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United Arab Emirates bowled Kenya out for 167 in their second innings to register a comprehensive 266-run win at Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2011
Scorecard
United Arab Emirates bowled Kenya out for 167 in their second innings to register a comprehensive 266-run win at Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi and complete their turnaround after conceding a first-innings lead in their Intercontinental Cup match.Kenya began the day on 76 for 4 chasing 433 but victory was never a realistic option for the hosts, who lasted just 36.1 overs on the final day. New captain Collins Obuya made a determined 63 but he received little support, with only Ramesh Mepani, who managed 37 before being run out, going past 20.UAE struck in the second over of the day to remove Mansukh Jasani for a duck before Obuya and Mepani eked out a 37-run stand that was the second highest of the innings, highlighting their failure to build partnerships. Obuya’s fall with the score on 125 effectively ended Kenya’s chances of saving the game, and the last four wickets fell for 42 runs.The wickets were shared between five bowlers, with Mohammad Tauqir, Amjad Javed and Shoaib Sarwar picking up two each.

The BCCI has made a late request to Cricket Australia, asking for an additional warm-up game during India’s tour in December

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Aug-2011The BCCI has asked Cricket Australia for an additional warm-up game during India’s tour in December. India are currently scheduled to play only one four-day tour game, against the CA Chairman’s XI in Canberra, from December 18.”We are considering the request and it is work in progress,” a CA spokesperson said. “You’ve got to understand that scheduling is a three-dimensional exercise and it is always difficult to make any changes once things are finalised. But we have always had cordial relations with the BCCI and we should be able to find a way.”Scheduling is, however, likely to be an issue. India have a full series – three Tests and five ODIs – against the visiting West Indies pencilled in between October 29, when they end a home series against England, and that match in Canberra.The main problem for CA, which had announced its schedule for the 2011-12 home season three days ago, is likely to be the Big Bash League. Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition starts on December 16 and, with players from all six Australian states participating in the eight-team competition, India may have to play a second-string side for the extra warm-up.India’s request comes on the back of a humiliating defeat in the ongoing Test series in England. They trail 0-3 in the series and are in danger of suffering their first 0-4 loss since then tour of Australia in 1991-92, There has been sharp criticism of the team’s preparation for the series, in which the No. 1 Test ranking was at stake, from within the BCCI and the media. MS Dhoni, the India captain, and Duncan Fletcher, the coach, have indirectly admitted that one reason India were struggling in English conditions was because they did not have enough to acclimatise.The late request to CA for an additional warm-up is another example of the lack of planning in the BCCI. Before the 2010-11 tour of South Africa, Gary Kirsten, who was coach at the time, had to press his case to ensure some of the Test players arrived a few weeks early to prepare for the series. Kirsten had sent his request about eight months ahead of the tour but the BCCI granted him permission only at the very last minute.

Pakistan’s resolve to not change a winning XI will undergo a stiff test ahead of the quarter-final against West Indies in Dhaka

Osman Samiuddin in Mirpur22-Mar-2011Pakistan’s resolve to not change a winning XI will undergo a stiff test ahead of the quarter-final against West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday. Pakistan, who won five out of six games to top Group A, were fairly settled – by their standards – through that run. Only after five failures did they tweak the opening combination and injuries apart, Shoaib Akhtar represents the only other unforced change in personnel.But with the possibility of as many as four left-handers in the West Indies top five – if Shivnarine Chanderpaul returns to shore up a middle order prone to collapse – Pakistan will consider the option of using Saeed Ajmal to off-set that.The decision will not be an easy one. If Ajmal does play, he is likely to do so in place of Abdur Rehman. The left-arm spinner has played a quiet but significant role in Pakistan’s campaign so far, opening the bowling in two of their last three games; though he has only three wickets in five games, he has been crucial in stifling opposition run-rates. Additionally, Pakistan feel safer in the knowledge that Rehman is useful – no more – with the bat and a capable, energetic fielder.Afridi, as he has done all along, spoke of the need to not change the XI that beat Australia. “I’m very happy with my winning combination at this stage,” he said. “You can’t make changes if you can help it for a game like this. We have an offspinner in Mohammad Hafeez so let’s see. We’ll decide this evening once we’ve seen the conditions and the pitch.”Privately, however, the team management has acknowledged that Ajmal is under consideration, though the decision will be taken after a team meeting on Tuesday evening. Ajmal has been a peripheral figure so far in Pakistan’s campaign, playing only in the game against Canada in which Rehman sat out with a leg injury. He bowled well enough in the game, picking up a wicket, though not perhaps well enough to change a situation which has seen him gradually lose the top spinner’s slot over the last six months or so.Which of these three will play Wednesday’s quarter-final?•AFPSeveral sides have used off-spin to open against the West Indies top order through the tournament and with success. Chris Gayle, who is likely to be back tomorrow, fell to Johan Botha in the first over of the game against the West Indies. England used Graeme Swann in the game at Chennai and though he didn’t strike early, the success he eventually had, along with James Tredwell, in the game makes the case for Ajmal stronger. R Ashwin opened for India in the last game the West Indies played and he struck early as well.Whatever the line-up ultimately – and that would be the only likely change – Pakistan will go into the game with some confidence after the streak-breaking win against Australia in Colombo. The team arrived in Dhaka early Monday evening and had their first and only practice session at the Shere Bangla Stadium before the game, on Tuesday.”To win a game against a side like Australia before the quarter-final is a big achievement,” Afridi said. “The dressing-room atmosphere is very positive and very good. It was a great win. We really worked hard before this tournament and I don’t think in my 14-year career we’ve ever worked as hard. Definitely, the expectation is greater now. We are feeling more confident.”Even though the West Indies lost their last two group games and haven’t beaten a top side in an ODI since June 2009, Afridi was aware of the threat some of the relatively newer faces may pose. “These young guys are doing a great job. They have performed well, their bowling is good and that is why they are in the quarter-final. They have a very good unit, so we’re not taking any team lightly especially at this stage.”A win on Wednesday would lead to a first World Cup semi-final since 1999, but the fifth straight ICC event – including the World Twenty20 – in which they’ve made the last four. “Before this World Cup I said I see my team in the semi-final and I want to see them there. My team is capable of doing that.”

Netherlands captain Peter Borren hopes his team impressive CB40 form makes a statement to the ICC

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's01-May-2011With the chance of Associate nations competing at the next World Cup still hanging in the balance ahead of the ICC’s meeting in Hong Kong during June, any chance they get to push their claims through performance is valuable. For Netherlands that opportunity has come in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition, the English domestic 40-over event, and two victories followed by a one-run defeat in a magnificent chase against Middlesex at Lord’s won’t have done any harm.Netherlands finished the recent World Cup without a victory but not without some credit. They pushed England mighty close in their opening game and gave India a few nervous moments. The biggest disappointment for them was defeat against fellow Associate nation, Ireland, but now those two sides are united in a battle to prove they are worthy of at least a chance to appear in 2015. These recent victories against Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and the brilliant effort to maintain an asking rate of nearly ten an over against Middlesex, should add to the squirming at the ICC headquarters in Dubai.”More than anything it underlines the fact that Associates should be at the World Cup,” Peter Borren, the Netherlands captain, told ESPNcricinfo. “I think one of the other captains said he wasn’t sure how much we learnt from going to the World Cup, well, I think our performances so far showed we learnt a lot. There’s obviously a place for Associate teams at the World Cup. It’s very disappointing they even considered going that way and hopefully the decision can be revisited.”It’s a decision made by those who want ten Full Members and we don’t get much of a say there,” he added. “It’s a shame because cricket in Holland, and Associate cricket in general, has certainly developed over the last four years. I think we played pretty well at the World Cup. It’s a step backwards, but hopefully our cricket here can keep our name up there.”Clearly they are not facing international quality attacks in the county competition, but to counter that argument Netherlands are also without some key players. Ryan ten Doeschate, who scored two hundreds at the World Cup, is at the IPL (and will rejoin Essex afterwards) while Alexei Kervezee was down the road at Canterbury, guiding Worcestershire to victory over Kent. Tom Cooper, the former Australia Under-19 batsman, is now the mainstay of the order as he showed with his superb 100-ball 126 at Lord’s.To help plug the gap, Netherlands have looked towards Australia and brought in Michael Swart and Shane Mott. This isn’t a side overflowing with Dutch talent, but there is some in the form of Tom de Grooth and Pieter Seelaar, the left-arm spinner, and if imports can make the team competitive which in turn encourages youngsters to take up the game in Holland, then it’s worthwhile.”We certainly aren’t a one-man band and haven’t been for a while,” Borren said. “Ryan has played fantastically well for us but we’ve had plenty of other contributions over the last few years. Hopefully we are developing better cricketers, but it does take playing at the top level, getting more exposure, to encourage those kids to play who will hopefully one day play for Holland.”It is vital they have something to aim towards, and while an expanded World Twenty20 has been offered as a sop, that has the distinct feeling of palming off the Associates. They aren’t asking for a rubber-stamped invite to Australia and New Zealand, but just the courtesy and honour of being able to compete for a spot. ESPNcricinfo understands that, unless can prove there is absolutely no room for a qualifying event in the international calendar, the Associates could have a strong legal case for the decision to be overturned.”We just want the opportunity,” Borren said. “We aren’t a professional outfit but imagine if we were and if we played more cricket against the top teams. I can only see that cricket would grow and benefit so to me it’s puzzling. I don’t know what will happen. It’s a big blow if we miss the World Cup. It’s big for the Full Members, but they play a lot of decent cricket between themselves. For us the World Cup is the pinnacle.”

The USA Cricket Association’s series of Town Hall meetings for its eight member regions received mixed reviews

Peter Della Penna25-Jun-2011The USA Cricket Association’s series of Town Hall meetings for its eight member regions concluded earlier this month and while the concept behind the meetings was met with praise, the subject matter – specifically how USACA should spend any potential revenue from its stake in Cricket Holdings America – received a mixed response.”It’s a good thing to meet and talk to leagues. This is the first time something like that has happened,” Ganesh Sanap, who is the president of the Northern California Cricket Association and took part in the Town Hall conference call for the Northwest region, said. “I’m glad it is happening. The leagues are able to hear from the president and the treasurer. But USACA didn’t need to have only a Cricket Holdings America Town Hall. It could have happened way before when the AGM is held or before the AGM. At least once or twice a year, these people need to get together and at least let people hear your voice.”The meetings featured a slideshow outlining a plan for distributing USACA funding in 2012 and 2013. Even though the communication was appreciated, Southwest region women’s coordinator Sandra Ibarra was skeptical of how it will all pan out.”It was basically a Powerpoint presentation that was introducing to all the regions what Cricket Holdings America is all about,” Ibarra, a former USA women’s national team player, said. “I guess it was a way of trying to say, ‘We’re working on something’, but it still doesn’t specify what they’re working on and how it will help cricket in America. How [the money] is going to be distributed, how they’re going to go about reviewing these proposals for money and who is going to be approving and denying them, that’s where I think we’re going around in circles and some people will feel disappointed.”USACA Treasurer John Thickett was the driving force behind organising the meetings and said having an open dialogue for this topic is a positive step forward for USACA. He also said this will not just be a one-off and that as Sanap hoped, more meetings will be planned for later in the year.”I’m very excited that we’re having these Town Hall meetings. We’re planning some different themes for later in the year,” Thickett said. “To get the opportunity to reach out to the top 100 stakeholders, league presidents and boards is important.”But Krish Prasad, the New York regional representative on the USACA board, is having a hard time agreeing with one of the messages put forth in the meetings by Thickett. The treasurer has advocated that 20% of the $2 million in annual funds that USACA is due to receive from CHA should be given directly to individual leagues rather than to the entire region to manage, something Prasad says will encourage corruption.”I don’t think money should be given to the leagues period,” Prasad said. “There are a lot of concerns about that because it’s election time and money is being given to leagues. It makes it look like USACA are trying to buy votes.”Sanap believes the strategy to give money to leagues is only a political tactic and that there’s a good chance the money will never come through.”I don’t think that anybody is going to see that money,” Sanap said. “It’s election-time talk. USACA has never given any money to anyone so why would it give it now? What exactly is USACA’s interest in all these leagues other than votes? I’m calling it as I’m seeing it.”Another concern that others have is that if leagues are given money directly, it could encourage “kitchen-table” leagues to pop up. Paperwork would be filed in order to receive money but no games would actually be played. Thickett concedes that there may have been some dishonesty in the past regarding proper documentation from around the country, but says that anyone who receives money from USACA will be held accountable to demonstrate how the money has been used.”They’re legitimate concerns and I encourage people to raise them. I don’t think people are paranoid for raising them,” Thickett said. “I have a theory that virtually all of the leagues do not fully comply with the constitution. I don’t think there are many leagues that have a women’s or youth cricket mandate. It fascinates me how many leagues have exactly eight teams.” The USACA Constitution states that a league must have a minimum of eight teams in order to become a member.”Part of the presentation talks about compliance. We’re going to start asking regions for budgets, reviews. We’re a non-profit organization. If people have taken money to install a turf wicket and don’t do it, they can go to jail. It’s a pretty serious offense to take money from a charity and not do what they say.”Rather than try to suspend leagues that are not compliant, Thickett hopes that administrators will help them take the correct steps to fall into line.”It’s clearly a rampant part of USACA culture to accuse a league of not existing. Let’s say a league is not compliant. It’s not a good idea to throw them out. It’s better to encourage them to become compliant. Is it worth throwing them out? No.”Despite the objections and concerns raised by some people, Thickett says it is just part of the process and that the initial proposal for how to use the funds is by no means final. He says he will wait for regions to submit formal feedback on the content of the meetings before planning the next step in how to budget the money USACA gets from CHA.”The whole reason to have these meetings is to say this is up for discussion,” Thickett said.

Ben Hilfenhaus could be next to join Mitchell Johnson on the sidelines for Friday’s second Test after Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, hinted that Ryan Harris was strongly in contention for a recall alongside Doug Bollinger

Andrew Miller in Adelaide02-Dec-2010Ben Hilfenhaus is set to join Mitchell Johnson on the sidelines for Friday’s second Test after Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, hinted that Ryan Harris was strongly in contention for a recall alongside Doug Bollinger. Bollinger is expected to replace Johnson, who was dropped following Australia’s toothless display during England’s 1 for 517 at the Gabba, while Cricinfo understands that the selectors have opted for Harris over Hilfenhaus on a wicket that is not expected to offer much conventional swing beyond the first day.”Hilfy’s strengths are his ability to swing the new ball, he’s very consistent, bowls in good areas and can tie batters down, as we saw at different times during the Brisbane Test,” said Ponting. “Ryan’s strengths are he’s grown up playing all his cricket here, he’s probably slightly quicker through the air, and he hits the wicket a bit harder than Ben does, and he’s probably a better reverse-swing bowler for later in the game, which comes into consideration in Adelaide.”Harris, who has a chronic knee injury, has been in excellent form on the domestic scene since returning from off-season surgery, while Hilfenhaus was Australia’s best bowler in the tour of India in October. Although Hilfenhaus launched Australia’s Ashes campaign in dramatic fashion by capturing Andrew Strauss for a third-ball duck in Brisbane, he failed to claim another wicket in 50.3 overs for the match. He particularly struggled for penetration when the new ball went soft, and is understood to be feeling the effects of a slight hamstring strain.Harris, meanwhile, learned his cricket at the Adelaide Oval before moving to Queensland three years ago, and with his extra pace through the air is a likelier man to exploit any reverse-swing that may be on offer at a venue that can favour the art. “If you put all those things together, it makes that decision a pretty difficult one,” Ponting said.Bollinger, whose tally of 49 in 11 matches to date makes him Australia’s only remaining bowler in the top ten of the ICC World Rankings, seems certain to return after losing out to Peter Siddle at Brisbane. With Johnson already cut from the 13-man squad, the notion of purging two of the three specialist quick bowlers is a drastic one.”Is it unstable [to make two bowling changes]?” Ponting asked. “No, because we have to pick the best team for every condition that we are confronted with in the summer. We didn’t win a Test last week, and so hopefully the team we pick this week will be good enough to win. We wouldn’t make changes if we didn’t think it would make the attack better for this game. We’ve got to pick the best five bowlers we could possibly have to get 20 wickets in each game.”Harris, a bowler whom Ponting rates highly, bowled especially sharply during Australia’s first practice session at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday. However, he did not feature in the nets on Thursday, leading to a suggestion that he was feeling the effects of his knee problem.Ponting denied that this was the case. “We’re not worried about Ryan’s knee at all,” he said. “The reason he didn’t bowl today was nothing to do with his knee. We’ve made one big decision to leave a guy out [Johnson], so we wouldn’t be doing that if we were taking a risk on someone who’s got an injury. We want to keep it up our sleeves for tomorrow morning, and see what the best 11 is.”Harris’ knee is now a case of bone rubbing on bone and he will have to manage the pain throughout the rest of his career, hence the caution during Thursday’s session. He convinced the selectors of his form and fitness by claiming four wickets for Queensland in a one-day game last week, and a further six in the recent Sheffield Shield fixture against Victoria. He impressed Ponting during his only two Tests to date, against New Zealand in March, during which he claimed nine wickets at 23.”Coming out of the game he played the other day, he had a good bowl yesterday and we didn’t expect all of our bowlers bowling every day before the game,” said Ponting. “That’s pretty much what the staff wanted them to do, to get their workload high enough leading into the Test. If you look at both Bollinger and Harris, what they’ve done in state cricket has been pretty impressive. I faced Dougie this morning and he was impressive, while Ryan was on the mark yesterday. They are obviously ready to go so we’ll work things out tomorrow morning.”

There was a period of time when the mere thought of dropping Mateusz Klich from the Leeds United team was unheard of.

Axing him from the starting XI would have sent shockwaves around Elland Road and it’s clear to see why.

The Poland international was a dedicated and influential figure, one that typified Marcelo Bielsa’s brand of football.

Klich could do it all; defend fiercely but also provide a spark in the final third.

At one stage, he’d started 92 consecutive matches under Bielsa but the brutal cutthroat nature of the Premier League has gobbled him up and spat him back out for the media and supporters to tuck into their own feast of criticism.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds United news and rumours!”]

The 31-year-old stands proud at the moment as one of the best players to grace Leeds in recent memory. He is a promotion-winning midfielder and has played for the Whites on 176 occasions, scoring 22 times in the process.

His partnership with Pablo Hernandez was a sight to behold in the second tier and it’s remarkable he even had the chance to establish that connection, let alone become a Premier League regular.

Bought to the club in 2017 as Thomas Christensen’s first signing, he was soon exiled on a temporary basis.

Yet, enter Bielsa, a man who not only transformed Leeds but rescued the career of Klich, a battling technician who was in danger of throwing away his prime years.

The Pole was nearly out the door until a meeting between him and Leeds’ former manager changed things.

Sadly, five Premier League goals later and his career is diminishing again. Many at LS11 can be accused of underperforming this term but Klich is surely one of the chief suspects.

Dubbed “non-existent” by Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison at one point this season, it’s not hard to see why that assessment has been brought into play. Klich has recorded a SofaScore average match rating of just 6.69 which paints a sorry picture.

He has found the net just once all term – a strike against Everton on matchweek 2 – and his performances lead us to believe that he should never be considered to start again by Jesse Marsch.

His display versus Arsenal on Sunday afternoon was particularly ropy too, with the lowlight including a rash and cynical tackle on Granit Xhaka that prompted a yellow card and some minor handbags just inside the hosts’ half.

Substituted during the interval, it was a symbol that even when the going gets tough, Klich cannot be relied upon anymore.

He no longer has Bielsa to comfort and cradle him and in Marsch, perhaps he finally has a coach who can get the best out of Leeds without him.

He lost the ball eight times during his 45 minutes on the field, meaning he lost it every 4.1 touches and 5.6 minutes.

Furthermore, the experienced midfielder completed just a mediocre 79% of his passes and lost a whopping 84% of his defensive battles.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he made only the solitary tackle and played 0 key passes. His influence on the game was significantly less than young Lewis Bate who after being introduced in the second period, added a purpose to the Whites’ play. The highlight was a delightful cross-field ball into open space on the left that picked out the man perfectly. Right there we saw the future of Leeds; not Klich.

With that in mind, Marsch must take the bold decision to keep him from the starting XI between now and the season’s end. It could just keep Leeds in the division.

AND in other news, Shocking: £13.5m-rated Leeds dud who lost ball every 2 touches dropped another stinker…

Forty-five days into this most arduous of tours, the Indians secured their maiden victory

Nagraj Gollapudi at Hove25-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Parthiv Patel’s half-century was one among three in India’s successful chase•Getty ImagesForty-five days into this most arduous of tours, the Indians secured their maiden victory. Half-centuries from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel and a four-wicket haul from RP Singh helped them to a six-wicket win over a Sussex side missing several of its senior players. Rain breaks revised the target to 235, and the Indians won with 4.1 overs to spare.The win will be a relief to MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher, who had run out of reasons trying to explain India’s sudden slump to a demanding media. Today, they were helped by the infusion of some freshness in the squad – the likes of Kohli, Parthiv and Rohit, who weren’t at the receiving end of England’s ruthless domination in the Tests.Dhoni rushed midway through the warm-up routine in the morning for the toss and showed no hesitation asking Sussex to bat under cloudy conditions. By the time the openers, Sachin Tendulkar and Parthiv, walked in to bat for the chase, the County ground was bathed in sunshine. And the pitch was flat.Tendulkar didn’t face the local tearaway Amjad Khan during his stay at all. Instead, he happily dealt with the left-armer Naved Arif who faltered in his lines. Trying for pace Arif pitched short and angled wide off the off stump but Tendulkar instantly upper cut him for four. His best shot came in Arif’s third over, when he played a powerful drive that sliced through a thick off-side field manned by a gully, point, cover, silly mid-off and mid-off. Unfortunately, after having flicked Chris Liddle, who replaced Arif, for another four, Tendulkar tried to clear mid-off but failed and was caught.By then, Parthiv, who was overwhelmed by Amjad’s pace and movement in the early overs – he was forced to replace a broken bat as he tried to dig out a yorker – had gradually started to find his rhythm against the medium-pace duo of Liddle and Kirk Wernars. He played well on both sides against the slower pace and cut Wernars to the point boundary. He reached his half-century with a pull that got him a single, but mis-read the length and spin of Chris Nash’s first delivery, his off bail displaced. If Gautam Gambhir, who did some light jogging with a strained face during the lunch break, fails to take field during the ODI series, Parthiv is a contender and would want to show a more settled technique in tomorrow’s match against Kent.If anybody showed assurance, it was the pair of Kohli and Rohit. Both played with a straight bat and without any fuss. They reached their teens by running hard singles and then cleared the boundaries with ease as Sussex tried to lure them by using spinners at both ends. Virat looked solid in defence, and when he was offered width by Liddle he pulled him hard for an easy four, his first. He repeated the same stroke with an identical result when Liddle repeated the mistake.Rohit cut one hard between gully and point for his first four against Will Beer, who posed no hurdles for the Indians. When Nash challenged him with flight, he took the offer and cleared the long-off boundary, his team’s first six.In their effort to post a competitive target, the Sussex middle order regrouped after the top order faltered in the morning when play was interrupted by rain on a couple of occasions. The lights came on immediately after the first over as Brighton woke up under a huge blanket of dark cloud and intermittent drizzle. The first stoppage occured after 2.1 overs and play was interrupted again four overs later by a thin drizzle.Luke Wells walked off early, edging to Dhoni off Praveen Kumar. Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman, hit a muscular six, the first of the day, over deep square leg but then played casually against RP’s angled delivery, giving Dhoni his second catch.On resumption, Chris Nash, the Sussex captain, took a fancy to Munaf Patel, hitting couple of straight fours, but seemed desperate to charge every ball and paid the price when he cut RP straight to Kohli at point. After 12 overs Sussex were 58 for 3, but Joe Gatting ensured the hosts didn’t lose the plot so easily.He opened his account with a neat, square-driven four off RP. He then took advantage of the short straight boundaries by lofting Munaf, who had an ordinary day, over mid-off for a one-bounce four. Gatting followed up, slogging Munaf over the deep square leg; the ball bounced off the roof of the marquee tent into the first story of the neighbouring apartment building.The introduction of R Ashwin, though, immediately put doubts in Gatting’s mind as he tried to sweep the offspinner against the spin and was bowled. It was the turn of Matt Machan to take over from Gatting and he played resolutely in the middle overs. His 65-run stand with Ben Brown lent respectability to the Sussex score. Machan was the top-scorer with 56 and Brown was unlucky to miss his own fifty by two runs.But the partnership didn’t hurt the Indians, who enjoyed the better of the battle, as the Sussex batsmen increasingly found it hard to play boldly and take chances.

Ragheb Aga, the former Sussex allrounder, and Seren Waters have been confirmed in Kenya’s 13-man squad for the Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2010Ragheb Aga, the former Sussex allrounder, and Seren Waters have been confirmed in Kenya’s 13-man squad for the Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan after what the coach, Eldine Baptiste, called his toughest selection meeting.Kenya are out of contention for the final – which will be contested between Scotland and Afghanistan after Zimbabwe forfeited their match against Scotland – but are looking towards next year’s World Cup. The availability of Aga, who was released by Sussex at the end of the 2010 season, and the talented Waters adds depth to the team which will be captained by Maurice Ouma.”This is an extremely important match for us against a very good Afghanistan team,” Baptiste said. “The selection meeting we had was the longest I have been involved in during my time in Kenya and that is a reflection on the fact that we now have a lot more competition for places in the squad which is a good thing.”There are some players who were very close to selection and are very unlucky to miss out on the final 13, this means that those who did make the squad know they have to perform well as there are people waiting in the wings to step in and grab an opportunity. While our main focus is on the World Cup next February, this four day game is an important part of our preparation and we will be looking to perform to our best.”Squad Maurice Ouma (capt & wk), Seren Waters, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Rakep Patel, Jimmy Kamande, Ragheb Aga, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, James Ngoche, Hiren Varaiya, Elijah Otieno

A round-up of the third day of the first round of matches in the Plate League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2010Deepak Chahar sealed a dream debut with a Man-of-the-Match award as Rajasthan completed a clinical demolition of Hyderabad at the at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, taking just 15 overs on the third morning to register victory by an innings and 256 runs. Starting the day on 64 for 6, Syed Quadri and Munagala Arjun provided some resistance in adding a further 30 runs, before Quadri was snapped up by Pankaj Singh for 27. Arjun battled until the end, being the last man to fall, bowled by Sumit Mathur for a top score of 33, as Rajasthan folded for 126. Chahar picked up four second-innings wickets to finish with match with figures of 12 for 64Medium pacer Varun Aaron was Man of the Match as Jharkhand beat Tripura by an innings and 131 runs at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala. Tripura started the day on 50 for 4 and promptly lost captain Rajib Dutta, caught behind off Aaron, who finished with match figures of 7 for 53. Timir Chandra and Subal Chowdhury showed some fight in making 30 and 16 respectively, but there was only ever going to be one result. Samar Quadri took 4 for 22 from eight overs as Tripura were bowled out for 131.Ankit Bawane’s highest first-class score carried Maharashtra to 604 against Jammu & Kashmir at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu, giving them a huge first innings lead of 322. J&K managed to whittle the deficit down to 188 by the close of play for the loss of two wickets, with Arshad Butt completing a sedate half-century. The 17-year-old Bawane and captain Rohit Motwani took their partnership to 127 before Motwani fell to Abid Nabi for a well made 66, studded with seven fours. Ganesh Gaekwad shepherded the lower order after Bawane fell, trapped leg before by Abid Nabi for 159, and put on 66 with Digambar Waghmare. Gaekwad’s fluent innings came to an end when Samiullah Beigh had him caught behind for 51 from 70 balls. Beigh was J&K’s most successful bowler, taking 4 for 131 from 31 overs.Goa’s top order redeemed itself after a first innings collapse against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Sagun Kamat and Swapnil Asnodkar began the job of wiping out MP’s 158-run lead by adding 85 for the first wicket. After Kamat fell for 50, Asnodkar and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan took Goa into the lead with a 111-run partnership. Neither could kick on to make three-figures, however, as first Vidyut fell for 58, and then Asnodkar for a measured 84 off 232 balls spanning over five hours at the crease. Ajay Ratra and Rahul Keni batted out the rest of the day to take Goa to 268 for 3, a lead of 110.Soumyaranjan Swain and captain Yashpal Singh both made unbeaten half-centuries as Services ended the third day of their match against Kerala at the Model Sports Complex in Delhi on 237 for 3, still trailing by 217 runs with one day to go. The pair came together after opener Pratick Desai fell to Raiphi Gomez for 55, and proceeded to nudge the ball around in a 124-run stand. Swain scored at a slightly quicker pace than his partner, his 89 taking 222 balls, while Yashpal needed 163 deliveries for his 57. Medium-pacer Sony Cheruvathur, who made his first fifty yesterday, picked up 2 for 30 from 16 overs.Led by their openers, Vidarbha posted a strong reply to Andhra Pradesh’s first innings total of 370, ending the day on 265 for 3 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur, giving them a good chance of taking that all-important first-innings lead. Amit Paunikar and Akshay Kolhar, a pair of 22-year-olds, began the day by grinding down the bowlers in a 170-run opening stand that took 64.2 overs. Unfortunately for Vidarbha, they lost their wickets within four runs of each other. Paunikar was the first to go, falling to David Vijaykumar eleven short of a hundred, having faced 208 balls and struck 13 fours. Kolhar followed three overs later, caught behind off Venugopal Rao for 74. A third wicket, Alind Naidu, followed, but Amit Deshpande and Shalabh Shrivastava ensured there were no more hiccups before stumps.