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Kumble, Dravid embarrass Royals
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Sachin, Malinga provide early thrills
Kings XI to rely on batting vs Daredevils
Australia salvage consolation win
CA stops Tait from playing in IPL
No ICC recognition for ICL
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Kumble, Dravid embarrass Royals
Cape Town, April 18 It was controlled bowling on the part of Bangalore Royal Challengers, once they were aware they had to defend a modest total of 133 for 8. Whether Rahul Dravid was the right choice for the Man of the Match award is bound to be debated. Where Anil Kumble sensationally grabbed five for five in a mesmerising spell of 3.1 overs, could anyone else have been a candidate? Dravid, to his credit, lifted his side out of the doldrums of 17 for three with a classic yet attacking innings of 66. It consumed a mere 48 balls; and included a six to midwicket, not to mention eight sterling boundaries. Kevin Pietersen, who has replaced him as his franchise’s captain, kept him company with a strokeful 32. As day light turned to dusk and the dew made the ball skid, playing shots became difficult. Dravid’s technique is such, he can excel notwithstanding such adversity. If he had a point to prove to his employer Vijay Mallya, he had done so effectively. Appropriately, his bat had done the talking. As the afternoon progressed, the crowd swelled to capacity. They lacked the roar of an Indian audience. But they were enthusiastic in their own way. Music blared between overs and during breaks. Dancing girls, dubbed cheer leaders, wiggled their hips to match the beat. It was entertainment plus for the spectators. Indeed, in the concourses below the stands, it was a non-stop carnival. The music ranged from African tribal instruments to shiny brass bands. Meanwhile, Royals made a hash of their run chase. Only three batsmen reached The good work earlier exhibited by medium pacer Dimitri Mascarenhas, who reduced Royal Challengers to 17 for three with figures of three for 10, before Shane Warne characteristically twirled his leg spin magic with a return of two for 18. Scoreboard Bangalore Royal Challengers: Ryder c Rawat b Mascarenhas 0 Uthappa c Rawat b Mascarenhas 3 Taylor b Mascarenhas 0 Pietersen c NK Patel b Henderson 32 Dravid c Warne b MM Patel 66 Kohli b Warne 3 Akhil b Warne 9 Praveen c & b MM Patel 8 Vinay Kumar not out 8 Steyn not out 0 Extras (lb 2, w 2): 4 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs): 133 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-17, 4-52, 5-63, 6-88, 7-119, 8-125 Bowling: AD Mascarenhas 4-0-20-3, Kamran Khan 3-0-21-0, MM Patel 3-0-25-2, T Henderson 4-0-30-1, SK Warne 4-0-18-2, YK Pathan 2-0-17-0. Rajasthan Royals: Smith c Dravid b Praveen 2 Asnodkar c Kohli b Praveen 0 N Patel c Kumble b Ryder 4 T Henderson b Ryder 11 Y Pathan c Ryder b Kumble 11 A Mascarenhas run out 0 Jadeja c Kohli b Kumble 11 Warne st Uthappa b Kumble 3 Rawat not out 4 M Patel c Steyn b Kumble 0 Kamran Khan c Uthappa b Kumble 3 Extras (lb 1, w 7, nb 1): 9 Total (all out; 15.1 overs): 58 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-7, 3-14, 4-28, 5-28, 6-47, 7-47, 8-53, 9-53, 10-58 Bowling: P Kumar 3-0-7-2, DW Steyn 2-0-6-0, R Vinay Kumar 3-0-25-0, JD Ryder 4-0-14-2, A Kumble 3.1-1-5-5.
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Sachin, Malinga provide early thrills
Cape Town, April 18 Malinga’s return of three for 15 in his quota of four overs was self-explanatory. He began by removing Parthiv Patel - caught at slip - in the very first over; and climaxed by spread-eagling Mahendra Dhoni’s stumps. However, Sachin Tendulkar was declared the Man of the Match for carrying his bat for 59 on a wicket un-conducive to stroke-making. Fortunate to survive on 10 when Australian Mathew Hayden dropped a sitter at slip off Flintoff, the Maharashtrian maestro improvised by giving himself room to spoon off the back foot over to extra cover. This exotically fetched him four fours in this manner. Hayden, now retired from international cricket, top scored for the Super Kings with 44, which included a typically bludgeoned six to long on at the expense of Harbhajan Singh, who was otherwise incisive. The Australia was brilliantly caught at extra cover by Zaheer Khan. It was no surprise that Mahendra Dhoni inserted the Mumbai Indians. A residual dampness made it advantageous to bowl first. In fact, a score of 64 for one after 10 overs - when a first ever, 7 ½ minute “time out” in cricket was taken by the teams - suggested the batsmen hadn’t quite broken the shackles. In the third over, Sanath Jayasuriya gave Manpreet Gony the charge to carve him over point for four. He, then, dismissed compatriot Thilan Thushara to the midwicket fence. But in the following over was smartly caught at midwicket off the same bowler. Gony, thereafter, chipped in with two wickets. Left-handed Nayar caught the eye last year with his pyrotechnics thumping Flintoff to long-on, midwicket and square leg. The over cost the bowler 22 runs. Scoreboard Mumbai Indians: Jayasuriya c Hayden b Thushara 26 Tendulkar not out 59 Dhawan c Dhoni b Gony 22 Duminy c & b Gony 9 Bravo c Hayden b Joginder 5 Nayar c Thushara b Oram 35 Harbhajan run out 4 Zaheer c Ashwin b Flintoff 2 Pinal Shah not out 0 Extras (b -1, lb-1, w-1): 3 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs): 165 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-82, 3-95, 4-102, 5-148, 6-157, 7-161 Bowling: Manpreet Gony 4-0-32-2, Thilan Thushara 4-0-32-1, Andrew Flintoff 4-0-44-1, Jacob Oram 4-0-30-1, Joginder Sharma 4-0-25-1. Chennai Super Kings: Patel c Tendulkar b Malinga 0 Hayden c Khan b Jayasuriya 44 Raina c Raje b Bravo 8 Flintoff c & b Harbhajan 24 Dhoni b Malinga 36 Oram c Shah b Jayasuriya 8 Badrinath c Bravo b Malinga 0 Joginder not out 16 Thushara not out 1 Extras (lb 6, w 3): 9 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs): 146 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-18, 3-70, 4-89, 5-101, 6-109, 7-144 Bowling: S Malinga 4-0-15-3, Zaheer Khan 4-0-34-0, DJ Bravo 4-0-27-1, RR Raje 1-0-15-0, Harbhajan Singh 3-0-15-1, ST Jayasuriya 4-0-34-2.
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Kings XI to rely on batting vs Daredevils
Cape Town, April 18 The Daredevils, the pundits' favourite, boast of a balanced side with in-form batsmen and experienced bowlers in their ranks though the result can go either way as both the sides will be rusty in their first matches at Newlands. The Delhi franchisee have an explosive batting line-up with the likes of captain Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, David Warner and South African AB de Villiers in pink of form while Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori will lead the bowling department. Australian Dirk Nannes, the Twenty20 specialist though is not certain whether he would play tomorrow as only four foreigners are allowed in the playing XI. Young Umesh Yadav, who tormented the Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in the Duleep Trophy, is also likely to be thrown into the ring by Sehwag to prove his spell against the India biggies was not flash in the pan. Kings XI Punjab are no less formidable in batting with Sri Lankans Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, besides captain Yuvraj Singh. They will also miss Australians Shaun Marsh and James Hopes who will be in Abu Dhabi for national duties. The achilles heel for Kings XI Punjab is in the bowling department. With the absence of Brett Lee, Jerome Taylor and S Sreesanth, much of the bowling responsibilities will be shouldered by Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla. Pathan though has not been able to cement
his place in the Indian team and On the other hand, the Daredevils have the experienced Glenn McGrath, who defied age in the last edition, and justified his 'pigeon' status and he should also come good this time also with his rich experience in South Africa. Sehwag also has good spin options in Daniel Vettori and Amit Mishra though it is The Daredevils looked the more compact side but in Yuvraj Kings XI have the ace who can change the complexion of the game anytime. It would be an interesting battle between Yuvraj and McGrath if they face each other though the Punjab left-hander pays scant respect to reputation of bowlers. In fact, Kings XI has three Indians who won the Twenty20 World Championship under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in South Africa in 2007 and Sehwag and Co. would take the Mohali-based side lightly to their peril. — PTI
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Australia salvage consolation win
Johannesburg, April 18 South Africa still won the series 3-2 and Australia's total of 303-7 initially looked like it could be reached on a good wicket, but the Proteas dropped from 150-1 to be all out for 256 less than 20 overs later. South Africa lost captain Graeme Smith for 20 with the score on 46. His opening partner Herschelle Gibbs, who hit a century in the last match, hit 10 fours and a six in the 101 balls he faced, before falling for 86. Going for a sweep shot, he was trapped in front by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. Gibbs and Jacques Kallis added 104 for the second wicket in 20.3 overs, with the all-rounder hitting 64 off 69 balls, with six fours and a six. Scoreboard Australia: Haddin c Duminy b A. Morkel 62 Clarke c Duminy b Merwe 66 Ponting c Merwe b Duminy 40 Ferguson c De Villiers b Merwe 41 M. Hussey not out 49 D. Hussey st Boucher b Duminy 3 Hopes run out (De Villiers) 3 Johnson c and b Duminy 2 Hauritz not out 24 Extras (b1, lb3, w9): 13 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs): 303 Fall of wickets: 1-127, 2-138, 3-192, 4-223, 5-231, 6-238, 7-246. Bowling: Steyn 10-0-73-0, Ntini 6-0-48-0, M. Morkel 8-1-41-0, Kallis 2-0-21-0, A. Morkel 4-0-24-1, Van der Merwe 10-0-44-2, Duminy 10-0-48-3. South Africa: Gibbs lbw Hauritz 82 Smith c Haddin b Bracken 20 Kallis c Haddin b Bracken 64 De Villiers b Laughlin 38 Duminy c Haddin b Johnson 3 Boucher c Hauritz b Hopes 9 A Morkel c Laughlin b Hauritz 5 Merwe c Bracken b Johnson 3 M Morkel c D Hussey b Johnson 15 Steyn run out 0 Ntini not out 9 Extras: (2b, 1lb, 5w): 8 Total: (all out in 45.5 overs): 256 Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-150, 3-188, 4-191, 5-213, 6-226, 7-229, 8-238, 9-238. Bowling: Johnson 8.5-0-58-3, Bracken 10-1-54-2, Laughlin 9-0-56-1, Hauritz
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CA stops Tait from playing in IPL
Melbourne, April 18 The 26-year-old bowler, who has been named in country's 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 scheduled in June, was stopped by CA as it doesn't want to risk his availability in Twenty20 World Cup in England later this year. "Sources say Tait declared himself fit a fortnight ago, but CA refused to give him a clean bill of health," 'The Australian' reported today. Tait's manager Andrew McRitchie said the CA's decision was "very disappointing" as Tait had been making good progress in rehabilitation. "The IPL was the only chance to prove his fitness before the squad for the Twenty20 World Cup was picked. How he proves that now, I don't know," McRitchie was quoted as saying by the daily. "The excitement of playing alongside Warnie and (for) Rajasthan was definitely something that has been at the forefront of his mind. "The Royals have been exceptionally understanding and they know that Taity is a long-term prospect for them. "Whilst (he remains) a (CA) contracted player he will play by their rules, and Taity understands that," McRitchie added.
— PTI |
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Dubai, April 18 "The ICC Board considered an application for the ICL to be approved as unofficial cricket. The Board went through the application carefully, including assessing it against the criteria within the ICC regulations for approving such events. "After due consideration, the Board resolved that the application should be rejected," the ICC said in a statement after its two-day Executive Board meeting here. The ICL has threatened to take ICC to court if it doesn't get recognition. The governing body, meanwhile, left the fate of players aligned with the league, but wanting to break away, on individual boards. "In relation to the possibility of players returning to official cricket from the ICL, the Board reiterated to Members the importance of protecting the fabric of the game. "A clear message needed to be sent that players could not swap between official and unofficial cricket at will. "However, it was confirmed that the nature and scope of any sanction would ultimately be a matter for each individual Member to determine, based on its own local conditions," the ICC said. "The Board gave the matter careful consideration but, looking at the criteria set out in the regulations, felt the application for approval could not be granted," added ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat. — PTI
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Dravid stands firm among the ruins to notch up a polished half century
as Bangalore post 133 for eight and then wily Kumble bowls an amazing
spell (3.1-1-5-5) as Rajasthan Royals are bowled out for the lowest
score (58 runs) in the IPL history, giving the former 75-run victory
Cape Town, April 18
Cape
Town, April 18
