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A new four-day cricket tournament called the Bangladesh Cricket League will kick off on December 27

Mohammad Isam24-Dec-2012A new four-day cricket tournament called the Bangladesh Cricket League will kick off on December 27. The franchise-based tournament will be played between four teams, split by regions.Walton Central Zone, comprising players only from Dhaka Division and Dhaka Metro, Prime Bank South Zone (Khulna Division and Barisal Division), Islami Bank East Zone (Sylhet Division and Chittagong Division) and BCB North Zone (Rangpur Division and Rajshahi Division) will take part in the competition. Three of the four teams have been bought by companies but the fourth, North Zone, will be run by the BCB because it had no takers.The BCB has not yet initiated the process of obtaining first-class status for the BCL. The National Cricket League (NCL) still remains the country’s only first-class competition.The national selectors have picked 80 cricketers for the franchises to choose from, specifically from their regions. The tournament will be held at two venues, Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur and the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, and will run till January 11. The rest of the tournament will be completed after the BPL.

A round-up of the HRV Cup matches on January 6, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2013
ScorecardAn aggressive knock of 74 from Tamim Iqbal and a spell of 4 for 18 from seamer Ili Tugaga led Wellington to a comfortable 57-run win over Canterbury in Rangiora, and took them to second in the points table.In 7.1 overs, their openers Jesse Ryder and Tamim put on 71 runs to establish a platform for domination. Spinner Ronnie Hira ended the stand by getting Ryder out for 37, but another one, worth 77, ensued, till Iqbal was dismissed in the 16th over. By then, they were cruising at 148 for 2, and to boost the rate Michael Papps scored 32 off 17 deliveries towards the end to get his team to 190.Canterbury lost wickets in a hurry. Tugaga destroyed the top order as the first four batsmen in their line-up scored 18 runs together. After 10.3 overs, they were reduced to 60 for 5. Middle-order batsman Andrew Ellis scored 48, but when he got out in the 15th over, the contest was virtually over. Thirty-year old left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock was the other bowler to prove effective, claiming three wickets.
ScorecardA 95-run stand between Ryan ten Doeschate and Nathan McCullum, both of whom scored half-centuries, and a combined bowling effort helped Otago inflict a 93-run win over Central Districts at the University Oval in Dunedin. The win, Otago’s sixth this season, consolidates their position at the top of the table, while Central Districts’ sixth loss kept them at the bottom.Chasing a stiff 195, Central Districts lacked a steadying hand to halt the collapse. Only four batsmen scored in double-figures, with opener Jeet Raval, who made his Twenty20 debut, top scoring with 20. By the 17th over, they were bowled out for 101. The wickets were shared around, with seamers James Fuller and Jimmy Neesham, and spinners Nathan McCullum and Nick Beard, all taking two wickets each.The win was set up by a commanding batting performance from Otago. At the halfway mark in their innings, they were scoring at a run rate of 7.5 per over, but ten Doeschate, who scored an unbeaten 59, and McCullum struck eight sixes and six fours between them to boost the rate. The final total of 194 for 4 proved enough to defend.
ScorecardA blistering knock from Colin de Grandhomme and restrictive bowling from Michael Bates and Kyle Mills carved a 28-run win for Auckland over Northern Districts in Mount Maunganui.Set a target of 181, Northern Districts managed 152 in their 20 overs led by Steven Croft and Brad Wilson (39). Michael Bates and Kyle Mills, both gave only 19 runs each in their four overs and picked up five wickets together. They were ably supported by Bhupinder Singh (1-22) who also gave less than six runs per over and picked up the wicket of Wilson.Earlier, when Auckland were put in to bat, they lost their openers within six overs for 37. Captain Gareth Hopkins led the side from there, first with Anaru Kitchen and then with Grandhomme. Grandhomme smashed an unbeaten 30-ball 66 which included eight fours and two sixes and pushed the run-rate from under seven to nine when their innings ended.Auckland picked up four points from the match and moved to fourth place in the points table.

Afghanistan crumbled under the weight of Pakistan A’s big total of 189, to lose by 49 runs in the Twenty20 in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Shahid Afridi hit four fours and two sixes in his 25-ball 45•AFP

Afghanistan crumbled under the weight of Pakistan A’s big total of 189, to lose by 49 runs in the Twenty20 in Lahore. Opener Ahmed Shehzad and Shahid Afridi took the contest away from Afghanistan with their attacking knocks of 68 and 45 respectively. In reply, regular wickets and slow scoring hurt them, and they limped to 140 for 9.Afghanistan started the chase brightly, the openers scoring 32 in three overs, but they slipped to 89 for 6 in the 11th over. Asghar Stanikzai was the only batsman to remain unbeaten eventually, scoring 47. The last seven batsmen scored 27 runs in all.Pakistan’s innings was based on partnerships of 66, between openers Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan, and 65, between Shehzad and Afridi, after which they were 131 for 2 in 13 overs. Although Afghanistan bounced back to keep them to below 200, the target ultimately proved too daunting for them.

Kumar Sangakkara has challenged Thirimanne, Chandimal and Mathews to score 35 to 40 Test hundreds each

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle08-Mar-2013On the first day of a series aimed at regenerating Sri Lanka’s Test side, Kumar Sangakkara has laid down a challenge for the young batsmen who are now set for an extended stint. Sri Lanka fielded four batsmen with fewer than ten Tests’ experience, including a debutant, all of whom are yet to score a Test hundred. Angelo Mathews, who was recently appointed Test captain, has a solitary century to his name.Of the young players, Lahiru Thirimanne finished unbeaten on 74 at stumps, having negotiated comfortably both seam and spin, alongside Mathews who was 25 not out. Dimuth Karunaratne had earlier made 41, having resumed his innings after retiring hurt when he was hit on the elbow.”For guys like Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo, their target should be to score 35 to 40 hundreds by the time they finish,” said Sangakkara, who made his 31st Test hundred on day one. “They’ve got the ability to do that. Thirimanne batted beautifully today and Dimuth’s [dismissal] was unfortunate. Angie [Angelo] is looking really good. When you look at these younger guys, you see that they’ve got so much to offer Sri Lanka cricket.”You can say there is a selfish element in getting runs and scoring hundreds, but if you keep doing that, you and your side benefit. When individuals keep pushing themselves to go beyond others, I think that’s a really good atmosphere.”Sangakkara moved into tenth position on the all-time run-scoring list with his 142, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar. He had said earlier in his career that 30 hundreds and 10,000 Test runs was his career goal. He has reached both targets comfortably, but says there is still more he would like to accomplish in the game.”Gavaskar was a fantastic batsman, and I’m very privileged to have had a career where I am able to go past him. Still I am three centuries behind him, but hopefully I can go beyond him on that count too. I’d still like more runs and more wins. I think that’s what motivates all the guys who play.”Sri Lanka finished day one at 361 for 3, and Sangakkara said his side would aim to push on in the first session in day two, to set up a position from which they are unlikely to lose. Rain is unlikely to make a major impact for the remainder of the Test, but there have been short afternoon rains on each of the past three days in Galle. Sri Lanka are likely to want the game to progress quickly, to give themselves the best chance of going 1-0 up in the series.”My idea after getting 100 was that the bowlers were tired and I wanted to get past 300. If we are able to pass 300 on day one, that makes it easier to make a declaration, after a session or so in the second day. Lahiru was batting really well, and my job was to try and accelerate and score runs quickly, so that the team was in a good position. 361 is a good score and it gives us a position to first bat one session [tomorrow], and then Angelo can decide when he wants to declare.”Sangakkara also paid tribute to Thilan Samaraweera, who retired earlier in the week after not being picked for the series. “Thilan was a magnificent servant of Sri Lankan cricket. He never had the limelight or the fame that he probably should have. I remember his debut against India – he scored almost a run-a-ball hundred, and was averaging in the 50s. Suddenly he had to stop playing cricket for two years because Aravinda de Silva made a comeback into the side. That’s been the way [throughout] his career. Whenever the team wanted a shift or anything, Thilan was the easiest guy to move up or down, or in or out.”I just hope that there will be other cricketers out there who will come in and do the kind of service that is unnoticed and unrecognised only [until] when they retire, [so they] can see what an amazing career they’ve had.”

Australia coach Mickey Arthur expressed confidence in Australia’s ability to put the India series behind them and prepare well for the Ashes

Daniel Brettig26-Mar-2013Death by dust in India will make the the green fields of England seem heavenly for Australia’s Test team, which remains on course to be the best outfit in the world within the next two years. No-one could ever accuse Mickey Arthur of being a pessimist, but with the aforementioned statements the national team coach redefined the boundaries of wild optimism while accounting publicly for a deplorable performance on the subcontinent.On the day national selector, John Inverarity declined to guarantee Shane Watson’s place as the vice-captain or even as an Ashes team member, and the seriousness of Michael Clarke’s back and hamstring problems were confirmed, Arthur struck an almost alarmingly upbeat note. Yes, he had fussed a great deal over taking a young team to India and all its attendant dangers, but Arthur had no such qualms about England.”I was always really worried about the conditions in India, especially with a group of young players,” Arthur said in Perth. “Because you can sit and tell players what it’s like to play there, but until you’ve actually experienced it, you don’t comprehend it. The Ashes conditions are a lot closer to what we’re comfortable with, our pace bowlers will be a real factor in England.”Our batters will be more accustomed to those conditions, so I’m confident everything’s still on track. It is disappointing when you have a tour of the subcontinent just before a tour as big as the Ashes, because it does have the ability to pull you off track, but we’re firmly on track for the Ashes and conditions will favour us.”As for the team’s chances of rising from the mid-table ICC ranking they have occupied since 2010 – alternating between 5th, 3rd and the present 4th – Arthur reiterated his argument that the disciplinary action taken against those players who failed to follow instructions would be the start of the climb back to world No. 1.”I think we moved forward, moved in the right direction and, hopefully, if we have our time again, this will be the foundation of something really good for the Australian cricket side,” Arthur said. “We’ve said it numerous times now; we could have carried on and been third in the world comfortably, but we don’t accept that, we want be No. 1 in the world.”We’ve put some stuff in place that we believe can get this team there in the next 24 months.”In India, many of Australia’s players did not only look initially unready for the conditions they faced, but were unable to find the technical and mental wherewithal to learn and adapt with each innings. Irrespective of how the team’s discipline broke down off the field before four players were suspended from the Mohali Test, those indiscretions were arguably less serious than dismissals indicative of plans being ignored, if there were any in the first place.The sweeps played by David Warner and Phillip Hughes in Hyderabad, plus a few other inattentive strokes by Watson at various stages, laid bare a lack of thought and application next to the mental toughness and intelligence shown by India’s young batsmen. This is a problem that will require cure rather than prevention if, as Arthur suggested, there would be only minimal changes to the 17-man squad for the trip to England.”It’ll be similar, I can’t see too many changes,” Arthur said. “We felt we took the best players possible to India, barring one or two guys who were struggling with injuries. And we took a couple of guys who were pertinent to subcontinent conditions. But we feel we had our best young batsmen there; to see them grow through the tour was fairly encouraging, we know they’ve got experience into them now and are going to be better for it.”Arthur added that players knew exactly what they needed to do going forward into the Champions Trophy and the Ashes, but stressed that the side’s batting would have to improve. “It’s disappointing to have only two hundreds over the last couple of months,” he said. “We had a couple of 90s, but we need to start converting and scoring big in that top six. We’ll have a real good quartet of bowlers available to us and we just need to get enough runs to be really competitive in the Ashes.”Between three Australia A matches and two tour warm-up fixtures preceding the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, Arthur and the Australian selectors will have a far better spread of games from which to pick their best side for England. However, Arthur would not accept the suggestion that more might have been done to get the team in the right space to be more competitive in India.”Everything we did, we’ve done with a lot of reason behind it that’s not always apparent to people who don’t know what’s going on in the inner sanctum,” Arthur said. “We feel we have the best players, they’ll be better for the experience. I think the selections have been good, I think we took the best possible squad out there to perform.”Arthur also said that while the selectors and management did everything they could in the run-up to the India series. “I’m confident, as selectors and management, we’ve done everything in our power to make the guys as good as they can be,” he said. “We had spin camps, prepared the guys endlessly, and ultimately you can’t replicate those conditions under that pressure.”

Nadeem Ghauri, the banned Pakistan umpire, has criticised the PCB’s decision as “one-sided”

Umar Farooq14-Apr-2013Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistan umpire banned for four years by the PCB, has criticised the board’s decision as “one-sided”. Ghauri was punished after the PCB’s integrity committee found him guilty of being willing to accept money for favourable umpiring decisions.The allegations against him, Ghauri said, were baseless. They surfaced during a television sting operation, broadcast by , last year, which claimed to have “exposed” several first-class umpires from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who were allegedly willing to give decisions favouring players for a fee. Ghauri and his umpiring colleague Anis Siddiqui were banned for four and three years respectively by the PCB’s integrity committee.”It’s a one-sided decision and I am not happy with it,” Ghauri said during a press conference at his residence. “I didn’t compromise my integrity and didn’t even enter any deal with them but still they have slapped me with this ban. They [PCB] didn’t give me a chance to [explain] my version properly. I will request the chairman and will appeal that I should get justice.””I don’t think it’s true,” Ghauri said of the claims made by the sting operation. “I was actually referred by Nadir Shah (a Bangladesh umpire) with regard to a cricket league in Sri Lanka. They were offering me a lucrative package for umpiring and I brought everything to PCB’s notice.”I was not under any contract with the PCB and we were trying to make some money through these leagues for livelihood without knowing that I am actually being trapped.”Both umpires, as a result of the bans, cannot officiate in any form of cricket and will not be considered for any role in Pakistan’s regional associations. The bans took effect on October 11, 2012, the day the PCB began its investigation.Ghauri, 50, played one Test, against Australia in Sydney in 1990. He also played six ODIs and 147 first-class games. He was part of the ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires and the PCB’s international panel in an umpiring career that spanned 13 years. “I have 10 clean years between 2000 and 2010, before being demoted from the ICC panel,” said Ghauri, who was also among the injured during the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in 2009. “I have served my life for Pakistan and the PCB should have taken my past into account before making the judgement.”I am waiting for the documents. I will send an appeal to the chairman and will ask him to show me the videos, there should not be a one-sided decision,” Ghauri said, adding that, during the sting operation, he was only sharing his experience as an umpire over Skype.”And in two minutes you can’t compromise your integrity. They trapped us by offering a contract in the Sri Lankan league. This league did happen but their own umpires supervised it in Sri Lanka.”

CSA have announced the itinerary for South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka, which will involve five ODIs and three T20s

Firdose Moonda15-May-2013Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed the itinerary for Russell Domingo’s first assignment as head coach. South Africa will play five ODIs and three Twenty20s in Sri Lanka between July 20 and August 6.The tour was initially supposed to include three Tests but SLC asked for those to be postponed to accommodate the Sri Lankan Premier League. That means Domingo will not have to worry about the defence of the No.1 Test ranking until October, when South Africa are scheduled to play Pakistan in the UAE.

Full tour fixtures

July 20, 1st ODI, Colombo
July 23, 2nd ODI, Colombo
July 26, 3rd ODI, Kandy
July 28, 4th ODI, Kandy
July 31, 5th ODI, Colombo
August 2, 1st T20, Colombo
August 4, 2nd T20, Hambantota
August 6, 3rd T20, Hambantota

The limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka is likely to be an experimental one for South Africa. They would have just completed the Champions Trophy and may toy with combinations as they look to build towards the 2014 World T20 and 2015 World Cup.Graeme Smith, who will miss the Champions Trophy with an ankle problem, is unlikely to make a comeback for this tour. His injury requires at least four months of recovery, and he may not play until the end of August. His wife, Morgan, is also due to give birth to the couple’s second child during the Sri Lanka tour.With Jacques Kallis also out because he does not play bilateral one-day series, the squad that goes to the Champions Trophy will have an opportunity to gel in Sri Lanka. South Africa are likely to have a new ODI vice-captain, after Hashim Amla relinquished the role, and it will present Faf du Plessis with a chance to develop as the T20 leader.The series will be Sri Lanka’s third limited-overs assignment in two months, with the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies preceding it. The Sri Lanka Premier League will begin shortly after the end of the tour.South Africa and Sri Lanka last played against each other in January 2012. South Africa won a hard fought one-day series 3-2 at home, with Sri Lanka coming back to win the last two games.

Kyle Coetzer hit an unbeaten 150 to put Northamptonshire into a strong position at the end of the first day of their game against Leicestershire

11-Jun-2013
ScorecardKyle Coetzer struck 26 fours and a six in his unbeaten innings•ICC/Helge Schutz

Kyle Coetzer hit an unbeaten 150 to put Northamptonshire into a strong position at the end of the first day of their Championship Division Two game against Leicestershire at Grace Road. The knock was a Championship-best for the 29-year-old opening batsman, who had scored only 133 runs in his previous nine innings.Andrew Hall also made an unbeaten half-century as top-of-the-table Northants reached the close on a healthy 320 for 4 after being put into bat.The century was the seventh of Coetzer’s career and his second for Northants, who he joined two years ago. The first also came against Leicestershire, last season. But the bottom-of-the-table hosts had only themselves to blame for allowing Northants to take such an early grip on the game. The bowlers failed to make the most of a green-tinged pitch and were not helped by dropped catches.A total of five went down in the day, the most costly proving to be Coetzer, who was dropped on 25 when Nathan Buck failed to hold on to a sharp return catch off his own bowling.Another major problem for Leicestershire was the number of boundaries they conceded. Coetzer took 120 balls to reach 50 – but hit 11 fours. And when he brought up his century he had struck 19 boundaries in a 191-ball innings. In all Leicestershire conceded a total of 202 runs in boundaries in the shape of 49 fours and a six.After the early departure of Matthew Spriegel, trapped lbw by Alex Wyatt for 7, Coetzer and David Sales shared a stand of 65 in 24 overs. Sales was dropped on 21, but had his off stump knocked back with Wyatt’s first ball after lunch and was out for 32. The impressive Coetzer then dominated a third-wicket partnership with Alex Wakely, who was dropped at slip off Ollie Freckingham early in his innings. But he hung around to share a stand of 74 before edging to slip off Buck for 18.Robert Keogh was caught at mid-on for the same score off Michael Thornely with the total 200. But Hall then joined forces with Coetzer to punish the Leicestershire attack in the final session. The fifth-wicket pair hammered 120 runs in 34 overs with Coetzer reaching his 150 off 277 balls with a six and 26 fours and Hall unbeaten on 65 off 112 balls with 10 boundaries.

The stadium that is being built in Cox’s Bazar for the World Twenty20 next year will only be a temporary one, the country’s civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan said

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2013The stadium that is being built in Cox’s Bazar for the World Twenty20 next year will only be a temporary one, the country’s civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan said. The stadium near the beach will make way for a proposed five-star hotel, although BCB president Nazmul Hassan said a permanent stadium will eventually be built in the beach town.The announcement was made after an inter-ministerial meeting held on Thursday in Dhaka, with the BCB chief and acting CEO Nizamuddin Ahmed being present, among others.”Under the PPP [Public Private Partnership] it has been confirmed that an international-standard five-star resort will be built at stadium’s current location,” Khan said. “The project is now in the PPP office but there will be no problem in hosting the World Twenty20 matches. All the structures have been designed on a temporary basis. We will decide later where the proper stadium will be built.”Earlier in the year, the country’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina ordered that the land, formerly a golf course, be handed over to the BCB but the land has remained with the civil aviation ministry.The ground which is being planned to be used for the women’s World Twenty20, is only going to have a boundary wall and temporary pavilions.BCB chief Hassan later said that they have to follow the ministry’s plan because transferring the land would involve a long process. “We didn’t meet formally earlier so there remained some confusion between us. But now we will do everything it takes to finish the work on the stadium in time. I believe there will be a beautiful stadium in Cox’s Bazar.”There were a few issues regarding the location. We have to go with the government’s master plan and since there is a long procedure for the land transfer, we can hardly wait for all the formalities to take place. Plus, the BCB cannot afford to pay for an international-standard stadium itself.”For work on the temporary stadium to finish, BCB has taken over the construction job so that the ICC inspection team due in August will see enough progress.

Surrey became the first side to make it to Finals Day and reached the last four for the first time since 2006 as they defeated Somerset at The Oval.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at The Oval06-Aug-2013
ScorecardSteven Davies got Surrey’s chase off to a bright start•Getty Images

Surrey became the first side to make it to Finals Day and reached the last four for the first time since 2006 as they defeated Somerset at The Oval. A 4.15pm start limited the attendance to just 10,100, with Sky unwilling to put the game on their red button service. Surrey fans have a right to feel aggrieved by the scheduling but, now just two games away from a first piece of silverware since 2011’s Clydesdale Bank 40, it’s an easier pill to swallow.Through a mixture of good bowling and some indecisive strokes, Somerset stuttered to their 148, after winning the toss and asking Surrey to chase for only the second time in the competition. Craig Kieswetter carried his bat, but he faced only 51 of the 120 balls available.Kieswetter is often maligned for his inability to rotate the strike and, at times, he was guilty of trying to launch balls that deserved a bit more respect. But it would be extremely harsh for any criticism to be levelled at him today, especially given the struggles of his teammates. Fellow opener Chris Jones played out nine dot-balls during the Powerplay, while the middle order could only give their main man five balls in the final four overs. As if to make a point, Kieswetter took singles off all of them.His 70 contained all his trademarks, as he hit straight and big with his manufactured technique that looks so natural on days like these. Even someone of Chris Tremlett’s pace wasn’t safe, as Kieswetter planted him down the ground for six, before displaying some sharp footwork the very next ball to get inside of a ball just outside off stump, launching it over long-off for another maximum.After a post-Powerplay lull, it looked like Peter Trego would assist Kieswetter. But, after an attempted reverse-paddle to the first ball of the 14th over, he lost his off stump, much to the delight of the bowler, Gareth Batty, who let out a roar that would turn an Orc white. Trego took exception, removing his helmet to square up to Batty. Players and umpires separated the two, while the Surrey fielders backed up their captain to remind Trego of the direction in which he should be heading. Batty was kept well away from his confronter, and for good reason.The two were reunited at the end, once Batty had repeatedly punched the air with glee after John Lewis got a thick edge to third man from a full toss from Alfonso Thomas to seal a Surrey win. It was a lot less heated, but certainly not friendly.The required rate of 7.5-an-over didn’t challenge the hosts. Speaking after the match, magnum of champagne in hand, Vikram Solanki revealed that the plan was always to try and milk every run from the middle overs, before Yasir Arafat and Thomas returned at the death. George Dockrell had the misfortune of being the targeted bowler, with his overs going for 32, including back-to-back sixes from Solanki at the end of the 13th over that left Surrey needing 43 from 42 balls.Yet again, Jason Roy and Steven Davies started well, with 50 off the first six overs. Roy then fell to a magnificent catch by Jos Buttler – scurrying from the boundary at deep-midwicket to dive and intercept a ball over his right shoulder, before it could reach the boundary on the bounce. But even the removal of Davies could not stem the runs, as Solanki’s 38, along with contributions from Gary Wilson and Zander de Bruyn allowed the chase to be completed at a canter.They could even afford some slapstick, as Gary Wilson was run out trying to run on an overthrow, which cannoned off the stumps at the bowler’s end, with Zafar Ansari scrabbling to make his ground.For Somerset, there is no silver lining, another blow on the day they found out that Abdur Rehman will not be making his way to Taunton, having been selected in Pakistan’s squad for their tour of Zimbabwe. A fifth consecutive visit to Finals Day might not have eased their woes, but it certainly would have distracted them from them. Now, they have to consider some harsh realities.