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Cricket Kenya’s new chairman Jackie Janmohammed is facing the first challenge of her tenure with her board refusing to sanction a planned three-day tournament in Nairobi

Martin Williamson22-Jan-2013Cricket Kenya’s new chairman Jackie Janmohammed is facing the first challenge of her tenure with her board refusing to sanction a planned three-day tournament in Nairobi. Among a number of issues, requests for clarification about the financials involved in the event have not been made available to the board.The event, called Cricket Wars, was originally set to be played in December but was postponed and is now scheduled to take place between February 1 and 3 at the Nairobi Gymkhana. Organisers have indicated a number of international players are being lined up to take part despite it having no official status.Former Kenya Cricket Association chairman Sharad Ghai, who is one of the key movers of the event, has been told by CK its board does not approve of the event and it is believed the ICC is set to confirm that stance. Without such approval overseas boards will almost certainly refuse to allow any of their players – past or present – to take part.Closer to home, CK faces tough decisions if its own cricketers take part, as seems more than likely. Such a move would almost certainly be a breach of contract for Kenya’s professionals and how the board reacts will be watched closely as an indication of how hardline it is willing to be with the country’s notoriously difficult leading players.The board is also concerned that if the event fails then the already poor image of the game in the country will take a further hit, making it even harder to sell to sponsors; equally, if it succeeds it will make money for the organisers but, so officials believe, will put nothing back into the national game.The board has also been in touch with the authorities at Nairobi Gymkhana warning them that they risk sanctions if they allow the event to take place.

Thirush Kamini overcame a nervy start to become the first Indian to score a century in the Women’s World Cup. Her 100 set up India’s match-winning total against WI

Abhishek Purohit in Mumbai31-Jan-2013Thirush Kamini, who became the first Indian to make a hundred in a Women’s World Cup, said she had “too many things running” in her mind when she walked out to open in her first international match in nearly three years. Despite a slow start, she went on to add 175 for the first wicket with Poonam Raut, setting up a match-winning total of 284 for 6 against West Indies.Kamini’s previous match for India was in February 2010, but she calmed whatever nerves there may have been at the start to allow Raut to take charge, before opening up to overtake her opening partner. Mithali Raj, the India captain, had spoken about India’s strong opening combination going into this World Cup, unlike previous editions.Kamini said she had worked on her strokes during her time away from the national team. She had made an unbeaten 95 during the domestic Challenger Trophy in December 2012. “I was coming back from an injury. I had focused a lot on knocking,” Kamini said. “Today, I decided to take it ball by ball. I made a slow start but I knew I could make up later, which I was able to.”It was a perfect start to the tournament for the hosts as they piled on an imposing total after being asked to bat by West Indies, before defending it comfortably. Raj said she was “surprised” at being put in, and would have batted on the flat pitch had she won the toss.Raj believed chasing such a big total was a difficult task but West Indies captain Merissa Aguillera felt it was her batsmen, and not the bowlers who let the side down. Aguillera said with batsmen such as Stefanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Shanel Daley, West Indies should have batted much better than being dismissed for 179. Batting seemed to get slightly difficult in the evening as India’s seam bowlers got the ball to move around through the chase, but Aguillera refused to give much weight to that, saying her side should have been able to adapt to the conditions.Dottin gave India a brief scare as she cracked four powerful sixes on her way to 39 off just 16 deliveries. Her cameo lasted a little more than four overs but it was a “dangerous period”, according to Raj. “I am glad she didn’t continue further,” a relieved Raj said.The promoted Jhulan Goswami and Harmanpreet Kaur had earlier played cameos of their own as India kicked on to take 109 off the final 13 overs after the big opening stand. Raj said the team had worked on having a slog and decided to send the two batsmen before her so that they could go after the bowling.With India’s bowlers constantly keeping West Indies under pressure, Raj did not feel the fielding had been tested much and warned that tougher contests lay ahead against sides such as England.

A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge matches played on March 14, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKnights won a nailbiter against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth, as they held on to a six-run margin, with Dean Elgar starring with both bat and ball. With this result the Knights moved up to second place, still eight points behind the Lions. Knights chose to bat, but lost both openers cheaply with the score on 9. Obus Pienaar and Elgar combined for 37 runs to add some stability, before Pienaar was dismissed. Elgar and Pite van Biljon put together 61, with Elgar finishing unbeaten on 61, as Knights reached 114 for 4.Warriors in response looked set to overhaul the target as they moved along at the required rate. Contributions from Ashwell Prince (37) and Davy Jacobs (30) helped steer the ship. However, once Elgar came on to bowl, the match began to shift in the Knights’ favour, as he picked up both Prince and Jacobs, then followed it up by picking off Samit Patel and Adrian McLaren. In the final over, the Warriors required 15 runs, and a tight over from Jandree Coetzee ensured they held on by six runs.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA four-wicket haul by Calvin Savage helped Dolphins beat Cape Cobras by 22 runs in Durban. Dolphins were put into bat, with opener Divan van Wyk and Cody Chetty involved in a 42-run stand for the second wicket, to assure Dolphins a good start. Daryn Smit’s unbeaten 33 off 17 balls helped push the total to 158 for 7. Dane Piedt was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 16.Cape Cobras lost opener Yaseen Vallie for a duck, and simply couldn’t put together substantial partnerships, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Dane Vilas played a lone hand with 47 off 40, but the rest of the batting crumbed as Mthokozisi Shezi and Savage combined to pick up six of seven wickets. The required run-rate was beyond them throughout their 20 overs, with Savage picking up 4 for 33.

This was one of New Zealand’s greatest days of Test cricket in recent times as they outplayed one of the strongest Test teams in the world from start to finish

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin07-Mar-2013Was this really the team bowled out for 45 two Tests ago? Was it really the team who sacked their captain in such a way that he took time away from the game? Was it really the team whose off-field exploits make as many headlines as those on it? Was this really the team whose management and executive structure do not appear to see eye-to-eye?What this was, without doubt, was one of New Zealand’s greatest days of Test cricket in recent times. This was not dominating against a lowly Zimbabwe or Bangladesh side. They outplayed one of the strongest Test teams in the world from start to finish. There was an air of disbelief from those who have followed New Zealand cricket’s recent woes.”We’re in the position that every team can dream of at the moment,” Neil Wagner said, and even that sounded like an understatement.It was Wagner who sparked New Zealand’s incredible day. In his first over, with his second and third deliveries, he removed England captain Alastair Cook and trapped Kevin Pietersen lbw first ball. England’s top order looked a little vulnerable coming into the match due to the lack of match practice and the home side made it count.Wagner had been bullish in Queenstown after roughing up England’s batsmen, including removing Pietersen, and highlighted keeping him short of runs. He said New Zealand would try to “hammer” on his confidence. He was as good as his word today and, when asked about England’s performance, did not produce a dead-bat answer.”They were under a bit of pressure and thought they might take lower-risk shots but at the end of the day, that’s the way they play,” he said. “There’s days when it doesn’t come off and days when it comes off and on those days you don’t want to be the opposition and they can hurt you badly. Other days it doesn’t come off and it was just one of those days when it didn’t work for them.”The standout feature of New Zealand’s day, of which there were many, was that the key individuals – Wagner, Bruce Martin and Hamish Rutherford – could, in slightly different circumstances, have been playing in the Ford Trophy one-day tournament rather than a Test match.Wagner was only included in the squad after impressing for the New Zealand XI in Queenstown. Initially, Mark Gillespie was tipped to be the likely option to bolster the pace resources, but Wagner’s six wickets last week tipped the balance back his way. He may still have missed the final cut, though, if Doug Bracewell had not decided to clean up his house, in the process stepping on a piece of glass. In this case, Wagner’s glass was certainly half full.However, his first three Tests had brought five wickets at 68.80 and it was already being suggested that he was another player unable to transfer dominant domestic form to the top level. One good day does not mean he has cracked it, but the relief from him was palpable. “I needed it and I was just glad to get it under the belt I guess,” he said.Wagner shared eight wickets with Martin, but the 32-year-old left-arm spinner was not a certain starter in this match just the day before. Four quicks were being seriously considered by Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson. It’s difficult to say Martin bowled for his wickets (caught point, deep square-leg and short fine-leg) but his presence ensured England’s batsmen could not settle in against four medium-fast bowlers.Martin also made it clear before the series that he was not too interested in being a defensive bowler and “would look to take a few poles and bowl to some attacking fields” if he got his chance. McCullum, a captain out of the same aggressive mindset, supported him with men around the bat and also gave him the ball straight after lunch when logic might have suggested resuming with two seamers. When Matt Prior began to open his shoulders, McCullum did not withdraw Martin to the safety of the outfield and the following over he claimed the wicket.Then there is Rutherford, like Wagner, an Otago cricketer playing on his home ground. Of all the problem areas in the New Zealand team over recent times, the opening partnership has been one of most vexing.Rutherford did not look remotely out of place, resisting England’s attempts to disturb him with the short ball and driving more confidently than during the one-day series. His opening stand with Peter Fulton, currently worth 131, is New Zealand’s best since Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming added 163 against England, at Trent Bridge, in 2004.A compact left-hander from the same school as McCullum, Rutherford was picked on the basis of strong domestic form but was not the most prolific option available.  There is also the likelihood that if Martin Guptill had not been injured during the one-day series, he would have been given another chance alongside Peter Fulton.  It was a day for a host of accidental heroes.

In a reminder of what the Australian team is missing, Ricky Ponting was deservedly named Sheffield Shield player of the year at the state cricket awards in Hobart

Daniel Brettig20-Mar-2013In a poignant reminder of what the Australian team is missing, Ricky Ponting was deservedly named Sheffield Shield player of the year at the state cricket awards in Hobart.At the close of another season dominated by seam bowlers, Ponting claimed the award for his 875 runs at 87.50, two votes ahead of the South Australia swing bowler Chadd Sayers and six clear of the young New South Wales seamer Gurinder Sandhu and the Queensland batsman Usman Khawaja.Ahead of this week’s Shield final, in which he has the chance to win a domestic trophy with Tasmania in person for the first time, Ponting was at peace with the decision to call time on his international career late last year.While he admitted that 2012-13 had not been the season he had hoped for at its beginning, as a poor series against South Africa pushed him towards retirement, Ponting did not give much thought to the idea that he had been hasty.”International cricket’s long passed me by and I’ve been really excited about giving back to Tasmanian cricket whatever I could this season, Ponting said. “I’m playing a bit of cricket through the off-season as well, which will probably get me over another pre-season, so I’ll see how we go as far as playing for Tasmania next season is concerned.”The decision you make to retire when you do is a very big one and I know I put a lot of time and thought into making the decision that I made for all the right reasons.”As for the recent travails of the Test team in India, Ponting reminded all those present of his own struggles to adapt to the subcontinent in his earlier days.”The first three or four tours there I couldn’t score a run, our players will learn a lot for next time,” Ponting said. “I’ve tried to distance myself from watching too much international cricket since I retired. We’re all a bit disappointed the team hasn’t played a bit better. Michael Clarke and Mickey Arthur have both been round block a few times and know how to bounce back.”Among other awards, Aaron Finch won the limited overs trophy after a strong year for the Bushrangers, while Nicole Bolton took the garlands for the Women’s National Cricket League. Members of the Bulls squad were notably absent from the teams of the year nominated by their peers, something that raised Ponting’s eyebrows.”I must admit I’m very surprised not to see any of their guys in the teams announced here today,” he said. “But no surprise for me to see the two teams that you’d say from the outside have the best culture and work ethic around the country find themselves playing the Sheffield Shield final this week.”Sheffield Shield Player of the Year:
Ricky Ponting (Tas) – 18 votes (8 games, 875 runs at 87.50)
Chadd Sayers (SA) – 16
Gurinder Sandhu (NSW) – 12
Usman Khawaja (QLD) – 12Limited overs Player of the Year:
Aaron Finch (VIC) – 15 votes (7 games, 704 runs at 84.00, SR 98.05)
Kane Richardson (SA) – 14
Phillip Hughes (SA) – 12
James Faulkner (TAS) – 12WNCL Player of the Year:
Nicole Bolton (WA) – 17 votes (6 games, 330 runs at 55.00, SR 81.28)
Meg Lanning (VIC) – 17 (6 games, 394 runs at 65.66, SR 102.33)
Alex Blackwell (NSW) – 16WT20 Player of the Year:
Jenny Wallace (WA) – 27 votes (11 games, 246 runs at 24.60, SR 87.85, 3 catches, 5 stumpings)
Alex Blackwell (NSW) – 26
Alyssa Healy (NSW) – 24Other awards
Toyota Futures League Player of the Year: Nick Winter (ACT), Lord’s Taverners Indigenous Cricketer of the Year: Nathan Price (NSW), Cricket Australia Umpire Award: Bruce Oxenford, Benaud Men’s Spirit of Cricket Award: Tasmanian Tigers, Benaud Women’s Spirit of Cricket Award: NSW BreakersACA Teams of the YearSheffield Shield: Chris Rogers, Phillip Hughes, Alex Doolan, Ricky Ponting (capt), Callum Ferguson, Moises Henriques, Brad Haddin, Ashton Agar, Luke Butterworth, Chadd Sayers, Jackson Bird, Mark Cosgrove (12th man)Limited overs: Aaron Finch (capt), Phillip Hughes, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Johan Botha, Nathan Coulter-Nile, John Hastings, Kane Richardson, Gurinder Sandhu (12th man)BBL: Shaun Marsh, Aaron Finch (capt), Brad Hodge, Ricky Ponting, Ben Rohrer, Adam Voges, Tim Paine, James Faulkner, Ben Laughlin, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dirk Nannes (12th man)WNCL: Meg Lanning, Nicole Bolton, Alex Blackwell (capt), Jess Cameron, Jodie Fields, Lisa Sthalekar, Lauren Ebsary, Erin Osborne, Jude Coleman, Jemma Barsby, Holly Ferling, Elyse Villani (12th)WT20: Meg Lanning, Leah Poulton, Alex Blackwell (capt), Erin Burns, Jodie Fields, Lisa Sthalekar, Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Coyte, Briana Binch, Sarah Aley, Molly Strano, Jess Cameron (12th)

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA rapid half-century from Cameron Delport propelled South Africa Emerging Players to a seven-wicket win against Namibia in their opening game of the quadrangular T20 tournament in Windhoek. Delport, opening for South Africa, slammed 69 in 40 balls with 10 boundaries to help them chase down 161 with an over to spare. His team-mates could not match his pace of scoring, but handy cameos from Yaseen Vallie and Jean Symes after Delport was dismissed ensured the team eased home.Namibia’s innings too was built around one half-century, theirs coming from No. 3 Louis van der Westhuizen. His knock of 63 off 45 was crucial in that it followed ducks from both openers. That they got to 160 after being 4 for 2 in the second over was commendable, but as it turned was not enough. Left-arm pacer Beuran Hendricks was quite expensive, going at nine an over, but he was also the most effective for South Africa with three scalps.