Zimbabwe will embark on their first Test assignment in over a year without key coaching personnel

Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2013Zimbabwe will embark on their first Test assignment in over a year without key coaching personnel. Batting coach Grant Flower, bowling coach Heath Streak and fitness trainer Lorraine Chivandire will not travel to the Caribbean later this month because of a technical structure change made by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).”After consulting with the players and the head coach on the effectiveness of the current coaching structure which has a head coach, an assistant coach and two specialists a decision was made to streamline the structure to allow for better strategy formulation and communication in camp,” Shingai Rhuhwaya, general manager of media and public affairs told ESPNcricinfo.”While specialist can be engaged for preparations and specialist training throughout the season, the head coach is to have full and sole charge of the national team during tours. The same will apply for the fitness trainer whose primary objective is to ensure that players are fit before they go to tour. The physiotherapist and assistant coach will then play the role of maintenance while on tour.”ESPNcricinfo understands that financial concerns and accommodating more touring players are behind reasons for the decision.The tour, which includes three ODIs, two Twenty20s and two Tests, starts on February 20 and is head coach Alan Butcher’s last in charge before his contract expires. The build-up to the tour has been punctuated with controversy after ZC were unhappy with a selection directive issued by the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission which required the entire panel to be former international players. The order has since expanded to include non-ex players as well.Butcher is hopeful the sideshows will not hamper the team’s progress on the tour, although he admits they travel as underdogs. “We haven’t played an ODI in more than a year either and that doesn’t help. We know it will be tough but we have to stay positive and give a better account of ourselves from a last trip.”Zimbabwe’s last full tour was to New Zealand in early 2012. They lost all the matches across every format, including their heaviest Test defeat. It was a major comedown for them after they made a successful return to Test cricket in August 2011 by beating Bangladesh. They also enjoyed a promising run of form at home in series against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand.Since then, Zimbabwe’s only success came in an unofficial T20 tri-series in June last year which they won after beating a South African XI in the final. It did not do them any good at the World T20, though. Zimbabwe lost both group matches by big margins and handed Ajantha Mendis his best figures of 6 for 8.Lack of funds and tour cancellations have robbed them of any more cricket. Bangladesh postponed their August trip because of the BPL and Zimbabwe could not host them any earlier then Pakistan also did not tour as scheduled in November. The Bangladesh tour is due to happen this August but there has been no confirmation of that series yet.By then, Zimbabwe will have a new head coach. Butcher has chosen not to renew his contract because “I have been away from my family for three years,” and denied that the administrative issues had anything to do with him not continuing. Interviews were held to choose his successor last week. Flower, current assistant coach Stephen Mangongo and former international batsman Andy Waller, who previously coached Namibia, have applied for the position. Streak has not put his name in the hat for the head job but has indicated he wants to continue as bowling coach.Although Butcher did not see as much success as he hoped he would, he regards his time with Zimbabwe as fulfilling despite the obstacles. “I’ve enjoyed it and the players have been great to work with. I cannot fault what they’ve put in,” he said. “I am happy that in my time in charge, we won our comeback Test and the ODI series against Bangladesh and the unofficial T20 tournament. The coaching staff have all worked very hard and I’d say 90% of my time was superb.” He has one tour left to raise that percentage.

Stuart Broad was a tired man after his return to first-class cricket but was feeling positive about how his body was holding up as he aims to regain his spot in the Test team for Dunedin

Andrew McGlashan in Queenstown28-Feb-2013Stuart Broad was a tired man after his return to first-class cricket but was feeling positive about how his body was holding up as he aims to regain his spot in the Test team for Dunedin.The second day against a New Zealand XI in Queenstown was Broad’s first outing in the longer format since the second Test against India, in Mumbai, after which he was dropped following two wicketless games in that series. The recurrence of a heel problem that had hampered him early on the tour then then forced him to return home.He has previously admitted he will need to manage the issue throughout his career but he is hoping to revive his Test career with the aid of new, specially designed boots, which aim to ease the pressure on the troublesome area, and this was the opportunity for a day of multiple spells to test his endurance.He was the pick of the England pace attack, taking 1 for 35 in 15 overs, and maintained good pace throughout on a slow pitch. His nearest rival for the third fast-bowling spot, Graham Onions, had a poor day as he failed to strike during 16 expensive overs. When Broad had Carl Cachopa caught at second slip after lunch, it was his first first-class wicket since dismissing Dale Steyn at Lord’s in August.”I’ll sleep well tonight. It always takes a bit of getting used to,” he said. “But I got through the spells pretty well; it’s an encouraging sign. The build-up throughout this tour has been really good for me, starting with Twenty20 cricket, going into the one-day format and now we have pretty much four back-to-back games.”So the workload is going to be tough. But you just need to manage that well, and I feel like I’m doing that at the moment.”Test match cricket is going to be the toughest test of Broad’s heel, where there is no opportunity to ease off and, although perhaps not in this series, long back-to-back days in the field are a possibility.”The heel injury is still around. It’s going to be around for quite a while,” he said. “I do need to manage that. It still gets a bit tender towards the back-end of spells. But that’s to be expected.”I didn’t feel it too much today, and I hope it will pull up pretty well tomorrow. My action feels really nice at the moment. I feel like I’m hitting the crease hard, and getting some good bounce.”Hamish Rutherford, who made 90, praised the work of Broad and was impressed with the England attack even in the absence of James Anderson and Steven Finn who were rested ahead of the Test series.”Stuart Broad bowled very well all day, he kept running at decent clip,” he said. “Woakes also bowled well and it was my first chance to have a look at Swann, so it was very pleasing to spend some time against him.”Although the innings virtually assures Rutherford of a Test debut next week, he refused to be drawn into such a discussion. “I was just trying to bat as I usually do and win each ball. I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t even think about it. At the end of the day, the longer I spend in the middle that sort of stuff takes care of itself.”

Preview of the second Test between New Zealand and England at the the Basin Reserve, Wellington

George Dobell13-Mar-2013

Match facts

March 14, 2013
Start time 10.30am (2130 GMT)Stuart Broad’s batting form has fallen away sharply•PA Photos

Big Picture

Had the first Test been decided on a points decision, there is little doubt that most judges would have awarded it to New Zealand. After bowling out England for 167 – their lowest first innings score since 2009 – the hosts replied with 460 to take a first innings lead of 293; their third highest against England in completed innings. While a flat pitch and some determined England batting prevented a repeat in the second innings, it was England who benefited most from the first day having been lost to rain.But the fact is that the match was drawn and, bearing in mind the history of England improving after a faltering start, New Zealand may come to reflect that they have missed their best opportunity to strike a telling blow. Worryingly for New Zealand, this pitch is expected to provide more assistance to the England seamers.It certainly proved that way in 2008. After New Zealand won the opening Test in Hamilton, England struck back at Wellington with Tim Ambrose recording his only Test century and claiming the man of the match award as England leveled the series. They subsequently went on to win it by prevailing in the final Test in Napier.It remains to be seen how much the effort in Dunedin took out of the New Zealand side. While they should have taken confidence from some aspects of their performance, the concern is that their three seamers bowled 114 overs between them in the second innings in their pursuit of victory. With so little time to recover between the games, Wellington will offer a stern test of their stamina. The ability of Steven Finn, who went into the Dunedin Test with few pretensions as a batsman, to resist the New Zealand bowlers for nearly five hours in the second innings might also prove sobering for the hosts.Still, any fears New Zealand had over the potency of England’s seam attack should have been eased by the Dunedin performance. Indeed, in three first-class innings on the tour to date, England have yet to bowl out their opposition with the New Zealand XI in Queenstown declaring in their first innings and completing a testing fourth-innings target with three wickets in hand in their second innings.

Form guide

New Zealand DLLWL (Completed matches, most recent first)
England DDWWL

In the spotlight

Had Martin Guptill been fit, it is highly likely that Hamish Rutherford would not have played in the first Test in Dunedin. Rutherford seized his chance with some style, though, and in scoring 171 set a new high for an opener on debut against England. Only Mathew Sinclair, who made 214 on debut against West Indies in 1999, has made a higher score on New Zealand Test debut. Rutherford’s excellent start has buoyed home hopes that a line-up containing Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and, one day, perhaps, Jesse Ryder, might have the potential to develop into the strongest batting unit in New Zealand’s Test history.Stuart Broad‘s form has been the subject of much debate. But while the focus has tended to fall on his bowling – he claimed his first Test wickets since August in Dunedin – his batting has – arguably – fallen away more sharply. Since he last made a half-century – in January 2012 against Pakistan in the UAE – he has had 16 Test innings, passed 20 only four times with a highest score of 37 and averaged only 13.60. Perhaps more remarkably, in that time the average balls he has faced in a completed innings is just under 20. Such statistics do little to support the claim that he can be viewed as an allrounder and suggests that he may be batting too high at No.8.

Team news

New Zealand will be unchanged and England are likely to follow the same route. For New Zealand, Doug Bracewell has not recovered from the foot injury sustained while cleaning up glass after a party while for England Kevin Pietersen is expected to play despite what Andy Flower described as “a little bit of pain in his right knee.” Flower went on to say: “Most of the players play with something sore most of the time. I don’t anticipate it being a huge problem for us at all.”New Zealand 1 Peter Fulton, 2 Hamish Rutherford, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Dean Brownlie, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Tim Southee, 9 Bruce Martin/Ian Butler, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Nick Compton, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Joe Root, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 James Anderson, 10 Steven Finn, 11 Monty Panesar*.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to have more pace and bounce than Dunedin, with some claiming it is the quickest in New Zealand. The last time England played here, Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson both gained swing movement and claimed five-wicket hauls and it is worth noting that Chris Martin, with 60 wickets in 14 Tests, is the highest Test wicket-taker on the ground. Bowlers capable of generating bounce should enjoy it.New Zealand have not won any of the last six Tests on the ground. The last two – against South Africa in 2012 and Pakistan in 2011 – have been drawn, though the weather played a role on both occasions.Wind may also play a role. Wellington is a notoriously windy city and some bowlers struggle to adapt to the challenge of running into it. Shane Bond, the New Zealand bowling coach, has admitted it is an experience that all three of his side’s leading seamers are unaccustomed to having developed as strike bowlers running in with the wind behind them.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand and England have played each other in 10 Tests at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. England have won four times and New Zealand only once, in 1978, when an England side captained by Geoff Boycott were bowled out for a paltry 64 chasing 137 for victory.
• Nick Compton and Alastair Cook are currently averaging 81 per opening partnership. The sample size is small – they have now played five Tests together – but only Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe – who averaged 87.81 in 38 innings – of regular England openers have a better record.
• New Zealand have won four of their last 33 Tests against England dating back to 1986. The last one of those game seven Test ago, at Hamilton in 2008,
• James Anderson needs eight wickets to become the fourth England bowler after Fred Trueman, Bob Willis and Ian Botham to take 300 in Tests. He needs five to draw level with Derek Underwood, currently the fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests for England.

Quotes

“We always knew the guys are fit, and can bowl a lot of volume, we just need to make sure they are fresh and ready to go.”
Shane Bond, the New Zealand bowling coach reflecting on the fitness of his side’s three seamers, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, who delivered 114 of the 170 overs in England’s second innings in Dunedin.”I’d rather have been batting for 170 overs than fielding, let’s put it that way.”
Matt Prior.*06.40GMT, March 13: The preview had previously listed Graeme Swann in the line-up.

Monty Panesar is committed to a full programme of championship cricket in an attempt to bowl himself into form ahead of the three-Test series against New Zealand in May

David Hopps21-Mar-2013Monty Panesar is committed to a full programme of championship cricket in an attempt to bowl himself into form ahead of a two-Test series against New Zealand ijn May, which starts England’s international summer.Panesar’s spin partnership with Graeme Swann was a prime reason for England’s mastery over India on their home soil in the Test series before Christmas.But he has found rewards harder to find in New Zealand and, with Swann recuperating from an elbow operation and uncertain whether he will be fit to face New Zealand, Panesar’s well-being at the start of a packed England schedule is even more important than usual.Panesar has persuaded England’s management that, despite a heavy touring schedule, he has no need for the prolonged rest which has been drawn up for most other England players. He will be pitched straight into Sussex’s championship season, against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 10.Warwickshire, the defending county champions, will have to wait for the involvement of their England batsmen, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, until May under the player availability schedule drawn up by the England management.Bell and Trott will be available two Warwickshire championship matches – against Sussex and Middlesex – ahead of England’s three-Test series against New Zealand, which begins at Lord’s on May 16.Under a scrupulously balanced decision process, most England players are guaranteed to play two championship games ahead of the first Investec Test.Durham will benefit from Graham Onions’ inactive winter. Onions’ 64 wickets at 14.98 were instrumental in securing Durham’s Division One status, eventually achieved with ease under the inspirational captaincy of Paul Collingwood, and he will be running in again for the opening championship match of the season against Yorkshire in Chester-le-Street on April 10.Somerset are another winner with Nick Compton’s appetite for match practice meaning that he is scheduled to return against Surrey at The Oval on April 17.England player availability: James Anderson (Lancashire): Available for LV= County Championship games against Kent (24-27 April) and Glamorgan (1-4 May). Unavailable for Yorkshire Bank 40 game against Durham (6 May) and Derbyshire (12 May). Schedule to be reviewed after 4 May ahead of first Investec Test.Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire): Available for all cricket from the start of season.Ian Bell (Warwickshire): Available for championship games against Sussex (1-4 May) and Middlesex (8-11 May). Available for YB40 game against Kent (6 May). Unavailable for YB40 game against Sussex (12 May).Ravi Bopara (Essex): Available for all cricket.Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire): Availability to be determined following recovery from an elbow operation.Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire): Available for championship games against Derbyshire (24-27 April) and Durham (29-2 May). Schedule to be reviewed after 2 May ahead of first Test.Jos Buttler (Somerset): Available for all cricket.Alastair Cook (Essex): Available for championship games against Hampshire (29 April -2 May) and Lancashire (7-10 May). Unavailable for YB40 fixtures against Hampshire (3 May), Durham (5 May) and Scotland (12 May).Nick Compton (Somerset): Available for championship games against Surrey (17-20 April), Warwickshire (25-28 April) and Yorkshire (7-10 May). Available for YB40 fixture against Unicorns (5 May). Unavailable for YB40 fixture against Yorkshire (11 May).Jade Dernbach (Surrey): Available for all cricket.Steven Finn (Middlesex): Available for championship games against Derbyshire (17-20 April) and Surrey (2-5 May). Unavailable for game against Cambridge MCCU (24-26 April). Schedule to be reviewed after 5 May ahead of first Test.Eoin Morgan (Middlesex): Participating in the IPL. Available for all cricket on return.Graham Onions (Durham): Available for championship games against Somerset (10-13 April), Warwickshire (17-20 April), Yorkshire (24-27 April) and Nottinghamshire (29 April -2 May). Schedule to be reviewed after 2 May, ahead of first Test.Monty Panesar (Sussex): Available for all cricket from 10 April.Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire): Available for all cricket.Kevin Pietersen (Surrey): Availability to be determined following recovery from knee injury.Matt Prior (Sussex): Available for championship games against Surrey (24-27 April) and Warwickshire (1-4 May). Available for YB40 fixture against Worcestershire (5 May) and Northamptonshire (10 May). Unavailable for YB40 fixture against Warwickshire (12 May).Joe Root (Yorkshire): Available for game against Lancashire (16-18 April) and championship games against Durham (24-27 April), Derbyshire (29 April-2 May) and Somerset (7-10 May). Available for YB40 games against Glamorgan (5 May) and Somerset (11 May).Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire): Availability subject to recovery from elbow operation.James Tredwell (Kent): Available for all cricket.Chris Tremlett (Surrey): Available from start of season.Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire): Available for championship games against Sussex (1-4 May) and Middlesex (8-11 May). Available for YB40 game against Kent (6 May). Unavailable for YB40 game against Sussex (12 May).Chris Woakes (Warwickshire): Available for championship games against Derbyshire (10-13 April), Durham (17-20 April) and Sussex (1-4 May). Schedule to be reviewed after 4 May ahead of first Test.

Ahmed Jamal, the Pakistan Customs fast bowler, has won a ‘King of Speed’ competition, a nationwide search to unearth new pace talent

Umar Farooq29-Apr-2013Ahmed Jamal, the Pakistan Customs fast bowler, has won a ‘King of Speed’ competition, a nationwide search to unearth new pace talent. His fastest delivery was clocked at 143kph and won him Rs 1 million in prize money.Jamal, 24, is from Abbottabad in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 68 miles north of Islamabad. He took five wickets on first-class debut for Pakistan Customs in 2009, and has 127 wickets in 34 games.Jamal was one of four quicks selected for Wasim Akram’s camp from a countrywide talent hunt earlier this month. The others were Muhammad Imran from Karachi, who bowled 136 kph, and Faisalabad’s Abdul Ameer and Faisal Yaseen, who both bowled at 135kph.”I am thrilled and very happy,” Jamal said in Karachi. “My feet were on the ground before I won this and will remain on the ground after winning the prize as I want to make a name for myself. I had planned to spend this money, but I am not going to disclose it now.”Jamal was among 24 bowlers who were undergoing a 10-day training camp led by Wasim Akram. He said Shoaib Akhtar was his inspiration. “I was always inspired by Shoaib Akhtar who was very fast so I wanted to bowl like him.”At the camp, Akram worked with the country’s best fast bowlers, including members of the national team and some new talent. It was organized ahead of the Champions Trophy in England, amid growing concerns about the depth of Pakistan’s fast-bowling reserves. “These ten days are the best of my life,” Jamal said. “What I have learnt during these days are a big thing for me and I want to move from strength to strength.”Akram was optimistic about the future of fast bowling in Pakistan after the camp. “I am happy to see that we still have great fast bowling talent in Pakistan, we just need to find that talent and polish our youngsters,” he said. “Fast young bowlers like Ahmed Jamal are the future of this country; they can become part of our national team and take Pakistan cricket to new heights of glory.”It was a short camp and we will not stop here. I feel captain’s role is very important in grooming the fast bowlers, if a bowler is low on confidence then the captain can lift it by backing his bowler and that raises the confidence.”I am sure that [Mohammad] Irfan and Junaid [Khan] will improve with time,” Akram said. “Irfan is a rare talent and should be used properly and Junaid is also showing great improvement. I feel the boys showed great passion for learning and because of that my passion also increased. I think we have talent in pace department.”

David Warner has been stood down from Australia’s Champions Trophy match against New Zealand after what has been called “an unprovoked physical attack” on Joe Root

Brydon Coverdale12-Jun-2013David Warner has been stood down from Australia’s Champions Trophy match against New Zealand after what has been called “an unprovoked physical attack” on Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in the early hours of Sunday morning.Warner could yet face further sanction, including the possibility of being sent home from the tour, depending on the outcome of a Code of Behaviour hearing, which Cricket Australia said would be convened as soon as possible.The ECB confirmed in a statement that an altercation between Warner and an England player took place and said it was initiated by Warner. They said the player was not responsible for the incident which happened around 2am following England’s 48-run victory at Edgbaston, and had accepted an apology from Warner.”Following a statement issued this morning by Cricket Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirms that David Warner initiated an unprovoked physical attack on a member of the England team in a Birmingham bar following England’s 48-run victory over Australia,” the ECB said in a statement. “Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology.”Following a full investigation the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack. ECB has concluded that this is a matter for Cricket Australia and have no further comment to make.”Alastair Cook, the England captain, said that his players were fully within their rights to be out in the early hours of the morning. “You don’t often get to win international games,” he said. “When the schedule allows you, as long as its within certain parameters that we set as a team [and] we didn’t have training for a couple of days.”Clearly if it was a back-to-back game it’s a very different issue. We had a couple of days off and a couple of days training, you don’t often get those positions in a tournament so it’s very important you do sometimes let your hair down. Celebrating wins also builds team spirit.”John Creighton, manager of the Walkabout bar in Birmingham, said: “David Warner and Joe Root were in our VIP area between 1.30am and 2.30am on Sunday morning along with several other England and Australia team members. None of the group seemed to have been drinking to excess and just seemed to be having a good time. There was a small altercation between Warner and Root.”This was dealt with very amicably and quickly by the rest of the group and both were calmly chatting to each other shortly afterwards. They all left a short while later and a small bar tab was picked up by David Warner. We are quite familiar with David’s face.”The manager added he did not think Warner’s punch connected although it is understood that some contact was made. He also confirmed that police were not called although it is believed that was at the behest of Root who did not want to take the matter further.Warner was reported under Cricket Australia’s Code of Behaviour and in a statement, Cricket Australia said he had been cited after he “was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with an England player in the early hours of Sunday morning following the ICC Champions Trophy match between the teams in Birmingham”.The incident could have serious ramifications for Warner’s Ashes campaign. He has been cited under Rule 6 of the Code of Behaviour, which deals with unbecoming behaviour, and states that: “Players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of game into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket.”It is the second time in four weeks that Warner has been reported under that section of CA’s Code of Behaviour, after he was fined $5750 last month for engaging in a Twitter spat with two Australian journalists. Following that incident, Warner said: “I just want to draw a line under all of this and move forward.”Warner has also been struggling for runs since arriving in England, having made ducks in both the Champions Trophy warm-up games and 9 in the loss to England.

Darren Sammy will become the 27th player to represent West Indies in 100 one-day matches when he takes the field against Pakistan on Tuesday.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2013Allrounder Darren Sammy will become the 27th player to represent West Indies in 100 one-day matches when he takes the field against Pakistan on Tuesday. On the eve of the second ODI, Sammy confessed to not having thought of such records when he started out, but considered it one of his best moments.”All I really wanted to do was represent the West Indies and give my all on every occasion out there on the field,” he said. “But I will approach it as any other game before, preparing myself both physically and mentally and make sure I am match-ready if selected, for tomorrow’s match. I see this as one of the highlight moments of my career”Having made his debut in 2004, Sammy has scored five half-centuries and has a top-score of 84 off 50 balls at No. 9 against Australia. He has taken 71 wickets at an economy rate of 4.56. His crowning achievement was leading West Indies to the 2012 World Twenty20 title by beating the hosts Sri Lanka in the final in Colombo.West Indies, however, are trailing 0-1 in the ongoing series against Pakistan, having suffered a 126-run defeat on Sunday. The hosts, after restricting Pakistan to 54 for 5 in 21 overs, collapsed spectacularly as Shahid Afridi plundered 76 runs off 55 balls and took 7 for 12.But Sammy, who had captained West Indies to a 2-2 draw against Australia and a 4-1 win against New Zealand in March and July 2012, believed that the team’s return to winning ways was just a matter of piecing together consistent performances.”We have been through times like this before, but someway and somehow we found a way to bounce back,” he said. “We had a good start from the spell Jason [Holder] gave us, but we did not capitalise on that and that is something we really got to improve on, which is driving home the advantage when we have teams in critical positions with our bowling.”Fast bowler Jason Holder, who wrecked Pakistan’s top order with figures of 10-4-13-4, echoed Sammy’s optimism.”Obviously we did not get the result we wanted but I think the guys will be looking to bounce back, while I will be looking to continue the same form by putting the Pakistanis under pressure early.”It was a good pitch to bowl on especially after it dried out. It spun in the second half and like I said, it is not a bad pitch. We just need to apply ourselves a bit more and get the runs.”Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi’s 120-run stand for the sixth wicket eventually took Pakistan to 224. In contrast, West Indies managed only two double-figure partnerships, one of which was for the ninth wicket between Sammy and Sunil Narine, when the match was already all but lost.

An unbeaten 51 by Lendl Simmons led West Indies A to a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka A in the second T20 at Kingstown

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2013
ScorecardAn unbeaten 51 by Lendl Simmons led West Indies A to a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka A in the second T20 at Kingstown. The one-sided game was set up by the West Indies bowlers who restricted the visitors to 81. The target was chased down with nearly eight overs to spare and the hosts took the series 1-0 after the opening game was washed out.Sri Lanka struggled from the time they were put in to bat, tottering at 17 for 4 at one stage. A combination of pace and spin kept them in check. Legspinner Samuel Badree finished with miserly figures of 5 for 1 off four overs and Ashley Nurse claimed three middle-order wickets to finish with 3 for 15. The majority of the top order fell to single-digit scores, four batsmen fell for 10 and the highest score of the innings was 11 by the No.10 Madura Lakmal.The chase was dominated by Simmons, who smashed five sixes and three fours. The Sri Lankan bowlers reduced the visitors to 48 for 4 at one stage, but didn’t have enough runs on the board to enforce more pressure. Simmons sealed the win with consecutive sixes off Niroshan Dickwella.

New Zealand Croatia, a side comprising New Zealand cricketers of Croatian origin, are scheduled to embark on their maiden cricket tour to Cook Islands

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2013New Zealand Croatia, a side comprising New Zealand cricketers of Croatian origin, are scheduled to embark on their maiden cricket tour to the Cook Islands. The side will participate in a tri-series against the senior and Under-19 sides of Cook Islands between August 12 and August 16.Joseph Yovich, an opening batsman for Northern Districts and one of the founding members of the New Zealand Croatia side, said the tour was an opportunity for cricketers to discover links to Croatia’s cricketing history.”New Zealand Croatia is distinct from the Croatia national team, and creates another great opportunity for cricketers with Croatian heritage in New Zealand to unite, to learn more about the 200-year history of the game in Croatia, and the link it has with New Zealand,” cricketer Joseph Yovich said. “It will strengthen those bonds within the game and, at the same time, we’ll be helping develop cricket in the Cook Islands – an ICC Affiliate member – which has very strong links to New Zealand, and particularly Northern Districts, which assists with coaching and resources in the islands.”Cricket was introduced to Croatia when British soldiers established a base during the Napeolonic Wars (1803-1815). Interest in the game dwindled but a few Australian and New Zealand cricketers, who returned to the country in the late 1990s, worked at reviving interest in the game. Croatia became an Affiliate Member in 2001 and has since hosted different touring sides, including the MCC squad in 2009.The New Zealand Croatia squad to the Cook Islands features four New Zealand-based players who have been involved in cricket development in Croatia: current Croatia internationals Paul and John Vujnovich (the current Croatia captain), Anthony Govorko and former international Anton Vujcich. Anton Devcich is unavailable due to his New Zealand A commitments, while Dusan Hakaraia and Michael Ravlic are also missing out.New Zealand Croatia will also visit schools and promote women’s cricket as well as the game’s development at the grassroots level on their tour.New Zealand Croatia squad: Matthew Adsett, John Arnerich, Brad Bennetto, Anthony Govorko, Daniel Marsic, James Piskulic, Matthew Vujcich, Anton Vujcich, John Vujnovich, Paul Vujnovich, Joseph Yovich.

Former Services pace bowler, who until recently served as chief administrative officer of the National Cricket Academy, has died of a heart attack while playing golf in Bangalore on Wednesday evening

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2013Former Services pace bowler AK Jha, who until recently served as chief administrative officer of the National Cricket Academy, has died of a heart attack while playing golf in Bangalore on Wednesday evening.Jha, 57, was a fast bowler for the Services and played 52 first-class matches, taking 159 wickets at an average of 30.18, in a career that extended between 1974 and 1987. In nine first-class matches between 1981 and 1985, Jha took 10 wickets at an average of 25.50.The retired wing commander of the Indian Air Force was removed from his post at the NCA following allegations of his involvement in a Rs 50 crore NCA land deal that went wrong. The NCA, it is understood, had sought to acquire close to 50 acres of land near Nandi Hills through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the academy. The BCCI had also paid close to Rs 50 crore, in two installments, for the acquisition. However, following a number of PILs, a Karnataka High Court ruling in June this year declared the deal illegal.