Shillingford, Roach boost Windies in S.Lanka Test

GALLE: Inexperienced Shane Shillingford and Kemar Roach shared seven wickets to help the West Indies gain a big lead in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Off-spinner Shillingford finished with 4-123, his maiden four-wicket haul in four Tests, and paceman Roach took 3-75 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 378 in their first innings in reply to the West Indies’ 580-9 declared.

Following on, Sri Lanka batted steadily in their second innings to reach 89 for no loss at stumps to keep alive their hopes of salvaging a draw.

Tharanga Paranavitana and Tillakaratne Dilshan were unbeaten on 44 each before rain stopped play, with 22 overs remaining in the day.

Shillingford and Roach, who had a combined experience of just 10 Tests before this match, did not allow the hosts to build a big stand as the West Indies enforced the follow-on against any team

Pakistan”s Butt voices DRS doubts

NOTTINGHAM: Pakistan captain Salman Butt defended his side doing without the controversial Decision Review System (DRS), during a batting collapse in the first Test against England, by saying the technology on offer was “not a hundred percent”.

The tourists were in the midst of a slump that saw them decline to 47 for six on the second day at Trent Bridge here on Friday when Azhar Ali was given out caught behind for 14 in one of five wickets for James Anderson.

However, some replays indicated he had failed to make contact.

Under DRS, both sides are allowed two unsuccessful challenges before they are barred from requesting a referral for the remainder of an innings.

But, in order not to delay the game, they must make it clear within a matter of seconds of the umpire”s original verdict whether they wish to call on DRS.

It appeared from a distance the inexperienced Ali, in only his third Test, decided against a referral that might have gone in his favour after consulting non-striker and fellow novice batsman Umar Akmal.

Butt, speaking after stumps, said that wasn”t the case and questioned the accuracy of both the Hawkeye ball-tracking system and the Hotspot device, akin to a thermal imaging camera, which is used to detect thin edges.

“This technology, Hawkeye is not 100 percent and neither is Hotspot. When the ball hits the sticker on the side (edge of the bat) it doesn”t leave a mark,” Butt told reporters.

A further complicating factor in this match is that spectators in the ground are seeing a replay on a giant screen at the same time as the third umpire is coming to his decision on the basis of looking at the same image.

In previous series, fans at the game have often been kept in the dark.

“If the batsman knows he has hit the ball there”s no point taking a chance because if it”s up there on the big screen it”s pretty embarrassing,” opening batsman Butt added.

“I think it was very honest of Azhar Ali, good sportsmanship. He edged it and he walked straight away.”

Butt said he”d been alerted to what he believed to be a deficiency in Hotspot during Pakistan”s 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year.

“In January we played Australia in Hobart and it twice happened to Michael Clarke. We heard a big noise and the Snicko showed there was noise as well when the ball crossed the bat but there was nothing on the Hotspot.

“Every bat brand has a side-sticker (on the edge). It shows some time and it doesn”t show. That means it”s something to do with the stickers, maybe.”

The Snicko device, which tries to detect whether a batsman has edged the ball on the basis of sound waves, is not being used as a decision-making tool in this four-Test series because officials say it takes too long to provide a definitive conclusion.

But it was Hawkeye that was in Butt”s sights. “Hawkeye is not a hundred percent trustworthy,” the 25-year-old insisted. “Every meeting we have with the officials, they say it”s not a hundred percent.”

Anderson, who exploited the swing friendly conditions to finish with five wickets for 49 runs from 20 overs on Friday, said of DRS: “It”s trickier than it seems, and something we”re having to get used to.”

Pakistan will resume on 147 for nine in reply to England”s first innings 354, a deficit of 207 runs, on Saturday.

But Umar Gul”s 30 not out took them to within just eight runs of avoiding the follow-on, albeit with only the one wicket standing, when bad light forced an early close on Friday.

England beat Australia in first one-day international

SOUTHAMPTON: Eoin Morgan”s unbeaten 103 saw England to a come from behind four-wicket win over Australia in the first one-day international at the Rose Bowl here on Tuesday.

England, chasing 268 for victory, were in dire straits at 97 for four.

But former Ireland batsman Morgan”s second one-day hundred for his adopted country turned the tide and gave England a 1-0 lead in this five match series.

He ended the match and went to his hundred in the process by crashing paceman Ryan Harris down the ground for four, having faced 85 balls with 16 boundaries as England won with exactly four overs to spare.

“I”ve been in good nick for a while now and I want to play more cricket to take advantage of it,” said Morgan.

“I think I try to keep things quite simple and it”s easy to do when you”re in good nick – it came off today, so happy days.”

Delighted England captain Andrew Strauss hailed Middlesex colleague Morgan”s display by saying: “What a fantastic innings from Eoin Morgan – that was one of the best I”ve seen.”

Australia captain Ricky Ponting added: “We were probably a bit below with our batting. Morgan played very, very well. We were a long way below our best but still remained competitive, that”s a positive.”

Turning to Morgan, he added: “He played, very, very well. But the way our quicks and medium-pacers bowled to him, we gave him too many boundary options.”

World champions Australia arrived in England without injured quicks Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus.

But having made 267 for seven, featuring vice-captain Michael Clarke”s unbeaten 87, it seemed they would make light of their inexperienced attack.

However, a fifth-wicket stand of 95 in 92 balls between left-hander Morgan and Luke Wright swung the match back England”s way before the latter was lbw for 36 to paceman Ryan Harris.

England, looking to complete a treble over Australia after winning last year”s Ashes and last month”s World Twenty20 final against their oldest rivals, were now 192 for five. But the required rate was under a run-a-ball.

Tim Bresnan (27) then helped fellow World Twenty20 winner Morgan take England to the brink of victory.

Australia had won eight of their last nine one-dayers against England but they had no answer to Morgan”s sparkling display under the floodlights.

England suffered an early setback when Strauss, who”d struck two fours, was caught behind off a Harris delivery for 10.

Craig Kieswetter, man-of-the-match in the World Twenty20 final with a rapid 63, again scored briskly.

And debutant teenage quick Josh Hazlewood, Australia”s youngest one-day international, saw his first ball, a full toss, driven down the ground for four by Kevin Pietersen, who subsequently drove Watson for a boundary.

But Watson had his revenge when Pietersen, on 29, miscued to Ponting at backward point.
Kieswetter then hooked Hazlewood for the match”s first six.

However, Hazlewood clean bowled Kieswetter for 38. England, who had been 75 for one, were now 81 for three.

And that became 97 for four when Twenty20 winning captain Paul Collingwood, holed out off Watson to James Hopes at mid-off.

But Morgan, reverse-sweeping off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for four and Wright, driving Watson for a straight six, stopped the rot.

Earlier, Clarke faced 97 balls in an innings where the next best score was Hopes”s 34.
The series continues with a day/nighter at Cardiff on Thursday.

Sharma ton seals India win over Sri Lanka

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe: A chilly day in Africa but not for Indian cricketers as batsman Rohit Sharma hit his second century in successive matches to secure a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a tri-nation series.

Sharma”s first century was against Zimbabwe on Friday in a match which the home side won by six wickets. But his winning “double” hundred here Sunday ensured victory against old foes Sri Lanka.

Sent in to bat by India captain Suresh Raina, Sri Lanka struggled against the inexperienced Indians to reach 242 all out in 49.5 overs. This target was all too easy for India and they passed it with 39 balls to spare.

Now the rejuvenated Indians are back on track in the series and instead of being under pressure to survive they have the look of victors about them.

Man-of-the-match Sharma”s 100 came up in exactly 100 balls. It was a race both against the light, which was generally indifferent, and also against the disappearing number of runs required for the win.

When his century was secured, India needed only a handful of runs to cross the line and his captain Raina held back for him.

Sharma hit six fours and two sixes in a faultless innings, which was not especially spectatular but of total command.

He didn”t take all the limelight though. Virat Kohli weighed in with 82 before being caught on the boundary and they put on 154 for the third wicket.

Kohli needed 92 balls as he hit four fours in his seventh half century.

From a team standpoint India recovered well from their shock beating by Zimbabwe and are now back on track for a possible series winning effort.

The pressure now reverts to Sri Lanka who must beat Zimbabwe on Tuesday to put all three on level terms at the half-way stage.

Before a crowd of only about 30 at the start of play, which followed a pre-dawn thunderstorm, perhaps 800 paying spectators braved the cold wind as Sri Lanka were put into bat.

India were forced to start without Vinay Kumar who sprained an ankle playing soccer. He was replaced by Pragyan Ojha.

Mohammad Yousuf Blasts Selectors

HOBART : Hapless Pakistan’s tour-long selection dramas have flared again with Test captain Mohammad Yousuf blasting the failure to send his predecessor, Younis Khan, to Australia earlier.

Younis will return to national colours after being named in a 17-man squad for the five-match one-day series against Australia, starting on Friday in Brisbane.

But after watching his team’s top-order once again collapse at Bellerive Oval, Yousuf was upset Younis wasn’t called in to reinforce their inexperienced line-up during the three-Test series.

The former captain, who rested himself after feeling he “lost control” of his side in November, was forced to prove himself in Pakistan domestic cricket despite announcing his willingness to play last month.

Yousuf told cricket website Cricinfo there was no reason why the national selectors should have waited so long before sending Younis down under.

“You can ask the selectors about why they didn’t send him earlier.

“We don’t need to check him in first-class cricket. He has a 50 average and has been doing it for 10 years.

“We have to see him here, not there. Will someone also take my test (to prove form) from now on?”

Yousuf has endured a strained relationship with his national selection panel, headed by Iqbal Qasim, throughout the Australian tour.

The committee sent batsman Misbah-ul-Haq on tour in New Zealand after he’d previously been dropped from all forms of the game while vice-captain Kamran Akmal, an on-tour selector, was forced to reluctantly fall on his sword for the third Test.

Kamran had twice defiantly said he would not drop himself while his brother reportedly feigned an injury and threatened to boycott the Hobart Test in response.

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Mohammad Yousuf Blasts Selectors was first posted on January 16, 2010 at 5:32 pm.

Khalid Latif not good enough at this level!

Khalid Latif might have scored 64 in the first ODI yesterday in Pakistan’s thumping 138-run win, but I strongly feel that the opener should be dropped and make way for the classy Shoaib Malik in the playing XI for the next match on Friday.

Having watched 112 balls played by Khalid Latif in the first ODI, I think he is not that fit to play international cricket at this stage. A poor technique, rash shots, lack of timing and what not, nothing really seemed to be impressive about this former U19 Pakistan Captain. The 23-year-old Latif will have to spend a lot of time in the nets and fix his game with proper Coaches if he has to be a successful cricketer at the highest level.

I remember the 3rd over bowled by Shane Bond faced by Latif and the right hander played really ugly cricket which hardly had any grace. I thought that this guy was a natural hitter and looking to counter attack the Kiwis. But instead he went into a shell, was playing a Test Match rather than a One Dayer. It was no excuse at this level that Pakistan were 0 for 2 and that required Khalid Latif to forget about scoring runs and just stay onto the wicket. And his type of knock was against a toothless Kiwi attack. It was just playing off a few overs from Bond and the inexperienced Southee for a while and the rest of the attack was just wafer thin with the exception of Vettori. Latif just remained in Gear one almost throughout his 112-ball stay except for a couple of rash shots early on against Bond.

Pakistan will have to really thank Shahid Afridi to pull them off from a disastrous situation in the middle overs when the runs were trickling by. Afridi was also very generous in telling Latif to take his own time, he even told him – first get your fifty. Once Afridi brought Pakistan back into the game, the rest was left to the experienced duo of Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq who certainly didn’t disappoint their fans. Pakistan smashed 287 out of nowhere and Latif’s tortoise innings was well covered up by the heroics of Afridi and Kamran Akmal.

I would be surprised to see Khalid Latif continue for a long time in international cricket if he plays the same way like he did in the 1st ODI. There will be a lot of quick bowlers to handle than what he had faced against the Kiwis which is for sure. The likes of Bond, Mills must be looking to bowl the sharp induckers to Latif in the next two games and get him out bowled or lbw. Ideally he needs to be dropped and replaced with Shoaib Malik who surprsingly was left out of the team in the first ODI. People might be looking to have Salman Butt dropped but I think he is a quality batsman and one failure or two doesn’t make him a bad cricketer. Another talented batsman is Imran Farhat and I rate both him and Butt to be miles ahead of Khalid Latif.

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Khalid Latif not good enough at this level! was first posted on November 4, 2009 at 11:44 pm.