KKR vs MI: Kolkata, Mumbai look to battle for top slots

KOLKATA: The winds of poriborton (change) that have brought about a change of regime in Bengal after 34 years, also seem to have inspired the Kolkata Knight Riders, who have transformed themselves from being a run-of-the-mill side in the first three seasons to being strong contenders for title in IPL 4.

When Knights take field against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens in the last group match of the tournament on Sunday night, it will be a battle for the second qualification spot.

Sachin Tendulkar’s side has slipped badly, losing their last three games. As a result of this, their Net Run-Rate (NRR) plummeted, opening up a window of opportunity for the late-charging Kings XI.

However, with Adam Gilchrist’s boys taking a tumble in Dharamsala against the Deccan Chargers on Saturday, the final-four have been identified. The focus now shifts to the battle for top-two slots with CSK, RCB, MI and KKR in with a fair chance to make their respective final league matches count.

The top spot will be taken by the winner of RCB vs CSK match in Bangalore on Sunday, while the winner of the KKR vs MI match will have a very good chance of grabbing the second spot, which may be decided on NRR.

So, expect both teams to go all-out for a win, because the new IPL format allows the top two teams a second bite at the cherry while the third and fourth placed teams play a virtual quarterfinal.

The good thing is that both KKR and MI will know exactly what they need to do before taking the field after the CSK-RCB game is over.

Knight Riders’ skipper Gautam Gambhir will be a touch confident because his side’s NRR (+0.476) is far superior to MI’s (+0.033). If the Royal Challengers Bangalore lose to the Chennai Super Kings, the winning team at Eden Gardens on Sunday will qualify as the second team.

Going by the current form of both teams, the Knights will definitely start favourites against the Mumbai Indians, whose armour seems to have developed several chinks.

Their strong batting line-up has failed to deliver in the last three games, and their bowling, including the deadly Lasith Malinga, will be low on confidence after taking a pounding from Rajasthan Royals opener Shane Watson on Friday.

SQUADS:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (c), Jacques Kallis, Shreevats Goswami, Manoj Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Rajat Bhatia, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib-al-Hasan, Brett Lee, Laxmipathy Balaji, Iqbal Abdulla, Mark Boucher, Brad Haddin, James Pattinson, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manvinder Bisla, Sarabjit Ladda, Pradeep Sangwan, Sami Ahmed and Jaidev Unadkat.

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (c), Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, T Suman, Munaf Patel, Aiden Blizzard, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs, James Franklin, Dilhara Fernando, Ray Price, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Aditya Tare, Ali Murtaza, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pawan Suyal, R Satish, Sarul Kanwar, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Singh Chahai.

Cricinfo:Tendulkar was the most awkward opponent, said Warne

London: Spin legend Shane Warne won his last battle with old rival Sachin Tendulkar, but the legendary Australian still feels that the batting maestro was consistently the most awkward opponent.

In his column in The Daily Telegraph, Warne, who ended his playing career Friday night with a 10-wicket win over Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said Tendulkar made very few mistakes and always had a clear plan when he faced him.

“Sachin Tendulkar was consistently the most awkward opponent because he made so few mistakes and always had a clear game plan against me,” said Warne.

Warne admitted that he always admired Tendulkar and said they have been good friends.

“It has to be Sachin, because of the seemingly effortless way he deals with the pressure of a billion people hanging on his every move. He never puts a toe out of line off the field, and never queries an umpire’s decision on it.

“We have been good friends for a while – even if it’s not so friendly when we are out in the middle – and one of the pleasures of playing in the IPL has been the chance to spend a little time with him. It’s funny how things work out,” said Warne.

Besides Tendulkar, Warne also picked up West Indian Brian Lara and another Indian Navjot Singh Sidhu as the two batsmen whom he liked the least bowling to.

“Then there was Brian Lara, who was absolutely unplayable on his day. When Brian was on song, there wasn’t much you could do apart from watch in awe at the quality of his shot-making. And Navjot Singh Sidhu was unpredictable, a player with a fantastic eye who could just dance down the pitch and put you into Row Z. When I bowled to him in 1998, there were three or four times when I thought I had beaten him through the air, but then the bat came flashing down and the ball disappeared into the stands,” said Warne.

Warne said former Australian captain Allan Border was his most admired team mate.

“Allan Border, because of his extraordinary mental toughness and the way he supported me when I first came into the team. He read me the riot act on more than a few occasions, but once he’d finished tearing strips off me, he’d turn up the next morning and it would be “G’day mate, how are ya?” And that’s the way it should be,” he said.

Warne also said that the proudest moment of his life was when he walked out at the Sydney Cricket Ground Jan 2, 1992, and big screen flashed “Congratulations to Shane Warne, Australia’s 350th Test cricketer.”

The finest moment of his life was winning the 1993 Ashes but the biggest regret remains not beating the West Indies in Adelaide in 1992-93, in his first series “against what was then the best team in the world”.

“We were just two runs short of victory when Courtney Walsh got Craig McDermott to nick one through to the keeper. And then his great mate Curtly Ambrose rolled us at Perth, I think he took seven wickets for one run at one point. That was a cracking series though,” he said.

Warne said now he hopes for a Knighthood.

“As for me, I’m not quite sure what the future holds. But I do note that the other four men who were chosen in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century are all Sirs. Perhaps my knighthood has been lost in the post. Sir Shane Warne – it has quite a ring to it,” he said.

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IPL 2011 Points Table: Know the latest team Standings

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TEAMS	PLAYED	WON	LOSS	N/R	POINTS	NET R/R
Chennai	13	9	4	0	18	+0.54
Bangalore	13	8	4	1	17	+0.28
Kolkata	13	8	5	0	16	+0.48
Mumbai	13	8	5	0	16	+0.03
Mohali	14	7	7	0	14	-0.05
Jaipur	14	6	7	1	13	-0.69
Hyderabad	14	6	8	0	12	+0.22
kochi	14	6	8	0	12	-0.21
Pune	13	4	9	0	8	-0.13
Delhi	13	4	9	0	8	-0.45

IPL 2011: Deccan Chargers knock Kings XI Punjab out of IPL

Dharamsala: Deccan Chargers knocked Kings XI Punjab out of the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring a massive 82-run victory here Saturday.

Scorecard

Deccan Chargers scored a formidable 198 for two with openers Shikhar Dhawan (95) and Dwaraka Ravi Teja (60) smashing 131 runs. Leg spinner Amit Mishra (4/7) took his second IPL hat-trick that saw Kings XI Punjab fold up for 116 in 19 overs.

Deccan Chargers thus spoiled the chances of Kings XI Punjab to reach the playoffs.

The top four teams Chennai Super Kings (18), Royal Challengers Bangalore (17), Kolkata Knight Riders (16) and Mumbai Indians (16) now qualify for the playoffs.

The last two league matches Sunday — Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians — will determine the positions.

Kings XI Punjab were relying on a good start from their attacking openers skipper Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty (5) to chase down the total. Valthaty was dismissed by Dale Steyn with five runs on the board. Shaun Marsh, who has been in hot form off late, stroked three well-timed fours before falling to the guile of Jean Paul Duminy.

Gilchrist hung on, scoring 51 off 37 balls, but could not accelerate. It was all but over for the Punjab team when Gilchrist was caught by Deccan Chargers captain Cameron White at extra cover off Daniel Christian.

Mishra, who took a hat-trick in 2009 while playing for Delhi Daredevils, repeated the feat when he dismissed Ryan McLaren, Mandeep Sinha and Ryan Harris in the 16th over.

Earlier, Dhawan bludgeoned his way to his highest score in the IPL off 57 balls, striking 14 fours and one six.

Ravi Teja cashed in on three dropped chances to hit five fours and two sixes in his 41-ball knock.

The two added 131 runs in only 13.2 overs and it was the highest partnership for Chargers this season.

Teja and Dhawan set the tempo, scoring 58 runs off the first six overs.

Punjab bowlers initially bowled a tight line before Dhawan opened the floodgates in the fifth over with successive fours off Praveen Kumar. Teja soon joined the party and the two entertained the crowd.

Test match series: West Indies v Pakistan

Lunch

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

272 all out (109.5 overs)

SCORE CARD

Pakistan 1st Innings – All out

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Mohammad Hafeez	c Simmons	b Rampaul	8	26	1	0
Umar	c Baugh	b Rampaul	11	23	1	0
Azhar Ali	run out (Sarwan)		67	196	7	0
Shafiq	c Bishoo	b Rampaul	0	8	0	0
Misbah-ul-Haq	c Samuels	b Bishoo	25	68	5	0
U Akmal	c Rampaul	b Sammy	56	88	4	1
Salman	c Samuels	b Bishoo	13	33	1	0
Rehman	c Baugh	b Sammy	3	21	0	0
Tanvir Ahmed	lbw	b Bishoo	57	96	10	0
Riaz	c Baugh	b Roach	0	23	0	0
Saeed Ajmal	not out		23	79	1	1
Extras		2nb 4w 3lb	9
Total		all out	272	(109.5 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Roach 23.0 9 51 1 Rampaul 26.0 4 68 3 Sammy 28.0 6 70 2 Bishoo 32.5 11 80 3

Fall of wicket 17 Umar 22 Mohammad Hafeez 24 Shafiq 74 Misbah-ul-Haq 167 U Akmal 176 Azhar Ali 187 Rehman 187 Salman 194 Riaz 272 Tanvir Ahmed

Umpires: Bowden, E A R de Silva, A G Hurst, A L Hill
West Indies: Brathwaite, Simmons, DM Bravo, Sarwan, Samuels, Nash, Baugh (W), Sammy (C), Rampaul, Roach, Bishoo
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Umar, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq (C), Shafiq, U Akmal, Salman (W), Rehman, Tanvir Ahmed, Riaz, Saeed Ajmal

Warne said, I won’t be returning as a full-time coach for Rajasthan Royals

Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who played his final competitive game today, made it clear he won’t be returning as a full-time coach for the Rajasthan Royals or any other team next season but said he was interested in a consultancy role.

“This is my last game, never say never but at this stage of my life I don’t see myself playing a game again. I am certainly not coming back as full time coach,” Warne said after bringing down curtains on his two-decade long career with a 10-wicket win over Mumbai.

“I won’t be 100 per cent in the entire tournament.

Definitely no point in being here for seven weeks if you are not playing. I may come in as consultant may be ten days prior or some time in between. If they are happy I will be here for a week or so.

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Pak Vs WI: T20 Match: Pakistanis lost the match by 7 runs

Yesterday was the one and only T20 match between two most tough cricket teams of ICC world Pakistan vs  West Indies. Whole the series will be played on homeland of West Indies.

Match started at 11:00 P.M of PST. West Indies won the toss and chooses to bat first. LMP Simmons and ADS Fletcher started the West Indian inning but lose their first golden wicket of Fletcher in 2^nd over at just 2 scores. After that DM Bravo and Simmons did good and take their team to 101. After that further plays played normal.

So after 20 over, West Indies made 150 runs with loss of 7 wickets at 7.5 runs per over. Totally 19 times West Indian batsmen succeed to hit the ball across the boundary including 6 huge sixes. LMP Simmons was the top scorer from West Indies with 65 runs on just 44 balls. Whether Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz got 2, 2 wickets from Pakistan.

In its answer Ahmed Shehzad and M. Hafeez started the Pakistani inning. But lose their very first wicket in 2^nd over at 7 runs of M. Hafeez. After that Asad Shafeeq playe in partnership with Ahmed Shehzad but Ahmed loses his wicket by scoring just 12 runs in 15 balls.

After that except Saeed Ajmal and Umar Akmal no one succeed to score well. At the end of 20 over, Pakistan was at 143 runs with loss of 9 wickets at 7.15 runs per over. Totally 14 times Pakistani batsmen succeeded to hit the ball across the boundary including just 1 six. Umar Akmal was the top scorer from Pakistan with 41 runs on just 41 balls. Whether D Bishoo from West Indies got 4 wickets by giving just 17 runs.

So Pakistan loses the match by just 7 runs.

Related link: Pakistan tour of West indies 2011

Pak Vs WI: Windies Blowing Without Gayle

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) peppering his time as captain of the side.

During that time he’s always looked laconic, sometimes disinterested, but once holding a bat has shown that he is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket.

Pak Vs WI

Yet, when he told journalists in 2009 that he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue as captain and that he would not be upset if Test cricket died as the Twenty20 format gained in popularity, it came as both a shock to the traditionalists that someone would espouse such heresy, but no surprise at all that it was Gayle that was making the statement, despite his seniority.

It was perhaps somewhat gauche in stating that “Maybe a couple of the Englishmen wouldn’t like to play Twenty20” because they couldn’t adapt their game, a comment that was directed at Andrew Strauss but seems gratuitous when considered in the light of England’s T20 World Cup win in 2010.
110682805_crop_340x234 Current West Indies Captain Darren Sammy may have to do without the services of star batsman Chris Gayle for the whole of Pakistan’s tour unless the WICB and Gayle can come to some arrangement
Graham Crouch/Getty Images

However, Gayle’s latest trick appears to confirm his disillusionment with the wider representation of his country and perhaps emblematic of his priorities.

Having refused a central contract from the WICB, along with Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, so that he would be free to play in the IPL, but confirmed to the Board that he would still be available for selection, Gayle seemed to have agreed that there would be a balancing act to perform in his chase of IPL riches.

But after being assessed for injury after the ICC Cricket World Cup, Gayle was put on a regimen of rest and then rehabilitation ahead of returning to cricket. For that reason, he was omitted from the squads to take on Pakistan in the home T20 and first two ODIs this month so that he could recover.

There is some debate over the level of communication that Gayle and the WICB and selectors had around the subject, but the upshot was that he was left out of the side.

Almost immediately, it appears, Gayle contacted the IPL and had signed up with Royal Challengers of Bangalore, a move that the WICB disapproved of, even if they signed the non-objection certificate required before Gayle could be cleared to play.

Gayle’s argument is that he was left no choice.

This seems like an odd comment to make when, despite any previous lack of communication, he could quite easily have taken the initiative and contacted the WICB or the selectors himself to ascertain their plans for him.
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As a senior player he might have expected that he would have had a dialogue about his participation in the series, but even when that dialogue was not initiated by the Board, Gayle has been around long enough to know that he only needed to ask the question.

Indeed, this seems like another instance of Gayle doing what he wants, rather than what might help the West Indies cricket team—perhaps understandable given the difficult time he had as captain, but still rather unbecoming of such a great player.

One wonders, indeed, whether there might yet be further repercussions. Gayle’s IPL stint would seem to preclude his return to the Caribbean for action later in the ODI series or inclusion in the Test side, yet the WICB “repeatedly informed Gayle” that they would reassess his fitness with a view to him playing some role in the series.

Gayle’s actions seem to contradict his assertion last November that the team would “rally round” new captain Darren Sammy, and add yet another twist to the seemingly never-ending turmoil that has surrounded the West Indian cricket team as it has fallen from its perch as the best team in the world to one that struggles from series to series.

This might see the West Indies have to struggle on without Gayle in future, and miss out on seeing the development of a potentially explosive partnership at the top of the order with Adrian Barath.

This tour by Pakistan might yet be the best indication of where West Indian cricket stands; the Pakistanis are notoriously inconsistent and are often at their worst on their travels—which have become a permanent state of affairs of late, given the volatile political situation in Pakistan.

If the West Indies are unable to put up a strong fight against Pakistan, it might well be that the Darren Sammy captaincy is a very brief one, and he might have Chris Gayle to thank for that.

Pak Vs WI: Cricinfo:T20 Match: Be ready to watch!

West Indies vs Pakistan, Only T20I

scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT, 11:30 PM IST. 11:00 PKT)

Pakistan vs West Indies Twently20 International Match

Pakistan will be taking on West Indies in what will be a very exciting match on thursday evening at Gros Islet on 21st April 2011. Full match highlights of the match placed here shortly after the match.

In the First match of the Series we will have Pakistan taking on West Indies in what will be a huge match on 21 April 2011. They are playing really well of late and after beated by arch rivlas India in the World Cup 2011 they will be looking to get back to winning ways as they are on top of their game at the moment. Pakitan have made quite a few changes in the squad but they had Shahid Afridi as their Captain for the long term as it seems. Some of the other big players have been rested or dropped for the Series including the likes of Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal and others. Now they will be hoping to keep the good run of form going after the world cup.

Pakistan are playing really well and the young squad they have should be good enough to go out there and win the series they will have to start out with an only T20 which will be played at Gros Islet on thursday 21 April 2011.

Always be tuned at Pakistan vs West indies T20

Pak Vs WI: Cricinfo: Hafeez leads Pakistan to win in WIndies tour

Mohammad Hafeez retired on 101 to lay the foundation for a 68-run victory for Pakistan in the opening match of their Caribbean tour against the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI on Monday.

The stand-in Pakistan captain struck 10 fours and two sixes from 93 balls to lead the visitors to 287 for seven from 50 overs, after they chose to bat in the one-day practice match at the Mindoo Phillip Park in the St. Lucia capital.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman then captured four for 27 from his 10 overs, as the VC XI were restricted to 219 for eight in their turn at the crease.

This was the only match practice for the Pakistanis before they face West Indies in a Twenty20 International on Thursday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in the coastal town of Gros-Islet about four miles outside of the capital.

Hafeez enjoyed a slice of good fortune, when Keron Cottoy dropped him at backward point off West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards in the day’s first over.

He went on to share an opening stand of 77 with Taufeeq Umar, and added 130 for the second wicket with Ahmed Shehzad before he gave another teammate a chance in the middle.

Umar Akmal supported with a boundary-studded 57, Shehzad scored 49, and Taufeeq made 44.

Carlos Brathwaite was the most successful VC XI bowler with three for 38 from 10 overs, and leg-spinner Nkrumah Bonner finished with two for 25 from four overs.

The VC XI ran into trouble on 75 for three before Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies vice-captain, and Bonner put them back on course.

Bravo, playing his first match since injuring his knee and being forced to return home from the recent World Cup, led the way with 63 that included four fours and two sixes, and Bonner added 43.

Rehman however, claimed them both, and scalped two more wickets to swing the balance of power decisively Pakistan’s way.

The Pakistanis also contest five One-day Internationals and two Tests against West Indies on their six-week trip.

Scores:

Pakistan – 287 for seven off 50 overs: (Mohammad Hafeez 101 retired, Umar Akmal 57 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 49, Taufeeq Umar 44; Carlos Brathwaite 3-38, Nkrumah Bonner 2-25)

UWI Vice-Chancellor’s XI – 219 for eight off 50 overs: (Dwayne Bravo 63, Nkrumah Bonner 43, Miles Bascombe 26, Kevin McClean 23 not out; Abdur Rehman 4-27).

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