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A round-up of IPL-related news on May 12, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2014Steyn speaks out on D/L method
Dale Steyn, the Sunrisers Hyderabad seamer, has become the first major player in the IPL this season to speak up about the much-debated Duckworth-Lewis method, admitting that it was an “ongoing discussion in changing rooms”.Steyn snared two wickets on Saturday to help restrict Delhi Daredevils to 143, and after a couple of rain interruptions, the Sunrisers’ task was made even easier as the target was revised to 43 from five overs.”No doubt the Daredevils would have felt hard done by the last game when the Duckworth-Lewis method gave us a five-over target of less than 50,” Steyn wrote in his column for the . “The rules regarding rain-affected matches are the subject of ongoing discussion in IPL changing rooms.”Let me skip straight to the conclusion. The way D/L is calculated at the moment, it doesn’t work in T20s. But until they, or somebody else, comes up with an improved formula – or even something completely different – we have to stick with it. It’s better than tossing a coin or drawing a target out of a hat.”Shastri tips Praveen for England tour
One of the few positives for Mumbai Indians during their defeat to Chennai Super Kings which all but ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs, was a spirited showing from their seamer Praveen Kumar.Praveen, who went unsold at the IPL auction in February, was roped in by Mumbai as a replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan, and he marked his first appearance for the franchise by picking up the crucial wickets of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum.Ravi Shastri, writing for believes that an in-form Praveen warrants selection for the upcoming tour of England, where the bowler’s late swing could be a potent weapon.”This is important for Indian cricket. Praveen is excellent with his control and swing either way; notably late swing. He has the heart of a lion. His Test figures are good,” Shastri wrote. “In English conditions, which are expected to be colder this year, he could form a healthy pair with state-mate and protégé, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.”The fact that he is a genuine swing bowler is something that you must take into account as they are a breed who are getting rarer by the day and hence have to be nurtured.”Been a legspinners’ tournament – Vettori
While the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Dwayne Smith and David Miller have hogged the limelight this season for their big hitting, Daniel Vettori, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach, struck a different note, insisting that this year had been a “legspinners’ tournament”.”I think this has been a legspinner’s tournament – Pravin Tambe and Rahul Tewatia today for Rajasthan Royals, Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Yuzvendra Chahal for us,” Vettori told . “We’ve seen the rise of the legspinners, which is great because everyone loves watching a leggie in action. It’s a really tough art to master, but when you see these guys do so well, it inspires youngsters.””Arrogant” Pollard got away lightly – Donald
One of the biggest flashpoints of this season’s IPL was the ugly altercation between Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard, with both players eventually admitting to a level two offence under the IPL’s code of conduct.Pollard lost 75% of his match fee, but Allan Donald, the bowling coach of the Royal Challengers, had strong words for the Mumbai allrounder, branding him “arrogant” and worthy of a bigger punishment.”I have a fairly strong opinion about what happened the other day at the Wankhede Stadium. It’s not something that should be tolerated,” Donald told . “As far as I am concerned, Pollard pulled out deliberately at the last moment and that’s not acceptable. Pollard is a fairly arrogant individual. I can’t stand a player who wants to throw his bat at the bowler.”It’s just not on. There’s space for a bit of niggling but beyond that, I don’t think these things should be allowed to take place on the field. And from the fines that were imposed, I must say that Pollard got away pretty lightly.” RCB quash Gayle injury rumours
The Royal Challengers Bangalore dismissed reports that Chris Gayle had been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL. Gayle, who was dismissed for 19 on Sunday, had missed the Royal Challengers’ first few games with a back injury, and speculation was rife that he would miss the franchise’s remaining games as well.”Gayle is not ruled out and no replacement is sought,” the Royal Challengers said in a statement.

As countdowns for the World Cup go, neither England nor India can claim to have started in the best shape

Preview by David Hopps26-Aug-2014Match factsAugust 27, 2014
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)The role of Alastair Cook in the one-day side continues to provoke much debate•Getty ImagesBig PictureAs countdowns for the World Cup go, neither England nor India can claim to have started in the best shape. While the rain tippled down in Bristol, washing out the first of five contests, there was enough aggravation off the field to occupy both sides.It will not matter how gloomy the weather gets, Duncan Fletcher will be reluctant to remove his shades as he contends with a reshuffle which has seen Ravi Shastri imposed as team director with, it seems, a brief to assess Fletcher’s performance ahead of the World Cup. MS Dhoni’s assertion that Fletcher will definitely coach India in that World Cup is not universally shared, and with Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney on gardening leave, confusion abounds.England have their own issues. Their squad for the ODI series was more conservative than many expected, influenced perhaps by the 3-1 Test series victory against India which removed their appetite for change. They seem determination to plan for the challenge ahead in Australia and New Zealand with the same captain, Alastair Cook, not known for rapid scoring at the top of the order, and a phalanx of fast bowlers to utilise the two white balls.That has brought cries of protest from Graeme Swann, a celebrated England player of recent vintage, and Michael Vaughan, a former captain who is treading the path of another former Yorkshire and England batsman, Geoffrey Boycott, in his appetite for straight talking. Both chimed that Cook should have stood down in favour of younger batsmen with a greater capacity for power hitting.England’s ODI summer has become increasingly dogged by bad weather. The Bristol washout meant that the first ODI of the latter part of the summer was washed out for the third successive year. Headingley and Cardiff have also suffered.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)England LLWLW
India WWWLL
Players to watchAlex Hales has three centuries in his last three appearances for Nottinghamshire, to go with a century for England Lions against Sri Lanka A earlier this month. He has played 32 T20 internationals and is the only Englishman to make a hundred in the shortest format, and his rich domestic form will finally persuade England’s selectors to abandon their doubts about his technique against the short ball.Ajinkya Rahane has earned his place in the Test side with solid contributions in South Africa, New Zealand and England. ODIs have been a different story so far. He had one double-digit score in six innings in South Africa and New Zealand, although he made runs in Bangladesh after that. Runs in England could seal a middle-order spot at the World Cup. On the previous tour to England, in 2011, he was opening the batting.Team newsHales will make his delayed one-day debut as Cook’s opening partner with Ian Bell dropping down to No. 3. The main doubt is whether England will field Gary Ballance or Joe Root at No 4, ahead of Eoin Morgan and either Ben Stokes or Moeen Ali, one of whom seems bound to play in the absence of Ravi Bopara. The unsettled weather makes an emphasis on seam likely.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Moeen Ali/Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Anderson, 11 Harry GurneyShikhar Dhawan has the chance to put a miserable Test series behind him as he opens with Rohit Sharma. Suresh Raina was out of the ODI squad for a while, but returned as captain for the short tour to Bangladesh. He is expected to bat No. 5. India do not have Varun Aaron’s pace for the ODIs, but Umesh Yadav is a capable replacement on that front.India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsCardiff can provide grouchy batting surfaces when the weather is unsettled and the forecast, while not as terminal as Bristol, is none too optimistic. The Met Office predicts a dry and bright start with sunny spells, but winds will strengthen as the day progresses and rain is anticipated by early evening. Disruption to the second innings cannot be discounted.Stats and trivia Cardiff has been well favoured since its elevation to an international venue, staging an Ashes Test, due to hold another in 2015, and selected as a joint host of last summer’s Champions Trophy. India won the Champions Trophy in England last summer, but even allowing for that their record outside Asia and the West Indies is unimpressive with eight wins and 13 defeats since the last World Cup. The distance between Bristol and Cardiff is only 44 miles over the Severn Bridge (24 miles as the crow flies), which has led some to question the need for Bristol to have become England’s tenth international ground.When the teams met on this ground in 2011, Virat Kohli hit a century but his thunder was stolen by Jonny Bairstow’s debut innings of 41 off 21 balls which secured England a D/L victory.Quotes”He is paid to give his opinions, and he is entitled to give those. We know as a side where we are at. We are comfy, ready to go and we are really looking forward to this series.”
Joe Root was not taking too much notice of Swann’s comments

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

When Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal for West Brom after spending over 11 seasons at the club, he remarked that he would learn how to improve defensively at his new team. Arsene Wenger was asked about those comments shortly after and made an apt statement which has rung true of several players after they departed north London for pastures new.

“Once someone takes the decision to leave I wish them well and focus on my squad, but just look at the performances of the players who left us and then come back to me about it,” he said in 2017.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

Getty ImagesEmmanuel Petit

Petit joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997 after working with Wenger when the Frenchman was manager of the Ligue 1 side. The magnificent partnership between Petit and Patrick Vieira saw him make 85 appearances in three years before deciding to join Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

However, an injury-plagued spell coupled with poor performances saw him eventually return to the Premier League with Chelsea. Three seasons later, Petit retired from professional football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlex Song

Arsenal's search for a defensive midfielder was eventually narrowed down to Cameroonian star Song. He initially struggled at the heart of the Gunners midfield before being sent on loan to Charlton where he honed his defensive qualities.

In the 2011/12 season he formed an exquisite partnership with Robin van Persie when he recorded 13 assists. 

At the end of the season he joined Barcelona but struggled to get past Sergio Busquets in the team. 

Following two disappointing campaigns with Barcelona he had mixed spells at West Ham and Russian side Rubin Kazan. He now plays for FC Sion in the Swiss Super League.

Getty ImagesPatrick Vieira

Vieira won three Premier League trophies and four FA Cup titles during his nine-year stay at Arsenal, captaining the club through the 49-game unbeaten season and making over 400 appearances for the Gunners.

He left for Juventus in July 2005 after Wenger accepted that he would need to let the Frenchman go in order for Cesc Fabregas to become the new mainstay of Arsenal's midfield.

Interestingly, Vieira returned to Highbury a year later when Juventus faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and was culpable for one of Arsenal's goals after Robert Pires tackled him and helped set up Fabregas to score.

Spells at Inter and Manchester City followed but Vieira's quality began to diminish towards the latter stages of his career.

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Getty ImagesAlexander Hleb

An exciting pass master with the ability to create something out of nothing, Hleb was part of an impressive Arsenal team which almost won the Premier League in the 2007/08 season.

When Barcelona came calling the Belarusian couldn't say no – but it was a decision that he came to regret as he failed to impress at Camp Nou.

“At some point, I realised, ‘Oh God! I’m leaving Arsenal!’ When Arsene said that it was a matter of hours, I felt devastated. It was really hard for me to accept. He even texted me as I was fishing. ‘Alex, I won’t let you go, we need you here’. I cried when I read it.”

Hleb has since admitted that he regrets ever leaving Arsenal. Three loan spells with Stuttgart, Birmingham and Wolfsburg later, he is now back in his homeland playing for BATE Borisov.

Yuvraj Singh roared back to form with a 60 before R Ashwin took four wickets to give India a clean sweep in the group stage

The Report by Sidharth Monga30-Mar-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
4:39

Cullinan: Australia played like a defeated team

We’ve been expecting you, Mr Singh. Many an India fan wanted Yuvraj Singh out because he had been plodding and prodding around this tournament even though he took most wickets and scored most runs for India between the two World Twenty20s. India, though, persisted with him, even giving him an extra chance at the expense of Shikhar Dhawan who made way for Ajinkya Rahane who simply had to be tried. Yuvraj struggled here again, reaching 13 off 21 before he exploded to end up with 60 off 43, showing just why MS Dhoni has shown so much faith in him. That innings provided a middling innings the acceleration it needed, after which R Ashwin’s wily spin triggered an almighty collapse from Australia, who were already out of the tournament and weren’t quite there in the chase.Pakistan’s win over Bangladesh earlier in the day had already knocked Australia out, but India still had a lot of interest in this match. All their previous wins had come winning the toss and bowling first, so they wanted to bat first and also wanted to play around with their combination a little. Rahane’s inclusion and Mohit Sharma’s were the decisions made before the toss, and even though Dhoni finally lost a toss – his first in 13 internationals – India got their wish when George Bailey inserted them in.India’s worst first 10 overs of the tournament followed as Rohit Sharma fell early, and Rahane and Virat Kohli failed to convert starts. Suresh Raina didn’t look at home either, and at 66 for 4 in the 12th over, India were struggling for the first time in the tournament. Yuvraj had only just about start timing the ball, and in the next over Brad Hodge provided him a long hop to get away a bit. James Muirhead came on to bowl the 14th. Australia’s spinners had suffocated India by then, conceding just 40 in seven overs.This time, though, the legspinner missed his length two balls in a row. You couldn’t have got away with that against the vintage Yuvraj. You couldn’t get away with that against this Yuvraj either. He sent them both sailing over midwicket for sixes. He had seen blood now. Some of his silken yet brutal shots came out in the end, most notable of which was his movement away from the stumps to get under a full ball outside leg and send it inside-out over long-off for six.All of a sudden, the bowlers were the ones fumbling, not sure where to bowl because missing the areas even by inches resulted in sixes. Seventy runs came in five overs starting with the 14th, and even though Yuvraj didn’t finish off in style he had given India what looked a fighting total, especially given the form of India’s attack.The only problem with the total was you had to make allowance for the fact that India were up against a side that had nothing to lose. It showed in how Aaron Finch threw his arms at the first ball of the chase, and got four for it. However, Australia were too reckless and India too disciplined for this to become a blitz of any sort. The daredevilry of a side that was on its way out was all there, but the execution wasn’t. After India had bowled a few tight overs at the top, keeping them down to 19 for 1 in four overs, it was all six or out.Yes, there were five sixes, but there were five dismissals doing that as Ashwin spun his way to the best figures by an Indian spinner in Twenty20 internationals, and Australia crashed to their third-worst defeat. Now if the New Zealand-Sri Lanka match is not washed out in the other group, India will face South Africa in the semi-final.

Glenn Maxwell’s 38-ball 90 led Kings XI Punjab to 231, the season’s best total, and set up a rout of the Super Kings

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran07-May-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details7:59

Hattangadi: Ashwin’s plan fails against Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell fell within touching distance of a century for the fourth time in the competition, but neither he nor Kings XI Punjab were complaining in the end as the side maintained their winning run each time Maxwell made a massive contribution. Maxwell and David Miller set off fireworks in Cuttack to lift Kings XI to the season’s highest total – 231 – and though Super Kings managed 187, at no stage were they serious contenders in the chase. The win took Kings XI to the top of the table.Such was the carnage by Kings XI that it was easy to forget that only 69 came off the first ten overs. The next ten produced a whopping 162, an IPL record, of which the last five produced 78. The Miller-Maxwell partnership was worth 135 and after both departed, there was no respite for Super Kings as George Bailey and Mitchell Johnson swung their bats around to add 49 off just 16 balls to end the innings.Both captains weren’t quite sure how the pitch would play out, given that it was Cuttack’s first match, but Virender Sehwag’s rousing start was an indication that the batsmen would have it easy. However, at 37 for 2 and with Maxwell having just arrived, Kings XI abandoned their strategy of sending in the relatively passive Wriddhiman Saha and instead promoted Miller. Investing in their power hitters with nearly 15 overs remaining was the way to go.The blitzkrieg began in the 11th over. R Ashwin continued with his tried-and-tested plan by bowling round the wicket to the right-hander, but his variations had no effect on Maxwell who smashed two sixes over deep square-leg. A rattled Ashwin strayed too wide either side of the stumps to check Maxwell but he was penalised. Ashwin was in for greater punishment in his following over as Maxwell smashed two fours and two sixes, including one that was reverse swept over third man.Three overs of spin, including one from Ravindra Jadeja, leaked 52 and Ashwin was carted for 38 off two overs. The boundary barrage started to wear down the fielders as the normally safe Brendon McCullum let one slip at the boundary.MS Dhoni later said that the inability of the spinners to contain Maxwell and Miller was the turning point. He turned to Ishwar Pandey to limit the damage and he too was spanked, for 18 in an over. Length balls were duly smashed and attempted yorkers turned into low full tosses that were dispatched. Jadeja tried bowling it flat and quick as a defensive option but Miller put him away, slashing past short third man and launching one over deep cover. Miller and Maxwell brought up the century stand off just 8.5 overs.Dwayne Smith broke the partnership when Miller inside edged on to his stumps. Prior to that, though, Maxwell had biffed Smith for three sixes, including two audacious reverse pulls over third man. With a century in sight, however, Maxwell didn’t slow down and his knock ended on 90 when he slogged a slower ball from Mohit to Jadeja at deep midwicket.The depth in Kings XI’s batting took them past 200 for the second time this season, both against Super Kings, though the previous occasion was a successful chase. Bailey and Johnson took 40 off the last two overs to push the score to 231.Super Kings failed to put on partnerships even close to the tune of Miller and Maxwell. Their best hopes rested on their successful opening pair of Smith and McCullum, but their association ended in the first over. Following Jadeja’s departure in the 11th over, Super Kings dropped the idea of attaining the target and focused on getting as many as possible for the sake of net run-rate. Du Plessis made an attractive fifty, but his efforts were lost in the din of Maxwell and Miller.

The Mumbai Cricket Association is likely to sack Sulakshan Kulkarni as coach of the senior team, after the side’s quarterfinal exit from the Ranji Trophy last week

Amol Karhadkar16-Jan-2014The Mumbai Cricket Association is set to sack Sulakshan Kulkarni as coach of the senior team, after the side’s quarter-final exit from the Ranji Trophy last week. The MCA technical committee has recommended Lalchand Rajput’s appointment as coach for the rest of the 2013-14 season, which includes the West Zone one-dayers for the Ramakant Desai Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament.Mumbai, who were defending champions this season, lost to Maharashtra by eight wickets in the quarterfinal, in spite of a 122-run lead.When asked for a reaction, Kulkarni told ESPNcricinfo: “I have not heard anything from MCA so far. I can comment on it only after someone from the MCA officially informs me.”Rajput, who is the coach at the BCCI’s batting academy in Mumbai and is in charge of the India A squad, said he will seek the board’s permission before committing to the position.”I have been offered the position,” Rajput said. “I have told MCA that even though I respect their decision, I can accept it only after I get a clearance from the BCCI. I will now request the BCCI to release me for the limited-overs’ leg.”Rajput, the former Mumbai and India opener, coached Mumbai in 2001-02 when the team exited in the pre-quarterfinal round of the Ranji Trophy. He was then in charge of the India U-19 team for a couple of years before being appointed cricket manager and assistant coach of India’s senior team during the transition period between Greg Chappell and Gary Kirsten. In 2008-09, he was offered the post of national junior selection committee chairman, but he declined saying he wanted to continue as the coach.The MCA managing committee will meet on January 24 to ratify Rajput’s appointment, provided he gets a BCCI go-ahead. The technical committee, which replaced the association’s cricket improvement committee earlier this season, has also recommended a selection committee overhaul before the limited-overs leg of the domestic season.Kulkarni replaced Pravin Amre as the coach at the start of the 2011-12 season. In his three seasons as coach, Mumbai were eliminated in the semi-finals in 2011-12, won the championship last season and were defeated in the quarter-finals by neighbouring rivals, Maharashtra. However, the former wicketkeeper-batsman’s tenure was controversial due to his spat with Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar in his opening season.Agarkar left the team in Cuttack on the morning of a Ranji game in 2011-12 alleging he was unfairly treated. Zaheer Khan had also backed Agarkar during the crisis. Even though Agarkar and Kulkarni patched up and the former even led the team to its 40th Ranji title last season, the squad appeared to be divided in multiple groups over the last three years. Before the start of the 2013-14 season, offspinner Ramesh Powar, who had been dropped the previous season and didn’t share a good rapport with Kulkarni and Wasim Jaffer, moved to Rajasthan as a professional.

A round-up of the Faysal Bank T-20 Cup matches played on February 11, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2014Group AKarachi Dolphins eased to a six-wicket win over Sialkot Stallions, but the win was not sufficient to take the team to the quarter-finals. A group-stage loss to Larkana Bulls, who had the same win-loss record, proved costly for Karachi. In spite of their loss, Sialkot qualified for the quarter-finals along with Larkana.In spite of the stronger batting line-up, Sialkot were restricted to 91 by left-arm pacer Abdul Ameer and left-arm spinner Fawad Alam. Regular strikes prevented partnerships from thriving and the best individual score of the Sialkot innings came from captain Shoaib Malik, who scored 21 off 31. Ameer finished with 4 for 14 in 3.4 overs, while Alam had figures of 3 for 12.Sialkot had a small chance of challenging Karachi when they reduced the batting side to 30 for 4 in the eighth over. However, Alam and Sheharyar Ghani added an unbeaten 62 for the fifth wicket to take the team to victory in the 18th over.Group CFaisalabad Wolves romped to an eight-wicket win over Lahore Eagles, topping Group C in the process. Faisalabad and Islamabad Leopards will now play the quarter-final round.Opting to bat, Lahore were looking solid at 65 for 1 in the 10th over, but Saeed Ajmal struck in successive overs to dismiss well-set batsmen, Kamran Akmal (30) and Imran Farhat (23). Akmal’s wicket began a slide which saw Lahore lose their next seven wickets for 25 runs, to end at 93 for 8. Ajmal ended with figures of 3 for 16, while Asad Ali and Khurram Shehzad took two wickets each.Faisalabad faced little trouble in their chase as their openers, Farrukh Shehzad (23) and Ali Waqas, added 47. Waqas shared a 45-run partnership for the second wicket with Khurram Shehzad, before the latter fell with the side two runs short of victory. Waqas was unbeaten on 31 off 38 balls, helping his side reach the target with more than six overs to spare.

A round-up of all the games played in Group B on the second day of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2013ScorecardFile photo – B Aparajith has three centuries in four first-class matches this year•ESPNcricinfo LtdB Aparajith hit his second double-century in four weeks as Tamil Nadu compiled 456 for 7 before they declared. Services weathered 11 overs, scoring 17 before stumps on the second day.Aparajith endured a chastening introduction to first-class cricket – scoring single-figures in five out of six innings in 2011-12- but bucked the trend with his maiden first-class century and has never looked back. He has been prolific this year, and on his back – 212 in the quarter-final and 109 in semi-final – South Zone stormed into the Duleep Trophy final.He was quite fluent as well, stroking 19 fours – more than twice the tally of any other batsman – and a six as he featured in three century partnerships, including the match’s best 168 with S Badrinath. Services’ bowling was as blunt as the first day, with seamer Nishan Singh finally accounting for Aparajith for 203. Dinesh Karthik missed a fifty by two runs, though R Prasanna remained unbeaten on 74.
ScorecardSagar Jogiyani could not add much to his fifth first-class century, but the lower order added to the Rajasthan bowlers’ troubles as Saurashtra ended the second day on 475 for 7.Rajasthan settled for Pankaj Singh as their only seam bowling option on an unforgiving Rajkot pitch, as he went wicketless for 23 overs. Their spinners bowled 160 overs with Ramesh Powar shouldering the bulk of that burden. He picked up four wickets in 61 overs, his best figures in nearly two years. Last season, when he played for Mumbai, he claimed only eight wickets and his most successful outing was with 2 for 139.Aarpit Vasavada and captain Jaydev Shah were dismissed short of their half-centuries, but No. 7 Chirag Jani reached his maiden first-class fifty, and participated in a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket with Kamlesh Makvana, who remained unbeaten.
ScorecardSatyam Choudhary’s dream match gained momentum on the second day as he converted his maiden century into a big double. He remained undefeated on 239 – more runs than he made in the entire 2012 season.Choudhary, 22, spent over 10 hours at the crease before the declaration as Madhya Pradesh reached their third-highest score of 510. Captain Devendra Bundela, their most experienced cricketer, played deputy today, as the fifth-wicket partnership extended to 155 runs after Madhya Pradesh resumed the day on 282 for 3.Rameez Khan chipped in with a half-century and helped MP past 500. Railways’ seamers Shailender Gehlot and Krishnakant Upadhyay toiled for 41 and 44 overs respectively for one wicket apiece, while legspinner Karn Sharma was expensive, though he did pick up two wickets.Railways were hampered further before close of play as last season’s highest wicket-taker, Ishwar Pandey, bowled V Cheluveraj for 28 in the 13th over. Rain struck next as play was halted 52 minutes before scheduled close and Railways reached 46 for 1.Bengal and Baroda are still waiting for play to begin as continuous showers washed out the second day in a row

The second day’s play in Sharjah was suspended following the death of Phillip Hughes. An extra day has been added to the Test which will resume from Friday, the teams decided

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2014The second day’s play of the third Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah has been suspended following the death of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes in Sydney because of a head injury. An extra day has been added to the Test which will resume from Friday.Both teams decided not to take the field after the news of Hughes’ death arrived an hour-and-a-half before the start of the second day. Play was suspended for an hour as the team managements discussed the course of action before finally deciding to call off the day.”The whole team is shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Phil Hughes,” Moin Khan, the Pakistan team manager, said. “He was here for the Australia limited-overs squad and was very cheerful. He was always ready to talk about cricket.”Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, also expressed sadness on behalf of the New Zealand team and said the mood in the dressing room was “sombre”.”Today isn’t about cricket, it’s about Phil,” Hesson said. “Like the rest of the cricketing family, the Blackcaps players and management are devastated to hear about Phil’s tragic passing.”

A round-up of the fourth day’s play of Group C’s second-round matches from the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Sanju Samson scored a century and fifty•BCCIJammu & Kashmir earned an opening win in the tournament against Goa after Hardeep Singh and Samiullah Beigh’s rearguard efforts saw through a chase of 262, with three wickets to spare. Resuming on 245 for 9, Goa’s resistance ended quickly when Mohammed Mudhasir trapped No. 11 Gauresh Gawas for a duck to end their innings on 246.With a target of 262 set for victory, J&K found themselves in deep trouble when they were reduced to 26 for 3 by the efforts of opening bowlers Harshad Gadekar and Saurabh Bandekar. A 63-run stand between captain Parvez Rasool and Manzoor Dar steading the innings somewhat, but at 148 for 7, J&K were looking in danger of falling short. This brought Beigh to the crease, and along with Hardeep, the pair continued to battle as they first got past 150, then 200 and were able to see the chase to its denouement in the 87th over – the penultimate over of the mandatory allotment. Beigh struck his sixth first-class fifty in the process, while Hardeep just missed out on a third first-class century, finishing unbeaten on 95.
ScorecardKerala’s tie with Andhra ended up a stalemate after Andhra resumed their first innings overnight on 288 for 3, still behind Kerala’s 486. Seamer Chovvakkaran Shahid struck in the first over itself to remove Murumulla Sriram for 82. A 70-run stand between D Shivkumar and AG Pradeep for the sixth wicket got them closer, but the rest of the batting could not add much more as Andhra reached 431. V Manoharan, the offspinner, was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 82, while Shahid supported him admirably with 3 for 104.With a lead of 55, Kerala knew the match was heading to a foregone conclusion as their openers walked out to the middle. Wickets fell at regular intervals as Kerala reached 89 for 3 after 24 overs, with Sanju Samson standing out with an unbeaten 51 to add to his first innings score of 115.
ScorecardAssam’s bowlers combined to dismiss Hyderabad and claim first-innings points for their side on the final day of their drawn game in Guwahati. Hyderabad began the fourth morning on 218 for 4, still trailing by 283 runs. Bavanaka Sandeep went on to convert his overnight 8 into his fourth first-class century but had little support at the other end. Ashish Reddy was the only batsman of Hyderabad’s last seven to make a double-digit score. Abu Nechim, Arup Das, Syed Mohammad and Tarjinder Singh took two wickets each as the visitors were dismissed for 370.Assam were 20 for 1 in their second innings when the match ended in a draw. They took three points from the game while Hyderabad got one.