Bresnan and Anderson swing through Windies

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 5th day

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

England 569 for 6 dec (Cook 160, Bopara 108) beat West Indies 310 (Sarwan 100, Anderson 5-87) and 176 (Chanderpaul 47, Anderson 4-38) by an innings and 83 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

	Tim Bresnan ends his long wait for a Test wicket, as England closed in on victory

James Anderson completed the superb match figures of 9 for 125, and Tim Bresnan finally picked up his maiden Test wickets, as West Indies were hustled to defeat by an innings and 83 runs shortly after lunch on the final day at Chester-le-Street. After resuming on 115 for 3 in the follow-on, West Indies found no way to deal with perfect swinging conditions on a showery day, and the only man who showed any real resistance was Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who endured in typical fashion for 47 from 82 balls.

In the end, however, Chanderpaul's efforts were emphatically trumped by Anderson and Bresnan, who bowled clean through the day's play, booming the ball both ways at will, as the Wisden Trophy was reclaimed after just a two-month hiatus. Bresnan, who had begun to believe he would never claim that memorable first scalp, eventually returned the creditable figures of 3 for 45 in 14 overs, while Anderson once again showed how he has matured as a cricketer in recent months, as he located a full length, zipped the ball off the seam and through the air, and ripped West Indies to shreds in a final-day spell of 11-3-18-4.

England began the day with high expectations, but at first they were thwarted by a combination of Chanderpaul, Lendl Simmons and the skittish Durham weather, which forced two brief breaks in play inside the first hour. They took the field as they had left it the previous evening, without the services of Matt Prior who had injured his ring finger and was rested on medical advice, and Paul Collingwood deputised ably as wicketkeeper, as England strove for the breakthrough.

Understandably enough, Strauss opened with his main man, Anderson, but at the other end he sprung a surprise by calling upon the hitherto anonymous Bresnan, who had been overshadowed by his fellow newcomer, Graham Onions, both here and at Lord's, and must have wondered if his chance to impress had been and gone.

Bresnan began with a tidy but unthreatening line outside off stump, but it was in the second hour of the session, after the second of two 15-minute showers had freshened up the pitch that he and Anderson really began to make the ball talk. Anderson was the first to strike, when Simmons once again gave his innings away when well set, as he hung his bat out to a wide long-hop, and patted a tame chance to the substitute fielder, Scott Borthwick at point.

Match Report: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Chennai Super Kings

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

CENTURION: At long last, a win and in a fairytale chase at that. After having wondered how long the roll of the dice would go against them, stunning knocks by skipper Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge let Kolkata Knight Riders pinch a seven-wicket victory off the last ball of their DLF Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings here on Monday.

Chasing a tall 189-run target - the second highest score in IPL 2009 - Knight Riders set off in relentless pursuit with McCullum and Hodge believing that they could end the string of defeats. McCullum spared no bowler as he took upon himself the task of spurring the team along on the road to victory. Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni searched in vain for ways to stop him.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was a veritable picture of mastery of his craft as he bowled four overs for 16 runs but paceman Albie Morkel, Sudeep Tyagi and L Balaji were prodigal on Monday night.

McCcullum smashed 81 off 48 balls (11 fours, three sixes) while Sourav Ganguly fell cheaply and Hodge played himself in during their 90-run second-wicket stand. He was particularly severe on Sudeep Tyagi, one of Chennai Super Kings’ most efficient bowlers, striking him for four successive fours and a six in one over to power Kolkata Knight Riders' chase.

Hodge (71 not out, 44 balls, four fours, four sixes) took charge after McCullum was bowled by Shadab Jakati and waded into L Balaji, Chennai Super Kings' death over specialist. Hodge added 56 runs off 28 balls with Wriddhiman Saha (25 13 balls, two fours and a six), to see the side home in a nerve-wracking finish when Suresh Raina very nearly bowled a magical final over.

Gayle backtracks on captaincy comments

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 5th day

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Chris Gayle made runs in the end, but his team didn't really turn up

This series hasn't been Chris Gayle's finest hour. He turned up 48 hours before the first Test, spent a lot of time complaining about the cold and, to cap it all, said he wouldn't mind if Test cricket didn't exist. So, in many respects, he got what he deserved as the Wisden Trophy was surrendered back to England after little more than two months.

Ever since his now infamous newspaper interview, Gayle has tried to tone down his comments without ever sounding convincing. His latest attempt came with a smile, but that was probably because he can now play one-day cricket for six weeks.

"I'm definitely enjoying the captaincy," he said. "It has done a lot for me as an individual and I can't be ungrateful and say it hasn't. I appreciate it and am happy to lead the West Indies whenever and wherever. We have a good bunch of guys here and it's a learning process for them. For me I'm still enjoying the cricket and if I'm not it wouldn't make sense to carry on."

What made Gayle's comments about Test cricket even more disappointing was that he'd put so much effort into securing the series in the Caribbean. He scored two impressive hundreds, bowled and batted with an injured hamstring, and instilled a determination not seen from a West Indies side for a long time. However, like the economy, it is dangerous to talk about green shoots of recovery when it comes to West Indies cricket.

"It's a disappointing result," he said. "We have ourselves to blame to be honest, it all started from that first Test where we dropped too many catches when we had England on the run. To play catch-up cricket in these conditions was always going to be difficult. But we were here to do a job and we didn't do it properly.

"I'm disappointed to hand back the trophy after a short period of time. This tour wasn't in place then it came on board so it was something we had to deal with and it we didn't go about it properly. We struggled in the conditions and it would have been nice to have bat and ball clicking at the same time which didn't happen."

An away series during the English early season was always going to present a huge challenge for West Indies but, showing that he had one captaincy skill well honed, Gayle tried to look for the positives and hoped his young players would benefit.

McCullum and Hodge gun down Chennai

Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Centurion

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Kolkata Knight Riders 189 for 3 (McCullum 81, Hodge 71*) beat Chennai Super Kings 188 for 3 (Raina 52, Dhoni 40) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	McCullum displayed the same destructive facet that was on display in first game of the IPL's inaugural version

Kolkata Knight Riders, powered by fifties from Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge, staged one of most thrilling chases in the tournament and showed why the bottom-placed team may still prove to be the king-makers in this crucial last phase of the league games. Chennai Super Kings, who looked set to seal a semi-final spot with their mammoth total batting first, will now have to put the celebrations on hold.

The run-chase owed its success to three partnerships; the opening stand totally dominated by McCullum, his association with Hodge, where he took charge initially before letting his partner step up, and Hodge's match-winning knock with Wriddhiman Saha, whose calm presence combined well with the timely acceleration to stun Chennai.

The return of the seamers at the death heralded a decisive turn in the game as Hodge found an unlikely foil in Saha, who smote a six and a four in the 17th over from L Balaji that went for 14. The next over from Albie Morkel bled 13, with Hodge collecting two fours, one slapped back past the bowler and the other swung behind square leg.

With Chennai short of options, Balaji's reputation to hit the blockhole was again banked on, but he was guilty of the same slip-up that cost Kolkata their previous two games. He gifted Hodge with length balls, two of which were struck clean and straight over long-off, and a generous full toss to Saha off the final ball, who duly obliged to smack it over midwicket to bring it down to six off the last over. Suresh Raina tried his best, but despite an attacking field and a dot ball first up, the wave was against him. Hodge and Saha stole singles off the second and third deliveries, a tight run to cover on the fourth, before a swat to long-on with a deep enough Jacob Oram allowed them to scamper back for the second and level the scores. With the field brought up, an incredibly calm Saha chipped Raina over cover to seal a comeback win.

McCullum threatened to wrest the game with his blistering innings, displaying the same destructive facet to his batting that was on display in first match of the IPL's inaugural version. His dominant innings today was undoubtedly a reflection of his brilliance but the disproportionate influence his contribution had to Kolkata's score in the early part of the innings mirrored the serious lack of support from the other end.

McCullum immediately announced his intent from the first over, slashing one past slip, and clipping Morkel past square leg. Keeping him off strike became Chennai's immediate objective, and Sourav Ganguly made their job far simpler, struggling to get bat on ball, a stark contrast to McCullum's free flow. McCullum feasted on Albie, smashing him for 16 in the third over, while Ganguly was made to look like an irritable fly-swatter by Sudeep Tyagi. He was eventually put out of his misery, chopping one on by Muttiah Muralitharan, though Chennai, in hindsight, would have wished he had continued.

Batting blitz propels Chennai to 188

Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Centurion

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Chennai Super Kings (Raina 52, Dhoni 40, Bailey 30) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Suresh Raina hit three fours and three sixes during his breezy 52

Chennai were deprived of the services of their most prolific batsman this season, but Matthew Hayden's team-mates ensured his absence didn't factor largely in their performance, as they posted a formidable score to boost their chances of a smooth sail into the final four. The effort was a product of a calculated performance by Suresh Raina and an equally shrewd effort by MS Dhoni, who built on a solid opening stand to put Kolkata Knight Riders under immediate pressure as they pursue a stiff task.

Raina saw off a relative slide in form - he had managed just 48 in his previous three innings - to quickly slip into his natural mode of play, using the flicks, dabs and cuts that characterize his batting with relentless frequency and opening up in timely fashion to retain the tempo set by the openers. He handled the spinners particularly well, playing them constantly in the V, and stepping up to the one pitched short, smacking Murali Kartik through point and pulling Ajantha Mendis over midwicket.

Dhoni, meanwhile, proved again that he remains Chennai's best middle-order batsman. He had been involved in four 50-plus stands before this, and added another one to his tally, mixing up his raw power and rotating the strike. He lofted David Hussey over long-off, and flat-batted Ajit Agarkar before surviving a chance, squandered yet again by Kolkata, as Kartik dropped a sitter at midwicket.

Chennai gained complete control in the 16th over as Raina launched into Ajantha Mendis, carting him for two sixes over midwicket, and punishing Dinda for one more in the 17th before miscuing a catch to point. It is an interesting statistic that Raina has managed just two fifties in the tournament, and still remains his team's second-highest run-getter, a measure of his incredible consistency. Dhoni and Albie Morkel accepted the baton, and promptly clubbed the opposition as 48 runs were leaked in the last four overs. Agarkar was once again guilty of gifting freebies as Morkel punished him in his final over, smashing a flat six over square leg before dismissing him into the stands the next ball and pinching 19 runs to seal the advantage at the halfway stage.

The Chennai innings was set up by a 59-run opening stand between Hayden's replacement George Bailey and Parthiv Patel, who recovered some form after a disappointing run that left him out of the side for five games. Kolkata again had to rely on spin to arrest Chennai's charge and the frequency with which they altered the attack provided a glaring indication of their plight.

Patel's six sends Ireland packing

Friends Provident Trophy round-up

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Marcus Trescothick flips one over the leg-side in Somerset's easy win at Canterbury

Discarded by England, Samit Patel proved his worth with 6 for 13 in Nottinghamshire's nail-biting two-wicket win over Ireland in Dublin, winning with one ball to spare. Ireland managed just 140 from their 34 overs after rain had delayed the start of the match, yet the visitors struggled to 77 for 5 when Ali Brown departed for 32. Wickets were shared around by the Ireland seamers, and they were on the brink of an upset when Ryan Sidebottom was run-out for 2. However, Paul Franks (11 from 11) and Luke Fletcher saw them home off the penultimate ball. Neither Ireland or Scotland, the two Associate nations in the Friends Provident Trophy, have recorded a single win out of a combined total of 12 matches this season.

Rain prevented Leicestershire and Worcestershire's match from finishing at Grace Road, with Worcestershire reaching 67 for 1 from just eight overs before the heavens opened.

Group B

Martin van Jaarsveld's superb 132 went in vain for Kent as Somerset's Peter Trego took 4 for 56 in their comprehensive 45-run win at Canterbury. van Jaarsveld's hundred, which came from 103 balls, stood out like a beacon as he lost partner after partner with Kent chasing a sizeable 297. Justin Kemp was the next highest scorer with 29, and though van Jaarsveld eventually reached a career-best, Somerset were already home and dry. Somerset's innings was built around fifties from Marcus Trescothick (56), Justin Langer (77 from 60) and Zander de Bruyn (72 from 83)

Scotland put up a better fist of things in their pursuit of their first win of the tournament, but couldn't haul down a revised 238 from 48 overs, eventually collapsing to their sixth straight loss against Warwickshire in Edinburgh. Scotland were reasonably well placed at 131 for 3 but lost Neal McCallum for a breezy 22, followed by two more quick wickets, to leave them stumbling on 139 for 6. Craig Wright did his best with a quickfire 28 from 19 balls, but with wickets tumbling and the required rate in excess of 10-per-over, Scotland folded meekly. Ant Botha was the pick of Warwickshire's attack, grabbing 3 for 27, in addition to his sprightly 28-ball 37 in his side's 242 for 6. Jim Troughton top-scored with a calm 77 from 125.

Punjab hang on after thriller

Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab, IPL, Johannesburg

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Kings XI Punjab 134 for 7 (Sangakkara 52, RP Singh 3-26) beat Deccan Chargers 133 for 8 (Rohit 42, Yuvraj 3-13) by 1 run
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	It was a tremendous effort from the Kings XI Punjab bowlers as Yuvraj Singh bagged his second hat-trick of the tournament

Kings XI Punjab lived to see another day in the IPL after a tremendous bowling effort - highlighted by Yuvraj Singh's second hat-trick of the tournament - gave them a one-run win over the Deccan Chargers off the last ball of the game. Rohit Sharma played yet another crucial innings for Deccan but Punjab fought back valiantly after a poor batting performance.

Adam Gilchrist had given Deccan a brisk start of 30 in three overs. But Ramesh Powar's entry into the attack turned things around. Powar took two in two in his first over and the scoring rate dropped considerably. But Deccan were still ahead of the required run-rate in the 12th over when Yuvraj struck with Gibbs' wicket. He returned in the 14th to take two more and after that Deccan were playing catch-up.

They needed 43 off 18 when Rohit hit two sixes and a four off Wilkin Mota to bring Deccan back in the game. Fourteen off the next over meant Deccan needed 11 off the final. Irfan Pathan, who went for 18 in his first over, was handed the ball. Rohit got an edge to go for four off the second and Pathan followed with a wide. Four needed off the last three: Rohit tried to hit to midwicket and was bowled, RP Singh survived one ball before top-edging the next to Pathan. Needing four of the final ball, Ryan Harris hit it to the off side and Brett Lee fumbled in the pick-up but Harris was never interested in the unlikely third run that would give Punjab the tie. Now Deccan have to win their next game against the Bangalore Royal Challengers to have any hope of reaching the semi-final.

Powar's introduction worked as an antidote to Pathan's horror first over - Gilchrist pulled a short and wide one for four, hit a fuller ball for six over midwicket, drove an over-pitched delivery between point and cover for four before flicking another boundary to fine leg. Gilchrist leapt out of the crease to the first ball, pitched outside leg, looking to hit it over midwicket. But it turned sharply towards off stump and he was too far down the track to make his way back. T Suman, the new batsman, also stepped out of the crease and completely missed the line to be bowled. Andrew Symonds faced the hat-trick ball and lofted it over mid-on for a four, though he didn't middle it.

Windies fight against rising tide

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 4th day

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

West Indies 310 (Sarwan 100, Anderson 5-87) and 115 for 3 (Chanderpaul 18*, Simmons 3*) trail England 569 for 6 dec (Cook 160, Bopara 108) by 144 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

	Stuart Broad produced a superb over to remove Ramnaresh Sarwan for 100 and push West Indies towards the follow-on

England closed in on a 2-0 series clean sweep on the fourth day against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, as West Indies slumped to 115 for 3 in their second innings, having been asked to follow on, 266 runs in arrears, shortly after tea. By the close, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Lendl Simmons were fighting hard to stave off the innings defeat, but their hopes of the draw were dealt a huge blow when their first-innings centurion, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and their captain, Chris Gayle, were dismissed in the space of three deliveries from Graham Onions - Gayle having rampaged to 54 from 43 balls in an innings of massive intent.

Despite the one-sided nature of the scoreline, England were made to fight hard on what was comfortably the most entertaining day of the series so far. In addition to Sarwan and Gayle, West Indies' stand-out batsman was Denesh Ramdin, whose 55 from 82 balls helped rescue his side from a flaky 216 for 7 in the first innings, the bulk of those runs coming during a sparky eighth-wicket partnership of 70 with Sulieman Benn. For England, James Anderson wrapped up a richly deserved five-wicket haul, but their main man of the day was Stuart Broad, who bowled with thuggish intent and set England on course for victory with the pre-lunch scalps of Chanderpaul and Sarwan

Up until the moment that Broad had Chanderpaul caught behind for 27 with a well-disguised offcutter, England had toiled with little luck or reward for an hour and a half of the morning session. Under clear blue skies, West Indies' fourth-wicket pair extended their partnership to 99, with the only real moment of discomfort coming when Sarwan, on 58, was struck a painful blow in the nether-regions. He upped his ante after Chanderpaul's departure, however, and rushed to his hundred with a blazing straight drive off Broad followed by a cracking pull in front of square.

But those strokes merely stoked Broad's ire, and in a brilliant response he blasted Sarwan from the crease with a trio of vicious lifters, the third of which ballooned off his glove to Tim Bresnan at slip as he attempted to ride the bounce. England were jubilant, an opening had been forged, and when lunch was taken ten minutes later, West Indies were rocking on 188 for 5.

Delhi outclass Rajasthan in revenge win

Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals, IPL, Bloemfontein

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Delhi Daredevils 150 for 3 (de Villiers 79*, Dilshan 33) beat Rajasthan Royals 136 for 9 (Botha 37, Mishra 3-33) by 14 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	AB de Villiers remained unbeaten in another clutch innings in Delhi's revenge win over Rajasthan

Riding some momentum the Rajasthan Royals came to Bloemfontein to face the side they beat in the second week of the tournament to start an amazing turnaround. As it turned out, there was no positive carryover effect in a 14-run loss to the Delhi Daredevils. In a pressure game they needed to win, Rajasthan let the early momentum slip with two drops and a missed run-out chance, lost three early wickets during a stiff chase and will rue allowing Delhi score heavily at the end of their innings.

They now need to beat the Kolkata Knight Riders soundly in their final league game. If they don't manage that the race for a semi-final spot shifts to net run-rates, and hoping some of the other teams slip up.

In a match when the ball jagged and spun past the bat more often than it hit the middle - largely down to a sporting pitch that assisted pace and spin - two crucial hands allowed Delhi to recover from the loss of their openers. Munaf Patel appeared to have it figured from the first over, keeping it straight and on a length to get rid of the dangerous duo of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag in his second but returned to bowl a horror 19th over after Rajasthan's support cast disappointed. From 15 for 2 a resourceful 87-run stand between AB de Villiers, who read the conditions excellently, and Tillakaratne Dilshan buttressed Delhi to a competitive total. And therein lay the difference between a reasonable total and a winning one.

Delhi's innings gradually changed character when Rajasthan's second-choice bowlers came on. The pitch was slow and Shane Warne set attacking fields for the first ten overs, so all that was needed was for de Villiers and Dilshan to perforate the field consistently. The loose offerings weren't spared - Siddharth Trivedi strangely dropped it short and wide when the pitch was demanding of a fuller length - and both batsmen slapped fours off his first and only over.

As Warne brought Johan Botha and himself on for spin, de Villiers and Dilshan resorted to common-sense cricket. Balls were knocked in the gaps, the cross-batted shots were shunned and the score ticked over mainly with singles and doubles. Both employed the late dabs effectively and their ability to scamper between the wickets hurt Rajasthan. It wasn't smooth sailing, though, as Warne got plenty of turn from a slow track and Botha mixed flight and speed in a tidy spell.

Anderson stands up to be counted

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 3rd day
Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	James Anderson showed swing and tenacity, and confirmed his leading role for the Ashes

Andy Flower has made it clear in the early days of his official reign that only those with strong character and a big heart need apply to take on the Australians later this summer. Those with suspect temperaments will not be considered. He made a statement by leaving out the likes of Ian Bell and Steve Harmison, who have previously been accused of lacking the necessary ticker, in favour of those he feels have the bottle required.

If you'd looked at the England side only a couple of years ago and tried to pick out those who had what it takes, James Anderson's name wouldn't have been anywhere near the top of the pile. However, over the last 12 months he has gone from the quiet man of the England team to an attack leader of some stature. His opening spell here was a prime example, where he had complete control of his swing and took out three top-order wickets.

When he returned to the side against India, mid-way through 2007, he said he wanted to be the captain of the bowlers. During the winter tour to the Caribbean, during a low-key and almost anonymous practice session, the squad was split into two teams. The choice of each captain was fascinating. Stuart Broad led one side and Anderson the other. The captain of the bowlers had become a captain in his own right. It probably wasn't an insight into a future role - bowling captains are a rare breed in international cricket - but Anderson has clearly become a senior figure.

Yet, it isn't only with the ball and in the field that Anderson's growth as a player has become apparent. He has taken over the role vacated by Matthew Hoggard's departure as England's nightwatchman and has still managed to extend his extraordinary run of never collecting a duck to a world-record 48 innings.

The merits of the nightwatchman role are there to be debated and Steve Waugh certainly wouldn't approve of England's desire to protect the specialist batsmen in any situation. Flower has admitted it was wrong to use Anderson in the second innings in Antigua, where the lead was already over 300, and a strong case could have been made here of a negative choice when he walked in at 282 for 2.

However, Anderson rarely lets his team down when told to do the job despite often coming in when the quick bowlers have their tails up with a new ball. No bowler gets more excited by the sight of Anderson walking out than Fidel Edwards. "I'm not sure what I've done," he said. "He just seems to crank it up each time I bat and I seem to get a few words. I honestly don't have a clue what is going on. I really didn't want to get out to him."

Hayden struggles, but pushes Chennai over the line

Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians, IPL, Port Elizabeth

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Chennai Super Kings 151 for 3 (Hayden 60*) beat Mumbai Indians 147 for 5 (Duminy 62, Nayar 33*, Jayasuriya 30) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Hayden was slow, but fast enough for Mumbai

Some of the most bizarre stats you will ever see in Twenty20 games added excitement to the chase, but in the end Chennai Super Kings pushed Mumbai Indians out of the tournament - barring even more bizarre permutations later on. Chasing 148 Matthew Hayden had scored at various points in his innings 5 off 16, 9 off 23, and 20 off 33. His first boundary came off the 34th ball he faced (better believe all this), but he hung in till the end as Mumbai lost yet another close game after having bowled exceptionally well in the first half of their defence. Chennai now are formalities short of making it to the semi-finals.

One of the litmus tests of exceptional players is how well they do when they are performing below themselves. Hayden passed that test today. The Mumbai bowlers were effective in keeping him down, especially Lasith Malinga and Dwayne Bravo who set the tone, not giving him the length balls at all. In their first spells Malinga and Bravo bowled 11 balls to Hayden for just one run. But for a wide, Malinga even bowled a maiden. He also took Parthiv Patel's wicket first ball, the 10th time a wicket has fallen to the first ball of an innings in this IPL.

It would have been easy then for Hayden to try something outrageous to either hit out or get out. But he swallowed his ego, waited for his opportunities. How he looked during the struggle didn't seem to matter. Following Malinga and Bravo, Harbhajan Singh and JP Duminy kept it tight too, giving away 21 in overs 7 to 10.

At the strategy time-out Chennai needed 92. S Badrinath gave them a six in the first over after, but he fell in the same over. And Hayden went back to the grind again. Finally, in the 13th over, Hayden hit a four, off a short one from Chetanya Nanda, and then three more to never let the asking-rate cross 10. He got good support from MS Dhoni, who scored 23 off 22, and ran superbly between the wickets.

That the win came with five balls to go takes away from how close the teams were. They needed 27 off the last three overs when Harbhajan was brought back. A sloppy throw from Yogesh Takawale meant Hayden retained the strike, and Hayden hit a six next ball to provide the final twist. That six took him to 51 off 51, 31 runs coming off the last 18 balls. Now we're talking.

Kolkata's sorry saga continues

Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Johannesburg

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Can Brendon McCullum and Kolkata ever snap out of the losing streak?

Poor Brendon McCullum. What do you do when you have 21 runs to defend in the last over? Have three men inside the circle to concede a no-ball, argue with the umpires, watch your bowler hurl wides and full tosses and lose the game. Can he ever snap the losing streak?

Whenever Kolkata have run that last lap, they have stumbled and fallen just before the line. If they believe in destiny and fate, McCullum could head to Durban to find an Indian astrologer to have his palm read. Every time he has scented victory, his team-mates have discovered new botch-up artists. Ajit Agarkar has been a guilty couple of times, Ishant Sharma too and today the villain was Mashrafe Mortaza, playing his first game in Kolkata colours. There will also be questions about why he was given the final over but he bowled a wonderful 18th over and there were few others available who hadn't choked at the end, so the choice was quite justified.

Poor Agarkar. That description is almost an oxymoron, considering he is easily the most mocked among modern India bowlers. He has been the villain in previous games but today with 27 runs needed in two overs, he bowled a tight over, that included two yorkers, giving away just six runs. Yet incredibly it wasn't enough. Fans have wondered about his numerous comebacks, have talked about his tendency to lose a close game with full tosses and in-the-slot bowling.

One of the most enduring images of his career has been Agarkar standing in the middle of the pitch after being hit for a boundary in the end overs. His right hand is on his hip, his left ruffling the back of his hair. It's as if he is wondering, How did I do that? Again? But he is an amiable, likeable sort with a sense of humour. Returning to Australia after a series where he was nicknamed the Bombay Duck, he raised his bat after scoring a single. He would need that sense of humour to survive today - and, indeed, through the rest of Kolkata's sorry season.

Siriwardene and two others dropped from World Cup squad

Women's World Twenty20 2009

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Shashikala Siriwardene is one of the players dropped

Sri Lanka selectors have dropped the country's top three top run-getters in the Women's World Cup in Australia from the 14-member squad for next month's World Twenty20.

The players dropped are team captain Shashikala Siriwardene, opening batsman Dedunu Silva and all-rounder Suwini de Alwis.

Siriwardene topped the run-scoring list with 72 runs (at 18.00), and was followed by Dedunu with 68 runs (at 17.00) and Suwini 65 runs (at 16.25). Sri Lanka failed to win any of their three group matches in the World Cup and did not qualify for the Super Six stage.

In the absence of Siriwardene, who has been captain for the past three years, Chamari Polgampola will take over the leadership for the Women's World Twenty20 with Eshani Kaushalya as her deputy.

Sri Lanka Cricket sources say they were dropped on grounds of indiscipline, though the specific incident(s) involved have not been made known. Dedunu and Suwini, sources said, were dropped on the basis of the team manager's report after the World Cup, following which they were suspended by SLC's interim committee.

SLC sources did not want to disclose the reasons behind Siriwardene's dropping.

Sri Lanka are drawn in Pool B with Pakistan, England and India in the tournament that will run from June 5-21 in the UK.

Sri Lanka Women's ICC World Twenty20 team: Chamari Polgampola (captain), Eshani Kaushalya (vice-captain), Hiruka Fernando, Deepika Rasangika, Rose Fernando, Dilini Manodara, Udeshika Probodani, Sripali Weerakkody, Chamari Atapattu, Sadamali Dolawatha, Chamilka Bandara, Sumudu Fernando, Saduni Abeywickrama, Inoka Galagedara.

Lack of cricket won't harm Pakistan's chances - Afridi

ICC World Twenty20 2009 Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Shahid Afridi: "Wickets in England might be slower, a little less bounce so I'll make slight adjustments to my bowling."

Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan's recent lack of international cricket will not hamper their chances at the World Twenty20 in England next month. Since January 2007, no team has played as little as Pakistan's ten Tests and 50 ODIs. Even Bangladesh, the weakest Test-playing nation, have played 15 Tests and 55 ODIs and teams such as Australia and India have played nearly three times as much cricket in that time.

The lack of Pakistani participation in the IPL has also not helped, but Afridi, fresh from a successful battle with the Australians, believes Pakistan are strong enough to overcome the dearth. "I don't feel our lack of cricket will make much of a difference because we are still a strong Twenty20 side," Afridi told Cricinfo. "We have a pretty similar team to last time with only a few changes and we have Younis [Khan] as captain now. He has done well and taken the team along with him so far and he will be vital come England."

Afridi himself will be a vital plank in Pakistan's challenge, especially given his fine recent form. He was the leading wicket-taker against Australia, a consistent, nagging threat on slow, low surfaces and pole-axed their batting in Pakistan's crushing Twenty20 win in Dubai. Few will forget either that he was player of the tournament in South Africa two years ago.

England, where he has been effective with the ball in ODIs, offers a different proposition, however. "Wickets in England might be slower, a little less bounce so I'll make slight adjustments to my bowling," he said. "Maybe a bit more flight, but generally, as an ODI leggie, you have to be straight and tight and that works in most conditions."

Until the series against Australia, Afridi's form had been uncertain, especially poor with the bat, over the last year. In 18 matches before the series, his highest score was 28. His bowling, though considerably improved, lacked wicket-taking penetration; in 11 ODIs against established teams last year, he picked up nine wickets.

Pressure was building for his place in the side to be scrutinized. "I don't take or give pressure, no matter what anyone is saying about me. I knew I was backed by the coach, the captain and the team and that is all I needed."

Flintoff expected to miss World Twenty20

ICC World Twenty20 2009

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Andrew Flintoff injured his knee at the IPL, and is now a doubt for the ICC World Twenty20

England could be forced to go into next month's ICC World Twenty20 without the services of their premier allrounder, Andrew Flintoff, after he revealed that he has yet to start running after undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained during his brief stint at the IPL in April.

Flintoff was one of 15 players named in England's squad for the tournament, which starts at Lord's on June 5. But England could have to name a replacement if he cannot prove his fitness in the next three weeks. "I'd love to play in the Twenty20," he told Sky Sports, "but that might be too tight."

With the Ashes fast approaching in July, England desperately need Flintoff, 31, to be fully fit and firing before the arrival of the Australians. But despite his history of injury problems, which include a hip complaint that caused him to fly home midway through the tour of the Caribbean in March, he remains confident about recovering in time.

"I had an operation two weeks ago and I'm already off my crutches," he said. "The Ashes are a long way off - and I'll be fine for them."

England's Twenty20 captain, Paul Collingwood, conceded that the loss of Flintoff for the tournament would be a "huge blow", but felt sure that they would be able to make do without him.

"He's very much two players in one - as I've always said," said Collingwood. "But I think we've got quite a versatile squad with the players we've got in there. It would be a huge blow if he wasn't going to be fit, but we certainly have the players in the squad to overcome that in many ways."

Collingwood even raised the prospect of leaving Flintoff's place in the squad open for a late return, if he was able to recover in time. "Without Fred, it makes it very difficult to get the right balance between batters and bowlers in the final 11," he said Collingwood. "It's something we're going to have to gauge."

Lee's burst lets Kings XI live to fight another day

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

BLOEMFONTEIN: Brett Lee and Ashish Nehra, two of the finest exponents of the art of pace and swing bowling, were on top of their game and sought their best to reduce all else to being mere members of support cast as Kings XI Punjab shocked table toppers Delhi Daredevils by six wickets in the DLF Indian Premier League here on Friday and gave themselves the chance to making the semifinals.

Both men were hostile, bowling with the palpable intent of hassling and hustling the opposition batsmen. On a track that was not exactly conducive to their ilk, Lee and Nehra found the motivation to showcase the best of their skills but though Nehra bowled as many as 18 dot balls in a dream spell, it was Lee who caused more damage.

Lee got the dangerous Virender Sehwag nibbling a catch down the leg side in the third over of the evening. Gautam Gambhir’s run out dismissal in the next over meant that Kings XI Punjab could hold Lee back just in case Delhi Daredevils launched a fightback. In the event, Lee came back to harass Farvez Mahroof into submission in the 17th over and Rajat Bhatia with the first ball of his next over

With AB de Villiers and Tillekeratne Dilshan also falling cheaply – a rare event in IPL 2009 – Delhi Daredevils were unable to make more than 120 for nine in 20 overs. S Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan picked up two wickets each as well with some tight bowling.

Harker hits out at Test bidding system

England v West Indies, 2nd Test, Riverside, 2nd day

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	There's no legislating for the weather, but May is hardly renowned for sunshine

As the rain fell on a miserable second day at Chester-le-Street it provided an apt backdrop to a game that has reignited the debate about Test cricket's future. Even if the sun had shone, it's unlikely the ground would have been even half full with punters turned away by high ticket prices and unattractive opposition.

Factors such as the weather are out of anyone's control, but cold and damp conditions in May are hardly unexpected. David Harker, Durham's chief executive, has been left counting the cost of an ill-thought-out fixture, and has called for a rethink as to how Test cricket is marketed outside of the major contests.

"There has been a lot of comment about the lack of attendance at this game, but if you don't give them the right sort of product you can't build the audience," Harker told Cricinfo. "It doesn't just happen, you have to work at it.

"There has been talk of a Test championship, and I think that sort of development is necessary to add a context and make the games relevant to people who are going to be asked to part with hard-earned cash to come and watch them. A game that doesn't seem to matter to anyone, not least the players at times, isn't a great advert for a sport."

Durham, who bid £500,000 for the right to host this match, initially wanted an Ashes Test this summer, an understandable aim having held Test status since 2003. But that bid was trumped by Cardiff's massive offer of £3million to host a match backed by the Welsh Assembly. It has left the club trying to market a game that even the die-hards are struggling to get excited about.

Cool Sangakkara takes Punjab to victory

Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, IPL, Bloemfontein

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Kings XI Punjab 123 for 4 (Sangakkara 43*) beat Delhi Daredevils 120 for 9 (Karthik 32, Lee 3-15, Sreesanth 2-20) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-details
How they were out

	Brett Lee was the pick of Punjab's proficient attack, and his success ultimately proved decisive

For the first time in what has been a mediocre campaign, the Kings XI Punjab arrived at the ground with three words carved in their minds: find a way. Yuvraj Singh, with his team in a do-or-die scenario, decided on fielding first on an obscure track and his bowlers vindicated that, limiting Delhi Daredevils to 120. They nearly muffed up a small chase, losing early wickets in a chaotic first six overs and then struggling after the strategic time-out, but yet again Kumar Sangakkara's level-headedness and Irfan Pathan's clutch hitting came up trumps. Delhi failed to hold it together defending a poor total, but can still make the semis even if they don't win any of their remaining games.

The side clinging on for hope before the semi-finals played with grit, while the one on song with near-flawless performances this season turned in a poor display. Brett Lee handed Virender Sehwag another poor score, Sreesanth dismissed Delhi's most consistent pair, and Lee returned with an inestimable wicket-maiden 17th over to help set up an achievable chase.

If any Delhi batsman needed time at the crease ahead of the semi-finals, it was Sehwag, but he again fell cheaply, ticking a short Lee delivery down the leg side. Sehwag has yet to cross 38 in this tournament - and seven innings have added up to only 107 runs. In the next over, Gautam Gambhir steered the ball to deep backward point, stole one, but didn't run the first one hard enough and was done in by a good throw.

With two wickets from four matches at 69.50 at an economy rate of 10.69, coming into this match, you could have said Sreesanth was lucky to get another chance. But he got it together today with four tidy overs of nippy medium pace that accounted for AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Sreesanth got his act together by hitting probing lines and finding just the hint of swing needed to keep the batsmen guessing, and though he didn't have further success, the damage had been done.

Jaques won't give up on Test spot

Australia's contracted players 2009-10

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Phil Jaques' last act in Australian Test colours was a century in Barbados

Phil Jaques will continue to fight to regain his national spot despite suffering a setback in his recovery from a severe back problem when he was dropped from Australia's contract list on Thursday. Jaques has opened in 11 Tests for the team and scored 108 in his last match 11 months ago, but he was cut from the XI in India and returned home for surgery.

His comeback began towards the end of the season and did not go well, with him requiring a second operation on his back and Phillip Hughes capturing the vacancy created by Matthew Hayden's retirement. "It is obviously very disappointing," he said in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I suppose I have lost my contract because I've had injuries this past year. All I want to do is get back on the park. When I am fit and healthy I will put scores on the board, I know that."

Shaun Tait also missed out due to his battle with his body. A long-term hamstring injury kept him out for much of the season and he was passed by a young group of bowlers including Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.

Despite his omission, Tait has been told by Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, that he remains in Australia's plans. "Shaun's been quite clearly told he's very much in the mix for one-day cricket in particular and he'll be closely considered once he's back to full fitness," Hilditch told AAP. "We hope he's going to play cricket for us in the next 12 months but it's still a bit uncertain when he's still not back to full fitness and training, so we'll just monitor that, how he progresses."

Australia have a hectic schedule over the next year and Hilditch said Tait could return via Australia A. "He took it extremely well, probably because he's such a great bloke," Hilditch said. "But underneath all that I'm sure he's hurting, but I'm also sure he'll come back strong."

Cool Rajasthan take humdinger

Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals, IPL, Durban

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Rajasthan Royals 145 for 7 (Quiney 51, Jadeja 42, Jayasuriya 2-3) beat Mumbai Indians 143 (Tendulkar 40, Nayar 35, Warne 3-24) by two runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Shane Warne got the all-important wicket of Sachin Tendulkar when the match was slipping away from Rajasthan

The spectators at Kingsmead were treated to yet another humdinger as the Rajasthan Royals prevailed by two runs in a see-saw encounter with the Mumbai Indians. Rajasthan were in control of the game for 14 overs before Sachin Tendulkar and Abhishek Nayar opened out and gave Mumbai hope. It all came down to the final over when Mumbai needed four runs but a combination of some incredible death bowling by Munaf Patel and panic running resulted in three wickets, incredible scenes and a third-place spot for Rajasthan.

When Nayar made room and lofted Johan Botha over deep extra cover in the penultimate over, Mumbai - who battled required rates crossing nine an over - suddenly needed six off nine deliveries. The following delivery, Nayar played all around a yorker, lost sight of the ball and ambled out of his crease, only to be run out by the keeper. The dismissal was as untimely as Mumbai's revival, which came a little too late and resulted in a last-minute scramble for the required runs.

Munaf had leaked 14 off his previous over but Warne was brave enough to toss the ball back to him for the final over. Munaf beat Dhawal Kulkarni off the first ball and then slipped in a yorker to trap him lbw. Chetanya Nanda pushed the third, a full toss, to mid-off but perished to a direct hit. That put Harbhajan Singh back on strike but he could only squeeze a single off the next ball. Three were needed off two balls when Lasith Malinga took strike but yet another suicidal single, this time to cover, closed out the match.

It took a good 15 overs for the chase to actually come alive. Mumbai were kept on a tight leash by some excellent restrictive bowling by Rajasthan, particularly the slower bowlers. The duo of Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar - with 20 years of experience behind them - were silenced, to the extent that they had to settle for singles and an array of dot balls when the situation demanded at least a boundary every over to keep with the rising asking rate.

Much of that had to do with the early loss of wickets. At 23 for 3, Mumbai looked to their most explosive pair to give the innings a shove but the ball somehow just didn't find the boundary. The spinners were spot on target, varied their pace and slipped in the odd yorker. The boundary drought lasted 45 balls, before Tendulkar chipped down the track and lofted Warne over extra cover.

Bopara credits Gooch for Test success

England v West Indies, 2nd Test, Riverside, 1st day

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Ravi Bopara now looks right at home in Test cricket after a difficult start which included three consecutive ducks.

Chris Gayle is not enthralled by Test cricket, but for Ravi Bopara it holds a special place - and that's coming from a player who can be assured of making a fortune in the Twenty20 game. After listening to the depressing overtures from the West Indies captain, Bopara's youthful exuberance and excitement at his continued success was a timely reminder of the pride the five-day game can bring.

Sadly the crowd was as meagre as expected - the official figure of 5000 seemed very generous - and there are clearly issues the Test game needs to address to secure its future. That is a job for the administrators, but the players must play their part by performing with passion. The attitude of a young cricketer like Bopara can show the way.

"Playing in the IPL was amazing, it was a great experience and I'd love to do it again," Bopara said. "Then again, Test cricket is still the pinnacle of the game. The feeling I got at Lord's reaching a hundred and the feeling I got here, there's no better feeling. I don't know if that's because I had a bad run in Sri Lanka but as a young boy I've always wanted to play Test cricket. My heroes have done extraordinary stuff and you want to do what your heroes have done. All forms of the game are very important to me."

That poor run Bopara alluded to has made his re-emergence as a Test player even more impressive. When he was left sprawling in the Galle dirt in late December 2007, having been embarrassingly run out from slip by Mahela Jaywardene, it completed a pair for the match and three consecutive ducks. Bopara looked anything but a Test cricketer.

As he returned to the dressing room in Galle, he vowed to become better for the experience. "Sri Lanka was possibly the toughest part of my career. Not at one point did I feel uncomfortable, it just seemed to happen so quickly," he said. "I just kept getting out and kept finding ways to get out as well. But not for one moment did I think I wasn't going to play Test cricket again or it's the end for me. I knew I was going to come back and knew I was going to be a better player. From the moment I got run out in that last Test I went back into the changing rooms and said I knew what I had to do and I'm going to come back stronger.

Can Hussey make comeback count like Lee, Symonds?

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

NEW DELHI: All eyes will be on David Hussey when Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the DLF Indian Premier League match on Tuesday. Would he play and emulate Australian team-mates Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee who joined their respective IPL teams, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab and immediately made their presence felt?

Hussey played 13 games last season and scored 319 runs, including two half-centuries. He was available for the Knight Riders match against Delhi Daredevils in Johannesburg on Sunday but not picked. It will be interesting to see if this Australian will make his presence count for a team that has been on a downward spiral that has baffled many cricket fans.

Symonds's entry has reinvigorated Deccan Chargers at a critical time. He announced his return to the team with a belligerent 60 off 36 balls against Kings XI Punjab and then backed it up by taking on Shane Warne in the match against Rajasthan Royals in Kimberley by making 30 on Monday. He also gives extra bowling options to Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist.

Similarly, Lee's return from an ankle injury and Abu Dhabi breathed fresh life into the Kings XI Punjab campaign in IPL. He looked fit, bowled quick and stuck to his length and line, not giving Deccan Chargers the width to score freely. Kings XI Punjab attack had been thrashed a fair bit in the earlier games against Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Bowling well may not count as much as taking wickets: Agarkar

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

JOHANNESBURG: In his own small way, Ajit Agarkar is a happy man. His knock for Kolkata Knight Riders against Delhi Daredevils in the DLF Indian Premier League on Sunday was worth more than the 39 runs that the scorebook shows -- the team’s Director of Cricket John Buchanan may finally be convinced about his batting ability.

Buchanan was coach of the Australian team when Agarkar's poor run with bat earned him the dubious sobriquet of Bombay Duck. Nearly a decade later, Agarkar's hoping Buchanan has seen his ability with the bat. “I am sure he is.... at least I hope so,'' Agarkar joked when reminded by iplt20.com about his horror run in Australia in 1999-2000.

As his luck would have, Agarkar had had a discussion on that with former Australian cricketer Greg Blewett, who is here as a TV commentator. “In any case, many remember me mostly for that run with the bat,” Agarkar said. “Everybody has forgotten my bowling on that tour pf Australia.”

It is also an almost forgotten fact that Agarkar was a member of Team India which won the ICC World Twenty20 here in South Africa. Of course, he will not be a part of the team that will set out to defend the crown in England next month. “I am disappointed. Every time an Indian squad gets chosen and I am not there, I am disappointed. But then, I haven’t been in the national squad for nearly a year and a half,” said Agarkar.

Numbers that mattered, Match No. 42

MUMBAI: Here are some interesting numbers that cropped up during Mumbai Indians’ fantastic victory over Kings XI Punjab in Centurion on Tuesday.

119 Kings XI Punjab (119 for nine) equalled their lowest total against Mumbai Indians. In the earlier encounter (in Durban on April 29), Kings XI Punjab had made 119 for eight.

70 Dwayne Bravo’s unbeaten 70 is the highest score by a Mumbai batsman in IPL 2009, bettering Sachin Tendulkar’s 68 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Port Elizabeth on April 27.

21 S Sreesanth conceded 21 runs in his only over. His figures are the worst ever in IPL history for a bowler who bowled just one over in the game. Andrew Symonds had conceded 20 runs against Kings XI Punjab in Kimberley on May 9.

11 Piyush Chawla has now conceded 11 sixes off his bowling in IPL 2009 – only Shane Warne has conceded more (13).

4 Sreesanth has bowled one over in each of his four games in IPL 2009 that fetched 20 runs for the opposing side!

2.25 Harbhajan Singh’s economy rate in the match – the best for a spinner in IPL 2009 in a complete spell of four overs. Muttiah Muralitharan had returned an economy of 2.75 for Chennai Super Kings against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Port Elizabeth on April 20.

1 The win was Mumbai’s first over Kings XI Punjab in four matches. It was also Mumbai Indians’ first in 2009 while chasing a target. They had lost all the three games before winning this one.

Sachin asked me to open and I grabbed it: Bravo

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Michelle Jones

JOHANNESBURG: "If it wouldn't have been for Irfan Pathan, you wouldn't be talking to me," said Dwayne Bravo following his scintillating strokeplay for Mumbai Indians against Kings XI Punjab in the DLF Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Off the eighth ball of the innings, Irfan failed to hold on to a catch from his own bowling - a miss that proved too costly for Yuvrai Singh's brigade.

"I discussed it on the flight coming into Johannesburg with the coach and the captain about coming up the order. I gave my views about the batting order but it was on morning of the match when Zaheer Khan and Sachin asked me if I would open and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands," Bravo revealed.

Promoted to open the innings, the all rounder was batting to a plan. After a brisk start, the demolition act began from the fifth over, smashing S Sreesanth all over the park for over 20 runs and from then on there was no stopping the Bravo storm.

Team News

Kolkata Knight Riders

• Taylor shocks Knight Riders into submission
• Quick Recall 41: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders

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Kings XI Punjab

• Kings XI shot-selection was pretty poor: Moody
• Please leave me alone, let me play cricket: Sreesanth

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Mumbai Indians

• Quick Recall 42: Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab
• Harbhajan delighted to get match award

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Deccan Chargers

• Sneak Preview 43: Delhi Daredevils vs. Deccan Chargers
• Quick Recall 40: Deccan Chargers beat Rajasthan Royals

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Royal Challengers Bangalore

• Taylor shocks Knight Riders into submission
• Quick Recall 41: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders

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Chennai Super Kings

• Chennai Super Kings rise to top with sensible approach
• Badrinath attributes comfort to Hayden's presence

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Delhi Daredevils

• Sneak Preview 43: Delhi Daredevils vs. Deccan Chargers
• Daredevils continue to showcase sense of purpose relentlessly

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Rajasthan Royals

• Deccan Chargers take the game away from Rajasthan Royals
• Quick Recall 40: Deccan Chargers beat Rajasthan Royals

Botha's doosra ruled illegal by ICC

South Africa news

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Johan Botha has been cleared to bowl at the World Twenty20 © Getty Images

Johan Botha, the South African vice-captain, has been given the green light to play in the World Twenty20 despite his doosra testing almost twice the legal elbow flexion limit. Botha's doosra was measured at 26.7 degrees by the ICC's appointed biomechanist, Bruce Elliott, and will be banned until the bowler can prove he can deliver "the other one" at a flexion limit of less than 15 degrees.

But the offspinner will be able to continue bowling at domestic and internatioinal level, after his offbreak (12.2 degrees) and arm-ball (11.1 degrees) measured within the ICC's parameters.

"I have been through the same thing before, where after a while (the doosra) was retested and then allowed to carry on with it," Botha told Cricinfo. "But for me it is just a great relief to be cleared at last and able to play for South Africa at the World Twenty20.

"With this kind of situation, you're 90% sure that you'll get through, but there is always that little bit of doubt until you finally receive the answer. I have not yet heard about the final results and the measurements, but I know they have said that I am not allowed to bowl the doosra at the moment."

Botha was reported by umpires Rudi Koertzen, Brian Jerling and Asoka de Silva after the fourth one-day international between South Africa and Australia for a suspect quicker ball and doosra. The spinner was subsequently tested at the University of Western Australia by Elliott; the same biomechanist who examined Botha's action when he was last cited in 2006.

Elliott has since submitted his report on Botha to the ICC, and recommended the bowler "review his own ... action on a regular basis to ensure his elbow flexion levels are minimized and kept within legal limits." Botha can submit himself for a re-assessment of the doosra after he has modified it in accordance with ICC guidelines.

Though happy to abide by the decision preventing him from bowling the doosra, Botha said he was still unsure as to the circumstances in which he was reported in the first place. He insisted he did not bowl the doosra in the Port Elizabeth match against Australia, and only once in the previous ODI in Cape Town.

Karthik lifts Delhi to 173

Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils, IPL, Durban

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Delhi Daredevils 173 for 7 (Karthik 44*, de Villiers 44, Ojha 2-26) Deccan Chargers
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Karthik scored 44 off 23 to take Delhi to 173

Deccan Chargers checked into second-chance saloon today, but unlike his more illustrious team-mates Dinesh Karthik didn't provide them with any opportunities, and carried Delhi Daredevils to a challenging total. Deccan dropped three catches from three destructive batsmen, got away completely with one, and although Tillakaratne Dilshan played a flashy cameo and AB de Villiers managed a responsible 44, they looked like keeping Delhi to a manageable total.

Enter Karthik, who smote an unbeaten 23-ball 44, and 43 came off the last three overs. Karthik played proper cricketing shots, choosing to go mostly over extra cover and midwicket, and hurting Chaminda Vaas the most. The last over of the innings bowled by Vaas included two dot balls, and yet went for 23, comprising two huge sixes and a delightful boundary over extra cover.

It was surprising that the impetus to the Delhi innings came from Karthik. With Virender Sehwag back, the batting line-up looked imposing, and Adam Gilchrist chose to take the bull by the horns by sending Delhi in. His bowlers responded to the call, Vaas getting David Warner in his first over (Sehwag batted at No. 5) with a slower offcutter. RP Singh could have extended his lead as the holder of the purple cap when he got Dilshan to lob one straight to Rohit Sharma at gully. Straight out it came, and Dilshan punished Deccan after that.

Shoaib Maqsusi was the victim, bowling inside the Powerplay, as Dilshan scooped him for a four and a six in consecutive deliveries. He managed two more boundaries down the ground in what was tied with the most expensive over of the tournament, at 24 runs.

Thanks to Dilshan, Delhi moved to 56 for 1 by the end of the Powerplays. Dilshan was responsible for 37 of them, and only three of them were run. Andrew Symonds ended the carnage when he got Dilshan in the seventh over, and with Gautam Gambhir and de Villiers looking to consolidate some respite followed. Pragyan Ojha came on and provided Deccan with another wicket when Gambhir looked to open his arms in the 10th over. Things would have been even better for them had Ravi Teja caught de Villiers at the wide long-on boundary when he was just 7.

Sehwag looked as out of touch as he has looked through the tournament, and was dropped by Symonds first ball. It didn't prove too costly as he presented Symonds with another opportunity, soon after hitting the first boundary for Delhi in 29 balls. From 56 for 1 in six overs, Delhi had slowed to 103 for 4 in 14 when de Villiers started to hurt Deccan.

The artillery comes out at the toss these days

Heads, tails, fight

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

	Shane Warne: Psyching out opponents since 1992

The Twenty20 game obviously moves at a frenetic pace, but in the IPL the drama now begins at the toss itself. The captains' chat with the TV presenter is relayed on the PA and everybody at the ground, including the teams who are practising on the field, get to hear it. Last evening's game between last year's finalists was also a tactical game between two leaders, Shane Warne and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who sparred at the toss.

Warne went first. He said 160 ought to be a par score, before adding that Chennai don't chase well. Dhoni, who was standing a few feet away, heard him out patiently. As Warne meandered away from the pitch after his stint, Dhoni made sure he got his point across. He said the pressure was on Rajasthan to set a good target and that they would know 130-140 wouldn't be enough on this pitch, and that they would need 170-180 to put up a fight.

Some in the crowd cottoned on to the act, but the reaction from the Rajasthan Royals team, who were practicing, was interesting as well. As Dhoni went on with his repartee, which blared around the ground, some stopped their training and turned behind to look and hear Dhoni speak.

In the late 1800s, Fred Spofforth, the Australian bowler, at least once visited the dressing room of the opposition and told the batsmen how he would dismiss them, thus psyching them out. In recent years Glenn McGrath and Warne used the media to sow doubts in the batsmen's mind. Now, in the IPL, the captains seem to go at each other and at the opposition players at the toss.

Teams News in IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders

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Kings XI Punjab

• Kings XI Punjab clinch two points in nerve-wracking finish
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Mumbai Indians

• Mumbai Indians stay in the frame with 16-run win
• Hope we can carry forward this winning momentum: Duminy

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Deccan Chargers

• We allowed them some openings: Gilchrist
• Sneak Preview 36: Deccan Chargers vs. Kings XI Punjab

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Royal Challengers Bangalore

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Chennai Super Kings

• Chennai Super Kings rise to top with sensible approach
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Delhi Daredevils

• Daredevils continue to showcase sense of purpose relentlessly
• Our bowlers set the game for us: Gautam Gambhir

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Rajasthan Royals

• Umpires report Amit Singh's bowling action again
• Chennai Super Kings rise to top with sensible approach

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