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Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 38. Martin will leave the game with 233 Test wickets at 33.81, making him New Zealand’s third-highest Test wicket taker, behind only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori.Martin played 71 Tests, 20 ODIs and six Twenty20s for his country in an international career that began in November 2000 when he made his Test debut against South Africa in Bloemfontein. It was also in South Africa that Martin played his final Test, at Newlands in January this year, when he finished with 3 for 63, the best figures from the New Zealand attack in an innings defeat.Although Martin has had ups and downs over the course of his career and has been in and out of the side – he has missed 32 of the Tests New Zealand have played since his debut – he had picked up 23 wickets at 27.86 over the past 18 months. However, he leaves at a time when New Zealand have found some talented young fast bowlers, with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell all having made their mark over the past couple of years.”It feels like the right time to step down,” Martin said. “I have loved every second and given it everything when playing for the Black Caps, but after 15 years of professional cricket, it’s time to pursue a new challenge. Representing the Black Caps has been a massive privilege, and playing with a group of guys who’re so passionate about doing well for their country has been very special. I wish [captain] Brendon [McCullum] and the team all the best for the future.”Although Martin was rarely the centre of attention in the New Zealand side, he was a reliable performer who in swinging conditions could become a major threat. When Martin passed 200 Test wickets in late 2011, he was described by Vettori as “an under-rated bowler” who “deserves to be regarded as one of New Zealand’s best-ever Test bowlers”.Twice he was Man of the Match in Tests, first with a tally of 11 for 180 in New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over South Africa in Auckland in 2003-04, and then eight years later in Napier, where he collected match figures of 8 for 31 in a crushing innings victory over Zimbabwe. Martin picked up five-wicket hauls on ten occasions in Tests and he saved his best work for South Africa, against whom he claimed 55 wickets at 26.72.The batsmen he dismissed most often in Test cricket tell of his talent: he removed Graeme Smith eight times and Jacques Kallis on six occasions. No bowler from any country has dismissed Smith as often in Tests as Martin. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said that Martin was one of the most respected players in the New Zealand dressing room and his experience would be missed.”The way Chris goes about his business both on and off the field has made him one of the most respected players in the changing room,” Hesson said. “He’s been a great role model for younger team mates and will be sorely missed. We wish him all the best for the future.”David White, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, also paid tribute to Martin, saying his work ethic helped him become one of New Zealand’s most successful bowlers in Tests.”During his career Chris has formed a reputation as one of the most consistent performers in world cricket, something which can be put down to his relentless work ethic,” White said. “He’s shown all the qualities required to perform on the international scene – fight, determination and a huge passion for the game. It’s his attitude which has led Chris to becoming one of New Zealand’s most successful Test bowlers.”However, as impressive as his bowling was over 13 years in international cricket, Martin became as well known for his comical batting exploits at No.11, which endeared him to cricket fans the world over. In 104 Test innings, Martin managed only 123 runs at an average of 2.36, and the only time he reached double-figures was with 12 not out against Bangladesh in Dunedin in 2007-08.Only Courtney Walsh (43) made more ducks in Test cricket than Martin’s 36, although he can comfortably claim the record for the most Test pairs. On seven occasions, Martin was dismissed for 0 in both innings of a Test – Walsh, Mervyn Dillon, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Marvan Atapattu are all equal second with four pairs each.

Match facts

May 12, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMTRoyals’ top order has been hard to breach in the last three games•BCCI

Big Picture

It’s ironic that even at this stage, not even one of the four playoff berths have been confirmed. It’s easy to think that Chennai Super Kings, table leaders since April 28, have already made it to the playoffs, but mathematically, they haven’t. Victory against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday will confirm their position in the final four. After Jaipur, they head back home to face the easiest of their three opponents , Delhi Daredevils, before heading to Bangalore. Both their away games are against teams that haven’t lost at home. The prospect of Super Kings getting eliminated is highly improbable, given their consistency. They had a rude wake-up call against Mumbai Indians, but the manner in which they overpowered Sunrisers Hyderabad – another team with an unbeaten home record till that night – showed that they hadn’t hit a late-season slump.Royals will be aware that if there’s one team that can challenge their fortress, it’s Super Kings. Royals’ remaining opponents aren’t the easiest – Super Kings, Mumbai Indians (away), Sunrisers (away). However, given their recent form, it’s hard to bet against them from qualifying either. Their last three wins – consecutive – have come while chasing. They will also be aware that Super Kings posted 223 in their last match, so if they end up bowling first, their bowlers will have to be at their best. Royals are third with 18 points and their aim will be to knock Mumbai off the second position.

Form guide

Rajasthan Royals WWWLW
Chennai Super Kings WLWWW

Players to watch

M Vijay missed a few games due to injury, and though he failed in his comeback game against Mumbai, scoring 2, he found his touch against Sunrisers. Though he didn’t score big – he scored 29 – his three consecutive sixes against Ishant Sharma, all stand-and-deliver shots, showed that he was getting his groove back.The Royals top order has been in sparkling form of late, with the team losing just eight wickets in the last three games. Their top three – Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson – have aggregated 368 runs, with a total of five half-centuries. Super Kings’ bowlers will be tested.

Stats and trivia

• Super Kings have won two out of the three games they have played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium
• MS Dhoni has effected nine stumpings off R Ashwin, the best wicketkeeper-bowler combination in the IPL

Quotes

“We need to bowl better in the death overs and giving away 87 runs in last five overs is not acceptable. We could not maintain the momentum in death overs. About 50-55 in last five is okay but not more than that.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ashish Bagai has been signed on a national team central contract with Cricket Canada, but will only be available for a nine-month period leading up to February 2014, when he will begin work. He will return to the squad on May 15, after completing his graduation from business school. Bagai last played for Canada during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He subsequently left the team to pursue an MBA.His inclusion in the squad comes at a crucial time for the national team as they embark on two World Cup qualification campaigns: the 2014 World T20 Qualifier in Dubai and the 2015 World Cup Qualifier. “Canadian cricket means a lot to me and I am excited to play a role in helping Canada qualify for both of these events once again.” Bagai said. “I know the recent results have not been great, but there are some promising aspects that we can build on during the upcoming summer. It’s going to require a lot of commitment and character from the players and I am confident that the guys will rise to the challenge.”Cricket Canada’s president Ravin Moorthy believed Bagai’s inclusion will help bolster the side. “To again sign Ashish to a commitment that includes both World Cup qualifiers, clearly signals the organisations intention to make a serious run to qualify for upcoming major world tournaments.” Bagai has enjoyed a successful ODI career, scoring 1961 runs and affecting 67 dismissals as wicketkeeper.

Gautam Gambhir has said that he should be fit in time to play the first match of the Indian Premier League against Delhi Daredevils on April 3. Gambhir, who was dropped from the Test squad against Australia for the first two Tests and then missed out due to a bout of jaundice, had resumed training and was keen on getting back into the groove.”I started out slowly as I hadn’t played for 10 days, and the fatigue is still there,” he said in an interview to the . “But I should be available for the first match (April 3). We have a long break after that, which should give me enough time to recuperate.”Gambir, who captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title last year and was the second-highest run-getter in the season, said that he didn’t regret not being part of the side that beat Australia by a historic margin of 4-0. “Playing for India is my biggest motivation, but not the only one,” he said. “As a sportsperson, I want to keep performing. I hadn’t played for Delhi in a long time, so it felt great to be back. That we won the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 17-18 years made it doubly special. I just want to make runs that help my team win. I don’t want to complicate things. I want to keep my cricket and my life simple by scoring runs.”His lack of match practice going into the IPL, however, isn’t a cause for concern. KKR coach Trevor Bayliss said that Gambhir and Jacques Kallis were players who would prove their experience once the competition begins. “At the same time, we have a squad with highly effective players in the middle order, who can handle the responsibility they have been entrusted with,” Bayliss added.Bayliss also admitted there would be pressure on KKR in the tournament as they seek to defend their title. “In a way, our achievements last season do bring in a bit of extra pressure,” Bayliss said in an interview to the . “But at the end of the day, it’s a good feeling to start a competition as the defending champions. We need to carry on with the momentum we had gained last year.”England batsman Eoin Morgan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla joined the team in Kolkata on Thursday.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirender Sehwag had his second failure of the match when he was dismissed for 19 by Nathan Lyon•BCCI

An Indian victory that seemed imminent minutes after tea on day four was eventually completed by Sachin Tendulkar, 40 minutes before lunch on day five. Australia’s resistance over that period arrived too late to change the result, but in it may be found the clues to a tighter contest when the second match begins in Hyderabad on Saturday.MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Tendulkar were the pivotal contributors to India’s 1-0 series lead, showing greater discipline and awareness of the sort of cricket best played on the MA Chidambaram Stadium’s clay court. Save for Michael Clarke’s first-day century and James Pattinson’s fiery pace, it was not until Moises Henriques stood up with the bat in the second innings that the tourists showed evidence of catching up.A target of only 50 to win was reached with the help of some Tendulkar fireworks – towering sixes from his first two deliveries against Nathan Lyon – but Pattinson again bowled well to the openers and Lyon showed far greater consistency of line and control of length than he had managed while being taken for 3 for 215 in the first innings.

Smart stats

• India’s eight-wicket win is their 13th in Chennai. It is their most successful venue followed by Delhi, where they have 11 wins.

• India have now won three of their last four Tests against Australia in Chennai (draw in 2004). The last defeat for India against Australia in Chennai came in 1969.

• This is only the third time that Indian spinners have picked up all 20 wickets to fall in the match. The previous instance was against New Zealand in Auckland in 1976. Pakistan have done so twice and England once (Old Trafford 1956 when Jim Laker picked up 19 for 90).

• The win is India’s best-ever against Australia in terms of wickets. Overall, they have won eight times chasing (seven at home).

• With the win, MS Dhoni now moves level with Sourav Ganguly on the list of Indian captains with the most Test wins. His win-loss ratio (1.75) is also slightly superior to Ganguly’s 1.61.

• The 66-run stand between Moises Henriques and Nathan Lyon is the second-highest last-wicket stand for Australia against India. The highest is 77 between Allan Border and Dave Gilbert in Melbourne in 1985.

India were left with some questions about their opening pair, M Vijay and Virender Sehwag doing little in either innings, and they may also wonder about subtracting another seam bowler from their XI should the Hyderabad surface be anything like this one. Australia have found a steady batting hand in Henriques, but much of their display in this match will be the cause of serious introspection.Henriques and Lyon had put on 66 for Australia’s last wicket, a defiant gesture after the earlier batsmen had failed to stand their ground. Henriques’ unbeaten innings completed a fine double for the debutant, who has surely made his place safe for the second Test.Ultimately it was Ravindra Jadeja who ended the stand after 25 minutes on the final morning, switching from over to around the wicket against Lyon and coaxing an inside edge onto pad that was snapped up by short leg.Pattinson’s first ball of the innings was a snorter, pitched short and seaming back sharply at Vijay, though it angled away from Matthew Wade and flew away for four byes. The ball kept Vijay thinking, and after depositing Lyon for one straight six, he fell when an indecisive drive was well taken by Henriques at a shortish mid-off.In the next over Cheteshwar Pujara offered a sharp chance when padding up to Lyon, the ball striking pad and glove but eluding Wade, who was unable to adjust to the ball’s shifting trajectory. Sehwag sliced a brace of boundaries over the slips cordon from Pattinson, and when Peter Siddle replaced him he drove sweetly down the ground.Lyon, meanwhile, showed some evidence of improvement in his bowling. He twirled down far fewer deliveries that could be tucked around the corner behind square leg, and the better line forced some impatient premeditated strokes from Pujara. It also undid Sehwag when he snicked to Clarke at slip. This little joust was ultimately immaterial to the result, sealed as it was by Tendulkar’s sixes, but demonstrated that Lyon was learning.

Warwickshire have announced an operating loss of £668,000 for 2012, as the legacy of a rain-lashed season and the development of Edgbaston took the edge off their County Championship success. The figure represents a big turnaround on the £327,000 profit from 2011, although the increased overheads associated with the ground had been expected and the club said it was “satisfied” with the results.Despite Warwickshire’s title victory and a run to the CB40 final at Lord’s, the wet weather struck at particularly inopportune times. Three days of the Edgbaston Test between England and West Indies were washed out, as was the Australia ODI in July and Warwickshire’s lucrative Friends Life t20 fixture against Worcestershire. A further £1.4m hit to the accounts came from a full year of depreciation being included after the redevelopment of Edgbaston.There was a small drop in turnover, from £11.7m to £11.5m, reflecting England’s less attractive Test opponents but earnings before tax and other costs were taken into account fell to £755,000, from £1m in 2011. Unlike the depreciation and loan interest from the Edgbaston upgrade, the poor weather had not been budgeted for, although the club were able to insure against some losses.”It is always very difficult to compare our year on year financial results given the popularity of the Major Match fixture list from one year to the next,” Craig Flindall, Warwickshire’s financial director, said.”The relative attractiveness of staging the Test match against India in 2011, compared with the West Indies in 2012, meant that a reduction in revenue and profits was always expected and budgeted for. The exceptionally bad weather did nothing to improve this situation, however, the club mitigated the impact of the weather by reducing costs where possible and taking out insurance to cover the catering revenue for the ODI and international T20 matches.”Income from conferencing and events increased for the second consecutive year, reflecting the additional revenue potential for Edgbaston outside of cricket. Despite missing out on an Ashes Test, in 2013 the ground will host the Champions Trophy final and a number of group games, as well as an ODI against Australia and FLt20 finals day.The winter has seen changes at Warwickshire, with Dougie Brown replacing Ashley Giles as director of cricket, but further success on the field should help ease any financial concerns.Colin Povey, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said: “2012 was a year that presented us with significant operational challenges but this result shows a growing resilience in our operations. We have made considerable progress in recent times but we need to continue that trend in the years ahead. We already have a clear strategy and solid operational plans in place for 2013 and beyond.”Warwickshire’s loss eclipses the £254,000 deficit announced by Leicestershire last week. The 2012 summer was the wettest in 100 years and made life challenging for several counties, although many are used to tightening their belts and so far Somerset, Worcestershire and Northants have all recorded profits.

ScorecardCanterbury put up just about enough runs on the board to beat Northern Districts by eight runs in a high-scoring match in Hamilton. This was their third win in the competition while Northern Districts conceded their fourth loss in nine games.The win has put Canterbury in with a mathematical chance to make it to the finals if they win both their remaining matches. Northern Districts, who came into the match placed third in the table, are now left in a must-win situation in their last league match against Wellington.Deciding to bat first, Canterbury were off to a rapid start but lost Rob Nicol in the third over. His more aggressive opening partner George Worker fell for 27 an over later, but Bradley Cachopa and Andrew Ellis added 39 runs for the third wicket off just 28 balls. The rapid start gave Tom Latham and Brendon Diamanti the foundation to launch from, and they blasted the next 70 off just 38 balls. Latham struck 52 off 29 balls which included three sixes off consecutive balls off an Anurag Verma over, giving Canterbury a competitive 184 in 20 overs.Brent Arnell took four wickets for 22 runs but none of the other Northern District bowlers could make an impression on Canterbury. The story continued with the batsmen too.Canterbury left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira then took three key wickets to scuttle Northern District’s fall, taking 3 for 16 in four overs. Brad Wilson’s 36 and 25 each from James Foster and Jono Bolt were not enough contributions in a big chase.
ScorecardOtago maintained their position at the top of the HRC Cup table with their seventh straight win as they sidelined second-placed Wellington by 12 runs at the Basin Reserve.Otago made a quick start, adding 36 for the opening wicket in 4.2 overs, after they won the toss and elected to bat first. The fall of the wicket didn’t slow the team down as skipper Derek de Boorder joined Hamish Rutherford to keep the scoring-rate up. Even after the fall of Rutherford, Otago kept coming up with regular partnerships that didn’t let the scoring slow down. De Boorder was the last wicket to fall in the innings, off the penultimate ball, after he had scored 67 off 44 balls to set up a strong total.Wellington’s chances of getting a good start were struck a blow when seamer James Fuller got the big wicket of Jesse Ryder. There were useful contributions from Tamim Iqbal and CA Borgas, but none of them were allowed to break free. In the end, Grant Elliot made a late effort with an 18-ball 36 but Wellington fell short by 12 runs.Wellington need to win their last match against Northern Districts to qualify for the finals, but a loss would leave them vulnerable to Auckland’s and Canterbury’s results.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said the absence of the allrounder Shakib Al Hasan for the first two ODIs presents an opportunity for the younger players to step up. Shakib, who played the two Tests, was ruled out due to a shin injury and Mushfiqur said the presence of four new players in the squad makes the task all the more challenging.”If we had Shakib we could have taken an extra batsman depending on the wicket,” Mushfiqur said ahead of the first ODI in Khulna. “Now our batsmen have to take more responsibility and the bowlers also need to do the same as we have one option reduced. Those in the team are capable but it will be challenging for them.”It is unlikely that all four new players will be picked for the first two ODIs. Sohag Gazi and Abul Hasan made Test debuts against West Indies, while Anamul Haque and Mominul Haque are yet to play international cricket.”It is a challenge for the new players as we think West Indies are stronger in ODIs than Tests,” Mushfiqur said. “But at the same time those who are coming into the team have been performing in their respective areas. Hopefully whoever debuts will continue to do so, and we can perform as a team.”Bangladesh have played just four ODIs this year, all during the Asia Cup at home in March when they beat India and Sri Lanka. Though they lost to Pakistan in the final, Mushfiqur said his team will bank on the positives from their performance in the tournament, ahead of the five-match series against West Indies.”We played well in the Asia Cup where there were a few big teams. We play consistently well in the one-day format so we are confident. We did not play too many one-day games too this year apart from the Asia Cup, so it is a challenge.”The other positive thing for me is that some of our batsmen are among the runs. If they can remain confident it will help us settle quickly,” he said.Mushfiqur said West Indies were “the strongest team” going around in ODIs at the moment, but was confident that if they can be contained, Bangladesh will hold the advantage quickly. The new ODI rules allow only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for 35 overs in an innings, and West Indies possess some of the biggest hitters in the game.”If you see strength-wise, I think West Indies is the strongest team in the world at the moment. They have batsman like [Chris] Gayle, [Kieron] Pollard and [Marlon] Samuels who can play strokes at will,” Mushfiqur said.”But if we can maintain our line and length, and the spinners can get something from the wicket, we will be able to get them out. If we can contain them, build the pressure from both sides, hopefully they will also make mistakes.”

Tasmania’s coach, Tim Coyle, will step down at the end of this season, ending a highly-successful seven-year tenure. Coyle took charge of the Tigers in 2005 after the departure of the previous coach Brian McFadyen and in 2006-07 delivered the state’s first Pura Cup/Sheffield Shield title when they beat New South Wales in the final in Hobart.Another Sheffield Shield title followed in 2010-11, and Coyle was also at the helm when Tasmania won the one-day competition in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Coyle, 52, said he felt that with his contract expiring at the end of this summer it was a good time for Tasmania to move on under a new mentor.”I feel that the time is right for the Tigers to have a new voice and for me to finish up as head coach,” Coyle said. “It’s been a fantastic ride, and once the season finishes it is time for me to have some time away from the game and spend some more time with my family and friends.”Tony Harrison, the chairman of Cricket Tasmania, said Coyle’s outstanding record spoke for itself and he had been a fine servant of Tasmanian cricket.”Tim is passionate about what he believes in and much of that passion is for Cricket Tasmania, his teams and cricket in Tasmania, however we understand the time is now right for him to spend more time with his family and have a break,” Harrison said. “Tim has nurtured many talented Tasmanian and interstate player from the junior ranks through to national representation and can be justifiably proud of these achievements along with the sustained success of the Tasmanian Tigers.”Without doubt, Tim Coyle is the most successful current coach in Australian cricket and his contribution to our Association, State and players cannot be over-estimated. The current strength of Tasmanian cricket owes much to Tim Coyle and the culture he has developed and fostered, and we will do all we can to ensure that he remains part of our structure in the future.”Cricket Tasmania will spend the next few months searching for Coyle’s replacement.

The New Zealand batsman Scott Styris will play in the Big Bash League this season as the second international player for the Hobart Hurricanes. Styris, 37, retired from international cricket last year but has remained a useful Twenty20 player in domestic competitions around the world, having played for two IPL franchises, the Sylhet Royals in Bangladesh and this year for Sussex in England’s county competition.The Hurricanes were impressed by his form for Sussex, which included a 37-ball century last month, equalling the third-fastest hundred in T20 history. Styris said he was looking forward to joining the Hurricanes, having not played in Australia’s T20 competition before.”I’m enjoying my involvement in franchise T20 cricket around the world and have always enjoyed the challenge of playing in Australia against Australians,” Styris said. “The prospect of competing in this major Aussie domestic competition excites me greatly.”The England batsman Owais Shah is the other international player on the Hurricanes’ list for this season, and they have now signed 16 men. All teams must finalise their squads of 18 by the end of November, and the Sydney Thunder have added two more to their list with the signings of Usman Khawaja and Chris Rogers.Khawaja was part of the Thunder group last summer but this will be the first exposure to the BBL for Rogers, who was last year overlooked for a deal. Rogers, 34, continues to pile up the runs in county cricket and for Victoria, and the Thunder hope that in addition to his scoring he will be a valuable mentor for the younger players.”Chris is an exceptional batsman with an outstanding first-class record,” Shane Duff, the Thunder coach, said. “He is the type of proven player we lacked last season and he will play an important role in our line-up.”