Sri Lanka A and West Indies A fought out a tie in the opening match of their five game series, at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo. West Indies A were set a revised target of 201, from 41 overs, they managed a share of the honours despite falling to 99 for 6.They were indebted to the young Test wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh made an aggressive 65 not out from 67 deliveries to revive West Indies A’s hopes of victory, before falling one run short. Baugh recieved strong support from Dave Mohammed, who stroked 33 of 37 balls, and they both coped well with despite the asking rate being more than a run-a-ball. Loku Dilhara removed the top-order with 3 for 21 from six overs.Mohammed’s innings completed an impressive match for the allrounder after Sri Lanka A won the toss and chose to bat first. Saman Jayantha top-scoring with 73 but Mohammed who has played two Tests for West Indies, took 4 for 44 with his left-arm chinamen.
Before the start of this first one-day international between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, it was widely expected that the inexperienced new Zimbabwean team would be humiliated. In fact, it was a lukewarm Sri Lankan team that had to fight hard in the end to avoid embarrassment. It took a fine unbeaten 73 from Kumar Sangakkara, and a bit of help from Messrs Duckworth and Lewis method, to end Zimbabwe’s resistance.Except at the start and finish of the match, Sri Lanka were unimpressive, perhaps unable to motivate themselves properly knowing they were facing a stand-in Zimbabwe team with an average age of 21. But Zimbabwe put in a highly spirited allround performance and gave the tourists a several shocks before finally going down. The catalyst was their Man of the Match Tatenda Taibu, who hit a superb unbeaten 96 on his captaincy debut, when all seemed lost with the Zimbabwe batting.The partnership between Taibu and Alester Maregwede turned the Zimbabweinnings round from a precarious 79 for 5 in the 25th over. When Maregwede finally holed out on the long-on boundary for 37, respectability at least was assured.On a good pitch, Marvan Atapattu won the toss for Sri Lanka and amazedeverybody by putting Zimbabwe in to bat. Good, accurate bowling by Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa, both obtaining a little movement in the air and off the pitch, proved too much for Zimbabwe’s raw opening pair of Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor, who both fell without scoring. Zimbabwe were two down after two overs, the only run on the board being a leg-bye.This brought Taibu to the crease for the start of the third over. DionEbrahim batted doggedly with him for 13, but never looked confident, while Elton Chigumbura, also made 13 in a brief cameo. But the situation looked bleak until Maregwede joined Taibu.Mluleki Nkala also played above himself with some powerful strokes in an unbeaten 33 at the end, including two sixes over midwicket. But Muttiah Muralitharan was surprisingly ineffective later in the innings, taking 1 for 47 in his 10 overs. Vaas, with 1 for 9 in his first seven, had his figures spoilt to the effect of 1 for 31 off ten, while Zoysa, who did not bowl at the death, was the pick with 3 for 21.Sanath Jayasuriya showed Sri Lanka’s intentions by lashing the first ball of the innings through the covers for four, but had just 9 to his name when he edged a catch to first slip, giving Tinashe Panyangara a wicket with only his second ball in international cricket. Atapattu was then adjudged lbw to Douglas Hondo without scoring, but Kumara Sangakkara began aggressively and was 18 not out off 13 balls when the rain came.The target was adjusted to 173 off 33 overs when play finally restarted. Mahela Jayawardene fell for 5, holing out at long leg, and the pinch-hitter Nuwan Zoysa made a brisk 14, but at 77 for 4 the match was still in the balance. The run rate, however, was good, and so that pressure was lacking as Tillakaratne Dilshan joined Sangakkara at the crease.This pair took Sri Lanka home by way of steady ones and twos rather than spectacular strokes. After 27 overs, though, the light had deteriorated and the batsmen accepted the offer of the umpires to leave the field. They were 12 runs ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis asking-rate at that stage, with Dilshan having contributed a valuable unbeaten 35.Sri Lanka kept their honour, but they will start the second match onThursday more warily than they did this one. As for Zimbabwe, theysurprised this time, playing above themselves, but adrenaline will notsuffice for ever and the fear remains that their serious lack of depth will soon be exposed.
The Duleep Trophy match between Elite B and Plate B, held at the Guru Nanak College Grounds, Chennai, turned out to be a veritable run-fest, with only the 18-run difference in first-innings totals giving the former five points and the latter three.Winning the toss, Elite B skipper Rohan Gavaskar opted to bat first, and his quickfire 42 (32b, 5×4, 2×6) was one of the string of middle-order knocks that spurred Elite B to a total of 350. Arjun Yadav made a steady 59 (172b, 7×4) and MSK Prasad 40 (58b, 2×4), but it was TP Singh’s knock of 64 (83b, 5×4, 2×6) that really lent backbone to the Elite B innings.The lower order of Elite B succumbed to the wiles of leggie Narendra Hirwani, who scalped six for 80 in his 27.5 overs, and the side was bowled out early on the second day. Plate B then proceeded to bat a day themselves, falling just short of Elite B’s 350 by making 332.Star of the Plate B innings was opener Sujith Somasunder, who made 116 off 226 balls, with 13 fours. But his knock alone would have hardly gotten his side close to the Elite B total, and it also took Sreekumar Nair’s 95 (150b, 10×4, 2×6) to take Plate B past 300. For Plate B, speedster Amit Uniyal took six for 92.The tour-de-force batting display was still to come, however. Batting for 540 minutes and facing 438 balls, Elite B opener Amit Pagnis dominated the second innings, making 184 and hitting 21 fours in his side’s total of 434. He was ably supported by Wasim Jaffer (59, 89b, 9×4) and later MSK Prasad (79, 134b, 8×4), but although Gavaskar delayed the declaration to give Pagnis a much-deserved double, he fell short by 16 runs.Plate B were thus set the hugely impossible target of 453 runs off a single over, and instead of trying to go for the target, makeshift openers SB Dahad and S Santh courageously played for the draw, getting it comfortably in the end.
Pakistan ‘A’ captain, Hasan Raza, has been declared fit to play in thedecisive third and final One-Day International tomorrow, against Sri Lanka ‘A’at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.There were doubts about Hasan’s participation, after he was hit by a SureshPerera delivery, when batting in the second One-Day International. Theright-hander, who was not wearing a helmet, took his eyes off a shortdelivery as he ducked. The batsman was rushed to the hospital forprecautionary x rays.Though the player returned later in the day, he didn’t return the crease andlooked unwell. He appeared doubtful for Wednesday’s game. Today, however,team officials revealed that he will be available for tomorrow’s game.
Eddie Howe has received a huge injury lift regarding Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka this week…
What’s the latest?
According to Newcastle World, the Magpies shot-stopper is expected to train ahead of the clash with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. The report claimed that Newcastle are hopeful that the 33-year-old will be available for selection against Antonio Conte’s side despite withdrawing from international duty.
This comes after Slovakia boss Stefan Tarkovic told futbalsfz.sk [via The Mag] earlier this week: “Martin Dubravka suspects angina. Our doctors started antibiotic treatment for him.
“He is in isolation and will definitely not be part of the team in Norway and Finland. Ivan Schranz came together with an untreated member after a club match with Linz.
“Since he still doesn’t have it right, after talking to the doctors and the player, I decided that he wouldn’t travel with us and return to the club.”
Elation
This news will surely leave Toon supporters feeling elated, as they will no doubt be keen to see him lining up between the sticks this weekend.
Having him available will be a major boost for the club, as he is Howe’s number one and the best goalkeeper on their books. He has played 121 games for Newcastle since joining in 2018, which shows that he has played regularly over a number of years, with Rafael Benitez, Steve Bruce and now Howe often picking him to be their first-choice in goal.
The 33-year-old is a proven Premier League performer, with 33 clean sheets in 118 top-flight games, and he has been in fine form this season. Dubravka has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.84 and has made zero errors directly leading to goals, whilst also not giving away a single penalty.
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He has kept three clean sheets in his last nine league outings, with the Magpies losing just twice during that run. This shows that he is in form at the moment and has been crucial to the club’s revival as they currently sit nine points clear of the bottom three.
Therefore, Toon fans must be elated by the news that he is set to return to training this week. Losing him would have been a big blow, given his impressive displays this term, and supporters may have been concerned about Dubravka’s situation after his international manager’s worrying comments. Instead, they can now rest easy knowing that he is on the verge of returning…
AND in other news, Howe can get St James’ rocking as Newcastle plot bid for “phenomenal” £50m wizard…
In a match dominated by South African stars, the batting efforts of Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis edged the all-round contribution of Shaun Pollock, as Bangalore Royal Challengers recovered from Friday’s mauling to register their first win of the tournament. Set a challenging 166 by the Mumbai Indians, Bangalore rode on an unbeaten 39 from Boucher, and his 55-run stand with Kallis sealed a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.The absence of Sachin Tendulkar would have been a huge downer for the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, but none of them could complain about the quality of action. The bounce on the pitch kept the bowlers interested, and the batsmen on their toes – one of them, Mumbai’s Dominic Thornely, was so surprised by a Zaheer Khan bouncer that he copped a blow above the eye which required 15 stitches. Robin Uthappa and Pollock were the two major contributors for Mumbai, with Sanath Jayasuriya chipping in with a cameo at the start.A target of 166 suggested a close finish, and that’s exactly how it panned out. Bangalore had contributions from all their batsmen, though none of the top five stayed through the chase. Shivnarine Chanderpaul biffed a few before getting a painful blow on the knee, while Rahul Dravid alternated between the sublime – with glorious straight- and extra-cover drives – and the tentative – five runs from 14 balls off Pollock. Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli both made 23 in identical fashion, but when Kohli fell, the match hung in the balance, with 60 needed from 39 balls.While Kallis played a typically patient hand, Boucher put in the decisive knock which turned the match Bangalore’s way. Striking the ball freely and cleanly, he ensured the asking-rate never climbed beyond ten, and got the boundaries so regularly that the pressure slowly moved to the home team. Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai captain, was creamed through point in the 15th over, while Jayasuriya was clubbed for a straight six. When Nehra was pulled for four and blasted out of the ground for the biggest six of the game in successive balls, the requirement had suddenly come down to 11 from 12 balls, after which the result was never in doubt.Mumbai’s innings was built largely around Uthappa’s 48, which held the innings together, and a whirlwind 12-ball 28 from Pollock which turned an average total into a substantial one. The absence of Tendulkar was felt at the top of the order, as Luke Ronchi, his replacement as opener, lasted just ten balls before falling to an outstanding catch by Kohli. Jayasuriya gave every indication of making up for Tendulkar’s absence, creaming the hapless Kallis for three fours – two bludgeoned down the ground, one flicked fine – and a huge six over long-on. When he fell against the run of play, run out by a direct hit from Zaheer, Mumbai needed a steady hand to guide the innings, and Uthappa played that part well.
His familiarity with the opposition bowlers – Vinay Kumar, Sunil Joshi and B Akhil are all state-mates in first-class cricket – helped him along too, as Vinay was late-cut delightfully and then hooked for six off successive balls. Uthappa improvised cleverly, moving to leg to clip the ball fine, or walking down the pitch to upset the bowlers, but he also reined in his attacking instincts, knocking the ball in the gaps during the middle overs.When he fell just two short of his half-century, though, Mumbai only had 125 on the board with just 19 deliveries to go. Enter Pollock, who immediately turned it up a few gears. After Abhishek Nayar had creamed a straight six off Vinay, Pollock dismissed the same bowler for a four and a six off consecutive balls. Praveen and Zaheer were taken for boundaries as well, as 40 came off the last five overs. The opposition team, though, had two other South African heavyweights to seal the deal.
ScorecardWill Smith’s first limited overs century powered Durham to the top of the North Conference as they completed a 143-run demolition of Worcestershire. Smith’s hundred was followed by Dale Benkenstein’s impressive striking as the captain hit 94 from 66 balls.Smith and Benkenstein added 155 for the fourth wicket as Worcestershire’s attack were given a day to forget. Kabir Ali, especially, will want to put events behind him as the former England seamer went for 94 off his 10 overs. Doug Bollinger fared little better, also conceding over nine-an-over, and only Ray Price’s economical spell prevented even further carnage.Any chance of the visitors making an impact on their chase was blown away as they sank to 17 for 3. Ottis Gibson, who can still do a better job than some of the West Indians in the tour party, grabbed two as Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett were made to wait for the ball.The England pair failed to impress, bowling six overs each for a total of 73 runs and a wicket apiece. They were overshadowed at the end by Gareth Breese, who claimed his first one-day five-wicket haul to wrap up the massive win, with only Moeen Ali providing meaningful resistance with a career-best 86.
Amit Varma and S Rajesh discuss the first day of the Antigua Test Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMARahul Dravid’s decision at the toss, to bat first, was vindicated when India made 361 for 4 on the first day, at 4.24 runs per over. But did he perhaps choose the wrong team, going in, once again, with just one specialist spinner in Anil Kumble. Amit Varma discussed that and more with S Rajesh. Listen in.Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMA
Queensland recovered from a middle-order collapse to begin the ING Cup season with a tense two-wicket victory over New South Wales at the Gabba.Chasing 225, Queensland were cruising at 5 for 201 in the 43rd over but lost 3 for 9 and had to rely on James Hopes (30 off 32 balls) to guide them home with 13 balls to spare.Andrew Symonds, the Bulls allrounder, was named Man of the Match for his 71 from 66 balls before he fell to the legspin of Stuart MacGill, who took 4 for 37 and passed Jo Angel’s domestic one-day bowling record of 94 wickets.The New South Wales skipper Brad Haddin, who won the toss, belted a run-a-ball 88 to lift his side out of trouble at 4 for 36.
Until the end of the Indian tour of Pakistan, we will be running a daily Paper Round of what newspapers in India and Pakistan, and from around the world, are saying about this series. This is what the media had to report today:Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, expects his people to extend their hospitality to the visiting Indian side. According to a report on the Pakistan News Service, he said, “It is not the question of win or lose, the good performance should be appreciated.” Musharraf added that he wanted the good folk of Pakistan to show India, and the rest of the world, that “we are a disciplined nation and we appreciate the good performance.”* * *Pakistan’s reports that India and Pakistan will run additional buses between Delhi and Lahore later this month, to cater to those who are expected to cross the border to watch the two one-day matches at the Gaddafi Stadium (March 21 and 24). Agreeing to the Indian proposal, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has sent a formal note to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to start running two buses from March 19.According to the decision, DTC will run two buses instead of one on March 19 and 23, while PTDC will have two buses on March 22 and 25 to cater to the demand of the fans.* * *The also quotes Dr Ishratul Ibad, the Governor of Sindh, who has urged the people of Karachi – those who flock to the stadium and those following it from elsewhere – to be on their best behaviour in order to make it clear to the world that the city was one of the world’s great cricket venues.* * *When India and Pakistan play, can the bookies and touts be far away? According to the , the answer is no. They suggest that tickets will be changing hands for up to 20 times the marked price, with the racket mainly controlled by students. The story also quotes a Karachi bookmaker, who identified himself as “Afghani”, as saying that he expected to handle bets worth $1m during the course of the first ODI. With 40 such bookmakers estimated to be part of the scene, there are likely to be some happy bank managers come Monday morning.* * *The Calcutta Telegraph focuses on a story that has obsessed Indians like no other during the past few days – the question of live telecast. Ten Sports, who hold the rights for the series, have finally agreed to provide the signal to Doordarshan – India’s national broadcaster – albeit only for the opening game. India’s Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Madras High Court, forcing Ten to provide the feed from Karachi free of cost. But Ten and the cable operators have failed to come to any sort of agreement on the charges to be levied for the series.* * *In the midst of all the mundane prose, you can rely on Omar Kureishi for the elegant turn of phrase. Writing in the , he says, “In normal circumstances one would have written that all roads will lead to the National Stadium for the Karachi ODI. Precisely the opposite will be true. All roads will be closed. For ticket-holders it will be a sort of treasure hunt, for others an obstacle race.”Newspapers have printed maps outlining the traffic arrangements. They resemble navigation charts that might have been used by Christopher Columbus. He had set out to discover India and found America instead, but cricket fans will find the National Stadium, come hell or high water.”Kureishi also suggests that Shoaib Akhtar could be a decisive factor, given the absence of a quality spinner on either side. “The moment of truth has arrived for him,” he says with reference to Shoaib. “But he must understand that he is the matador, not the enraged bull. Never has a Pakistani bowler carried such a weight of expectation and the hopes of so many millions of people. His biceps are bulging. What about his nerves? Are they made of steel? If he is on song, it may decide the fate of the entire series. If India tames him, it may be an altogether different ball-game.”* * *And surely the last word should go to that most loquacious of cricketers. Javed Miandad turned diplomat on the eve of the Karachi game, waxing eloquent about cricket’s potential to play a part in the big thaw between India and Pakistan. “Given the craze for cricket in the two countries, the game has the potential to play a significant role,” he said. “We want the Indians to carry back pleasant memories.”The also quotes Miandad as saying that it’s the pressure from the fans that leads to unusually high tension-levels on the field. “The pressure on the players comes from the fans, we all know what happens during cricket encounters between the two countries,” he said. “I’ve instructed my players on good behaviour in the field. We have to convey a good impression to millions of cricket-lovers watching this series. People in both countries don’t want to lose these matches, but cricket will end up cooling frayed tempers.”