Sri Lanka’s cricket board crisis is set to continue for several weeks after the Court of Appeal restrained Jeewan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, from dissolving or cancelling Sri Lanka Cricket’s registration without a hearinguntil the completion of the case.The complicated legal fight started on March 30 when Thilanga Sumathipala’sexecutive committee, elected on March 27, filed a lawsuit to quash the sportsminister’s order to suspend the board on the grounds of financial mismanagement.Sumathipala also sealed off the board headquarters, sending home all theemployees on paid leave, so that the six-man interim committee appointed totakeover would not be able to gain access. Only “moveable property” such asfiles and documents were handed over to the new officials.Although the interim committee is technically empowered to run the cricket board and make decisions, in practice the legal fight has effectively paralysed the administration, hampering decision-making on several important pressing concerns, including the sale of team sponsorship rights, the renewal of player and coaching contracts and planning for future tours.The status quo will continue – assuming the sports minister does notcircumvent the current interim order by appealing to higher authorities -until June 1 when the Court of Appeal will reconvene to hear the sportsminister’s objections to Sumathipala’s legal challenge.
Australia could not have chosen a more daunting venue for the first Test of a series: they have won 10 of their last 14 matches here, and drawn the other four. Their last defeat happened 15 years back, when a West Indian bowling attack comprising Malcolm Marshall, Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh crushed the Australians by nine wickets. In fact, of the four venues where India are playing Tests, Australia’s win percent is highest at the Gabba (57.77, compared to 54.74 at Melbourne, 52.22 at Sydney and 49.18 at Adelaide).
If a 14-match unbeaten streak isn’t demoralising enough, here’s how India have fared in Tests at Brisbane – played four, lost four, including one by an innings and another by ten wickets. India came closest to victory in 1977-78, when they made a spirited chase of a fourth-innings target of 341 – led by Sunil Gavaskar’s 117 – but fell short by an agonising 17 runs.
Australia tend to impose themselves early in a match most of the times, but it is particularly true at the Gabba: in the last eight Tests there, Australia average 463 in their first innings, while their opponents make 223 – that’s an average first-innings lead of 240. Not surprisingly, Australia have won six of those eight matches, all of them by convincing margins (two by an innings, one by ten wickets and three by more than 100 runs). A small crumb of comfort for India: Australia have never crossed 400 against them here – the highest is 382 for 8 declared in 1947-48.
Captains have generally tended to insert the opposition after winning the toss – only twice in the last eight games has a captain elected to bat, and on both occasions Mark Taylor took that decision. It paid off spectacularly against Pakistan in 1995-96 – Australia blunted the Akram-Younis pace duo to score 463, before Shane Warne took over. He snared an amazing 7 for 23 to dismiss Pakistan for 97, and then returned to take four more in the second as Pakistan followed on. Warne finished with match figures of 11 for 77, his second consecutive ten-for at the Gabba: the previous year, he scalped 11 for 110 against England.
A less successful decision at the toss happened last year, when Nasser Hussain famously chose to field. Australia ended the first day on 364 for 2, and England’s tentative attempts to mount some sort of a challenge on the Ashes was quashed right at the outset.
Among the Indian top order, Sachin Tendulkar is the only batsman to have played a Test here. He didn’t have much success either, scoring just 16 and 7 in the first Test of the 1991-92 series. Time to settle scores?
Debutants power Punjab to an impressive win over AssamPunjab sure have thrown up some impressive debutants in their Ranji pre-quarterfinal against Assam played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali. If it was Ishan Malhatra who impressed on the first two days, Friday found his new-ball partner Harish Puri warming the cockles of the discerning. The fast bowler claimed 5 for 66 in the Assam second innings as the tourists slumped to a ten-wicket defeat in under three days. Punjab now move into the quarter-finals of the premier domestic tournament in the country.In the morning, Assam, resuming at 53 for two, lost opener Anurag Das almost immediately. A 47-run fifth wicket stand between wicketkeeper Syed Zuffri (40) and Sumit Ranjan Das (31), and a 32 from Gautam Datta, were the only bright spots in an otherwise pathetic Assam reply. These cameos ensured that the visitors at least avoided the embarassment of an innings defeat. This though was replaced by the none-too-pleasurable feeling associated with a ten-wicket thumping as the Punjab openers duly notched up the 14 runs required to seal their team’s quarterfinal berth.Gandhi puts Bengal in commandA Devang Gandhi hundred saw Bengal secure the vital first innings lead in their match against Rajasthan at the KL Saini Ground, Jaipur. Gandhi’s 146 and an unbeaten 99 from No. 5 Subhomoy Das was responsible for guiding Bengal, who resumed at 122 for 2, to the comfort zone of 409 for six.The morning’s play saw Gandhi and his captain Rohan Gavaskar, the overnight not out batsmen, make a slow yet steady beginning. The two put on 108 runs for the third wicket before Gavaskar was dismissed. Das and Gandhi then got together in what was to prove the brightest partnership of the day. The two were only together for 23 overs but in that period added another 108 runs before Gandhi departed. Bengal lost a further wicket but with Das looking good on 99 and a fair bit of batting to come, Bengald would be setting their sights on a massive first-innings score which would pave their way towards securing an outright win.Gambhir hundred sees Delhi make steady progressDelhi were marching steadily towards achieving their goal of securing the all-important first innings lead in their match against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi. Opener Gautam Gambhir was the man leading the march; he was batting on 142 off 315 balls. His opening partner Akash Chopra too was among the runs scoring 62 before being bowled.With two more days to go, Delhi, currently 262 for three, have enough time to overhaul the Railways score of 497. The first session on Saturday will though prove crucial and a couple of wickets to Railways will bring them right back into the game.Tamil Nadu batsmen lead fightback against MumbaiThe Tamil Nadu and Mumbai tie at the Guru Nanak College Ground, Chennai was always going to be a closely contested affair. So it came as no surprise to see the home team bounce right back into the game after conceding a four-run lead in the first innings. Fifties from opener Sridharan Sriram and middle-order bat Sridharan Sharath saw them post a relatively healthy 265 for eight in their second innings. This has already meant that the Mumbai batsmen will have to better their first innings effort by a long way if they are to book their quarterfinal berth.When the day began, the Tamil Nadu batsmen were faced with the task of batting out of the day and putting runs on the board thereby ensuring their team had the chance of securing the outright win they were looking for. Sriram (61) and No.3 C Hemath Kumar, who made 35, put their team in the right direction. J Madanagopal (45) and Robin Singh (25) continued the good work as did Sharath, who made an unbeaten 50. Tamil Nadu will now be looking to him to probably take them beyond the 300-run mark as this would leave the visitors with a stiff target in this low-scoring match. For Mumbai, spinners Rajesh Pawar, Ramesh Powar and Sairaj Bahatule claimed two wickets each.Gujarat on top against AndhraAndhra batsmen frittered away good starts as the visitors lost their way while pursuing Gujarat’s first-innings score of 499. When stumps were drawn at the end of the third day’s play at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, Andhra were 251 for six. Former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad, batting on 33, and the late-order batsmen were left with the herculean task of adding another 249 runs to secure the first-innings lead that would help Andhra continue their fairytale run this season.In the morning, Mohammad Faiq, who made 71, was the only Andhra batsman to notch up a fifty. GN Shrinivas (34) and Y Venugopal Rao (37) might have been among the runs but they could not convert it into a innings of substance. Just when Andhra seeemed down and out, the Prasads – MSK and RVC – put together a 63-run partnership to give their team a glimmer of hope. RVC on 29 was keeping MSK company when stumps were drawn. For Gujarat, Kalpesh Patel returned figures of five for 48 off 25 overs.
A brilliant stonewalling effort from Harvinder Singh Sodhi and AmayKhurasiya helped Madhya Pradesh salvage a draw against Railways on thefinal day of their Central Zone Ranji Trophy clash at the KarnailSingh Stadium in Delhi today. Khurasiya’s second century of the matchwas the undoubted highlight, the India discard adding an unbeaten 118to his first innings effort of 105.Railways enforced the follow-on as expected this morning afterestablishing a first innings lead of 242 yesterday. In the 17th overof the innings Murali Kartik struck by bowling opener Jai PrakashYadav for 12 with the score at 20. That was to be the lone success forRailways on an otherwise frustrating day.Sodhi and Khurasiya batted through the remaining 70 overs as MPfinished the day on 189/1. Sodhi’s 50 (253 balls, 6 fours) lasted fiveand three quarter hours while Khurasiya’s 262 minute effort was rathermore enterprising, coming off 216 balls and including 12 fours and 2sixes. Railways picked up five points and MP three from the drawnencounter.
West Ham United host in-form Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon, with the Hammers looking to consolidate their place in the top six.
David Moyes’ side are sixth in the league and three points behind Arsenal, although the Gunners have a whopping three games in hand. Moreover, both Tottenham and Wolves are breathing down the Irons’ necks, so victory over Steven Gerrard’s side will be crucial in the hunt for a European place.
With ten league games to go this season, plus potential progression in the Europa League with the Hammers 1-0 down against Sevilla going into the second leg at the London Stadium next Thursday, the final two months of the campaign will be massive in deciding what awaits West Ham in 2022/23.
Therefore, it is crucial that Moyes gets his team selection spot-on today. To that effect, Nikola Vlasic should not start against Villa.
On the chalkboard
Since joining from CSKA Moscow last summer, the Croatian has struggled to live up to his £69k-per-week wage in east London, with the 24-year-old finding the back of the net just once in 32 appearances across all competitions.
A lack of squad depth and a plethora of injuries has meant that Moyes has had little option but to involve Vlasic, who started Thursday evening’s 1-0 defeat to Sevilla.
Usually a left winger, the Croatian would come up against Villa right-back Matty Cash should he feature today, with the English full-back in the form of his life after two goals and two assists in his last three league outings whilst also keeping three clean sheets. Therefore, it would likely be another tricky afternoon for the 24-year-old if he starts this afternoon.
However, Moyes does have alternative options as to who is deployed out wide, with Said Benrahma coming off the bench on Thursday in place of Vlasic, who was on the right-hand side in Seville.
Although he is in the midst of an eight-match goal drought, the Algerian has been significantly more prolific than his Croatian team-mate, with eight goals and four assists in 35 appearances so far this term.
Even Pablo Fornals has enjoyed more success in front of goal, with the Spaniard netting on five occasions, all of them in the Premier League, along with setting up a further four goals.
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West Ham’s attacking options are limited enough as they are, and with the Hammers in pursuit of a top-six finish, the match against Aston Villa is arguably a must-win.
Therefore, Moyes should change it up out wide and give the goal-shy Vlasic a rest after his involvement in the Europa League on Thursday. Frankly, the 24-year-old has been stealing a living since his move to east London.
In other news: West Ham are eyeing “sensational” £22.5m-rated star, supporters will be buzzing
Traditions enrich the game of cricket. And these traditions have more often than not extended beyond the ropes. One such case exists at the famed WACA in Perth, and this one has to do with the members. Not those snooty ones that occupy the best seats to get the best views. These members are the ordinary Tims, Toms, Janes and Jennys who go that extra yard to live their passion for the game of cricket.It’s eight in the morning at the WACA and play is still three and a half hours away, but the gates at the Truman Entrance outside the Members Pavilion are already buzzing with life. Men, women, families of all ages have been camping outside the gates for hours, some even from as early as 3am. These are not the fairweather fans looking for last-minute tickets. These are members of the WACA who pay a A$220 season fee but burn the midnight oil for five days just so that they can occupy seat in the members’ stand at the Lillee-Marsh end.There was a crowd of around 500 queued up outside the gates with some of them still getting out of their sleeping bags while a few were lying on the mats weary from the long night vigil. Die-hards recall about 2000-plus people bunking it out outside during last year’s visit by England, so that they could reach their vantage point in the stands.”People want the very seat they sat on the last time around,” says Rohan, an Indian based in California but who times his vacation to coincide with the Test match at the WACA. Rohan’s wife is from Perth and he has been using her membership and this is the second year in a row he has come to the ground. His cricket mania isn’t new: Rohan was one of the many volunteers who would score, do ball-by-ball commentary and report for back in the days when the website was just taking seed.David, who goes by the name of Blob on the IRC’s chatroom, has been a WACA member now for 12 years. As a four-year-old he saw Dennis Lillee at the WACA in 1970. As a kid his love for the Western Australian team would see him doing his homework watching cricket at his home ground. As a grown-up he does live scoring on his yellow notepad every Test. Blob feels these die-hard members are “tragics”, and goes on to explain why. “I use that term,” he says, “because of the length we guys go for the love of cricket. It’s like a story of the tragic.”Paul Urquhart, a project manager in Sydney, left his job to see the first ball of the on-going contest between Australia and India this time around. “This is the second year in a row I’ve had to leave my job so that I could make it here,” says Urquhart, who looks touching 40s and has the spirit of a larrikin. Urquhart left his job during the Ashes last year as his employers wanted to tie him down with work commitments but he wanted to break free and arrived in time to join the huge throngs outside the Members Stand.
“This is the second year in a row I’ve had to leave my job so that I could make it here.”
So why do these guys want to sit in the same seat? What’s so special? “Each one of us has worked out for ourselves which one point it is from where we can get what we want,” Rohan says. And most of the time, yes, you guessed it, it’s behind the bowler’s arm. Blob likes to sit just about a metre to the left of the bowler’s arm. Rohan, Blob’s immediate neighbour, likes to see it from a “height”. Then there are the older members who have been coming in groups for decades and know no-one will occupy their seats. The Lyalls, John and Cynthia, both 84 years of age, have been “residents” of their seats in the centre of the Lillee-Marsh Stand now for 38 years. “Except for the Test against South Africa few years back we haven’t missed any,” says John, who worked at the WACA for ten years as a crowd facilitator when the members used to sit at the old Prindiville Stand. “We have our own group,” says Cynthia, pointing at their entire row to her right and left before adding “and we all are traditionalists”.Yes, it’s easy to see these members are purists at heart. Even if there are shouts and murmurs round the ground, the Members Stand practices a strict sense of decorum. “It’s about discipline,” says Cynthia. Not that it’s always quiet. There are numerous anecdotes exchanged, a number of cricketing stories told, a whole lot of discussions, debates and vox populis held that binds this tight group together.”I like to listen to stories from the times when I was not even born,” Rohan says. For Blob it’s sharing the cricket with “like-minded people”. A tradition these guys believe makes cricket that much more interesting.
Dominic Thornely and Ben Rohrer resurrected New South Wales’ slim hopes of a home final, driving the visitors 124 runs in front of Tasmania. Rohrer’s century on debut and Thornely’s fighting hundred ensured a Hobart decider was not a foregone conclusion with one day remaining at Bellerive Oval.The pair put the ignominy of the Blues’ first-innings 53 behind them in a 120-run stand after Thornely and Peter Forrest together added 144. Thornely, the stand-in captain, reached triple-figures for the second time in two games, which was a remarkable effort having come to the crease at 2 for 25.He batted for six and a half hours to compile 138 and somehow helped the Blues into a position where they could feasibly steal an incredible come-from-behind win. Rohrer, the debutant who only played because of Simon Katich’s late withdrawal, was unbeaten on 142 at the close, having made his century from 210 balls.The Tigers, who claimed 12 for 202 on day two, managed only 3 for 292 on day three as New South Wales set out to prove their collapse was an aberration. Forrest, in his second game, was out early for 61 but Daniel Smith (30) and Grant Lambert (44 not out) made valuable contributions.The Blues’ chances of reaching the final were boosted by Victoria’s loss at Brisbane and South Australia’s fightback against Western Australia. The only way they can host, however, is to set Tasmania a target on day four and bowl the Tigers out in around two sessions.
Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, is worried a Twenty20 world championship would reduce the value of the game’s broadcasting rights and push players towards burnout. A global tournament is being planned by the ICC, but Marsh is concerned by the extra demands the competition would place on participants.”Whilst the addition of a Twenty20 world championship may provide short-term growth in media rights and other revenues, it is distinctly possible that there may be a long-term market shift away from one-day matches to Twenty20,” Marsh wrote in an association newsletter. “If this were to happen one would assume the value of media rights would decrease, given the reduced length of the game, and therefore the reduced amount of advertising space available for sale.”Marsh said it was for these reasons the Pakistan and India boards had not embraced the ICC’s idea, and he also wrote the players were already at “breaking point” with the amount of cricket being scheduled. reported Marsh pointed at the recent injury list of the Australia squad as evidence. Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Stuart Clark have already missed matches on the current tour of South Africa while Graeme Smith’s side suffered badly during the Test and one-day series earlier in the season.Australia have only four days between the third Test against South Africa and the first match against Bangladesh in Dhaka on April 9. South Africa flew straight from India to Australia before Christmas and Sri Lanka, the third team in the VB Series, had a brief stopover in Colombo on the way to Bangladesh.
Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman have been omitted from the Indian squad for the first two one-day internationals against Pakistan. The selectors have also decided to drop Dinesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir, opting instead for Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Murali Kartik and MS Dhoni.Kumble and Laxman have been regulars in the Test side, but have struggled to make it to the one-day team of late – both were left out for the ODIs against Bangladesh in December as well. Dhoni made his debut in that series, and though he didn’t get too many opportunities with the bat, his aggressive batting in the domestic games ensured that he got the nod ahead of Karthik, who kept wicket in the just-concluded Test series against Pakistan. Mongia was on the tour to Bangladesh as well, and gets another opportunity to make his case after strong performances for Lancashire in the county circuit and in the Indian domestic season.Pakistan play a warm-up one-day match against India A on March 30, while the first of six internationals will be played at Kochi on April 2.Squad Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Zaheer Khan.
HD Ackerman, the captain of Gauteng, and Easterns’ allrounder Pierre de Bruyn have both been banned for one domestic limited-overs match, after an incident in their Standard Bank Cup one-day game at the weekend.They appeared before the United Cricket Board of South Africa’s adjudicating officer, Advocate Michael Kuper SC, in a hearing in Johannesburg today. He found them guilty of contravening Clauses 1.3 and 1.4 of the Rules and Code of Conduct of the UCBSA, after they “engaged in acts of misconduct and used crude and abusive language during the match”.A similar case against Garnett Kruger was dropped because of lack of evidence. The fast bowler Andre Nel, who was also cited, was unable to attend the hearing due to time constraints. He will appear before a separate disciplinary hearing on charges relating to the same incident on Thursday.Meanwhile the Easterns B player Renato Almeida also faced charges arising from an incident in the UCB Bowl match between Easterns B and Northerns B at Benoni (Nov 28-30). Almeida was found guilty of contravening Clauses 1.2 and 1.3 of the Rules and Code of Conduct, for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. He has been suspended for one UCB Bowl match.