All posts by csb10.top

Australian left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe has supported the ICC’s crackdown on suspect bowling actions and has stated that the ICC’s rule of allowing a 15-degree flex while bowling was adequate.Since July 2014, the ICC’s match officials have reported six bowlers for suspect actions, including Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal. Ajmal, who has been Pakistan’s lead spinner across formats was subsequently banned after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries and his flex was found to be more than twice the ICC limit of 15 degrees. Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and West Indies’ Shane Shillingford have also been banned in the past year for illegal actions.”I think originally when the laws came in you were allowed zero degrees,” O’Keefe told the . “They brought in 15 degrees to give blokes that leeway. If you go past it in my mind you’ve been given a little bit of room and if you’re going past that 15 degrees, you’re taking the p**s.”I’m sure there are guys that have got reasons why and if physically they can’t bowl legally, then fair enough. But the rules are in place for a reason and all throughout the game guys will try and push the rules to a certain point, but I think once you step over that line you have to pay the price, whatever that is at ICC level. It’s not fair, to be honest.”I’m glad that they [ICC] are not going further with it as 15 degrees is enough. It should be zero, really. You should be trying to bowl with a straight arm.”O’Keefe was recently awarded a call-up to the Australia Test side after he finished as the leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker last season. With Australia scheduled to play Pakistan in the UAE, O’Keefe will be working closely with the side’s spin coaching consultant Muttiah Muralitharan in the lead-up to the series and he said that despite the differences in their style, he had a lot to learn from the Sri Lanka offspinner. The two were also team-mates for a season of the Indian Premier League, and played for the now-defunct franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala.”Although we’re two different types of bowlers, he has still got a great understanding of the game so it’d be nice to rehash some of that with him,” he said. “I look forward to seeing him and just learning off him.”The game isn’t all about skill. Skill will get you there but the rest of it is tactics and how to bowl to a batter with what you’ve got and Murali obviously could do well because he could spin it both ways. But that did not stop him knowing what length to bowl, what line to bowl, and what fields to set.”

Leicestershire have announced that Phillip DeFreitas will be their new captain for the 2003 season.The 36-year-old former England all rounder has accepted the invitation to lead the side next summer after Iain Sutcliffe declined the opportunity to succeed Vince Wells as captain.Leicestershire general manager, Kevin Hill, said: “The management committee unanimously approved the cricket committee’s recommendation to invite Phillip DeFreitas to be captain for 2003.”I have the highest regard for Phillip both as a player and a person. He is a strong leader and I look forward to working with him.”DeFreitas, currently on a cricketing tour in Barbados said: “I am extremely proud and honoured to be appointed captain of Leicestershire. We have a lot of talented players and I am looking forward to us achieving the success the club and its supporters deserve.”DeFreitas, who has played in 44 Tests and 103 one-day internationals, is in the final year of a four year contract at Grace Road. Last season he scored 609 Championship runs took 51 wickets and also joined the elite group of players who have achieved a career double of 10,000 runs and 1,000 wickets.

Floodlit cricket returns to Canterbury on Tuesday 30 July when Kent Spitfires play the Warwickshire Bears in Division One of the Norwich Union League. Preparations are already well under way at the St Lawrence Ground, the first outward signs of which will be the testing of the lights on Sunday 28 July and Monday 29 July and the arrival of the Sky television crew ahead of the game.A bumper crowd is expected, with play commencing at 4.10 p.m. on the day. Gates will open at 2.00 p.m. and, in order to cope with the expected high volume of traffic, the Police are to implement a one-way system along the Old Dover Road. Extra parking has been arranged at the nearby Simon Langton School.The match is to be televised and there will be an array of events throughout the evening including bands, a free-fall parachute display and many other activities. Warwickshire currently lead the table and can expect a tough challenge from Kent ahead of their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy Semi Final at Taunton on 1 August.

It doesn’t pay to be successful in the TelstraClear Black Caps side at the moment – you become a target for the injury gods, and Nathan Astle is the latest victim.New Zealand’s player of the year after his outstanding batting form over the summer Astle, will not play in tonight’s second One-Day International against Pakistan and will return home immediately having been diagnosed with a tear in the patella tendon of his left knee.The extent of the tear is not known and is why he is being flown home to be diagnosed by the New Zealand Cricket medical team.A precautionary scan has been taken of the knee as the result of Astle experiencing increasing discomfort since the one-day tournament in Sharjah.New Zealand Cricket’s operations manager John Reid said: “We want to get him home for further diagnosis from our medical team and start him on rehabilitation as quickly as possible.”That’s operations as in technical administration of New Zealand’s Cricket but it might just as well be medical operations manager such has been the attrition rate among the leading New Zealand players since the World Cup of 1999.Geoff Allott, Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori, Shayne O’Connor, Dion Nash, Scott Styris, Shane Bond and now Astle have all suffered severe injury setbacks which have drastically reduced New Zealand’s capacity to compete as efficiently as it could without such an injury load.Astle’s place in the side is being taken by Mathew Sinclair.Sinclair had just returned home from Sharjah and will now rejoin the side on Friday. Astle’s injury is the perfect opportunity for Sinclair to reclaim his place in the New Zealand Test side after being dropped for the home series against England.

England are facing an innings defeat in the second Test at Adelaide after Australia’s bowlers ripped out three of their top batsmen for just 36 runs in the final session of the third day. It followed Steve Waugh’s declaration on 552 for nine, a lead of 210 runs.A partnership of 242 between Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn set up a commanding position for Australia. They started the day watchfully to build on the foundations laid by openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer. Ponting crafted a magnificent 154 to put Australia into the lead, and in doing so proved how mature a batsman he has become. His innings up until his century included just four boundaries against accurate bowling.The two batted through the first session, putting on 94 runs. Martyn played a supporting role, until just five runs short of century he got a short one from Stephen Harmison which flicked his gloves and went via his thigh into the waiting hands of Nasser Hussain. It gave Harmison his first Ashes wicket and England the breakthrough they needed. The right-hander had been troubled with the short ball all day. Andrew Caddick had hit him on the helmet and Harmison struck him twice on the upper body.His departure brought Steve Waugh to the crease. The Aussie captain started briskly at better than a run a ball, prompting Ponting to raise the tempo as well. Trying to match his captain, he fell victim to Craig White, who dug in the first ball of a new spell for Ponting to pull, finding Richard Dawson on the mid-wicket boundary. White then dismissed his brother-in-law, Darren Lehmann, the hometown hero who was looking to justify his position at number six. The left-hander slashed to Andrew Flintoff, who was subbing for Hussain, in the slips. He juggled the ball before claiming the catch.Waugh, after making 35 off 39 balls, mistimed a cut for Mark Butcher to take a great catch in the gully. Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne then survived until tea. Warne made 25 before he tried to drive Dawson and the 22-year-old off-spinner caught him in his follow through. Andrew Bichel, hoping to keep his place over Brett Lee for the next Test, crafted a decent 48 with some magnificent shots off both the front and back foot, giving Gilchrist good support. Eventually, trying to push a Matthew Hoggard delivery to leg, he edged the ball back on to his stumps. His dismissal gave Hoggard his first wicket of the series after toiling hard through Brisbane and Adelaide.Jason Gillespie came out to a thunderous roar but Gilchrist, trying to force the pace, was immediately caught behind off Harmison, prompting the declaration.Showing signs of tiredness after a day’s fielding, Marcus Trescothick was trapped lbw by a Gillespie special without scoring. It was the seventh time the 27-year-old had fallen to Gillespie, and the bowler’s 50th Test wicket in Australia. Glenn McGrath then snared Butcher, plumb lbw for four. McGrath was so confident of the wicket, he did not even turn to see Steve Bucknor’s decision.As he had done on day one, Waugh called up Bichel to bowl the last over of the day. After beating Hussain with his first ball, he dismissed the England captain with his second, a beauty which clipped the top of the off stump. Michael Vaughan remains unbeaten on 17. Rain is forecast overnight and for tomorrow, but with two days of the match remaining England’s chances of survival look slim indeed.

SYDNEY – Australia may have strolled through the first two Tests of theAshes series, but demand for tickets remains higher than ever with theWACA Ground set to break attendance records during the third Test.The Perth stadium has undergone a $12 million facelift and officialsthis evening confirmed Friday’s first day to be a complete sell-out of21,500.Perth’s biggest previous first day crowd was 16,849 recorded on December1, 2000 when Australia played the West Indies.Western Australia Cricket Association president Brian Rakich said: “TheWACA is absolutely delighted with the manner in which the public hasembraced this Test and the occasion of launching our redevelopedground.”Perth’s highest aggregate Test attendance is 84,142 for the game againstEngland in December 1970.For the WACA to break that record, this match could have to last intoits fifth day – something England has not managed thus far.

A young Somerset team scored a memorable victory over Gloucestershire Seconds at Bristol University in a three-day match.Batting first Gloucestershire scored 235, with Wes Durston taking four for 29 for the visitors.In reply Somerset scored 315, with Arul Suppiah making 69, Wes Durston 61 and Richard Timms 59.Batting in their second innings Gloucestershire declared at 302 for five, and the Cidermen’s young hopefuls reached their target for the loss of seven wickets, thanks again to Wes Durston who made 59 to round off a very good all-round match for him, and Arul Suppiah who made 54.After the game Somerset second eleven coach Mark Garaway told me: "This was a very pleasing all round performance."

Somerset County Cricket Club have just held their Youth Presentation Evening in the Colin Atkinson Pavilion at the County Ground.Among the guests of honour at the occasion were the 2003 captain Mike Burns who made the presentations, Somerset coach Kevin Shine, Assistant Coach Mark Garaway, Chairman of Cricket Vic Marks and Mrs Jackie Corner.Well over 180 young cricketers who have played for the Somerset representative teams between the ages of Under 11 and Under 17 were present at the occasion, along with all the team managers and coaches.Chairman of the Somerset Cricket Board Youth Committee Pat Colbourne welcomed everybody who was present to an evening which was held to celebrate the successes of the various age groups.The presentation that were made were:The NAYC Under 19’s Two Day Competition Cup was presented by Mike Burns to Richard Timms who played a major part in helping the team to their success.The Tony Corner Memorial Cup for the Under 17 Player of the year was presented to James Hildreth.The Len Creed Memorial Cup for the Under 16’s was presented to Simon Marchant.The Tony Corner Cup for the Under 15 Player of the year was presented to Robin Lett.The Tony Corner Cups for the 2002 district competitions were presented to:Under 11’s -The South WestUnder 12’s -The South WestUnder 13’s- The South WestUnder 14’s- The South WestUnder 15’s- The North West.The Somerset County Cricket Club Youth Presentation evening was a great success and with so much emerging talent the future of cricket in the county looks very bright indeed.

South Wilts will face Havant in the ECB Club Championship regional finals – but no one knows when or where!The tie is due to be played at Lower Bemerton next Sunday, but Wiltshire are playing a Minor Counties Championship match against Devon on South Wilts’ ground.South Wilts, who scored 166-8 to beat Andover (124) by 42 runs in their zone semi-final, may have to concede ground advantage and play at Havant.Havant beat Basingstoke & North Hants by 33 runs after piled up 217-5 – Richard Hindley (75), Paul Gover (51) and Dominic Carson (28) top scoring.Hindley and Mark Copping each took three wickets as Basingstoke were dismissed for 184 (Giles 36).

If you’ve watched the award winning movie, “A Beautiful Mind”, you would know what it’s like to be enthralled for half an event, only to be left feeling empty by the latter half. There were more than a few at the Rose Bowl at Southampton who walked away from the second day’s play thinking they should get half their ticket money back.While the first day was beautiful – weather and cricketwise – the second was ruled by the mind. Shaun Udal’s five-wicket bag apart, the first day was dominated by talk of the wicket. From talk, it graduated to demonstrations as the Hampshire batsmen formed a neat procession back to the pavilion. With the Kohima Regiment of the Royal Band drumming up what could have easily been a dirge, the local side were reduced from 59/1 to 101/8 before a bit of a slog at the end by Messrs. Mascarenhas and Hamblin saw Hampshire limp to 123 all out.A direct testament to the quality of the wicket was the fact that the Hampshire side lasted a mere 37.3 overs in their first innings. India’s bowlers managed to chalk up figures that flatter them beyond belief. Sanjay Bangar would never have seen figures of four for 40 at his home ground – the Karnail Singh Stadium. After a few overs of Tinu Yohannan were completed, it was obvious that Sourav Ganguly would be on in no time.He was. And Hampshire were off in equal time. The Indian skipper, sending down his medium pace deliveries got several balls to duck low even as a couple whizzed by the ears of increasingly frustrated batsmen. Ganguly returned three for ten from his four overs.To be quite honest, it was the kind of day where you had to drop all feelings of patriotism and parochialism and just support whichever team was batting. It would be easy to begin a tirade against the home association for the kind of wicket served up. However, if you do look back at the history of games at the Rose Bowl, you will find that the wicket boasts no more terrors than its cousins all over the country. It tends to favour the seamers early on before easing out nicely to let the batsmen get on with their job. “It’s not unusual to see sides being about 80 for four and ending up with over 350,” said Victor Isaacs, Hampshire scorer, who has probably watched more games at this venue than anyone else.The Indians, however, were in no mood for history lessons on the nature of the Hampshire wicket. With more than one player rapped painfully on the fingers and knuckles by deliveries that took off from a length, in their first essay, the Indians did not want to take any chances in their second knock. At about lunch time, with Hampshire eight down for 101, the chinese whispers made their way from the dressing rooms to the members’ pavilion to the Atrium Bar and yes, to the press box, that the Indians were reluctant to bat again on this wicket.It bears repeating, however, that these were mere rumours. And of course, to get a clarification on matters of this kind from cricket officials is like trying to play Beethoven on a plate with a fork and knife. You can beat away all you like, but you’ll never get more than a lot of noise. When openers Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer walked out to bat, the audience heaved a collective sigh of relief. There were going to be no embarrassing scenes after all.And then wicketkeeper Adrian Aymes stood up to Dimitri Mascarenhas bowling with a shiny new cherry and a few gents and ladies looked up from their Pimms-lemonade, and raised an enquiring eyebrow. Then came Shaun Udal to bowl his offies in just the fifth over of the innings. His success in the first innings apart, one finds it hard to believe that Robin Smith intended to do a Martin Crowe by bringing his off-spinner on to bowl early. Perhaps captains of both sides, realising the nature of the wicket, had taken the only possible route.Ganguly too seemed to change his tactics, sending Bangar in at the fall of the first wicket – Sehwag 22 – and Ajay Ratra in when Wasim Jaffer was dismissed for 32.There was more chaos to follow. While Bangar helped himself to probably the easiest fifty of his life, Ratra scratched around, never looking comfortable, and before you knew it he was caught in the slips for 26. VVS Laxman, coming in to bat next was hit once in the midriff before patting a ball from James Hamblin straight back to him. He did not trouble the scorers. Ganguly came in next, stayed briefly, scoring 1, before he declared the innings close on 139 for four. This left Hampshire with a target of 253 with an hour and a day to play.Neil Johnson could not emulate his first innings form and chipped Bangar to Sehwag at square leg. Soon after, Will Kendall tickled one to slip and became Bangar’s second victim of the innings. Robin Smith (19 not out) and Hamblin (10 not out) took Hampshire through to stumps on 43 for two.To say the cricket to a back seat to the aforementioned events would be pushing things, but you would have to admit that a bit of friendly bowling to support batsmen is hardly the way to celebrate the great game. Oh yes, but it’s not just a great game, it’s also a funny old one.