All posts by csb10.top

Gloucestershire have had their financial belts tightened to the point of suffocation in recent years but a sign of more breathing space was delivered in financial results for 2012.The playing budget was squeezed to the extent that the coach, John Bracewell, was contemplating the prospect of having to use amateurs last season but such worries were allayed with the granting of planning permission for the development of Bristol.The renovation has skewed the finances dramatically, with a record surplus of £2.9 million being almost entirely down to by a £2.8 million lease of the Ashley Down End of the ground to a property developer.But take away that significant income and the club’s financial performance was still very good. A trading surplus of £108,000 was the best result since 2007. That was despite the poor weather, which reduced gate receipts by £57,000 and membership by £30,000, although they were aided by a one-off £200,000 grant from the ECB.Gloucestershire are now looking forward to a new pavilion being completed in July – immediately increasing its allure as a conferencing centre – and the whole development being finished in time to host England against India in an ODI in 2014.The purse strings have already been loosened, with the signing of Australians Michael Klinger and Dan Christian for this season. Last year, only bit-part deals for Kane Williamson and Rob Nicol were possible in conjunction with New Zealand Cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan also played the second year of his T20 deal.”This has been an exceptional year for the club, with the start of our long-awaited development and the financial impact this has had,” outgoing chairman, Rex Body, said. “Stripping out the surplus on the lease it was our best performance since 2007 despite the effect of the dreadful weather.”But there is still more to do. We are committed to substantial continued development spend as well as increased playing squad expenditure so we will continue to exercise financial prudence. Nevertheless, these results augur well for the future.”

ScorecardIndia women completed a 3-0 whitewash over Bangladesh with a 10-run win in Vadodara. India elected to bat first, and the openers put up a 53-run stand within eight overs. Mona Meshram fell to Fahima Khatun, which brought together opener Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, who put together a 31-run stand for the second wicket. India lost two more wickets in the next over as they stumbled to 86 for 4 in the 14th over. Poonam Raut was the only other batsman to post a double-digit score, apart from Kaur and Mandhana, as India stuttered to 123 for 9. Bangladesh’s bowlers put up a collective effort in restricting the batting, with Salma Khatun and Panna Ghosh picking up two wickets each.Bangladesh looked good in their chase, when the first two wickets produced partnerships of 25 each. They had reached a stage where there were 61 for 2, before losing a couple more wickets through the bowling of Poonam Yadav, to be at a precarious 110 for 7. Contributions from Lata Mondal (32), Shukhtara Rahman (25), Rumana Ahmed (15) and Ritu Moni (15), were not enough as they fell 10 runs short of the target by the completion of their 20 overs.

The legspinner Cameron Boyce, the batsman Joe Burns and the fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile are the three uncapped players named in the Australia A squad to take on the England Lions in a one-day series this month. Aaron Finch will captain the side with Tim Paine as his deputy in a group that Australia’s selectors have chosen with development for the 2015 World Cup firmly in mind.Batsmen Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges, who have played Twenty20 cricket for Australia this summer, are in the squad along with the South Australian Callum Ferguson, who last played for his country in April 2011. The attack will include Ben Cutting, John Hastings and Kane Richardson, all of whom have played international cricket this season, along with Josh Hazlewood.”In selecting this 12 man squad for the five-match series against the England Lions the National Selection Panel had the development of players for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup very much in mind,” John Inverarity, the national selector, said.”Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Callum Ferguson and Adam Voges are all talented batsmen. With the Test Squad being in India, these 12 players will have a chance to push for higher honours by doing well against a strong England Lions outfit.”Burns is the only batsman in the group who has not played for Australia but his class has been apparent in his performances for Queensland over the past two years, which led to him being named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year this week.The presence of his Queensland team-mate Boyce is an indication of how the selectors rate the young legspinner, who has shown plenty of promise in his four seasons of state cricket. Coulter-Nile also has a chance to push for inclusion in Australia’s growing list of international fast men.Australia A will play five one-day games against the England Lions in Hobart and Sydney from February 16 to March 1.Australia A squad Aaron Finch (capt), Tim Paine (vice-capt, wk), Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Callum Ferguson, Adam Voges, Ben Cutting, Nathan Coulter-Nile, John Hastings, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce, Josh Hazlewood.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNew Zealand’s innings lasted 19.2 overs – the shortest ever completed innings for them in Test cricket•AFP

A wonderfully-crafted new-ball spell from Vernon Philander, which brought him five wickets in six overs, set the tone for a wholly embarrassing day for New Zealand as they careered to the third-lowest Test score in their history, and the lowest Test total since 1974, in a contest which wasted no time in giving the impression of a mismatch.The New Zealand innings, undermined initially by Philander’s excellence, but increasingly defeatist as it progressed, lasted only 19.2 overs as they were bowled out in the first session. Lunch was still 19 minutes away when Daniel Flynn made a hash of a pull at Dale Steyn to be the last man out, leaving New Zealand no nearer to finding a semblance of stability following the controversial sacking of Ross Taylor from the captaincy.It was a gorgeous day at Newlands, and a capacity crowd soaked up the sunshine and relished the sight of South African domination.South Africa lost their captain, Graeme Smith, in two overs leading up to lunch, but the mastery established by Philander was equally apparent with the bat. Alviro Petersen helped himself to a measured, unbeaten Test hundred to underline his growing maturity. Hashim Amla purred along much as he pleased against optimistically attacking fields, extending his repertoire on occasions as if to stave off boredom and making 66 from 74 balls, before he wandered blithely across his stumps against James Franklin and suffered for his presumption.Statistical landmarks, though, fell elsewhere. Dale Steyn reached 300 Test wickets in his 61st Test before lunch and became the fourth South African to do so, following Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini. Then came another redoubtable figure, Jacques Kallis, who joined Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid as makers of 13,000 Test runs. He briefly gorged himself on the New Zealand attack in the unconcerned manner of a king used to more exacting feats before departing with many potential courses left uneaten.This has been one of the sorriest interludes in New Zealand cricket, with allegations of dishonesty and former players burning blazers, but when the real business – Test cricket – returned, matters became even worse as New Zealand were humbled by a mighty South Africa pace attack.Philander’s method was simple and clinical as he maintained impeccable accuracy and found just enough assistance to be persistently threatening. Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and BJ Watling edged to wicketkeeper or slips, New Zealand’s brusque new captain, Brendon McCullum, was bowled off an inside edge trying to cover the outswing and Kane Williamson fell lbw after his recourse to DRS proved unsuccessful.There was nothing manifestly disturbing about Philander, no trepidation caused by express pace or even lavish movement, but conditions were lively enough and he lulled a somewhat naïve New Zealand batting line-up into error, killing with kindness, a technician takinbg advantage of indeterminate footwork. It took South Africa a long time to recognise his subtle talents and he is making up for lost time.He returned new-ball figures of 6-3-7-5, quite a feat for a bowler who had been doubtful for this Test after tweaking a hamstring a fortnight ago and who was described by Smith, his captain, on the eve of the Test as “provisionally fit”. New Zealand will be provisionally judged to be out of their depth and the two-Test series will be provisionally held to be over.All this delayed, if not entirely overshadowed, Steyn’s move to 300 Test wickets. He went unrewarded in his opening spell while Philander wreaked havoc, but switched to the Wynberg End for his second spell and with his third ball bowled Doug Bracewell with a delivery that swung away to hit off stump.The last thing New Zealand needed was a difficult decision at the toss, but that was what McCullum faced in his first Test in charge since the removal of Taylor. The pitch was green, if not especially so, and certainly not as green as the New Zealand batsmen. It would have been tempting for New Zealand captains of the old school to feel their way into the Test by having a bowl. Instead, McCullum took the assertive route, as is his style, and his team was found entirely wanting.In cricketing terms, McCullum’s decision was justifiable. There were enough cracks in a pitch dried out by the strong winds of recent days to dissuade McCullum from batting last and, if he looked upwards, he found a stunning Cape Town morning, with Table Mountain shimmering under cloudless blue skies. All they had to do was survive a session. Instead, Philander’s lissom skills soon took their toll.He had a wicket with the last ball of his first over, an outswinger edged by Guptill. There were two more wickets in his third over; a good-length ball caused McCullum to play on and Brownlie fell third ball for nought. It was a limp shot from Brownlie who was batting in Taylor’s spot at No. 4 (a spot where Taylor made 142 and 74 in his last two Test innings, against Sri Lanka in Colombo), one that was hardly designed to fill New Zealand with a sense of feelgood.Philander was unlikely to be given a long spell considering the creeping doubts about his fitness, but he made the most of his limited timespan. Williamson, after having the temerity to drive him down the ground, fell lbw to the last ball of his fourth over and BJ Watling fell to probably the best ball of the lot when the first delivery of his fifth over again found the edge. Morne Morkel preyed upon the tail.Kallis and Steyn’s historic moments will mean that much of the attention will rest upon them. But this is only Philander’s third Test at Newlands and he already has 19 wickets at 9.73. He loves Test cricket and he loves nowhere more than Newlands.

ScorecardTawanda Mupariwa and Tinashe Panyangara needed 15.3 overs to demolish Mountaineers for 26 in their chase of 64 on day three in Masvingo. Southern Rocks ended up winning by the comfortable margin of 37 runs after having themselves been blown away for 58 in their second innings by Shingirai Masakadza and Tendai Chatara. Masakadza had picked up four wickets in the first innings as well after Mountaineers chose to field, as Rocks managed 164 with the help of Trevor Garwe’s unbeaten 41. Mountaineers replied with 159, Mark Pettini making 40 and Mupariwa taking 4 for 30. Rocks imploded in 30.4 overs in the second innings, with just three batsmen making double-digit scores. Masakadza and Chatara picked up eight wickets between them. Mountaineers needed 64, but five of their batsmen registered ducks, and the highest score was 7. Mupariwa took his best figures of 6 for 17 while Panyangara had 4 for 4.

Australia’s Test team convened without Ricky Ponting in Hobart on Monday evening. Barring reasons of injury or personal leave, this is the first time such a state of affairs has existed since 1999.The space left by Ponting will be felt as much in the dressing room as out in the middle, for while his run-making trailed off badly towards the end, his contribution to the team’s development as a mentor and example was seldom stronger.Phillip Hughes occupies Ponting’s place on the team sheet, but all will be expected to take up the considerable hole left by his presence. Apart from the captain Michael Clarke, the most senior members of the squad to play at Bellerive are Michael Hussey, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson.Their insights and examples will be critical to younger team-mates, and so too will the personal experience of Ed Cowan. Having benefited greatly from the time he spent around Ponting both before and after his elevation to the national team, Cowan will now be expected to show that example.”It’s an odd situation in that one of the guys that has been inked into the top order, but more so inked into the culture of the change room, will be missing,” Cowan told ESPNcricinfo. “So there are two ways to look at it. One is to reminisce and think what a hole he’s going to leave. The other side of the coin is that it’s an opportunity for guys to step up, not only as players but as leaders around the change room, and that’s an opportunity for a number of guys to combine together and try to fill the void of his presence.”I think cultures evolve, and the culture of this team has evolved since Michael’s taken the captaincy, so it’s a question of guys being willing like Ricky was to give of themselves to the team like no other. Put the team first, play to win, and make sure the change rooms are a better place when the next person steps into it. A massive loss off the field, but the identity of this team has been growing since Michael took over the captaincy, and that growth’s been pretty evident in the results.”That those results did not culminate in a series victory over South Africa was down to a major malfunction at Nos. 3 and 4 in the batting order – of which Ponting was of course a part – the toll of three Tests on the hosts’ bowlers, and the resilience of the seasoned visitors. Cowan enjoyed a productive series personally, making his first Test century and looking comfortable at other times, but the most resounding lessons of the series were of the five-day game’s unremitting nature.”From a team point of view it was a great lesson that Test series are exactly that,” Cowan said. “It’s not one or two days of really decent cricket, to beat the best you have to be consistent for 15 days. As a group we felt as though we dominated them for eight or nine days of the series, maybe had points decisions on two or three days and only lost two or three days to them, and you end up losing the series. So it was a great lesson for us that the great teams soak up pressure when they have to and have an ability to really nail you when they have that momentum.”They were due to have a good day. That was in the back of everyone’s mind that they’d been pounded and pounded and pounded and yet it showed 0-0, and it took a toll on our bowlers a bit more with both quicks sitting out [Perth]. So we were up against it when our top three quicks were all unavailable for what was a grand final, so it was always going to be hard work. We had our opportunity after day one with the bat to really nail them and we didn’t take it, then with the ball we let things slip, and in a matter of hours the series was prettymuch gone.”Having said that, deep down we knew we gave it a massive shake. The best team in the world had come here with the intention of proving how good they were, and we flexed a few muscles and showed how good we were over the course of the series, but didn’t come away with the biscuits.”Ponting’s retirement and its associated melancholy appeared to add a mental toll to the physical strain evident after the sapping conclusion to the Adelaide Test. Cowan said the start of a new series would allow the start of a new and fresh chapter, without anything like the pathos that enveloped Australia at the WACA ground – there will certainly be fewer tears shed this week, both in private and in public.”It was tough mentally, and physically because it was a back-to-back Test,” Cowan said. “Now we’ve had a chance to refresh, take stock and move forward. Phil Hughes is coming into the side off a lot of runs and we’re pretty confident that everyone can contribute to the team moving forward. We’re now missing Australia’s greatest modern batsmen, but it’s an opportunity for guys to step up. It puts expectation on other guys to fill the void. That’s the only way.”

ScorecardNew Zealand batsman Rob Nicol scored a century•Getty Images

Rob Nicol and James Fuller were the stars of the show as Gloucestershire boosted their hopes of making the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals with a comprehensive victory over high-flying Group A rivals Netherlands in Amstelveen.New Zealander Nicol scored a brilliant 133 with seven fours and seven sixes as Gloucestershire ran up an imposing 290 for 6 batting first, with his countryman and opening partner Hamish Marshall contributing 47 while Fuller added a quickfire 40 late on.Fuller, who conceded 38 off one over as Gloucestershire lost their Friends Life t20 quarter-final to Sussex on Tuesday, then shone with the ball, taking 6 for 35 off his six overs as Holland were bowled out for 146 in the 22nd over. A rain interruption had seen Netherlands’s victory target changed to 237 off 28 overs, but they never seriously threatened and ended up losing by 90 runs.Tom Cooper top-scored for the Dutch with 51 but he was part of a major Netherlands collapse which saw the home side lose their last eight wickets for 43 runs in under eight overs.Gloucestershire’s victory sees them join second-placed Netherlands on 11 points in Group A, one point behind leaders Middlesex but with the Westcountry side having played a game less than both their rivals. Lancashire are fourth in the group on 10 points but with two games still in hand on Gloucestershire, who they meet at Old Trafford on Monday.

Australia’s domestic season will start nearly a month earlier than usual this year, with the first Ryobi Cup match set for September 16 and the opening Sheffield Shield game to start two days later. The WACA and Sydney’s Bankstown Oval will both host September fixtures after Cricket Australia sought ways to start the season early, in part to allow players plenty of games before the first Test of the summer, against South Africa beginning on November 9.The season also faced a squeezed due to the Champions League Twenty20 being held in October instead of its usual September slot, with players from the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers unavailable for nearly three weeks. The problem has been alleviated somewhat by New South Wales and Western Australia being given a break from Shield and Ryobi Cup commitments during that period, although not all the Sixers and Scorchers players are from those two states.Although the early start means September matches will clash with the AFL and NRL finals – there will be Shield cricket on both AFL and NRL grand final days – Cricket Australia has managed to avoid cutting down on the number of matches in the Shield or Ryobi Cup. The Sheffield Shield final will remain in place and will again be a five-day encounter that will be televised, and has been set down for March 22 to 26.”Cricket Australia has this year moved to start the interstate season almost a month earlier than last year to provide players with the best preparation for the summer ahead,” James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said. “The first Vodafone Test in Brisbane is starting three weeks earlier than last season and we want to align our interstate programming accordingly to provide players with adequate opportunities to prepare for that series, as well as providing aspirants with plenty of opportunities.”There are plenty of challenges with scheduling and we know it’s never going to align perfectly for everyone, however we feel this schedule will give our players the best opportunities to prepare and push for international honours. I have no doubt there will be comment about starting the season while football codes are still in operation, but we want to give our cricketers the best opportunities to prepare for international cricket and balancing that with an opportunity for some to play on a global stage, such as at Champions League Twenty20.”The BBL schedule was released last month.Sheffield Shield
September 18-21: Western Australia v New South Wales, WACA
September 26-29: New South Wales v Tasmania, Bankstown Oval
September 30-October 3: Western Australia v Victoria, WACA
October 1-4: Queensland v South Australia, Gabba
October 9-12: South Australia v Tasmania, Adelaide Oval
October 10-13: Queensland v Victoria, Gabba
October 23-26: Victoria v Tasmania, MCG
October 23-26: South Australia v Queensland, Adelaide Oval
November 2-5: Tasmania v South Australia, Bellerive Oval
November 2-5, Queensland v New South Wales, Allan Border Field
November 2-5: Victoria v Western Australia, MCG
November 9-12: Tasmania v Queensland, Bellerive Oval
November 12-15: Western Australia v South Australia, WACA
November 13-16: New South Wales v Victoria, SCG
November 23-26: Victoria v South Australia, MCG
November 26-29: Tasmania v Western Australia, Bellerive Oval
November 27-30: New South Wales v Queensland, Manuka Oval, Canberra
January 24-27: New South Wales v Western Australia, Blacktown Oval
January 24-27: South Australia v Victoria, Adelaide Oval
February 4-7: Queensland v Western Australia, Gabba
February 6-9: Tasmania v New South Wales, Bellerive Oval
February 18-21: Victoria v Queensland, MCG
February 19-22: South Australia v New South Wales, Adelaide Oval
February 21-24: Western Australia v Tasmania, WACA
March 7-10: Queensland v Tasmania, Gabba
March 7-10: Victoria v New South Wales, MCG
March 7-10: South Australia v Western Australia, Adelaide Oval
March 14-17: Tasmania v Victoria, Bellerive Oval
March 14-17: New South Wales v South Australia, SCG
March 14-17: Western Australia v Queensland, WACA
March 22-26: Final, TBC
Ryobi Cup
September 16: Western Australia v New South Wales, WACA
September 28: Western Australia v Victoria, WACA
October 7: Queensland v Victoria, Gabba
October 14: South Ausutralia v Tasmania, Adelaide Oval
October 21: South Australia v Queensland, Adelaide Oval
October 28: Victoria v Tasmania, MCG
October 31: Tasmania v South Australia, Bellerive Oval
November 7: Victoria v Western Australia, MCG
November 14: Tasmania v Queensland, Bellerive Oval
November 17: Western Australia v South Australia, WACA
November 18: New South Wales v Victoria, North Sydney Oval
November 21: Queensland v New South Wales, Gabba
November 28: Victoria v South Australia, MCG
December 1: Tasmania v Western Australia, Burnie
December 2: New South Wales v Queensland, Manuka Oval, Canberra
January 27: Queensland v Tasmania, Gabba
January 30: New South Wales v Western Australia, SCG
February 2: Queensland v Western Australia, Gabba
February 9: South Australia v Victoria, Adelaide Oval
February 11: Tasmania v New South Wales, Bellerive Oval
February 14: New South Wales v South Australia, SCG
February 16: Victoria v Queensland, MCG
February 17: South Australia v New South Wales, Adelaide Oval
February 19: Western Australia v Tasmania, WACA
February 27: Final, TBC

Mitchell Johnson was never in danger of losing his Cricket Australia contract for 2012-13 because he already had one. On the day the players and the board said farewell to the old system of contracts and its various flaws, the last vestige of the Andrew Hilditch era was revealed to be a two-year deal for Johnson that carried over into the current period.Johnson’s appearance on a tight list of 17 players that featured neither the current Twenty20 captain George Bailey, nor the Test opener Ed Cowan, was considered a surprise to many, given his indifferent Test displays leading up to a serious injury that scuppered his home summer.However the team performance manager, Pat Howard, explained that a primary reason behind Johnson’s retention as a contract-holder was that in 2011 he had been granted two years by the former chairman of selectors Hilditch, his panel disbanded as part of the Argus review that also served as the genesis of the recalibrated contracts system.”First off he was on a two-year contract, so he was already contracted, that gets around that issue,” Howard said when asked about why Johnson had made it onto the far tighter CA contract list. “But he did play all the Tests in the lead-up to that period before his injury, and he did play across all three forms. So the reality is he got some ranking in all three forms.”Without giving the opportunity to speak too largely without having the opportunity to sit down with the players individually, the selectors have gone through a fairly rigorous process in reviewing both where the player was and where they think the players will be.”John Inverarity, the national selector, indicated that Johnson may have been re-contracted anyway. “Look I think he would have,” he said. “We have very high expectations that he will come back and come back extremely well. His record is very good. The consideration was that he already had a contract for this period. That was a given.”We know how well he can bowl. That Test match against England in Perth when he got his action just right. It is in there somewhere, if we can provide the support and he can deliver than he is an outstanding player. Mitch has x-factor and of course he is also a very good No. 8 batsman. He is a talented cricketer. Now he has to perform. He is in the 17, he will need to perform and we hope he does.”As a mature-bodied fast bowler with a strong record of durability up to last November’s unusual foot injury, Inverarity said that Johnson will also provide useful squad cover for a fast bowling ensemble that has grown increasingly deep, varied and skilful.”The younger guys can’t stand the workload of those that are 27, 28 years of age,” Inverarity said. “With Pat Cummins, he is not going to play lots of consecutive Test matches. We need depth there and we want to bring on carefully James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. I think last summer for Mitchell [Starc] was about perfect.”Though seldom widely publicised, CA has for some years offered contracts of two or more years to their most bankable assets, commonly going to the likes of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson. Howard said that four players, including Johnson, had held multi-year deals that carried over into the next 12 months, but he indicated that the clause represented a part of the previous regime.”It’s obviously become far tighter, far more difficult to get a contract, and that was the whole point of the Argus review to make it a little bit more stringent,” Howard said. “But there’s plenty of room to upgrade as they have in the past and from memory 13 players got upgraded last year, and we equally expect that sort of thing to occur in the next year, not just the Test players but ODI and T20 players as well.”

Michael Hussey has been allowed to skip Australia’s tour of Ireland and England in June and July to be with his family after the premature birth of his child. Cricket Australia said he will be replaced by Queensland batsman Peter Forrest in the 15-man squad.”Due to our baby being born three months early, it is important for the family for me to be here at this time,” Hussey said. “It is always difficult to miss any tour for Australia and I thank CA for their understanding of our family’s situation.”Forrest, who has played 11 ODIs so far, had been named as the stand-by player when the squad was named in May. He will now be part of the touring party that leaves Australia on June 14.The Australians will play Leicestershire in a tour game on June 21 before taking on Ireland in a one-off ODI in Stormont on June 23. After another tour game against Essex, Australia will play England at Lord’s on June 29 in the first of five ODIs.