Port Elizabeth, May 2
Defending champions Rajasthan Royals finally got some momentum into their IPL-II campaign as they registered a last over win on table-toppers Deccan Chargers at Port Elizabeth, here today. Abhishek Raut played a crucial innings to bail his team out of trouble after they were reeling at 3 for 3 at one point. The win takes the Royals upto fourth position in the points table, adding some optimism to their chances of making it to the semis.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma (38) and T Suman (41) stitched a crucial 59-run stand for the fourth wicket to guide Deccan Chargers to 141 for five wickets against Rajasthan Royals in their Premier League match here today.

Opting to bat, Adam Gilchrist (39) was in a murderous mood and seemed determined to make amends for his last match's flop show. He struck Munaf for a four and a pull six over fine leg in the second over and then followed it up with two more boundaries of Yusuf Pathan's next over to signal his intentions and take the team score to 27 for no loss after three overs.

Rajasthan Royals, however, started tightening the screws on Chargers run rate from the fifth over by picking up two quick wickets. Herschelle Gibbs (8) was the first to depart when in-form Yusuf Pathan (1/19) caught him plumb in front of the wicket, however, the South African seemed unhappy with the decision.

Debutant Shane Harwood (2/25) soon joined the party and ensured double bow for the Chargers, picking up Azhar Bilakhia with his very first ball of the tournament, caught inside the circle by Siddharth Trivedi to send the Hyderabad outfit in a spot of bother at 35/2.

From there on, Gilchrist and new man in Rohit found boundaries hard to come by, but kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos. The former Australian wicket-keeper, however, cut lose in Shane Warne opening over, dispatching the leggie over long on.

But Ravindra Jadeja (1/22) cut his innings short just two ball before the strategy break when Gilchrist went for a huge heave over the leg side, only to find Pathan, who took a smart catch at the short mid-wicket. However, the 42-ball 59-run stand between Rohit and Suman finally saved the day for Chargers and ensured a decent total for the table toppers.

Suman hit Warne for a four and six in consecutive balls in the 13th over to set the tone for the Chargers. Rohit too joined the party, dispatching Munaf over the mid-wicket fence in first ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a boundary a delivery later. — PTI

Scoreboard
Deccan Chargers:
Gibbs lbw b Pathan 8
Gilchrist c Pathan b Jadeja 39
Bilakhia c Trivedi b Harwood 1
Rohit c Warne b Trivedi 38
Suman not out 41
Smith c Warne b Harwood 7
Venugopal Rao not out 0
Extras (lb 3, w 4): 7
Total (5 wickets; 20 overs; 88 mins): 141
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-35, 3-58, 4-117, 5-135
Bowling: Y Pathan 4-0-19-1, M Patel 2-0-23-0, R Jadeja 4-0-22-1, S Harwood 4-0-25-2, S Warne 3-0-29-0, A Raut 1-0-7-0, S Trivedi 2-0-13-1.

Rajasthan Royals:
Smith c Shoaib b Edwards 0
Asnodkar run out 0
Carseldine lbw b Rao 39
Ojha c Gibbs b RP Singh 0
Jadeja c Smith b Venugopal Rao 12
Warne c Gilchrist b Ojha 21
Raut not out 36
Y Pathan c Gibbs b RP Singh 24
Harwood not out 3
Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 3, nb 1): 7
Total (7 wickets; 19.4 overs): 142
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-3, 4-54, 5-57 , 6-93, 7-131
Bowling: F Edwards 3.4-0 -17-1, RP Singh 4-1-18-2, DR Smith 2-0-21-0, Rohit Sharma 2-0-14-0, PP Ojha 4-0-27-1, Y Venugopal Rao 2-0-23-2, S Shoaib 2-0-19-0.

Player of the match: YK Pathan

Consistency has eluded last year’s runners-up Chennai Super Kings in this year’s Twenty20 Indian Premier League, where it had been just the opposite for Delhi Daredevils. On Saturday evening, the trends were reversed as Goa’s left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati, with a splendid return of four for 24 bowled the former to their second consecutive win by 18 runs.

The wicket may have slowed a bit when Daredevils chased. Suresh Raina clutched a blinder at point to dismiss Gautam Gambhir, deputising as captain for an injured Virender Sehwag. Of the very next ball, Abraham d Villiers played on to medium pacer Sudeep Tyagi.

At the half-way mark - a nemesis for a batsman’s concentration and momentum - Daredevils were 72 for three; and still at the crease was the left-handed limited overs Australian prodigy David Warner in the company of Dinesh Karthik. Both were particularly severe on Jacob Oram, pulling him for sixes apiece.

Warner, getting a break in the absence of Sehwag, lived up to his reputation by completing a 50, before he was stumped off Jakati, who also had Dinesh Karthik (52) caught at midwicket. The rest of the line-up surrendered anaemically.

It was the first IPL match at the Wanderers, which has got to be the noisiest cricket ground in the world. Nowhere does a crowd - and it was only two-thirds full - roar in unison as much as here, not even at the Eden Gardens.

Over and above, the blare of the music (disco lights and flames shooting up with it) - in between balls - was deafening, indeed a nuisance, not to mention a ear-piercing sound of a trumpet for no reason. Besides, fireworks brightened the sky every time a wicket went down.

However, if T20 is your cuppa tea, there are few better wickets for stroke-play than the ‘square’ at this venerable venue. Retired from international cricket he may be, but Mathew Hayden has lost little of his penchant for the boom-boom. He wasted no time in conveying to his countryman Dirk Nannes who was boss by on-driving and straight driving him for fours in the very first over of the innings. The Queensland left-hander, now making up for lost time with his family and fishing, muscling his way to 30 runs off 19 balls.

Gambhir elected to field. Murali Vijay, replacing an out-of-form Parthiv Patel, was the first to exit. But the in-form Raina soldiered with Subramaniam Badrinath inflated Super Kings’ score to 112 in just 12.3 overs, before the left-hander was held on the midwicket boundary. The two realised 66 runs for the 3rd wicket; Badrinath went on to top score with 45 until he was bowled by medium pacer Rajat Bhatia, standing in for New Zealander Daniel Vettori, also hors de combat.

Raina pasted Pradeep Sangwan for six to long off before sweeping Amit Mishra for equal purchase. Badrinath lofted Tilakaratne Dilshan over long on as well as hooked Sangwan over the fence. It was awesome as long as this pair was together.

The remainder of Super Kings’ batting, including Mahendra Dhoni, crumbled as Nannes, being preferred to his more eminent compatriot Glenn McGrath, and Ashish Nehra mopped up three wickets each. 163 all out on the dot of the last ball of the allocated 20 overs was an injustice to a pitch where the ball was coming along agreeably to the bat.

Scoreboard
Chennai Super Kings:
Vijay c Bhatia b Nehra 14
Hayden c de Villiers b Sangwan 30
Raina c Dilshan b Bhatia 32
Badrinath b Bhatia 45
Morkel c & b Nehra 6
Dhoni c Gambhir b Nannes 6
Oram c de Villiers b Nannes 3
Jakati c Gambhir b Nannes 13
Balaji c de Villiers b Nehra 2
Muralitharan run out 3
Tyagi not out 0
Extras (b 4, w 5) 9
Total (all out; 20 overs) 163
Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-46, 3-112, 4-130, 5-134, 6-144, 7-144, 8-151, 9-162.
Bowling: Nannes 4-0-27-3, Nehra 4-0-27-3, Sangwan 3-0-41-1, Dilshan 3-0-23-0, Mishra 3-0-24-0,, Bhatia 3-0-17-2.

Delhi Daredevils:
Gambhir c Raina b Tyagi 13
Warner st Dhoni b Jakati 51
AB de Villiers b Tyagi 0
Dilshan b Jakati 13
Karthik c Muralitharan b Jakati 52
Manhas b Muralitharan 0
Bhatia c Balaji b Morkel 2
Sangwan b Jakati 0
Mishra not out 11
Nehra not out 0
Extras (lb 2, nb 1) 3
Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 145
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-20, 3-53, 4-127, 5-128, 6-132, 7-133, 8-135.
Bowling: Morkel 4-0-32-1, Tyagi 3-0-18-2, Jakati 4-0-24-4, Muralitharan 4-0-22-1, Raina 1-0-7-0, Balaji 3-0-26-0, Oram 1-0-14-0.

Player of the match: Jakati

If the names of Cape Town’s avenues give the impression of a British influence, Johannesburg’s boulevards indicate a Dutch-German impact. A “weg” as a suffix to street identities is fairly common. While the respective colonisations blended a long time ago - and South Africa is now democratic and free - Joburg (as it’s fondly referred to in abridged form) demonstrates distinct remnants of Africaan domination; and even today big business in this commercial capital is still controlled by this community.

But even in this more European mainland atmosphere, the English got their way culturally. Rugby and cricket, both invented in England, are South Africa’s two biggest sports in that order; and the Wanderers stadium - the biggest such amphitheatre - with its bullring architecture is the home of the flannelled way of life in this Republic. This is where India lost the 2003 World Cup final to Australia; and the current Twenty20 Indian Premier League final will also be held at this venue.

The notorious English weather is said to have swayed the IPL management in favour of hosting this year’s IPL in South Africa. Perhaps, Cricket South Africa was also in a position to be more obliging than the England & Wales Cricket Board because it was off-season for the former while their rivals had to accommodate the tournament amidst a crowded domestic and international season.

While the IPL organisers would undoubtedly have embarked on the heavy marketing campaign they have in South Africa had the event been staged England, they would probably not have elicited the same success. People in South Africa have more time on their hands than the English. They also have fewer other attractions or commitment to preoccupy them. Therefore, in hindsight the choice of South Africa has been perfect.

As I S Bindra, mentor of the IPL (one of several hats he wears these days), could not help remarking about the move from India to South Africa: “It’s been a blessing in disguise.” The shift is, presumably, a bitter disappoint for Indians who would otherwise have lent their presence at stadiums. Their enthusiastic, if raucous manner of attending such games is also being missed.

That apart, the temperatures in South Africa are far more salubrious than India - where the searing heat of April and May, even in the evenings, really render it off-limits for sports. While improvements have been introduced recently, stadiums and facilities at most Indian centres are simply not up to the mark. A significant number of Indian cricket administrators don’t have a clue as to what comforts and conveniences they need to provide to patrons.

Last but not the least, in a number of the cities hosting IPL fixtures in India presents a picture of poverty, poor maintenance, a lack of hygiene and backward and unimaginative infrastructure. South Africa is also a developing country, but its facilities are first-class. This is, perhaps, a residue of an enforced past. But in the 15 years that there has been a black majority, multi-racial government here, standards have not been visibly compromised.

Those jealous of IPL drawing large crowds allege Lalit Modi and his team have bribed their way to success. Advertising space at much more affordable rates than India - let alone Britain - has been bought. Student scholarships have been distributed left, right and centre; young women have been seduced by the lure of a role in a Bollywood film. Match tickets have been made available at throwaway prices.

The answer to the charge is, it’s been astute promotion; and as long as the IPL’s bottom-line remains substantially in the black, it would have been well worth it.

The franchises have been assured that in the exceptional circumstances of holding the competition abroad, with the extra expenditure they have incurred and the loss of income they have suffered, their losses will be underwritten by the central kitty. You can bet, though, there will be no subsidising of ticket prices next year, for gate receipts constitute a major part of a team’s revenues.

Yuki wins 2nd ITF title on the trot

New Delhi, May 2
Yuki Bhambri gave ample display of his class as the Delhi teen sensation today won his second successive ITF Men's Futures title after edging past top seed Raven Klaasen in a furiously fought final here today.

The reigning Australian Open junior champion defeated his South African rival, who is 1134 places above him at 324 in the ranking list, 7-6 (5) 7-6(5) in the summit clash at the DLTA Complex. Yuki had beaten compatriot Vishnu Vardhan as the same venue to win his first title on the men's circuit last week.

Such was his dominance in the last two weeks that he did not drop even a single set during his march towards second title in as many weeks.

"I am really glad. It's great feeling. I did not think about it (title) when I came to the tournament. I knew it's going to be tough. But I am really happy with the results," Yuki said after the match.

"Definitely, it's morale booster and I am preparing myself for bigger tournaments ahead," he added. Yuki will now play two Future tournaments in Kuwait, starting May 18. — PTI

Afridi refuses to part with Sachin’s bat

Karachi, May 2
Shahid Afridi today revealed resisting umpteen temptations to part with a lucky bat, which actually belonged to Sachin Tendulkar and reached the Pakistani all-rounder through Waqar Younis.

The bat with which Afridi hit the fastest hundred in ODI - from 37 balls against Sri Lanka in October 2006 - was actually gifted by Tendulkar to former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, who, in turn, gave it to Afridi.

"Waqar gave me the bat in Nairobi where I made my debut for Pakistan. He told me Tendulkar had given him the bat and asked him to make similar model bats from Sialkot," Afridi said.

"Waqar told me the bat belonged to a great player and it could prove lucky for me so I should use it," he said. "That record still stands today and makes me proud. I also got other good scores with this particular bat so it is very valuable for me and I have no intention to auction it off to anyone," he added. — PTI