis has committed to playing ODIs for South Africa on a more regular basis, as he looks to stay in the team’s plans in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2013Jacques Kallis has committed to playing ODIs for South Africa on a more regular basis, as he looks to stay in the team’s plans in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The coach Russell Domingo hopes to have Kallis back for the home ODIs against India later in the year, but cautioned that his workload will still be monitored, given his recent history with injuries.”Playing for my country has always been both a huge honour and a privilege,” Kallis said after meeting Domingo on Tuesday morning. “It remains my aspiration to be available for the 2015 World Cup but, at the same time I know as an allrounder approaching my 38th birthday, I will need to assess my future in the game season by season.”At the moment I am feeling mentally and physically refreshed and I am looking forward to carry on playing for my country as long as possible.”Kallis, 37, hasn’t played an ODI since February 2012 and Domingo’s predecessor Gary Kirsten had deemed it “no longer necessary” for him to figure in bilateral series because he was too important to South Africa’s Test ambitions. Kirsten had left the door open for Kallis to make a return in major events but Domingo stated that if the allrounder still had hopes of playing the next World Cup, he needed to play sufficient ODI cricket.”We will manage Jacques’ career season by season and take it game by game,” Domingo told ESPNcricinfo. “There is no set number of ODIs he will play before the World Cup, but the closer to the tournament we get, the more he will play.”Forget about his runs and wickets, to have someone of Jacques’ experience – whether he makes the World Cup squad or not – will be very important for the developing of younger players. No-one is guaranteed a place in the side and no-one is guaranteed a place in the World Cup squad. It all depends on fitness and form.”He looks very fit, he has been doing a lot of running. It was good to talk about his ambitions. We will have another formal discussion at the end of the season to plot the way forward.”Kallis has been injured in each of the last five Test series South Africa have played. His’ last match for South Africa was the Cape Town Test against Pakistan in February. He missed the third Test of that series due to injury and the one-dayers that followed. He took part in the IPL but opted out of the Champions Trophy despite initially indicating interest in playing.In Kallis’ absence, Domingo had begun the process of identifying batsmen for slots in the top order, with JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis marked for Nos 3, 4 and 5 respectively. However, Domingo said this arrangement wasn’t set in stone and that Kallis would be accommodated anywhere at the top of the order.”Jacques can bat at No. 3 or No. 4 and maybe AB can bat at No. 5 so this doesn’t really change our plans,” Domingo said. “We will try and find some balance. There will still be a lot of opportunities for younger players.”Haroon Lorgat, Cricket South Africa CEO, welcomed Kallis’ decision to commit to the ODI squad.
“Jacques is an extraordinary player who appreciates the ODI team-building process that is currently under way,” Lorgat said. “His availability is welcomed and CSA will do everything possible to help him achieve his personal ambitions while building a new generation ODI team.”

Shane Watson saved his best until last to enable Australia to end their almost four-month stay in England with silverware as they wrapped up the NatWest Series

The Report by Andrew McGlashan at the Ageas Bowl16-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson led Australia’s innings with an 87-ball century•PA Photos

As in the Ashes, Shane Watson saved his best until last to enable Australia to end their almost four-month stay in England with silverware as they wrapped up the NatWest series with a convincing 49-run victory. Watson’s 143 provided nearly half of Australia’s total and his stand of 163 with Michael Clarke, who battled through with his troublesome back, was the defining period of the match and series.England’s chase only ignited when Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler were adding 92 in 13 overs; perhaps it was the autumnal chill which descended and left spectators huddle up in jacks that prevented an early spark. But by then it was a monumental task, even for Buttler’s nerves of steel. Kevin Pietersen was run out in the third over and any remnants of a chance, however slim, disappeared when Eoin Morgan departed straight after the halfway mark of the innings.Australia were clearly the better team over the three-and-a-bit ODIs that the weather allowed and this trophy, although low down in the priority list when they arrived in late May, will be some solace for Darren Lehmann – who wasn’t even in charge when the Champions Trophy squad landed at Heathrow. Australia really have been here that long.That is not to say there are no benefits England can take, and in this match it was the bowling of Ben Stokes and debutant Chris Jordan – who replaced the injured Steven Finn – as they shared eight wickets. Stokes finished with 5 for 61 having struck early in the innings and then during Australia’s collapse of 7 for 87. Both young pace bowlers were sharp, hitting 90mph, and held their nerve against flashing blades.As in Cardiff, Australia struggled at the top and tail of their innings but this time the central plank provided by Watson and Clarke was so dominant it made a crucial difference. It appeared a rain break in the 10th over might derail their innings when, on resumption, Stokes struck twice in consecutive balls to leave Australia 48 for 3. But England’s inexperienced attack could not keep up the pressure as Clarke and Watson feasted on some wayward bowling during their rapid partnership.Watson reached his eighth one-day hundred from 87 balls in a muscular display of hitting and then latched on to Joe Root’s sixth over, which cost 28, the most expensive by an England bowler in ODIs, including three massive leg-side sixes. He was threatening his best score against England – an unbeaten 161 at the MCG in 2011 – but edged behind to give Stokes his fourth wicket.Stokes claimed his fifth two balls later when Mitchell Johnson lobbed back a return catch and along with Jordan and Boyd Rankin, the latter superbly economical on another good batting pitch, provided a positive glimpse at some of England’s depth. Jordan had managed to open his wicket tally in his second over – after being driven twice by Aaron Finch in his first – when he beat Phillip Hughes for pace and the left-hander top-edged to midwicket.Jordan returned in the batting Powerplay, taken early by Clarke in the 29th over, with Australia at the peak of their scoring rate and removed the Australia captain when he clubbed to mid-off for 74 five balls after Rankin had dropped him in the same position. Clarke had not been convincing at the start of his innings, as England tested out his back with the expected short-pitched attack, but was given early scoring opportunities to get his innings underway and was rarely under a run-a-ball. His straight drive for six off Stokes stood out.The problem for England was that the combined 10 overs of spin from Root and James Tredwell went for 96; Watson immediately aimed Tredwell over midwicket in a four-over spell that proved his only one of the day. If other sides have been taking notes, Tredwell will need to “batten down the hatches”, as he put it the other day, in future series.Overs 21-30 of Australia’s brought 93 runs – a scoring rate considered impressive for the final 10 of an innings – and at 202 for 3 after 30 overs anything seemed possible, but a combination of some laziness from them and resilience from England gave the final 20 overs a very different outcome, to the extent that Australia did not use up their final five deliveries.Australia rued their late collapse in Cardiff, but it never had the feel of a repeat here. The Pietersen-Michael Carberry opening partnership has not hit it off in this series and for the second time it ended through a breakdown in communication. Pietersen was beaten but Matthew Wade could not take the ball cleanly and it bobbled to short fine-leg. Carberry started to make his way up the pitch, but only made a positive call a few seconds later, by when there was not enough time for Pietersen to make his ground.Carberry’s hometown innings – and perhaps, even, his last for England – was ended by the DRS after Rob Bailey had turned down an appeal from James Faulkner. Joe Root, who laboured for his 21, dragged on against the quick and thrifty Johnson when playing without footwork and most shambolically Luke Wright – a last-minute replacement for Jonathan Trott, who suffered a back spasm – was run out when he did not even attempt to ground his bat going for a sharp single.Adam Voges gained an lbw decision against Bopara with his first ball, only for DRS to show it was sliding past leg stump, but he claimed the key wicket of Morgan when the England captain was drawn out of his crease and Wade did not add to his list of errors.For a while, as Buttler and Bopara started picking off boundaries at will, a grandstand finish was not out of the question until Faulkner, from round the wicket, cleaned up Buttler. Seven balls later Bopara rifled a catch to cover off Johnson’s first ball back to give him his 200th ODI wicket. That was that, barring the finishing touches, but for anyone who is feeling misty-eyed at the end of England-Australia contests, don’t worry: it all starts again in 66 days.

Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales struck an impressive century against Hampshire to ensure that he maintained England’s attention.

Press Association26-Apr-2015
ScorecardAlex Hales wants to take a tuk-tuk (this one was in Colombo last winter) back into the England side•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales struck an impressive century against Hampshire to ensure that he maintained England’s attention.England man Hales classily reached fifty from 108 balls before only needing 48 more deliveries to reach three figures. Usually known as a one-day specialist, Hales has started the season with vigour and also smashed 236 against champions Yorkshire last week.Having been put in by Hampshire skipper Jimmy Adams on an overcast but bitterly cold morning, the Nottinghamshire opening pair of Steven Mullaney and Brendan Taylor started strongly.The duo put on 61 for the first wicket against a mature home attack – whose fast bowling quartet of James Tomlinson, Andre Adams, Gareth Berg and Sean Ervine’s combined ages totalling 137.As the seamers writhed Adams turned to left arm spinner Danny Briggs, who collected a wicket with his first ball – Taylor bowled through the gate.Opener Mullaney reached his patient first fifty of the season in 138 balls, while England one-day international Hales brought up his milestone in a more brisk manner.The pair recorded the second fifty partnership of the game – putting on 84 for the second wicket under the floodlights.Fast bowler Ervine made the important breakthrough of Mullaney – his 200th first class wicket for Hampshire – as the Nottinghamshire batsman chased a wide delivery to a somersaulting Adam Wheater.Hales had a scare on 84 when he offered a sharp chance to Ervine at first slip, which was the only fright in a near perfect knock.He is the highest run scorer in Division One this season – with 411 runs after his strong start to the season – and he brought up his second three-figure score of the season with a thick outside edge – his 20th boundary of the day.Wickets fell around the serene Hales as James Taylor top-edged a sweep behind for 10, before Samit Patel and Riki Wessels identically edged to second slip Liam Dawson off Adams and Berg.Former Middlesex strike bowler Berg claimed his second wicket two overs into the new ball when Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read mistimed a pull stroke into the leg side.Hales ended the day unbeaten on 136 frustrating Hampshire in the twilight of the day with Will Gidman, 22 not out – the pair putting on an unbeaten 40 for the seventh wicket.

Ireland bossed the first day of their intercontinental Cup match against UAE as Ed Joyce struck his third first-class double-century and Paul Stirling racked up a ninth ton of his own

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Ed Joyce struck 134 of his 229 runs in boundaries•Getty Images

Ed Joyce had retired from T20 cricket in the hopes of lengthening his Ireland career in the longer formats and evidence from the first day’s place in Dublin suggests he’s a prized asset. He recorded his third and his country’s second ever double-hundred. His unbeaten 229 off 222 balls is now the best score by an Ireland batsman in multi-day cricket, beating Eoin Morgan’s 209 not out against the same opposition in 2007. And with Paul Stirling adding a stroke-filled 146 off 198 balls, UAE were left with lots of toil and no results in their Intercontinental Cup match.Besides the lack of success, the visitors were unable to mitigate the run-flow. Ireland finished with 420 runs in only 94 overs – a run-rate of 4.40. When Joyce and Stirling were in the middle of their 231-run stand for the second wicket, it was soaring towards six.It didn’t help that UAE’s fielding was similarly helpless. Joyce was dropped multiple times, once when his score had only been 60. The bowler, Amjad Javed, was punished for two fours immediately. Joyce blitzed through the 90s with three fours in the 59th over off Mohammad Naveed to reach three-figures off 135 balls.Another drop, at long-on which also trickled to the boundary when he was on 136, ensured UAE would stumble further. Joyce breezed past 150; his next fifty runs were racked up in a mere 27 balls as he smashed captain Mohammad Tauqir’s offspin for 22 runs in an over. With his double-ton on the horizon and only four overs left, Joyce rode on his momentum and struck left-arm seamer Manjula Guruge for four fours to eclipse the landmark. Joyce struck 134 of his runs in boundaries – 29 fours and three sixes.Stirling matched his partner on the sixes and collected 17 fours himself. He too hadn’t looked perfectly comfortable at times, but time at the crease helped him become more assured. He found the fence twice in the 24th over to bring up his fifty and did the same in the 50 to move to his ninth ton for Ireland, and third in the Intercontinental Cup.Fayyaz Ahmed, the left-arm spinner, accounted for Stirling in the 68th over and Tauqir picked up Niall O’Brien late in the day. But that did little to lift UAE’s spirits.

The IPL governing council is set to discuss an alternative to the Champions League Twenty20 in a meeting, likely to be held in Delhi, on July 8

Amol Karhadkar02-Jul-20152:15

What went wrong with the CLT20?

The IPL governing council is set to discuss an alternative to the Champions League Twenty20 in a meeting, likely to be held in Delhi, on July 8.Though the CLT20 has still not officially been scrapped, it is believed that the three boards governing the multinational T20 tournament have signed an exit clause with the broadcaster of the tournament. As a result, according to a BCCI insider, “It is a given that CLT20 is history and it’s time to look ahead”.The BCCI is understood to have plenty of options to fill in the three-week void created in the fixtures by the CLT20 cancellation. At the moment, there are three major options being discussed in the BCCI corridors.

• To play a mini-IPL comprising the top four teams in IPL 2015. Likely to be a seven-match tournament with a league stage of six matches, followed by a final.
• To play a baby-IPL with all eight teams participating. The tournament will have a total of 15 matches, with eight teams divided into two groups of four, followed by two semi-finals and a final.
• Instead of playing a mini/baby-IPL, respond to the WICB’s informal proposal of playing a short series in India to make up for the losses arising out of West Indies’ pullout from last year’s tour of India.

The IPL governing council is likely to discuss the first two options threadbare. If either of those two options is considered financially and logistically viable, then the governing council is set to forward it to the BCCI working committee, likely to be held in the latter half of July, for ratification.The most critical aspect of playing a mini-IPL is to consider the ramifications of it on the broadcaster for the IPL. If any other broadcaster is awarded rights for a miniature version of the IPL, Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd, owners of Max and Six who broadcast the IPL, may appeal to the Competition Commission of India.However, the BCCI at the moment is not looking that far. The issue of broadcasting, according an IPL insider, will arise only if a mini-IPL is formalised. The BCCI hierarchy is also confident that the issue can be dealt with by following a transparent method to award broadcast rights.While the BCCI’s coffers are richer due to the settlement with the CLT20 broadcaster, a mini-IPL will help the IPL cricketers and franchises oblige their contractual commitments. Ten per cent of every player’s IPL contract is set aside as his match-fees for the CLT20, provided his team qualifies for the tournament. Similarly, a portion of every franchise’s sponsorship deal is understood to have been provisionally based on its qualification for the CLT20.Only if the governing council decides against filling in the CLT20 slot with a franchise-based league will it let the working committee discuss the possibility of playing a series at home against West Indies.

William Perkins’ unbeaten 64 and Dwayne Bravo’s 4 for 29 starred in Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel’s seven-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at Warner Park in Basseterre

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo went past 250 T20 wickets after his four-for against Patriots•Caribbean Premier League

William Perkins’ unbeaten 64 and Dwayne Bravo’s 4 for 29 powered Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel’s six-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at Warner Park in Basseterre.Patriots elected to bat and managed 28 runs for the opening stand before legspinner Samuel Badree dismissed Evin Lewis in the fifth over. Dwayne Bravo sent back Martin Guptill just four balls later leaving the home team on 28 for 2. Red Steel kept striking through Badree and Johan Botha, as Patriots were soon reduced to 86 for 6, losing captain Marlon Samuels and Shahid Afridi off the last two balls in the 14th over. However, the Devon Thomas launched a counterattack, smashing a 23-ball 44 with one four and four sixes before Dwayne Bravo cleaned up the tail to bundle Patriots out for 146.Red Steel lost Jacques Kallis in the fifth over of the chase, but Cameron Delport and Perkins put on 70 runs for the second wicket before Afridi had Delport edge one to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, leaving the visitors on 100 for 2. Red Steel lost a further two wickets – those of Dwayne and Darren Bravo – but Perkins kept striking big at the other end by blazing five sixes and three fours to guide the the visitors to only their second win of the season. The victory came with seven deliveries to spare, and lifted Red Steel off the bottom of the table.

The inference that the three players – Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – acquitted by a Delhi trial court can now return to professional cricket appears to hold invalid because of the separate lines of inquiry and jurisdiction adopted by the co

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jul-2015The inference that Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, now cleared of spot-fixing allegations by a Delhi trial court, can return to professional cricket appears invalid because of the separate lines of inquiry and jurisdiction adopted by the court and the BCCI.According to a BCCI anti-corruption official, the standards of proof required by the board were different from the ones needed by the court to press charges. “There is a difference between what the police does and what we do – it is as different as a departmental enquiry and a judicial criminal trial. There is no law with regards to match-fixing in the Indian Penal Code or any of the local laws,” the official told ESPNcricinfo.The three players were discharged by the court due to insufficient evidence under the MCOCA act, a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism. But the BCCI’s investigation in 2013, handled by Ravi Sawani, the former head of ICC’s anti-corruption unit, only needed to focus on the conduct of the players, and not their alleged connections to organised crime syndicates. The BCCI anti-corruption official reaffirmed that difference.”Within that limited requirement of proving whether these players were in touch with the bookies, whether they had done any particular act which amounted to spot-fixing, there was sufficient evidence available to prove the offence of match-fixing or spot-fixing,” the official said.Sawani’s line of enquiry was to ascertain whether any monetary transactions took place, whether any conversations took place between the players and bookies or their agents and even if any specific act to that effect was performed. “Under the anti-corruption code even if an act has not been done, but if you had agreed to do an act, that by itself was an offence,” the official said. “Even if you had agreed and done nothing – that is an offence. Even if you did not receive the money, that is an offence. And even if you have not agreed but somebody had made an approach to you and not reporting that is an offence.”The same evidence that was presented before the Delhi court was made available to Sawani, who acted differently because he noted that the three players were in breach of Article 2.1.1 of BCCI’s anti-corruption code. Article 2.1.1 relates specifically to match-fixing and spot-fixing and reads: “Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Match or Event.”According to the official, Sawani had relied primarily on the same evidence utilised by the Delhi Police in bringing charges against players and alleged bookies, but the big difference was he had signed statements. “The audio recording that Delhi Police had done between players to certain other people and certain other people further to bookies, all those audio recordings and the transcripts were there. When these players were interviewed, they have signed statements.”The evidence gathered was conclusive and established the players’ roles, the official claimed. From that evidence, and from the players’ statement to Sawani himself, it was concluded that there was sufficient evidence to prove the offence of spot-fixing.In his final report submitted to the BCCI in September 2013, Sawani laid several charges against the players for various offences.Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were found guilty of match-fixing, seeking or offering a bribe as a reward for match-fixing,  underperforming for a reward, ensuring the occurrence of an event during a match, knowing it is the subject of a bet, receiving payment or gift for the possibility of bringing cricket into disrepute, failing to report an approach by bookmakers to fix a match to the BCCI anti-corruption unit. A separate charge of soliciting other players for match-fixing in the IPL was also laid against Chandila.Subsequently, the BCCI disciplinary panel slapped life bans on Sreesanth and Chavan, having found them guilty. A verdict against Chandila is still pending as he failed to face the panel due to personal reasons.

Mayank Agarwal hammered 176 off just 133 balls and Manish Pandey galloped to 108 off 85, as India A batted South Africa A out of the game to secure a place in the A-team triangular series final in Chennai

The Report by Alagappan Muthu in Chennai13-Aug-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:39

Agarwal makes third highest List-A score in India

There were two centurions from India A, and only one from South Africa A. Simple math won in the end, and the visitors were knocked out of the A-team tri-series in Chennai. Mayank Agarwal hammered 176 off just 133 balls, Manish Pandey galloped to 108 off 85, and India A batted the opposition out of the game. South Africa A were set a target of 372, and they had to get it in 29 overs to qualify for the final. Quinton de Kock did his best with 113 off 86 balls, but it was too tall a task.Seeking a better chance to get that bonus point, Dane Vilas, the stand-in South Africa A captain, chose to bowl. As iffy as their history is with chasing, the team’s best chance remained with the batsmen making the play. Among the four left-arm seamers, only Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been decent. Their spin reserves have not impressed either. Trusting the bowlers to get them through seemed too big a gamble. On the other hand, they had a sturdier batting order with the return of de Kock, who now has five centuries from six one-day matches against an Indian team.The problem, of course, was South Africa gave away too many runs. The problem was Agarwal, a player known for short and punchy cameos, managing to play a long innings. He helped lay the foundation with a 106-run opening partnership with Unmukt Chand, and then took control of the middle overs with Pandey in a 203-run stand, the scoring rate during which was 8.45 per over.As mammoth as India A’s total was, it did not come helter skelter early on. India A had been 37 for 0 in 10 overs, but with the pitch offering very little challenge, and the opposition bowlers unable to lift themselves, steady acceleration became all out carnage – 195 runs came off the last 20 overs.Mayank Agarwal hit 110 runs in fours and sixes•K Sivaraman

India A’s innings, in fact, mirrored Agarwal’s. The batsman was slow early on – 30 off his first 49 balls – but he could afford to be because Chand was making sure South Africa A were under the pump with 64 off 77 balls. But once Agarwal got himself set, his usual manic tempo resurfaced. He secured his second hundred of the series off 96 balls, and the 150 came a mere 21 balls later. His lack of consistency has been a long-standing complaint, but Agarwal has five fifty-plus scores in seven one-day innings and his current average of 55.1 is the best for an Indian with at least 1000 List A runs.Almost unnoticed at the other end, Pandey was working himself to hitting rhythm. He was 51 off 52 balls when the final 10 overs began but completed a century in the final over of the innings. It was a partnership well-suited to exploit a benign pitch and listless bowling. Agarwal and Pandey have techniques dictated by strong bottom hands, a preference for the front foot and unorthodox shot selection.So when South Africa A bowled back of a length, the batsmen still waded forward and flat-batted them into a wide arc from midwicket to extra cover. The visitors did not help themselves by dropping Agarwal on 29. He ended up making 110 runs in boundaries alone. The other reprieve came from a mistake by umpire Virender Sharma, who failed to spot an outside edge as Pandey nicked off to the wicketkeeper in the 40th over.With chances of progress distant, de Kock indulged in reclaiming his lost form. He had little trouble assessing the pace of the pitch, and nearly every time he planted his front foot down for an almighty swing to the leg side, he succeeded. He got to 50 off 29 balls, produced a hat-trick of boundaries in the 18th over from legspinner Karn Sharma, and cruised to his hundred off 76 balls. He gathered 76 runs from 60 balls of spin, which should help his confidence ahead of an important tour of India in October.Another hopeful to make the South African Test side, Reeza Hendricks, got some batting time with 76 off 109 balls. He looks like an accumulator and does present a good option for the senior team if they are still looking at a Test opener. Khaya Zondo offset that slow pace with 86 off 60 balls, but South Africa A were never in with a chance today.