Report
Yorkshire fight in tough conditions
Yorkshire, handed a lemon at start of play when they were sent in to bat under dull skies, made perhaps most of a jug of lemonade out of it. They did quite well to pass 300 with three wickets still in hand
John Ward
30-May-2008
Yorkshire 306 for 7 (Rudolph 66, Brophy 59, Mahmood 4-61) v Lancashire
Scorecard
Scorecard
| ||
Lancashire won the toss, as they had done on Wednesday in the FP Trophy, but wild horses probably wouldn't have persuaded them to bat first again in similar conditions: a gloomy overcast sky promising movement in the air and threatening rain at any moment. So, they gratefully put the home side in, and for some time were able to put them under severe pressure.
An opening batsman's lot is not a happy one in such circumstances, as Joe Sayers discovered, had he not been aware of it before. Sajid Mahmood gave him a torturous time, including two strong appeals for lbw, before winning the third decision from the umpire in his second over, off a full-length delivery, without a run on the board.
Full postWatson helps Rajasthan march into final
This was Shane Watson's match. Imposing himself on the first semi-final, he boosted Rajasthan Royals with an electric fifty before rattling Delhi Daredevils' top order with an outstanding opening spell
The Bulletin by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
30-May-2008
Rajasthan Royals 192 for 9 (Watson 52, Yusuf 45, Maharoof 3-34) beat Delhi Daredevils 87 (Dilshan 33, Watson 3-10, Munaf 3-17) by 105 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
| ||
This was Shane Watson's match. Imposing himself on the first semi-final, he boosted Rajasthan Royals with an electric fifty before rattling Delhi Daredevils' top order with an outstanding opening spell. Shane Warne had complained about being deprived of home advantage but his side adjusted perfectly to the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium, putting on a show that illustrated exactly why they have been the stand-out team in the competition.
Delhi were like a side struck with stage fright. Their bowlers were rattled by a brand of unconventional strokeplay - even the peerless Glenn McGrath went wicketless for 38 runs - before their batsmen succumbed against a disciplined attack. Virender Sehwag's decision to field may come under scrutiny but Rajasthan's ruthless efficiency might have steered them to the final either way. The farcical end to the match - when Mohammad Asif took an age to get his bat into the crease - summed it up.
Full postAustralia ride on Katich century
Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting both celebrated big moments in their careers as Australia took control in Antigua
The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale
30-May-2008
Australia 259 for 3 (Katich 113*, Ponting 65) v West Indies
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
| ||
Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting both celebrated big moments in their careers as Australia took control in Antigua, and although Ponting's milestone had an extra couple of zeroes, Katich's effort helped his team more. By the close of the first day, Australia had made good use of a pitch that gave little assistance to West Indies' fast men and were 259 for 3, with Katich on 113 and Michael Clarke on 38.
Ponting should forever remember the instant when he played a simple cover-drive for two off the part-time legspin of Ramnaresh Sarwan to register his 10,000th Test run, in the process becoming the seventh man and the third Australian to pass the mark. But his enjoyment of the event was short-lived as he was out in the next over, handing the spotlight to his team-mate.
Full postAfghanistan through despite Singapore victory
The one remaining semi-final place in the World Cricket League Division Five went to Afghanistan after Singapore failed to beat Japan by a convincing enough margin
Cricinfo staff
29-May-2008
| ||
Singapore have every right to feel hard done by. Although they finished level on points with the Afghans, their one game which was washed out was against Bahamas, who failed to win any of their matches, while Afghanistan's was against the unbeaten Jersey side.
Singapore started today needing an overwhelming victory against Japan to leapfrog into second place. Their hopes were as good as extinguished before the halfway stage as they struggled to 201 in 35.4 overs. In gathering gloom Japan limped to 67 for 5 before rain brought an early finish with Singapore winning by 52 runs (D/L).
In the three Group A matches carried over from yesterday, the two teams already qualified for the semi-finals, Nepal and USA took one point each after their game was washed out. Nepal made 182 but the heavens opened before USA could start their chase.
Full postRain has the final say
A round-up from the last round of group matches in the Friends Provident Trophy
Cricinfo staff
28-May-2008
Midlands Division
Leicestershire eased through by 13 runs on Duckworth-Lewis against Nottinghamshire in a match that finished just before 8pm at Oakham. Graeme Swann and Samit Patel both took three wickets to restrict the home side to 147 for 7 from 35 overs, but after several rain interruptions Nottinghamshire could not piece together what was in the end a target of 61 from 12 overs.
Northamptonshire killed off any hopes Ireland had of a second FP Trophy win at Dublin with a 99-run victory that wasn't enough to edge Nottinghamshire out of the last eight on Net Run Rate. Andrew Hall's 72 helped the visitors battle back from 55 for 4 to 205 which was too much for Ireland who folded in the chase. Nicky Boje was the architect of their demise with 4 for 12 and fittingly he took the last wicket, caught and bowled.
Full postRain saves Lancashire from rout
Rain robbed Yorkshire of a likely victory over Lancashire in their FP Trophy match, and consequently top place in the group
John Ward at Headingley
28-May-2008
Yorkshire 34 for 0 v Lancashire 89 (Gough 3-17) - no result
Scorecard
Scorecard
| ||
Rain robbed Yorkshire of a likely victory over Lancashire in their FP Trophy
match, and consequently top place in the group and a home semi-final next week.
They could hardly have done more after completely dominating their Roses rival,
but persistent rain at 4pm shattered their ambitions.
The match was played between two rather depleted teams - Lancashire were without
Stuart Law, with a broken finger, as well as Cork, Flintoff and Chapple through injury;
Yorkshire had a decimated pace attack, with Hoggard, Kruis, Morkel and Naved
all having dropped off one after the other. Lancashire won the toss and decided to bat, rather surprisingly considering the damp, cloudy conditions; perhaps
fear of Duckworth-Lewis had an influence on them.
Full postRain leaves Afghanistan on tenterhooks
Heavy rain washed out the sixth day of play in the World Cricket League in Jersey
Cricinfo staff
28-May-2008
Heavy rain washed out the sixth day of play in the World Cricket League in Jersey.
Although it would have been possible to reschedule the games to Thursday, the designated rest day, the event technical committee decided to stage the three Group A matches then but not the Group B games. Only the Japan-Singapore fixture, which was washed out on Monday and was re-arranged for Thursday anyway, will go ahead, ensuring that all sides in Group B will have played four matches.
All teams in Group B, as a result of the matches abandoned, were awarded one point each. That will be a relief to Jersey, who as a result go through to the semi-finals, but will be a blow to Afghanistan, who needed to beat Jersey today to guarantee their own place in the last four. They now need Japan, without a win so far, to defeat Singapore, or at least not allow then to win well enough to take their own Net Run Rate past Afghanistan's.
The Group A matches have no major consequence as USA and Nepal, who are pitted against each other, have both already qualified.
Full postMarsh century conquers Rajasthan
Kings XI Punjab's top order powered their team to a 41-run win in a dead-rubber top-of-the-table clash in Mohali
The Bulletin by Mathew Varghese
28-May-2008
Kings XI Punjab 221 for 3 (Marsh 115, Hopes 51, Yuvraj 49) beat Rajasthan Royals 180 for 7 (Niraj 57, Yusuf 39, Chawla 3-35) by 41 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
| ||
Rajasthan Royals may have ended the league stage on top, but it will be the Kings XI Punjab who head into the semi-finals full of confidence after triumphing by 41 runs in a dead-rubber top-of-the-table clash in Mohali.
Shane Warne rested himself for the game, and there was not much the Rajasthan Royals' captain-cum-coach could do watching from the dugout as Punjab's top order knocked them out of the contest. Shaun Marsh led the way with a 69-ball 115 and James Hopes' 51 provided him support in a century stand before Yuvraj Singh finally found his rhythm with a blistering 49. Without Warne, Rajasthan looked insipid in the field, and a weakened attack without him and Sohail Tanvir, the tournament's best bowler, leaked away too many short and wide deliveries.
Full postMumbai end IPL campaign with easy win
Mumbai Indians rounded off their IPL campaign with a comfortable nine-wicket win against Bangalore Royal Challengers in a match reduced to 18 overs a side by rain
The Bulletin by Nishi Narayanan
28-May-2008
Mumbai Indians 126 for 1 (Jayasuriya 54, Tendulkar 40*) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 122 for 9 (Fernando 4-18, Smith 3-26) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
| ||
Mumbai rounded off their IPL campaign with a comfortable win over the Bangalore Royal Challengers in a match reduced to 18 overs a side by rain. Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar weren't troubled by the damp conditions and added 96 in 69 balls after Dilhara Fernando restricted Bangalore to 122 with controlled spells of bowling that fetched him four wickets.
While Mumbai's three seamers - Shaun Pollock, Ashish Nehra and Fernando - troubled the Bangalore batsmen with varying line and length, Bangalore's bowlers, except Dale Steyn, caused no discomfort to Mumbai's in-form openers. Rahul Dravid chose to open with Anil Kumble, like he did in the previous game, and was made to pay as Jayasuriya lofted the bowler for a four over his head off the second ball.
Full postSingapore and Afghanistan battle for remaining last-four place
A round-up of the fourth round of the ICC World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey
Cricinfo staff
27-May-2008
| ||
Afghanistan had been expected to maintain their unbeaten record against Singapore and, in a 30-over match, they appeared to be on course when they bowled Singapore out for 145. But in reply Afghanistan were skittled for 76, Chris Janik producing outstanding figures of 5 for 9 off just 3.2 overs.
"It feels great, although it is all about the team. Afghanistan don't lose every single game so it is a great win for us, especially since the game yesterday was rained off" Janik said adding "for a small country like Singapore with four million people it would be absolutely fantastic for us [to reach WCL Division Four]".
Taj Malik, coach of the Afghanistan team was extremely disappointed with the performance and believed the damp Jersey conditions were unfavourable to his side. "The weather has caused a lot of problems for us. We are never sure when we will start and whether the matches are reduced in overs," said Malik. "The weather is the enemy of the Afghanistan cricket team."
Full post