Cricket Live Streaming

Watch India vs South Africa Live Streaming

2011-03-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

After a comfortable start to the World Cup 2011, India are sitting on the top of the table with 7 points with 3 wins and 1 tie. They are also one of the two unbeaten teams in this World Cup. India beat Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands and had a thrilling draw against England. In the 4 matches they have played yet, they have been good both with the ball and bat, but they will be facing two strong teams in the final two matches, starting with South Africa on March 12th. The South Africans lost to England in their last match and will be looking to not let go of India easily. On the other hand, India will have to play really well and also field well in order to keep the South African top order at bay.

India will go into the match on the back of a good result and will be hoping to keep the winning momentum going as they can get into trouble while being getting closer to the knockout stages while South Africa will be hoping to brush of the defeat they suffer against England and get back to winning ways.

Predictions: Its a match up of probably the two hottest and inform teams in the last year or so in 1 day cricket and it will be interesting to see how they go about this match on Saturday in what will be a full capaciy squad come the start of the match

Watch India vs Netherlands Live Streaming Online World Cup 2011

2011-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Watch India vs Netherlands Live Streaming Online World Cup 2011

India vs Netherlands (India vs NET) ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 live streaming Group B, 25th Match played at Delhi, March 9th

ICC Cricket World Cup

India v Netherlands

Played at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

India :

MS Dhoni V Sehwag, R Ashwin, PP Chawla, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, V Kohli, A Nehra, MM Patel, YK Pathan, SK Raina, S Sreesanth, SR Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh

Netherlands :

PW Borren, Adeel Raja, W Barresi†, Mudassar Bukhari, AF Buurman, TLW Cooper, TN de Grooth, AN Kervezee, BP Kruger, BP Loots, PM Seelaar, ES Szwarczynski, RN ten Doeschate, BA Westdijk, B Zuiderent

source : www.espncricinfo.com

India vs Bangladesh World Cup 2011 Live Streaming

2011-02-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

India vs Bangladesh World Cup 2011 Live Streaming

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After a successful start to the World Cup campaign where India defeated both Australia and New Zealand in the practice matches, India will take on Bangladesh in their World Cup 2011 opening match.

India will be a confident side after a big batting display against New Zealand where they scored 360 runs thanks to a century by Dhoni and fifties from Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. India went on to win that match by 117 runs.

However, India will not take Bangladesh lightly this time as they were the reason for their first round exit in the 2007 World Cup. The Indian team will definitely be looking to payback the Bangladeshis for that defeat and humiliating exit. So expect a lot of fireworks from the Indian team.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 4th ODI Match Live Streaming

2010-08-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 4th ODI Match Live Streaming

Sri Lanka Triangular Series

Sri Lanka

vs

New Zealand

Played at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Sri Lanka squad :

KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene, TM Dilshan, CRD Fernando, HMRKB Herath, S Randiv, CK Kapugedera, KMDN Kulasekara, SL Malinga, AD Mathews, BAW Mendis, NLTC Perera, TT Samaraweera, LPC Silva, WU Tharanga

New Zealand squad:

LRPL Taylor, GD Elliott, MJ Guptill, GJ Hopkins, PJ Ingram, NL McCullum, AJ McKay, KD Mills, JDP Oram, JS Patel, TG Southee, SB Styris, DR Tuffey, BJ Watling, KS Williamson

India vs Zimbabwe 1st Twenty20 Live Streaming

2010-06-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

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India vs Zimbabwe

1st Twenty20 Match

June 12, 2010

Both twenty20 internationals will be played at the venue where India didn’t able to win a single game on this tour and that is something they have to look for. Indian selectors decided to rest most of the senior players from this tour and that not only cost India the two shocking defeat against Zimbabwe but also send question marked over the next lined up cricketer who are suppose to be regular part of this squad in the coming years.

CSK vs KKR Live Streaming on youtube

2010-04-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

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After offering so much with two early victories, Kolkata has petered out dismally; their last hit out against Bangalore Royal Challengers was a seven wicket thumping.

Posting what appeared to be a somewhat competitive total of 160, Bangalore chased down the runs in quick time, Rahul Dravid (52 off 35 balls) finally fired while Robin Uthappa (50 not out off 22 balls) continued a good run of form.

Kolkata’s spear head, Ishant Sharma continued to be ineffectual going for 46 off four wicketless overs while Ajantha Mendis (0/44 off four overs) was shown similar disregard.

For Kolkata to overcome Chennai they are going to need their top three of Ganguly, West Indies Chris Gayle and Kiwi Brendon McCullum to post a large individual score.

McCullum’s 45 in his last hit out could a signal of things to come and something Chennai’s combination of Ravichandran Ashwin, Doug Bollinger and Shadab Jakati will need to focus on as the Kiwi still remains as the IPL’s highest run scorer.

MI vs DD Live Streaming on youtube

2010-04-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

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If Delhi is to prove overcome their underdog’s status they will need to ensure that Tendulkar’s impact is nullified early, something they were unable to do in their March 17 IPL clash when the little maestro again top scored with 63 off 32 deliveries.

Dirk Nannes and Farveez Maharoof both unable to dislodge him and bowling the wrong lines outside off stump to a batsmen who excels back of square leg and through the covers.

To be fair though the bowlers were lucky not to have experienced more pain at the hands of Tendulkar who can step across his stumps and whip the ball through the leg side with consummate brutality.

Delhi’s batsmen capitulated in their last outing against Kings XI Punjab with only two batsmen breaking the 20-runs barrier and only four hitting double figures to be all out for 111.

Like has been proven in most IPL matches this season, there is no such thing as a safe total but anything that is 170-plus should keep this game competitive however the likes of Amit Mishra and Maharoof will need to find the edges if they are to keep their IPL tournament alive.

India vs South Africa 3rd ODI 2010 Live Streaming

2010-02-26T20:43:00.000-08:00

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The India-South Africa will meet for one last match at Ahmedabad on Saturday. The 3-match series has already gone in favor of India with India leading the series 2-0. But anyone who watched the second ODI in live or in TV will not easily forget the match for the cricket God Sachin Tendulkar has treated millions of cricket lovers a corneal feast of a lifetime. He had another record in his name- a double ton in one day match. The match also speaks volumes of this cricket veteran’s fitness. 4 hours at crease with an enthusiasm to run for second run at the smallest of the chance is a special trait of a champion cricketer; probably there will not be another one like Sachin.

South Africa though had a tough luck in the second match when Sachin made a vast difference and they started their innings with pressure which led to no focus loose shots from their top order batsmen. There was no meaningful partnership and even though Ab De Villiers lasted through the end, they have to finish the losing side.

New Zealand vs Australia Live

2010-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

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Australia in New Zealand 2010

1st T20 New Zealand vs Australia
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Fri Feb20,2010
06:00 GMT

2nd T20 New Zealand vs Australia
AMI Stadium, Christchruch
Sun, Feb 28,2010
05:00 GMT

1st ODI New Zealand vs Australia
MCLean Park, Napier
Wed, Mar03,2010
01:00 GMT

2nd ODI New Zealand vs Australia
Eden Park, Auckland
Sat, Mar 6,2010
23:00 GMT

3rd ODI New Zealand vs Australia
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Tue, Mar 9,2010
01:00 GMT

4th ODI New Zealand vs Australia
Eden Park, Auckland
Thu, Mar 11,2010
01:00 GMT

5th ODI New Zealand vs Australia
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Sat, Mar 13,2010
01:00 GMT

1st Test New Zealand vs Australia
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Fri, Mar 29 - Mar 23, 2010
22:00 GMT

2nd Test New Zealand vs Australia
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sat, Mar 27 - Mar 31, 2010
22:00 GMT

India vs South Africa 2nd ODI Live Cricket Streaming Online

2010-02-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

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India won the 1st ODI on the last ball and there was no big contribution from any player but useful play from the entire team. But main worry is India's bowling as only Jadeja got some respect.

South Africa without Graem Smith is looking weak in batting and middle order is totally out of form including Duminy, deVilliers except kallis. Parnell and Steyn batted well in the 1st ODI and took the match to last ball.

Indian Team, Squad for 2nd ODI at Kanpur:

MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Ashish Nehra, Sreesanth/Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, .

South African Team, Squad for 2nd at Kanpur:

Jacques Kallis (Captain), Loots Bosman, Hashim Aamla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher (wk), Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel/Morne Morkel, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell.

Australia vs West Indies 1st T20 Live Streaming

2010-02-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

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Australia vs West Indies

1st Twenty20 Match

21 February 2010

Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Time : 18.35 Local

India vs South Africa 1st ODI Live Streaming

2010-02-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

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India v South Africa 1st ODI Match

Jaipur

Date: Feb 21, 2010

Time: 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT

The pitch at Jaipur is expected to be a batting pitch providing great help to the openers early in the match as the ball will come onto the bat. For India Gambhir will not play the match along with Yuvraj Singh who is injured. Yusuf Pathan is expected to make a comeback in the team. Fast bowler Sreesanth is expected to be back in the match too.

For South Africa captain Graeme Smith is ruled out due to injury. Jacques Kallis will lead the team for whole series. Though a batting pitch, you can expect great pace bowling from the Steyn, Morkel and Parnell. Batsmen like Kallis and Amla are too in great form.

India vs South Africa 2nd Test Live Streaming

2010-02-11T22:34:00.000-08:00

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The stage is all set for the India Vs South Africa 2010 series. South Africa will play 2 tests and 3 One day internationals (ODI) during their India Tour in February - March 2010. The series would be a thriller with both the top teams fighting for supremacy in the ICC World Test Ranking. India will play to defend its number one test team title against the might South Africans.

The bad news for India is that Yuvraj Sing, Rahul Dravid and Sreesanth would not be playing the 1st test match which stats on February 6 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Groud in Nagpur. South Africa will be playing a practice match on February 2.

Australia vs West Indies Live

2010-02-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Australia vs West Indies Live

Sun Feb 7
03:25 GMT | 14:25 local
08:55 IST 1st ODI - Australia v West Indies
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Tue Feb 9
03:25 GMT | 13:55 local
08:55 IST 2nd ODI - Australia v West Indies
Adelaide Oval
Fri Feb 12
03:25 GMT | 14:25 local
08:55 IST 3rd ODI - Australia v West Indies
Sydney Cricket Ground
Sun Feb 14
03:25 GMT | 13:25 local
08:55 IST 4th ODI - Australia v West Indies
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane

Fri Feb 19
03:25 GMT | 14:25 local
08:55 IST 5th ODI - Australia v West Indies
Melbourne Cricket Ground

Sun Feb 21
07:35 GMT | 18:35 local
13:05 IST 1st T20I - Australia v West Indies
Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Tue Feb 23
08:35 GMT | 19:35 local
14:05 IST 2nd T20I - Australia v West Indies
Sydney Cricket Ground

New Zealand vs Bangladesh Live

2010-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

Feb 3

06:00 GMT | 19:00 local

11:30 IST Only T20I - New Zealand v Bangladesh, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Fri Feb 5
01:00 GMT | 14:00 local
06:30 IST 1st ODI - New Zealand v Bangladesh, McLean Park, Napier

Mon Feb 8
23:00 GMT
(prev day) | 12:00 local
04:30 IST 2nd ODI - New Zealand v Bangladesh, University Oval, Dunedin
Thu Feb 11
01:00 GMT | 14:00 local
06:30 IST 3rd ODI - New Zealand v Bangladesh, AMI Stadium, Christchurch

Mon Feb 15 - Fri Feb 19
22:00 GMT
(prev day) | 11:00 local
03:30 IST Only Test - New Zealand v Bangladesh, Seddon Park, Hamilton

4th ODI Pakistan vs Australia Live Streaming online

2010-01-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

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Pakistan Vs Australia 4th ODI 2010

Jan 29, 2010

10:00 local (04:30 GMT)

Australia already get honour the series winner by won three match within five match. So, it’s match to keep honour match for Pakistan. If Pakistan loss this this match, their will be down from present ICC rang-king.

Live Streaming on Star Cricket

India vs South Africa Live

2010-01-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

India vs South Africa Live

Tue Feb 2 - Wed Feb 3

09:30 IST TBC v South Africans

Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

Sat Feb 6 - Wed Feb 10
09:30 IST 1st Test - India v South Africa

Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur

Sun Feb 14 - Thu Feb 18
09:30 IST 2nd Test - India v South Africa

Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Sun Feb 21
14:30 IST 1st ODI - India v South Africa
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Wed Feb 24
09:00 IST 2nd ODI - India v South Africa
Green Park, Kanpur

Sat Feb 27
14:30 IST 3rd ODI - India v South Africa
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

New Zealand Under-19s vs Sri Lanka Under-19s Live Streaming

2010-01-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

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ICC Under-19 World Cup

New Zealand Under-19s

vs

Sri Lanka Under-19s

20 January 2010

Live Streaming On STAR CRICKET

Played at Village Green, Christchurch

Bangladesh Under-19s vs Pakistan Under-19s Live Streaming

2010-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

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ICC Under-19 World Cup

Bangladesh Under-19s

vs

Pakistan Under-19s

20 January 2010

Live Streaming On STAR CRICKET

Played at Fitzherbert Park

Australia Under-19s vs South Africa Under-19s Live Streaming

2010-01-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

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ICC Under-19 World Cup

Australia

vs

South Africa

Played at Queenstown Events Centre

20 January 2010

Live Streaming On STAR CRICKET

Pakistan vs Australia Live

2010-01-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

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TEST SERIES:

3 Test Matches

1st match : Aus 231 runs

2nd match : Aus 36 runs

3rd match : Aus 170 runs

ONE DAY MATCHES:

1st ODI: Australia vs Pakistan at Brisbane
2nd ODI: Australia vs Pakistan at Sydney
3rd ODI: Australia vs Pakistan at Adelaide
4th ODI: Australia vs Pakistan at Perth
5th ODI: Australia vs Pakistan at Perth

T20 International

Feb 5 Only T20I - Australia vs Pakistan at Melbourne

Pakistan vs Australia 1st ODI Live Streaming

2010-01-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

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Pakistan in Australia ODI Series 2010

Pakistan

vs

Australia

Live @ Brisbane

LIVE Streaming TV Channel : Star Cricket

DATE : JAN 22, 2010

TIME : 03:25 GMT

Cricket Live Streaming

1st Test India vs Bangladesh Day 3 Live Streaming

2010-01-18T17:47:00.001-08:00

India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Day 3 Live Streaming

India

vs

Bangladesh

1st Test

Live Streaming from Chittagong

Played at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium

Live Streaming on NEO CRICKET

Cricket Live Streaming

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd Test Day 5 Live Streaming

2010-01-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd Test Day 5 Live Streaming

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Pakistan in Australia Test Series

Australia

vs

Pakistan

Played

@

Hobart

Date : JAN 14 to 18

TIME : 23:30 GMT

Cricket Live Streaming

India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Day 2 Live Streaming

2010-01-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

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India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Live Streaming

India

vs

Bangladesh

1st Test

Live Streaming from Chittagong

Played at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium

Live Streaming on NEO CRICKET

Cricket Live Streaming

South Africa vs England 4th Test Day 4 Live Streaming

2010-01-17T01:01:00.000-08:00

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Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

England

Played @ Johannesburg

Cape Town

South Africa vs England 4th Test Live Streaming

2010-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

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Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

England

Played @ Johannesburg

Cape Town

Cricket Live Streaming

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd Test Live Streaming

2010-01-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd Test Live Streaming

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Pakistan in Australia Test Series

Australia

vs

Pakistan

Played

@

Hobart

Date : JAN 14 to 18

TIME : 23:30 GMT

Cricket Live Streaming

India vs Sri lanka Tri Series Final Live Streaming,Live Score

2010-01-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

India vs Sri lanka Tri Series Final Live Streaming,Live Score

India vs Sri Lanka Tri Series Final Match Direct Telecast From Mirpur Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.Tri Series Final Match India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming at Local IST 14:00,08:00 GMT,January 13th 2010.Watch Idea Cup Tri Series Final Match Live Scores and Live Updates On Your Pc.

Tri-Series Idea Cup 2010 Final Match

Final India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming

India vs Sri Lanka

India Team : 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ashish Nehra, 10 Sreesanth/Sudeep Tyagi.

Sri Lanka Team : 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt./wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Thissara Perera, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

India vs Sri Lanka Live

2010-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

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Tri Nation Series 2010 - Bangladesh

India

vs

Sri Lanka

Final India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming

TIME : 08:00 GMT

DATE : 10 JAN 2010

PLACE : Played @ Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Live Stream Channel

NEO CRICKET

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Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Live

2010-01-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

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Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh 2010

Bangladesh

vs

Sri Lanka

Played @ Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mirpur

Match Scheduled @ 08:00 GMT

Date : Jan 8, 2010

Live Streaming On NEW SPORTS, NATIONAL Channel

India vs Bangladesh Live

2010-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

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1st Match, Group B:

Bangladesh vs India

Live @ Dhaka

Date : Feb 19, 2011 (14:30 local | 08:30 GMT | 14:00 IST)

Official TV Channel : STAR CRICKET

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Bangladesh will host a tri-nation ODI series featuring India and Sri Lanka in January 2010 at Dhaka. India & Sri Lanka in Bangladesh 2010.

India takes on Bangladesh for the first time since one year in a day night at Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka on January 7th, 2010. The team is participating in a triangular series with the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India will also play two tests with the Bangladesh after the tri-series tournament. Ashok Dinda and other bowler replace Ishant and Praveen in the latest squad.

Tri Series India vs Bangladesh Live Streaming

2010-01-06T20:44:00.001-08:00

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Tri Nation Series 2010

India

vs

Bangladesh

Date : 7 Jan 2010

TIME : 08:30 GMT

Played @ Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mirpur

Live Streaming

South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 5 Live Streaming

2010-01-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

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Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

England

Played @ Newlands

Cape Town

day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 279/6 (JH Kallis 108*, DW Steyn 26*, 83.2 ov)
day 2 - England 1st innings 241/7 (MJ Prior 52*, GP Swann 5*, 82 ov)
day 3 - South Africa 2nd innings 312/2 (GC Smith 162*, JH Kallis 20*, 80 ov)
day 4 - England 2nd innings 132/3 (IJL Trott 24*, JM Anderson 0*, 51 ov)

Tri Nation Series India vs Bangladesh Live Streaming

2010-01-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

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Tri Nation Series 2010

India

vs

Bangladesh

Date : 7 Jan 2010

TIME : 08:30 GMT

Played @ Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mirpur

Live Streaming

on

NEO SPORTS

&

NATIONAL CHANNAL

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test Day 4 Highlights

2010-01-06T01:05:00.001-08:00

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test Day 4 Highlights

Drinks: Pakistan - 46/1 in 10.0 overs (Salman Butt 21, Faisal Iqbal 3)
Over 9.6; Referral by Pakistan, Umpire - BR Doctrove, Batsman - Salman Butt (Upheld)
Pakistan: 50 runs in 10.2 overs (62 balls), Extras 0
Tea: Pakistan - 77/3 in 18.0 overs (Mohammad Yousuf 19, Umar Akmal 8)
Pakistan: 100 runs in 24.4 overs (149 balls), Extras 1
Drinks: Pakistan - 107/6 in 29.0 overs (Umar Akmal 24, Mohammad Sami 2)
Attendance: 12,731
Over 33.5; Referral by Australia, Umpire - BR Doctrove, Batsman - Mohammad Sami (Upheld)
Drinks: Pakistan - 135/9 in 37.4 overs (Umar Gul 2)
Attendance: 12,731

Watch Tri Series India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Match Highlights

2010-01-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

Watch Tri Series India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Match Highlights

Final India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming

India innings
India: 50 runs in 6.1 overs (39 balls), Extras 3
Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0
Drinks: India - 87/3 in 14.1 overs (Yuvraj Singh 8, MS Dhoni 7)
India: 100 runs in 16.6 overs (109 balls), Extras 9
6th Wicket: 50 runs in 41 balls (SK Raina 22, RA Jadeja 22, Ex 7)
India: 250 runs in 44.3 overs (279 balls), Extras 20
Innings Break: India - 279/9 in 50.0 overs (A Nehra 4, S Sreesanth 1)
Sri Lanka innings
Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 8.6 overs (57 balls), Extras 7
Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0
Drinks: Sri Lanka - 77/1 in 15.0 overs (WU Tharanga 30, KC Sangakkara 14)
Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 19.4 overs (125 balls), Extras 11
3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 53 balls (KC Sangakkara 19, TT Samaraweera 29, Ex 2)
Sri Lanka: 150 runs in 29.3 overs (186 balls), Extras 13
Power Play 3: Overs 43.1 - 48.0
Sri Lanka: 250 runs in 45.5 overs (287 balls), Extras 17
TT Samaraweera: 100 off 104 balls (10 x 4)
6th Wicket: 50 runs in 25 balls (TT Samaraweera 18, NLTC Perera 30, Ex 2)

South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 4 Live Streaming

2010-01-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

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South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 3 Live Streaming

Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

England

England: 250 runs in 84.2 overs (509 balls), Extras 9
Innings Break: England - 273/10 in 88.0 overs (G Onions 4)
Over 2.6: Referral by South Africa, Umpire-DJ Harper, Batsman- AG Prince ( Upheld)
Drinks: South Africa - 22/0 in 9.0 overs (AG Prince 14, GC Smith 7)
Over 11.1: Referral by South Africa, Umpire- AL Hill, Batsman- AG Prince ( Struck down)
South Africa: 50 runs in 13.5 overs (83 balls), Extras 5
Lunch: South Africa - 56/1 in 17.0 overs (GC Smith 22, HM Amla 14)
2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 100 balls (GC Smith 25, HM Amla 21, Ex 5)
South Africa: 100 runs in 30.2 overs (183 balls), Extras 7
GC Smith: 50 off 80 balls (5 x 4)

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test Day 4 Live Streaming

2010-01-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test Day 4 Live Streaming

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Pakistan in Australia Test Series

Australia

vs

Pakistan

Played

@

Sydney Cricket Ground

Date : JAN 03 to 07

TIME : 23:30 GMT

Watch South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 3 Live Streaming

2010-01-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

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South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 3 Live Streaming

Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

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Played

@

Newlands

Watch South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 2 Live Streaming

2010-01-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

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South Africa vs England 3rd Test Day 2 Live Streaming

Basil D'Oliveira Trophy

South Africa

vs

England

Played

@

Newlands

Wet Ground: South Africa - 0/0
Drinks: South Africa - 28/1 in 10.0 overs (GC Smith 15, HM Amla 7)
Over 11.3: Referral by England, Umpire- DJ Harper, Batsman- HM Amla (Struck down)

Watch Tri Series Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming

2010-01-04T01:18:00.000-08:00

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Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

4 Jan 2010(day/night Match)

Teams:
Bangladesh (From): Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Naeem Islam, Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain, Saiful Islam, Shahadat Hossain

Sri Lanka (From): Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara(w/c), Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Thilina Kandamby, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Thushara, Suraj Randiv, Suranga Lakmal, Thissara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne

Watch Tri Series India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming

2010-01-04T01:12:00.000-08:00

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Tri-Nation Tournament, Bangladesh

14:00 IST, 08:30 GMT, 14:30 Local Time

Day / Night Match

Dhaka, Bangladesh

The series features 7-ODI match between India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sachin Tendulkar has been rested and will not feature in the series. Along with regular players, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda and Amit Mishra has been selected. Rohit Sharma has been called back into the team.

India Team : Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Amit Mishra.

4th ODI Match India vs Sri Lanka Live Cricket Streaming

2009-12-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

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ODI series between India and Sri Lanka has been a treat so far. Sri Lanka’s tour in India in a hunt for some victory but our Men in Blue have proved that defeating them on their soil is a tough job. so far so good. Studded with spectacular cricket and breathtaking moments, the series now stands 2-1 in the favor of India. While Sri Lanka has been in good form and has shown great resilience and team spirit, India has managed to just get the better of them.

The opening game saw emotions running high, with both teams scoring well over 400. India managed to win that one, but the next match was won convincingly by Sri Lanka, leveling the series at 1-1. Just when the critics were fuming about the dismal performance India had put, the men in blue bounced back in a way that left the Sri Lankans gaping, smashing their way to victory. Of course the modest target of 240 did little to help the Sri Lankans.

Live Cricket IND vs PAK | India vs Pakistan | ICC Champions Trophy 2009

2009-09-24T00:48:00.000-07:00

SA host the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in Johannesburg and Centurion from Sep 22 to Oct 5.

The format has also been revamped, with only 8 instead of ten teams participating. Unlike in 2006, when the tournament lasted nearly a month, there will be no qualifying round this time. Centurion and Wanderers will host all Fifteen games between them.

The teams have been divided into two groups of four each and the top two from each will qualify for the semi-finals.

The 6th match of ICC Champions Trophy 2009 between Ind and Pak will be played on 26th Sep 2009 at SuperSport Park, Centurion, SA

2nd Test | India vs England Day 3 Live Streaming | Mohali | Highlights

2008-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

After a year when the words "wall", "falling" and "crumbling" were never far from the headlines, Rahul Dravid could have been forgiven for thinking he had become Humpty Dumpty, instead of the most prolific No.3 batsman the world has ever seen. It really had been a wretched 2008, with 669 runs from 14 Tests before he arrived in Mohali. This, remember, was the man who made more than 600 runs in series in Australia and England when he was in his prime.

There were no clenched fists or frenzied waves of the bat when he reached his century on Saturday, but the man who sat behind the microphones later in the day looked like someone who had finally seen the light after weeks of confinement in an underground cave. "There was no statement," he said when asked about the muted celebrations for his 26th century. "I was just happy. I'm older and wiser now. I don't jump around and get excited.

"I'm relieved. It's nice to be contributing again. It's been a tough year, and it's good to make an important contribution, especially with the conditions that we've had in this game."

The partnership with Gautam Gambhir was worth 314 runs in 107.5 overs, its significance evident when the next highest stand was 40 runs. "Hopefully, it will be a match-winning partnership," Dravid said. "Gautam batted beautifully and took the pressure off me. He rotated the strike and was positive against both the pace bowlers and spinners. He's having a phenomenal year."

England fought back spiritedly after breaking that partnership, but they should also be worried at how subsequent batsmen failed to make much headway on a pitch that's sure to play a few tricks over the next three days. "At 300 for 1, we were looking around, wondering where we were going to get a wicket from," said Graeme Swann, who along with the indefatigable Andrew Flintoff was the pick of the bowlers. "The way Dravid played, he hardly gave us any chance. He was exceptional."

Dravid himself couldn't really pinpoint a reason for the turnaround. "This year, I've tried everything," he said with a laugh, when asked if he'd gone back to videos or books to get out of the slump. "I watched a few old videos of me batting well to recreate some of those emotions and feelings.

"But the last two series, I've just enjoyed each net session, trusted my instincts and watched the ball.

"The way I judge if I'm batting well is by how I bat in the nets. Against Australia and even in this series, I felt like I was batting well, but there weren't the runs to show for it."
He batted beautifully on day two, clipping the ball off the pads with his old fluency and also easing it through the off-side gaps when chances presented themselves. After taking 205 balls for 65 on the opening day, the next 71 runs took just 123 deliveries. "You grow comfortable, the more time you spend in the middle," he said. "Your feet move better. You pick up the length better. They bowled a good testing spell with the new ball and we were lucky to get through."

He called it one of his "most significant innings", and admitted it might not have been possible without the reservoir of goodwill from fans and experts alike. "There's been lots of scrutiny and speculation because I haven't played very well," he said. "I haven't got enough runs. It's been tough personally.

"So many people have been wishing me to do well. It's at times like these that you realise how many want you to do well. They didn't need to be, but they were so supportive - former players, and even those in the media. That's all you can ask for."

What Mahendra Singh Dhoni will ask for from here is a repeat of the bowling excellence that humiliated Australia here two months ago. "They tested us right through," said Dravid of the English bowling. "But we'll aim to pitch the ball further up and get more swing, make them drive a bit more."

If the skies overhead continue to be overcast, that could well do the trick. As for Dravid, the overwhelming sense of grey has given way to a patch of blue sky. For some, like his three-year-old son Samit, though, life's about far more than centuries and revivals. "He just wants me to come back home."

A match-winning century to go with so many others wouldn't be a bad thing to take back.

2nd Test | New Zealand vs West Indies Day 2 Live Streaming | Napier | Highlights

2008-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued his dominance of world cricket by scoring his 20th Test century on the first day of the second and deciding Test against New Zealand at McLean Park. Chanderpaul's hundred was brought up with a flick off his hip to fine leg off Daniel Vettori just before stumps, with the innings steering West Indies to a useful 258 for 6.

His partnership of 163 for the fifth wicket with Brendan Nash was the highlight for the visitors after a shaky morning session which had them wobbling at 74 for 4. The stand took the initiative away from New Zealand but they hit back as West Indies limped to stumps with the late loss of Nash and Denesh Ramdin.

Chanderpaul, whose unbeaten 100 took him 214 balls with nine fours and three sixes, has produced an amazing 972 runs at 121.5 in 2008. The limits to his concentration seem immeasurable at present as he comes to the end of his second consecutive calendar year to yield an average of over 100.

Nash joined Chanderpaul at the stroke of lunch and their long and patient stay gave the visitors a fighting chance of posting a respectable first-innings total on a flat pitch. Chanderpaul soldiered on throughout the day but lost his mainstay with the score on 237. Nash presented Daniel Flynn with a gift at short cover off James Franklin with the new ball, and was disappointed at missing his maiden century in his second Test. He walked off for a well-compiled 74 off 162 balls.

Nash showed his natural talent and was strong square of the wicket. He cut nicely and collected runs off his pads, but also showed a very strong straight drive off the seamers and spinners.

West Indies' patience during the second session began to bear fruit as the New Zealand attack started to tire and become frustrated in the final session, before the second new ball was due. The pair's confidence also grew as they began to trust both the pitch and their own instincts to push the score past 200.

The New Zealand bowlers lost their patience and consistency through the latter stages of the second session and the beginning of the third as Chanderpaul and Nash prospered. However, Nash's dismissal opened the door for New Zealand.

The pair seemed to be shutting up shop with half an hour left before Nash's resistance came to an end. Ramdin looked very nervous as he was forced to bat during the toughest period of the day just before stumps. He left a straight one from Vettori which cannoned into off stump. With the loss of the last two wickets, the visitors surrendered a substantial amount of momentum which they gained through the Chanderpaul-Nash association.

The day ended in a similar note to how it began for New Zealand. West Indies, after winning the toss, squandered a golden opportunity in the first session with Ramnaresh Sarwan, Xavier Marshall and Sewnarine Chattergoon all falling to poor shot execution. Chris Gayle made 34 before being undone by O'Brien, who seamed one away and took the edge for Brendon McCullum to claim a simple catch.

Sarwan played a loose cut off Jeetan Patel and he too was caught behind by McCullum. Marshall made 6 before pushing at a ball from O'Brien and guiding it to Jesse Ryder at third slip, who took a good catch low down to his right. Chattergoon slashed hard at a half volley from Vettori and Jamie How claimed a very sharp chance at second slip high above his head. West Indies will need their most consistent batsman, Chanderpaul, to rally the lower order on the second day.

1st Test | Australia vs South Africa Day 4 Live Streaming | Perth | Highlights

2008-12-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

There are few more disheartening sights in sport than watching a great career sputter towards an unbefitting end. It's a feeling that has gripped cricket fans in Australia and India in recent months and on a day when Rahul Dravid's half-century against England at least delayed further queries about his retirement plans, Matthew Hayden's second failure of the match against South Africa has only intensified speculation over his future.

Hayden has hit a wall that is starting to look as impenetrable as Dravid's defence at its peak. He took so long to get off the mark in the second innings at the WACA that when he finally struck his first runs in his 37th minute, he raised his bat to the crowd in a mock celebration. The fans cheered but must have been wondering if they will ever see him enjoy another genuine milestone.

If he remains keen to go on next year's Ashes tour, he needs to make a big score quickly. Hayden loves the MCG, where he has made centuries in six out of the past seven Boxing Day Tests, and he will be desperate to harness that positive vibe next week. The way he played in Perth it will take quite a turnaround. A horrible umpiring call contributed to his disappointment when he was given out caught off his pad, but he had been so scratchy that it was hard to imagine him lasting much longer anyway.

In his early days at the highest level, Hayden had an unfortunate habit of occasionally getting bowled misjudging the length and shouldering arms. It's such an ugly mode of dismissal that it magnifies a batsman's flaws. The uncertainty returned in this innings when he was lucky not to be given lbw when he left a Dale Steyn ball that swung in and would probably have clipped the stumps.

His hesitance was understandable. It was only by stripping away much of his aggression and returning to a cautious approach that he returned to form after a miserable Ashes tour in 2005. His first-innings dismissal must have been weighing on his mind as well. On the opening day, Hayden was buoyed by three confident fours when he flashed at a short, wide ball that he could easily have left and edged to slip. A man who made his name by intimidating new-ball bowlers around the world is himself beginning to look daunted.

There have been glimmers of hope in recent months - he made two half-centuries on the tour of India - but he hasn't looked right since missing the trip to the Caribbean due to an ongoing Achilles tendon injury. The heel was the fatal weakness of the mythological Greek soldier for which it was named and it could yet contribute to the undoing of a modern Australian warrior.

2nd Test | India vs England Day 2 Live Streaming | Mohali | Highlights

2008-12-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

In cricket, the line between hero and zero is infinitesimally fine, and nowhere is that truth more accentuated than in India. Rahul Dravid, who has endured the slings and arrows of a fickle sport for more than a decade, knows this better than almost anyone. But after a sapping day in the field, England's cricketers also have a much greater understanding of what it takes to succeed in a country that has long been regarded by visiting teams as the ultimate challenge.

Test cricket is a cruel game. Had it not been for England's last-gasp meltdown at Chepauk, where they failed to defend an Indian record-target of 387, today's diligent and disciplined performance might well have laid the groundwork for their first series victory in India for 23 years. Instead, they were locked out of the day's honours by an indomitable alliance of the in-form and form-less - and hard as they might try, their hopes of regaining that lost ground are, to judge by their recent history in India, slim in the extreme.

One-hundred-and-nine Tests and more than 9000 runs separate the careers of Dravid and Gautam Gambhir, but today they batted as equals - the junior elevated by the sheer weight of runs he has accumulated in 2008 (964 from eight matches to date), and the senior brought low by the plague that has beset his game in the same period. Since his recall for the Sri Lanka tour in July, Gambhir hasn't made less than 19 in any of his 15 visits to the crease. Dravid, by contrast, had fallen for 14 or less in 11 out of 16.

And to judge by the awkward whispers in the media and selection corridors, Dravid's slump was becoming more than just an aberration on a mighty career. The Wall, to use the popular image, was crumbling, but today he was not too proud to stoop to his knees, and pile the pieces back into place, brick by brick. The net result was a fluster-free stand of 173 that demonstrated just how freakish that first Test result had been. India did all their chasing, to spectacular effect, in Chennai. Today all that was required was a confident stroll.

Confidence, however, is precisely what Dravid's game has lacked all year, and who knows what might have happened, both to his career and India's innings, had a loose top-edged pull off James Anderson not landed in no-man's land at midwicket when he had made just 1 run from 17 balls. Dravid did not permit himself a similar extravagance until he had crept along to 7 from 45 balls. Then Anderson dropped short again, and a well-set batsman whistled him ferociously through the leg-side for a nerve-soothing boundary.

Once upon a time, 11 from 46 balls would have been a more than acceptable starting point for an innings, and Lord knows, Dravid has been there or thereabouts often enough in his long and illustrious career. And yet, something strange has happened to his game this year, as has also been the case with the other great stonewaller of the modern era, Jacques Kallis. Perhaps it is the proliferation of Twenty20s - both men endured abject seasons in the IPL - but somehow graft isn't appreciated as it once was.

To be accused of being boring by opponents is one thing, but to be shown up by one's peers must be something else entirely. Perhaps it is significant that Dravid has not made a Test century since Chennai in March, a performance in which even a man with more than 10,000 runs to his name must have wondered at the futility of his existence. In almost the identical number of deliveries that Dravid needed to grind to 111, Virender Sehwag at the other end belted an Indian record 319, with more than three times as many boundaries and infinitely more accolades.

Speed is everything in the modern game, and even the greats must feel slip-streamed from time to time. Today, however, was much more to Dravid's liking. Maybe Sachin Tendulkar felt a similar sense of catharsis last week, when he resumed the Chennai run-chase safe in the knowledge that Sehwag's inimitable hurricane had already blown itself out, and he needed only to do what he does best to win the day for his side. Dravid's first instinct has always been survival, an echo of a former era when India were not habitual victors in Test matches and had to dig deep for their triumphs, as at Headingley in 2002 or Adelaide in 2003-04.

More recently, at The Oval in 2007, Dravid responded to a second-innings scoreline of 11 for 3 with a hugely maligned go-slow that forfeited India's prospects of a second victory in the series, but ensured they would not squander their ultimate series triumph. Much of that mindset was in evidence today. Having won the toss, India's only realistic prospect of defeat was to push too hard and risk being bowled out cheaply. So they did not. The upshot was not pretty, and the din of 35,000 fans at Chepauk felt like a distant dream as the murmurs of maybe a tenth of that number echoed around Mohali. But, as it always is when Dravid is undefeated at the close, it was undoubtedly effective.

England did not bowl badly. With Stuart Broad back in place of Steve Harmison (whose appetite for the struggle was tacitly questioned by Kevin Pietersen at the toss), they found seam movement off a full length, handy reverse swing late in the day, and stifled the tempo throughout thanks to Sehwag's hasty departure. Had it been they who held the 1-0 series lead, that alone might have been sufficient to turn pressure into wickets. Instead, where Sehwag had used brute force to grasp the match momentum at Chennai, Gambhir and Dravid used stealth and application. By the close, they had slammed the door on England's prospects of a share of the series, and were a couple of good sessions from turning the key as well.

2nd Test | New Zealand vs West Indies Day 1 Live Streaming | Napier | Highlights

2008-12-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

The name may not ring a bell for West Indian cricketers but their new strength and conditioning coach is one of the true legends of rugby league football in Australia. Steve Folkes, who joined the West Indies team at the start of their current New Zealand tour, played 510 matches for the Canterbury Bulldogs in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) and was player and coach for more than 30 years.

"It's been going really well," Folkes said. "The sport is different from what I'm used to but the guys have been welcoming and we've managed to do some decent sessions. It's pretty good." He is the West Indies' third such recruit from the tough world of Australian rugby.

Denis Waight, who first took over during Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, himself became a legend after more than 20 years with West Indies when he was credited with the super fitness of the players who comprised the great teams under Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. Now retired and back in Australia with his West Indian wife and family, he remains in contact with those players. He was last in the Caribbean for last year's World Cup.

Bryce Cavanagh joined West Indies four years ago but had less success. Seemingly frustrated by the response of the players to his methods, he quit midway through the tour of Pakistan in December 2006.

Folkes explained that, when his playing career ended, he went into strength and conditioning and then onto coaching.

"The sports are different and the needs are different so I just need to adjust," he said. "I will learn by watching and I've spoken to head coach John Dyson and sought his advice." He acknowledged that the culture of the West Indies is different to what he's used to.

"It's a bit of a challenge, but they say a change is as good as a holiday," he said. "I'm working my way into the role and I am working them out. It's trial and error and I am learning about what they can handle."

The players can expect some tough work under Folkes who is known in Australia as a strict disciplinarian with a no-nonsense approach. But he won't be applying the same system as in rugby.

"Cricket is obviously not a contact sport so the players don't need muscle bulk," he said. "But they still need to be strong in their shoulders. It is less endurance-based but it is tough for a fast bowler who has just bowled 15 to 20 overs in a day. They are on the field every day so it's hard to do too much with them."

Like so many Australians, Folkes' knowledge of and admiration for West Indies cricket was first sparked by the stars who played in Australia in his youth.

"I can remember going to the SCG and watching Sir Garry Sobers, Wes Hall, Rohan Kanhai, Roy Fredericks and other great West Indies players," he said. "Naturally I got autographs from them all, so I understand that West Indies have a very proud and successful heritage. I will do my part to have a positive environment, good team atmosphere and good team culture."

His manager, John Fordham, told the media in Australia that, while excited by the job, Folkes still harbours an eventual return to rugby league when a position becomes available in Australia or England.

"Steve wanted to keep himself active after the Bulldogs," Fordham said. "He didn't want to go into retirement. There was an opportunity with the West Indies team and it is a good learning experience. He is fortunate to have strength and conditioning qualifications as the basic skills apply anywhere."

The West Indies are also fortunate to have secured him, at least for the time being.

2nd Test | India vs England Day 1 Live Streaming | Mohali | Highlights

2008-12-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

After ceding the limelight to Sachin Tendulkar on the final day in Chennai, Mahendra Singh Dhoni fronted up to the cameras and microphones in Mohali, perhaps aware that no Indian captain has won three Tests on the trot [excluding tours of Bangladesh] since Sourav Ganguly triumphed at Kolkata, Chennai [Australia] and Bulawayo seven years ago. His record as captain thus far is perfect - four from four - and Mohali was the scene of the most emphatic victory, a 320-run drubbing of Australia two months ago.

"Nothing is easy, I can assure you of that," said Dhoni with a smile when asked if this whole captaincy business was a lark. "International cricket is tough. Yes, if you do have a good side, if the side is doing everything right, it looks a bit easy. I think it's just that the team is playing really well."

There was certainly cause for alarm in Chennai, with England dominating the first three days of the match. "In the first three days, I don't think we won too many sessions," Dhoni said. "But the last two days, we were on the mark, we won the sessions that mattered. We raised our standards, we took the responsibility as a team, and that's what really matters. Viru [Sehwag] started it in the second innings and of course Sachin and Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh] batted really well. But at the same time, the bowlers were also fine. When there were partnerships, they were willing to bowl and stick to the plans.

1st Test | Australia vs South Africa | Day 3 | Live Streaming | Perth | Highlights

2008-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

The most severe scars do not heal quickly and Australia's dominance of South Africa's batsmen over the past decade gave Ricky Ponting hope leading into this series that the old wounds could be reopened. For much of the second day in Perth it looked like the damage was being mended but Mitchell Johnson's brutal late spell of 5 for 2 will add to the hurt.

His efforts meant South Africa crashed from a strong position at 3 for 234 to a severely weakened one of 8 for 243 at stumps. They trail by 132 with two wickets in hand and Johnson's 33 minutes of mayhem undid much of the good work done by Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, all of whom entered the match with significantly lower Test averages against Australia than their overall marks.

"It was frustrating," Kallis said. "At 230 for 3 we were in a commanding position but that's what happens when you play against the best side in the world. You've got to be on top of your game all the time. We've got some hard work ahead of us. We've been in positions like this before and come out of it.

"It was a world-class spell and these things do happen. Hopefully we can have a couple of those throughout the series as well. We certainly don't see the game as down and out. We'll come back from it."

Smith looked impressively determined until he played on to Johnson for 48, de Villiers was generally fluent in his 63 and Kallis fought off a form slump to post 63. The 47 from Hashim Amla, a man unencumbered by any past meetings with Australia at international level, was the most attractive innings of the lot. None of the men went on to hurt Australia badly but Kallis said there was no hangover of past struggles against the world's No. 1 team.

"We're a different side now, a lot of experience and a couple of young guys," Kallis said. "You lose games of cricket throughout your career and you move on. You certainly don't think about them all the time. We've moved on."

Still, the collapse was particularly annoying for a team that has chased Australia for so long. If they could pull of a 3-0 victory in Australia, South Africa would jump past their hosts to become the No. 1 Test team in the world. Johnson's heroics have not made that task impossible but they have left the visitors with an uphill battle.

On a day that finished on such a downer for South Africa it would be easy to overlook the fact that they could draw several positives from their efforts earlier in the day. Perhaps the most pleasing thing was the innings of Kallis, who made his second half-century since the tour of India in April.

He survived a close call early when he inside-edged a dangerous Jason Krejza offspinner that flew past the stumps. It was Kallis' fifth ball and after he saw off the threat of Krejza, who was pumped after turning one between Amla's bat and pad, he settled into the accumulation mode that has been so typically Kallis over the past decade but has deserted him this year.

"I've worked hard with Duncan Fletcher and our coach Mickey Arthur over the last couple of months and felt really good over the last month or two," Kallis said. "It's nice to start with a few runs up front on the tour, it makes life a little bit easier. But there's a lot of work left ahead, 60s don't win you games. All those batters know we've got to get some big hundreds."

The initial task is to bat for as long as possible on the third day and reduce Australia's lead. To do that they will need to forget about the destruction caused by Johnson, who has a rare chance to finish with nine wickets in a Test innings. Johnson is banking on the late collapse weighing on the minds of the South Africans even after a good night's sleep.

"Hopefully mentally that gets into their head a bit and they start thinking about it a bit more," Johnson said. "Obviously there's been a lot of talk up about their pace attack and how strong their batsmen are and hopefully we've taken them down a notch."

1st Test | Australia vs South Africa | Day 2 | Live Streaming | Perth | Highlights

2008-12-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Steyn removal
After all the hype about Dale Steyn leading in to the match it was a slight anti-climax when he failed to take the new ball for the first over of Australia's innings. The veteran Makhaya Ntini was the first man Australia faced and it was the only time in Steyn's past 14 Tests that he had not sent down the initial delivery of the first innings. Perhaps Graeme Smith was wary of the intense pressure Steyn would be under in his maiden Test against the world's No. 1 team. The fans didn't have to wait long for a glimpse of Steyn, who bowled the second over, but his opening delivery brought back memories of Steve Harmison at the Gabba two summers ago. The ball sprayed wide outside Simon Katich's off stump and was taken by a diving Mark Boucher in front of first slip.

Why'd you call wide?
Later in the day, after he had found his rhythm, Steyn was visibly unimpressed when Aleem Dar called wide for a bouncer that flew just over Katich's head. It was a tough assessment that could have gone either way and even Dar appeared confused by his decision when he called over after five legal balls. The players started to reposition for the next over from Paul Harris when Dar remembered the wide, realised his mistake and asked everyone to head back to their original spots so Steyn could bowl his sixth delivery.

Duck, duck, goose?
"I'd be surprised if Ntini gets anywhere near the 140 mark to tell you the truth," Ricky Ponting said on the eve of the Test. He was asked how Australia felt about facing up to three fast men who might clock over 150kph. Certainly Makhaya Ntini isn't as quick as he was in his younger days but Ponting didn't hang around long enough to really find out as he edged his first delivery from Ntini to slip. It was Ponting's second golden duck in a 13-year Test career - the first came when he was stumped off Harbhajan Singh in Chennai in 2000-01. The zeroes continued for Australia when Michael Hussey was taken at slip off Steyn; it was Hussey's third duck in Test cricket and all three have come in 2008.

Thumb Prince forces change
Ntini was not only causing problems for Australia's batsmen, he also created a drama within his own camp when he sent down a delivery in the nets on Tuesday that struck Ashwell Prince on the left thumb. The pain worsened for Prince as the day went on - it was the same spot he had been struck on during the recent Test against Bangladesh - and an x-ray revealed a crack in the bone. When he failed a fitness test on the morning of the match it opened the door for JP Duminy to make his Test debut, and he could get a couple of opportunities with Prince no certainty to be fit for the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne.

Happy selectors all round
Both sides came into the match debating whether to include a spinner or go for four fast men on a WACA pitch expected to be quick and bouncy. In the end each team felt that a slow bowler would add the right balance and before lunch on the first day they had their justification. Paul Harris, the left-armer, was in his second over when he sent down a pearler that drifted in to Michael Clarke and turned viciously past the outside edge. It was a terrific ball that not only made South Africa glad they had included Harris but must also have pleased Australia's offspinner Jason Krejza, who won his spot ahead of Shane Watson.

Pistol whips into new role
Paul Reiffel made his Test debut in Perth in 1991-92 and 17 seasons later he has marked another first at the venue. Reiffel was recently promoted to Australia's international panel of umpires and he took up a seat at the WACA for his initial appointment as the TV official in a Test. It's common for first-class players to make their way into umpiring in many parts of the world but in Australia the list of officials is dominated by men who have not played at high levels. When Reiffel retired from Victoria after 2001-02 he was fast-tracked into umpiring and he has regularly stood in games featuring his former state team-mates. As a Test fast bowler, Reiffel played alongside Ricky Ponting and against Jacques Kallis, two of the on-field protagonists in this Test. His first day on the job began as an easy one with only a couple of simple decisions asked of him.

1st Test | Australia vs South Africa | Day 1 | Live Streaming | Perth | Highlights

2008-12-16T04:11:00.000-08:00

Last time South Africa visited Australia for Tests Graeme Smith tried to talk the series up as an action-packed thriller that might just have a surprise ending. Five losses in the six home-and-away matches in 2005-06 turned the picture into a bloodbath for South Africa and while many of the performers have changed, Ricky Ponting hopes the script will remain the same when the contest starts in Perth on Wednesday.

"There's no doubt a lot of those guys in the South African side have played a lot of cricket against us and would be carrying some of the scars from previous series," Ponting said. "It's up to us to make sure we start the game well enough on Wednesday to reopen some of those scars again."

The difficulty for Australia will be instilling the same fear into the visitors with an attack that now features Jason Krejza and Peter Siddle where once it boasted Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. The success of the two superstars contributed to several of the South Africa batsmen having much lower averages against Australia than in their overall records.

Smith averages 22.25 in eight Tests against Australia, Jacques Kallis 38.32 from 18 games, AB de Villiers 23.25 in six Tests and Ashwell Prince 30.33 from nine matches. Ponting conceded it was Warne and McGrath who largely had the stranglehold on the batsmen but he did not believe that made the past history irrelevant.

"I know as a batsman you are always aware of what your record is like against different countries, whether it's against the guys that got you out in the past or not, or whether it's just about the team you're playing against," Ponting said. "All their batsmen will be aware that their records against us probably aren't as good as they are against some of the other countries.

"That's something that may be weighing on their minds. If we happen to bowl first hopefully we can do some damage early on and some of the batters, if we knock them over early, will start having all those doubts back in their mind again about competing against Australia in Australia."

Be it World Cup semi-finals or important Tests, Australia have had an edge over South Africa. Often it has been the South Africans who have talked up their chances only to fall when it came to performing on the field, but this time Smith has been noticeably quiet, which could be a worrying sign for Australia.

Ponting and the coach Tim Nielsen have both done their best to continue Australia's mental advantage over South Africa by putting the pressure squarely back on the visitors. Smith and his coach Mickey Arthur haven't exactly taken the bait. Smith is leading a side that has not lost a Test series since 2006 and mindgames are not on his radar.

"The guys are far more settled now than they ever have been," Smith said. "Over the last year and a half, two years, the team has developed nicely and just moved forward. We're in a really good space. In terms of that [mental] stuff I don't think it's even been raised in our environment. We're all just looking forward to what's coming."

Smith's calm and composed attitude makes it hard to believe he is the same man who was at the centre of the pre-series bluster leading into the 2005-06 tour, when he felt he had to distract Australia's attention. After they drew the first Test in Perth during that trip, the rest of the season went downhill. Smith said his players were better off now.

"The lessons the guys have learnt are invaluable for our team, the experience they've gained," he said. "Even though it's not always on a positive front you learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot about your team and how you've developed over the time, even to the point where you actually know how much better you are now."

Far from feeling that his own squad is under pressure, Smith believes Australia's evolving line-up will face a tough examination. Krejza and Siddle are playing their first Tests in Australia and without Stuart Clark, who Smith earlier in the week labelled Australia's most dangerous bowler, they could have a hard time containing a powerful batting order.

"The calibre of bowler that was on offer for Australia last time we were here was incredible," Smith said. "The likes of McGrath, Warne, those are very difficult people to replace. The guys who are coming in have obviously got big boots to fill. That's a pressure on them more than us. Them trying to step into that limelight is something that might be difficult for them."

But while each side has tried to deflect attention towards their opponents, the reality is that both teams are under significant pressure. South Africa are the No. 2 side in the world but strong tours of England and India could quickly be forgotten if they maintain their poor record against Australia. At least they will provide an unusually tough challenge at home for Ponting's men, whose steady decline would be complete if they became the first Australian side to lose a home Test series since 1992-93. It's time to find out if there is a new twist to the old script.

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South Africa vs Bangladesh 1st test Day 3 Live streaming & Highlights

2008-11-20T21:53:00.001-08:00

At a time when Test cricket is fighting to maintain its credibility and relevance it needs some cracking matches to maintain interest. Brisbane may yet provide a tonic, Bloemfontein certainly won't. Bangladesh, after improving with the ball, were predictably blown away for 153 by South Africa's pace attack and are already one down in the follow-on after debutant Imrul Kayes fell for the second time in the day.

What makes Bangladesh's collapse an even greater pity is that for half the day they had fought back impressively to reduce South Africa from 327 for 1 to 441. Shakib-Al-Hasan, who claimed 7 for 36 against New Zealand last month, took another five-wicket haul to work through the lower order but, as against New Zealand, Bangladesh's resurgence was an illusion and this time the false impression was even greater.

Bangladesh may seem a minor player in cricket's bigger picture, but the reality is they have played a significant number of Tests. Even taking into account the exodus to the ICL and a young team it doesn't excuse repeated failings. Some players, such as Mohammad Ashraful, should know better than driving at wide half volleys but don't seem to learn from their previous mistakes. When it comes to describing a Bangladesh batting collapse nothing much has changed - they can't play pace, don't like bounce and have poor shot selection. A scoring rate of four-an-over is pointless if a side is all out in under 37 overs.

Mushfiqur Rahim showed his team-mates what a little composure and a tight technique can achieve - just as he did at Lord's, in 2005, when he debuted aged 16 against a powerful England attack - playing neatly to reach 48 before being trapped lbw by Jacques Kallis. Graeme Smith was clearly keen to give all his attack a run-out, but the last two wickets added 65 to suggest that South Africa lost their focus a little, which is easy to do when the opposition aren't providing a major test.

The life extracted by the South African quicks showed the surface isn't a featherbed. The fact that Bangladesh removed eight South Africa wickets for 114 was commendable, but reinforced how they had underperformed on the opening day as Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla piled up centuries. If Mahbubul Alam, a young honest seamer, could find useful swing with the new ball, then there was little doubt that Steyn would too. It didn't take long for Steyn to make an impression as he removed Tamim Iqbal's off stump before the batsmen knew what was happening. There are plenty more scalps on offer in the second innings.

Morne Morkel, unconvincing in the one-day series as he struggled with wides, started with a series of leg-side deliveries but, with the final ball of his opening over, got Junaid Siddique into a tangle with a shorter delivery and the leading edge lobbed to gully. However, Morkel's form continued to be a concern as he sprayed the ball either side of the stumps.

When pace gave away to spin Bangladesh still had problems. Paul Harris, operating with a broken thumb that prevented him batting, struck in his second over when Kayes lunged forward and was caught at short leg off the last ball before tea. It took just four balls after the break for another breakthrough as Ashraful, who has time and again spoken about batting more responsibly, drove loosely at a full ball from Steyn and edged into the slip cordon.

Makhaya Ntini added to the procession as he benefited from Shakib's loose cut, Mehrab Hossain's limp push and Naeem Islam's weak pull. The South African attack barely had to break sweat and it appeared almost an act of sympathy when Harris was reintroduced for a second spell, but it allowed Rahim to settle and at least save some face.

It's hard to judge how good South Africa's bowling was as they didn't have to be at the top of their game. However, one area that certainly underperformed was the middle order which wasted a chance to ram home the dominant batting display of the opening day. Smith, missing out on his third double-century against Bangladesh, and Amla were both defeated by early swing before Shakib worked his way through the rest.

As Shakib did his job either side of lunch, Ashwell Prince went about his business in a typically unfussy style and nurdled his way to an 80-ball half century. Occasionally he took the aggressive route, using his feet nicely against the spinners, but largely he was content to work the ball against a deep-set field. South Africa would have liked to dominate their way to a total of 500 but perhaps paid for a little overconfidence. In the end, though, it hardly mattered

Australia vs New zealand 1st Test Day 3 Live streaming

2008-11-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

The swing bowler Tim Southee still lives at home on a farm with his family in Northland, but if he keeps performing like this it might soon be the only place he can hide. In three Tests, Southee has grown used to making big impressions and after being a surprise pick against Australia he quickly made himself indispensable with a mature performance that highlighted a fine day for New Zealand.

Southee reduced Australia to 3 for 23, knocking over Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting during a sensational opening spell, and returned after tea to remove Brett Lee with help from a fine diving take from Brendon McCullum. He finished with 4 for 63 off 18 overs as Australia were dismissed for 214.

"It was up there with my first match against England, but I've only played three Tests," he said. "Hopefully there are more days like that."

Southee arrived like thunder against England in March, taking 5 for 55 and then blasting 77 from 40 balls, but didn't take a wicket in the next match at Lord's and was dropped for Iain O'Brien. His inclusion at the Gabba was not expected and he only found out in the warm-ups that he would replace Kyle Mills. It proved the first of many good decisions by Daniel Vettori on the opening day.

"We had to make the most of the conditions early because it was a bowler-friendly wicket and we did so," he said. "We bowled fairly well as a unit and the catching was outstanding, which was an improvement from the New South Wales game, when we put a few catches down. We've worked on that and it was outstanding."

With an immaculate seam position that should attract the attention of his opponents, who struggle with their wrists and release, Southee was able to get the ball to curl away and spring awkwardly off a seaming surface. His action looks like those of the veteran county pros in England, with a bustle into the crease and a jerky delivery, but he is already potent at international level.

Southee, who lives near Whangarei on the North Island, was a useful rugby player who almost made the New Zealand schoolboys side as a blind-side flanker, but he always wanted to play cricket. He is completing a busy year that included being the Player of the Tournament in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, where New Zealand reached the semi-finals, and has kept him away from the family's sheep and beef farm.

He still helps out but has not spent much time there lately. "I haven't been back a lot in the last year or so but I don't mind doing a bit of real work," he said. The way he is going there will be even fewer visits in the future.

Sri Lanka dominant but captain looks for improvement

2008-11-20T21:41:00.001-08:00

Despite his team claiming a comprehensive six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening ODI, the Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is still looking for improvement.

The visitors had an easy stroll in the park and only needed 33.2 overs to chase a paltry 127 set by Zimbabwe who were earlier blown away by Muttiah Muralitharan, the Man of the Match.

"Winning games at this stage is always important and it does not matter who you are playing against," Jayawardene said. "It was, however, not a good performance from our players and we were looking for a much better standard than what we showed today. I think we should have bowled them out for a much [smaller] score than 127."

Jayawardene also paid tribute to Muralitharan for his match-winning spell. "It's not only today that he was outstanding with the ball. It is always a good option to have Murali in the team because he can come in any situation and completely turn things around in our favour. Murali was the main difference in this match because Zimbabwe were looking good."

At 124 for 3, with Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikinyeri still at the crease, it seemed Zimbabwe would set a challenging target, perhaps even as high as 250. But Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis were brought into the attack, blitzing the Zimbabwe middle and lower order. They lost five wickets in 12 balls.

Prosper Utseya, the Zimbabwe captain who yesterday said Muralitharan was "not as effective" as he once was, conceded they had underestimated his impact. "We need to revisit our technique in the next matches because we have learned a lot of things from this one," he said. "Although Murali got four wickets I think we were coping with his turn.

"Looking at the match Taibu and Stuart were in control of the situation and if only they had continued in that same vein maybe we would have got a huge total. If we revisit our technique we will be in a better position to counter him in the next game."

The second of five ODIs gets underway on Saturday.

Harris suffers broken thumb

2008-11-20T21:40:00.002-08:00

Paul Harris, South Africa's left-arm spinner, has suffered a fractured left thumb but will be able to play his part with the ball for the rest of the first Test against Bangladesh.

Harris picked up the injury before the match started on Wednesday, but because the toss had already taken place South Africa couldn't change their team. He didn't bat in South Africa's first innings, which was declared at nine down, and took the field wearing a protective plastic guard on his thumb.

When he was thrown the ball he resorted to tape as protection and didn't appear in too much pain during a short spell before tea on the second day. He struck in his second over to remove Imrul Kayes with a catch at short leg.

However, depending on the seriousness of the break Harris will be a doubtful starter for the second Test at Centurion Park next week. If South Africa look for another spin option fellow left-armer, Robin Peterson, would be the most likely choice after being in the squad for tours of India and England this year.

But given Bangladesh's problems against pace, the home side could be tempted to field an all-seam attack which would open the door for Monde Zondeki or Andre Nel.

Former players call for rule change

2008-11-20T21:40:00.001-08:00

The abrupt end to the third ODI between India and England in Kanpur due to fading light has sparked off a debate over the rules and their application. While players involved on Thursday called it "bizarre" and "disappointing", former cricketers pulled no punches, calling for the ICC to step in and ensure that lights at grounds are used to prevent "an absolute farce".

Graham Thorpe, the former England batsman, suggested the match referee (Roshan Mahanama, in this case) should take a firmer call and "act almost as the chief executive of the game."

The match began 45 minutes late, due to fog, and was reduced to 49 overs-a-side affair though the lunch break was not curtailed. With conditions deteriorating at the Green Park Stadium, the umpires, Russell Tiffin and Amiesh Saheba, offered India the light. It was immediately accepted and the D/L method was applied to declare India, batting at 198 for 5 in 40 overs, the winners by 16 runs. England had scored 240 in 48.4 overs.

After the match, the captains, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kevin Pietersen, said they knew the D/L method would come into play when fog delayed the start. Pietersen said he had requested the match officials to reduce the lunch interval but was told the ICC rules don't allow that.

Andrew Flintoff, the England allrounder, said it was "a bizarre scenario" in the end because he felt England were two wickets away from "pulling something off". "As you can imagine in the dressing room, the lads are down," Flintoff said. "If we had got two quick wickets, we would have been right back in and could have pulled something off. It wasn't to be. As you can imagine, we are a bit disappointed."

Pietersen said the team has tried to get it sorted. "[We] tried to chat with the umpires and stuff but, according to ICC ruling, the break has to be half an hour. It cannot be less than half an hour. We wanted to change the half-hour break. At the 9.15am toss, we wanted to start as early as possible because we knew we are not getting a full game in."

However, an ICC spokesperson said the rules did not apply here as only 45 minutes of play were lost - a minimum of 60 minutes have to be lost for the break to be reduced.

The stadium lights - they are not cricket-specific floodlights - were switched on only after the match was called off to facilitate the presentation ceremony. The playing conditions for the series, endorsed by both captains before it began, is believed to include a decision to not use lights in day matches.

Ravi Shastri, the former India captain, and David Lloyd, the former England coach - both present at the game as commentators - said the decision to use lights should be taken away from the rival captains.

Javagal Srinath, who was debating the issue with Shastri, Thorpe and Lloyd on NEO Cricket, the official broadcaster, said it was up to the home board (the BCCI, in this case) to offer the option of lights before the series and certify they are fit and available.

"ICC should step in and decide," Shastri said. "Why should the two captains meet [on this issue]? They [ICC] should put it in their constitution once and for all that whether you are playing in Australia or Zimbabwe or in England or in India, if the ground has lights, use it, for Christ's sake. Otherwise, it's an absolute farce. Thirty thousand people watching the contest, and you don't have play for 45 minutes because there is fog, which is ridiculous. Take it away from the players and it will make a huge difference."

Lloyd said it was clear the match should have started earlier than it did. "They could have started 40 minutes earlier," Lloyd said. "Take the lights completely away from the captains, and make it a regulation. If and when you have to use the lights, put them on, even if it is a day game, to ensure that there is a decent game of cricket."

But Srinath, who is a member of ICC's panel of match referees, said the suggestion that the lunch interval be reduced to accommodate more overs was not feasible as they players needed time to recuperate. "If you have play close to 50 overs [in the first innings], a break of 30 minutes is mandatory because players have to go back to the dressing room and recuperate," he said. "The 30 minutes to reorganise themselves is a must. In case, if the game is curtailed further, to 20-25 overs, both captains are involved along with the match referee to decide whether a minimum of 10 minutes needs to be cut from the break."

New Zealand bundled out for 156

2008-11-20T21:38:00.002-08:00

Mitchell Johnson grabbed four wickets but missed the perfect chance for a hat-trick as New Zealand were bundled out for a disappointing 156 shortly before tea. The excellent efforts of Johnson and his fast-bowling colleagues gave Australia a first-innings lead of 58 and an early tea was taken after Johnson finished with a career-best 4 for 30.

Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder all made starts but the lack of fight from New Zealand's lower order was remarkable. The final four wickets fell for 13 and none of the last five batsmen reached double-figures as Flynn was stranded on 39 having played an admirably watchful innings.

New Zealand went to lunch at 4 for 108 but with Taylor looking strong and Flynn solid, they still had a chance of overhauling Australia's 214. But the downhill spiral began in the first over after the break when Taylor, who had failed to add to his 40, was caught on the crease by a Brett Lee inswinger and was lbw to a ball that would have clipped leg stump.

Grant Elliott survived for a while but did little else and lost his leg bail when Shane Watson nipped one back between bat and pad. From there it was a steady procession of wickets as Johnson collected three in six balls, beginning with Daniel Vettori, who was deceived by a slightly slower and marginally shorter ball and prodded the simplest of catches to Andrew Symonds at point.

Symonds gathered another from the last ball of the same over when Tim Southee also nudged one to point and, when Iain O'Brien was caught at slip from the first ball of the next Johnson over, the bowler was on a hat-trick. He will never have a better chance of getting three from three: he had five balls to attack the stumps of Chris Martin, who has 23 Test ducks and an average of 2.38.

Martin couldn't put bat on ball but neither could Johnson bowl a straight one and it was left to Stuart Clark to finish the innings in the next over when he bowled Martin for 1. An early tea was taken to complete a terrific two sessions for Australia, whose gamble on four fast bowlers had worked, although it had also severely slowed the over-rate and they got through only 45 overs in nearly four hours.

It was fitting that Clark finished the job after he also started the trouble by picking up Aaron Redmond from the first ball of the day. Redmond tentatively nudged at a short-of-a-length delivery he should have left, and edged to slip. Lee soon outsmarted Jamie How, who was bowled reaching at a fullish delivery after successfully driving a similar ball for four earlier in the over.

But Ryder and Taylor kept up an attacking frame of mind and New Zealand added 4 for 101 in the eventful first session. Australian fans were given an enjoyable first taste of Ryder's ability as he struck his way to 30 before gifting his wicket to Watson by edging behind when he tried to cut a wide ball with his feet rooted to the crease.

It was a disappointing end for Ryder, who had hit five fours including a cracking back-foot drive off Lee. His stay was action-packed; he suffered a blow to the groin from Lee so painful that his knees buckled almost immediately and he was dropped on 11 when Brad Haddin dived and grassed a chance he should have left for first slip.

After Ryder departed Taylor kept the aggressive intent, slashing boundaries through the off side with equal parts bravado and good fortune, until he became Lee's 299th Test victim. Lee, Clark and Watson picked up two wickets each and, combined with Johnson's four, it was a strong performance on a pitch that had lost some of its spice.

PCB under pressure to pick ICL players - Miandad

2008-11-20T21:38:00.001-08:00

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and current director-general of the PCB, has said the board is under a lot of pressure from the public and the media to include ICL players in the national team. Miandad supported the move and accused the Indian board of "bullying tactics" which have caused players to suffer.

The Indian board banned ICL players from playing any representative cricket in and for India, a move that was copied by most other national boards as well. "The BCCI is a very powerful body, but because of its bullying tactics, a lot of people are suffering. All the BCCI needs to do is join hands with ICL," Miandad told Daily News & Analysis, an Indian newspaper. "PCB is under a lot of pressure from the public and the media to include players like Imran Nazir, Rana Naved and Imran Farhat in the team. If there is such talent, why not utilise it? As a cricketer, I would like to see these boys in the Pakistan squad."

Another influential name in cricket, Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and the chairman of ICC's cricket committee, also backed a thaw in relations between the official and unauthorised voices of the game. He hoped the IPL and ICL could co-exist and also believed that similar leagues in West Indies would boost the game in the region.

Miandad also hoped India will tour Pakistan in January, a series that will boost the country's chances of successfully bidding for the postponed Champions Trophy later in 2009. "If they don't tour then how can we expect any other country to ever visit us?" Miandad was against holding the series at a neutral venue said if there were security issues, India could host it instead. "Let Pakistan tour India on the scheduled dates and India can come back for the return tour a little later, when they feel more comfortable."

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 2 Live From Nagpur

2008-11-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

Losing five was too many - Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has said India were in a decent, but not brilliant, position after ending the first day of the final Test in Nagpur on 311 for 5. Tendulkar, who stabilised the Indian innings with his 40th Test hundred, felt losing five wickets was too many and "three would have been okay".

The situation when he began his innings was reminiscent of India's first innings in Mohali where a terrific start had been eroded by quick wickets. Today India went from 98 for 0 to 116 for 3 and were in danger of allowing Australia to bounce back after Virender Sehwag's half-century forced them on the defensive.

"It was important that I got going because we had lost a couple of wickets and even Sehwag got out after that," Tendulkar said. "I think it was just about keeping the head cool initially because when I walked in it was a critical stage. We had to make sure that we [VVS Laxman and I] had a good partnership and took the game away from Australia because the momentum was with them [Australia] initially."

Tendulkar and Laxman's efforts succeeded and they regained the advantage by adding 146 for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar went after the debutant offspinner Jason Krejza, slogging him over midwicket and lifting over mid-on. He fed off the deliveries that Mitchell Johnson bowled on his pads, flicking with impeccable timing towards the square-leg boundary. The shot of the day, however, was a trademark on-drive against Lee which bisected the gap between the bowler and mid-on.

Tendulkar, however, was fortunate to get a century. On 74 he survived a run-out chance; on 85 he mis-hit Krejza to mid-off where Johnson dropped the catch; on 96 he lofted Krejza once again to long-off where Brett Lee couldn't hang on. Tendulkar played out 11 dot balls on 99 before reaching his hundred by cutting Krejza to the point boundary.

"I can say he [Krejza] was a bit unlucky," Tendulkar said. "He had a first wonderful day. Today I can also thank God [for reaching the hundred] . I am delighted at getting the century."

The 40th century eluded Tendulkar twice in this series. He was out for 88 in Mohali and 68 in Delhi and on both occasions he was batting with fluency before falling against the run of play. Tendulkar, however, said although he missed out on hundreds, he had made vital contributions, such as the patient 49 in Bangalore which helped India save the Test.

"I know I am batting well, but I was not getting to the three-figure landmark. But I don't think that is everything. I have gone in at crucial [stages] at almost four or five times and I have been able to play. That is very satisfying, when you deliver when the team needs the most."

Tendulkar was dismissed in the last half-hour of the day, playing across the line to Johnson, who was bowling with the second new ball. That lapse, and the catches that were offered before his century, seemed to indicate a drop in concentration, but Tendulkar did not agree.

"I don't think I lost my concentration," he said. "Yes there was a patch in between but later on I felt I had sort of again changed the momentum and I just wanted to be there till the end today."

Tendulkar said that the pitch was a "perfect track" but what was noticeable, even in the first hour of play, was how quickly the bowlers' follow-throughs left their mark on the surface. Krejza got a few deliveries to spin and turn on day one and Tendulkar said it will definitely help the spinners more.

"The wicket is playing good. It is on the harder side and it is quite good. The spinners are getting bounce so I think in a day or two it will be difficult to play the spinners." When play ended on the first day, Harbhajan Singh made his way out to the middle, possibly to inspect the surface on which he hopes to fulfil the responsibility passed on to him by Anil Kumble.

'I was surprised by Sourav's decision to quit' - Tendulkar

2008-10-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sachin Tendulkar has said the seniors players in the Indian team must be respected for the "major contributions" they have made over the years. Tendulkar, who recently became the leading Test run-scorer, said the decision on retiring from the international cricket should be made by the players, whom he felt will know when the time is right.

The seniors - Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble - were under intense scrutiny by the media after poor performances in the 2-1 defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka. Ganguly, who was not picked for the Irani Trophy, announced the Tests against Australia will be his last international appearance for India.

"Lack of respect towards senior players doesn't happen anywhere," Tendulkar told the news channel NDTV. "We all know when to move away from the sport. But people have their opinions. Sometimes these opinions are not correct. But one is made to believe that this is the right opinion. The individuals will take their decisions when they feel it's the right time."

Tendulkar said he was "surprised by Sourav's [Ganguly's] decision to quit". "I am sure it must have taken him a long time to reach there. And it's a big decision. But if he feels that it is the way to go, then we all should respect his decision."

Tendulkar and Laxman played crucial innings to save the first Test against Australia in Bangalore. Tendulkar then became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket during his 88 in the second Test in Mohali, while Ganguly went past 7000 Test runs during his 16th Test century in the same match, which India won by 320 runs.

ECB to hold Stanford review

2008-10-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

The ECB is understood to be holding a review into their five-year deal with Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire who is bankrolling the Stanford 20/20 for 20. The two parties agreed on an unprecedented US$100 million deal in the summer, spread over five years, but the inaugural competition this week in Antigua has attracted considerable criticism in England.

The low point was reached on Monday when Stanford was pictured with Matt Prior's wife on his knee and with his arms around two other girlfriends of members of the England team during a match earlier in the week. It provoked a strong reaction from parts of the media, and in addition, one England player reportedly said: "If that was my wife he'd put on his lap I would have wanted to punch him".

Additionally, the pitch - which was rolled for more than 40 hours prior to the tournament - has lacked pace and carry, restricting bowlers' confidence to pitch it up while hampering batsmen's strokeplay.

Stanford, who owns the ground where the matches are being held, also has access to the players' dressing rooms, which has helped cultivate an uneasy feeling among the teams. With Saturday's US$20 million match approaching on Saturday, even Kevin Pietersen is feeling the pinch. "The longer this week goes on and the more people make of it, the more you just want to get it over with really," he said. "You always want to win a fixture for England but what will be, will be. I'm not too fussed."

Pietersen's team-mate, Ian Bell, offered similar sentiments while expressing concern at the timing of the event. "In a way, this week probably has come a little bit at the wrong time before we go and play a really good team in India," he told the BBC. "Momentum is something we have been building over the last two months, and with the Ashes around the corner next year we want to build on that and stay on the path that we have been going on under KP.

"We need to put in some hard yards there when we get to India and hopefully this week is not going to distract anyone from doing that."

Confusion over Lara's ICL status

2008-10-12T07:55:00.002-07:00

Brian Lara's involvement with the ICL has been put in doubt after league officials said he was injured and "unlikely to play" for them, and the player said was "out of the ICL". Lara, who was in Mumbai, has left for Australia with the ICL second season now under way in Hyderabad.

"The fact that I'm going tomorrow to Australia means I won't be here for the ICL" Lara was quoted as saying in the Hindustan Times. "It means I am out of the ICL."

Himanshu Mody, the ICL's operational head, said Lara may never return to competitive cricket. He fractured his left arm during a Carib Beer Cup match in January and was ruled out of the second edition of the ICL earlier this year.

"Lara now has a permanent problem on his left shoulder and will never be able to play the game actively and, therefore, is unlikely to play for the ICL in future as well," Mody told Cricketnext.

Lara was the most high-profile signing when the league was launched at the end of 2007 and was named captain of the Mumbai Champs. However, he had a forgettable stint, managing 31 runs at an average of 6.20 as his side finished at the bottom of the table. He retired from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

Chennai coast to six-wicket win

2008-10-12T07:55:00.001-07:00

G Vignesh and Ian Harvey starred in a comfortable six-wicket win for the Chennai Superstars. Set a target of 143 by Dhaka Warriors, both threatened to end the chase in a blink. They rattled up the team fifty in 2.5 overs, but the tempo slowed as both fell with the score on 61. Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman, steadied the innings with Hemanth Kumar to ease Chennai home with two overs to spare.

Harvey started the assault with a charge down the pitch on the third ball of the innings against Manjural Islam. Tapash Baishya was pulled, cut, and lofted for three boundaries in the second over. The score read 26 after two overs when Vignesh joined in the carnage. He hit Manjural for four fours, the wagon-wheel swinging from point to square leg. The match seemed headed for an early finish before Mohammad Rafique terminated Vignesh's blitz with an arm ball. Dhaka then swooped in with two more quick wickets, including Harvey's. However, Arnold showed his experience to guide his team to the target.

Dhaka would have wished they had someone with Arnold's experience to lend their innings some solidity. They were sitting pretty at 78 for 1 from nine overs, with Aftab Ahmed and Nazimuddin moving along at a fair clip. Aftab, in particular, looked in fine nick, hitting Nantie Hayward for three fours in an over. Emboldened, he paddle-swept medium-pacer Vignesh for a cheeky six. But his own chutzpah got him in the end. He failed to connect with an attempted reverse-sweep against Syed Mohammad, and Vignesh cleaned up Nazimuddin to put Dhaka in a free-fall. Mohammad, a left-arm spinner, tightened the noose with a spell of 4-0-12-1 as wickets tumbled at the other end. Wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh ensured Dhaka got to a respectable total, but eventually, they couldn't defend it

Nixon powers Delhi to victory

2008-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Paul Nixon's 24-ball 43 proved the difference between the Delhi Giants and the Ahmedabad Rockets after he powered Delhi from 89 for 3 to a match-winning total. Reetinder Sodhi and Parvez Aziz threatened briefly in the chase but Delhi had enough firepower with the ball to arrest their momentum.

The game swung around in the 13th over with Nixon's entry. His start was typical: a reverse-sweep, a shot he deployed repeatedly during his stay. He used it against S Sriram to get a six and then slog-swept S Kalia over midwicket boundary. Jason Gillespie's full delivery was hit over deep midwicket, followed by another one over long-on.

For Ahmedabad, Aziz, the the 20-year old left-hand batsman from Assam, kept the fight going with boundaries; his best shot was a monster hit to the cow corner off the left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza. But Aziz was cleaned up by JP Yadav, 95 runs short of the target.

Sodhi played the seamers to his preferred on side and Sriram hit a couple of reverse-swept boundaries off Murtaza in a vain attempt to catch up with the required run-rate. It was Yadav again who terminated the promising 48-run partnership, leaving Sodhi with too much to do. Though Sodhi swung his bat around in the end and picked up a few boundaries, Delhi were always in control.

However, the cheekiest shot of the tournament came off his bat: he went down on his knees to paddle-scoop Shane Bond, who operated around 135kmph, right over the keeper's head for a stunning six.

Delhi may have left the arena laughing but their start wasn't all too auspicious. Gillespie, who bowled the only maiden over of the match, and Rakesh Patel applied the squeeze with the new ball before Heath Streak turned in a tidy spell. Avishka Gunawardene upped the tempo but was run out after a terrible mix-up with Abhinav Bali.

Bali, picked as the best under-22 player by the BCCI before they found out he had signed with the ICL, was confident in the middle and made amends for the run-out with a 48-run partnership with Syed Abbas Ali. He punctuated his singles with three sixes; a pull over midwicket being the highlight of his innings.

Ind v Aus 1st Test @ Bangalore: Day 4 Highlights Part 1

2008-10-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ind v Aus 1st Test @ Bangalore: Day 4 Highlights Part 1

Mumbai finally win a game, Chennai finally lose

2008-10-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

he Mumbai Champs finally won their first game courtesy a 13-run success over the Ahmedabad Rockets in Hyderabad. Ahmedabad chose to field and kept Mumbai to 140, with only opener Robin Morris making a major contribution, but failed to chase that down. They started well with a 41-run opening stand in 4.4 overs, only for the middle and lower orders to lose power. Avinash Yadav, a slow left-arm spinner, took 3 for 20 in four overs to stifle Mumbai's chase. They were bowled out for 127 in 18.5 overs. Earlier Morris made his maiden Twenty20 half-century, a robust 62-ball 69 with three sixes.

In the second game of the day, the Hyderabad Heroes dealt the Chennai Superstars their first loss in Hyderabad. Chennai were kept to 123 for 9 and Hyderabad knocked off the runs in 19.3 overs thanks largely to Ambati Rayudu's 53 and 36 from opener K Shashank Nag. Chennai's was a disappointing batting performance for once, with only C Hemanth Kumar's 35 standing out down the order.

bangladesh vs new zealand oct. 9, 2008 1st ODI part2

2008-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

bangladesh vs new zealand oct. 9, 2008 1st ODI part2

INDIA VS AUSTRALIA TEST 1 HARBHAJAN SINGH 50

2008-10-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

INDIA VS AUSTRALIA TEST 1 HARBHAJAN SINGH 50

India v Australia - 1st Test - Day 03 - India Bat Session II

2008-10-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

India v Australia - 1st Test - Day 03 - India Bat Session II

Zaheer Haddin Heated Exchange - India v Australia - 1st Test

2008-10-11T08:42:00.001-07:00

Zaheer Haddin Heated Exchange - India v Australia - 1st Test

Looking for a hit sequel

2008-10-11T08:10:00.002-07:00

A good season two, like a good sequel, is a rarity for a television show, for a cricketer and even for a tournament. That is the ICL's greatest challenge as they embark upon a new year of games. The first year was popular: 55 million viewers tuned in to the ICL, with six million alone watching the final match between Lahore Badshahs and Hyderabad Heroes. The big question is can they do it post-IPL? The start has been promising.

Recognition: This has been the main hurdle, laid carefully by the Indian board in conjunction with its counterparts. But there is a chance of that changing this year. Pakistan's law minister Farooq Naek lent a sympathetic ear to Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Lahore captain, and he promised, "Justice will be done". The ICL also had a "fruitful" meeting with the ICC earlier this week, the Sri Lankan government have responded positively and the Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) too have offered support.

Marketing: "ICL is better in cricket but IPL was better in marketing," was a backhanded compliment to its rival by the ICL chairman Kapil Dev but, perhaps, it signifies the road it might take this year. An official media release states, "Excluding South America, more than 100 million people from four continents will enjoy this ICL 20s tournament live". The ICL recently acquired a new stadium in Ahmedabad and spent Rs100 million (US$2.1 million) to refurbish it. They have increased its promotional spend to Rs500 million ($10.5 million).

You can expect more oomph from the ICL this year for an extravagant opening ceremony, involving the choreographer Shiamak Davar's troupe, 100 live drummers and 20 international performers, is planned for October 10. More glamour is on the cards: A film actress will host an "entertainment-cricket" show, with "some high-profile celebrities from page 3, Bollywood, fashion designers, TV artists and host of other stars who will be quizzed and tested on all their expertise and cricket".

Cricket: It started as a city-based team but after the IPL it found its niche in carving 'national' teams. The Lahore Badshahs were a hit in Pakistan: "People see it as a extension of their national side," Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, said. "And all the great stars like Inzamam, Saqlain [Mushtaq] are featuring in it." It's a sentiment shared by Habibul Bashar, the captain of the new team, Dhaka Warriors. "I don't know about the Bangladesh board but the people want us to do well." The ICL has also attracted quite a few cricketers from New Zealand.

What about the quality of cricket? They had quite a few closely fought games last season and Bharat Reddy, executive board member of the ICL, believes "cricket will be the clincher to draw in crowds". The proof will play out during the next 41 days.

Domestic stars: The ICL's chief claim is that it has been more effective in helping local players to showcase their talent than the IPL. Before the season they organise skill-building camps and a domestic tournament, which acts as trials, for the local players, a set-up the IPL hasn't tried. They have approximately 88 domestic players but unless there is recognition, these stars are in a cul-de-sac of their own choosing. The case of talented stars like Ambati Rayudu and Abhishek Jhunjunwala are case in point.

New initiatives: Specialised coaching in terms of specific functional areas like throwing and sprinting took place earlier this year. They also had a wicketkeeping boot camp under the supervision of Steve Rixon, the former Australian wicketkeeper and the current Hyderabad Heroes coach. The ICL also took a lead in educating players on anti-doping laws. A nine-run hit, which award nine runs for a six over 90 yards, was planned for this tournament but has been shelved for the moment.

Players to watch out for: Apart from the international stars like Shane Bond and Inzamam and Indian talent like Hemang Badani and Dinesh Mongia, it's the domestic players who are expected to entertain the crowds. Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, G Vignesh, top scorer in the domestic tournament, Ali Murtaza, R Sathish, Raviraj Patil, the only Mumbai Champs player to make it to the Indian ICL side, Stuart Binny, Ibrahim Khaleel, were the top performers last season.

Teams to watch out for: The consistent Chennai Superstars - "No other side has been able to do as much as we have done in the last four tournaments," said coach Michael Bevan. "Two titles, a second place and a third place are no mean achievements," . Chennai won the inaugural Twenty20 championship and the ICL 50s championship. The Hyderabad Heroes are the defending champions and they grew from strength to strength under the coaching of Steve Rixon. But runners-up Lahore promise to offer another stiff challenge. "We are here to win," Inzamam said. "We are better prepared this time and are working very hard."

Prize Money: Rs13.72 crore ($2.8 million) is the total booty. The winners of the ICL 20s Indian Championship get Rs2 crore ($419,400) while the runners-up net Rs1 crore ($209,700). The Man of the Match will bag Rs2 lakhs ($4000) and the Man of the Series gets twenty times that. Last year, the total prize money was 12.33 crores ($2.5million).

ICL sees peace with ICC within two years

2008-10-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

As the ICL gears up for its second season, Subhash Chandra, chairman of the Essel group, which owns the league, has said he is confident of the conflict with the sport's global administrators being sorted out "within two years."

"I met David Morgan, the ICC president, on October 7," Chandra said on Thursday. "I don't promise you anything, please don't have any hopes ... It took Kerry Packer two years to resolve the resolution [with the Australian board]. I am confident our issue will be resolved within two years."

The meeting, which took place in London, was in response to a request from ICL officials who are seeking official sanction from the ICC. Morgan is expected to report on the meeting to the ICC Board, which meets in Dubai on October 14 and 15.

Chandra also had cause to cheer closer home, revealing that three sponsorships contracts out of four worth $8 million that had been cancelled were revived after a meeting with Sharad Pawar, the former Indian board president. Chandra met Pawar, currently the ICC's president-elect. "I spoke to Pawar, my friend of the last 25 years, last Friday. I was very categorical that such attacks had to stop henceforth. Out of the four [sponsorship] contracts three have been revived after the meeting."

He said he had conveyed to Pawar his disappointment over what he called the "unethical" tactics used against the ICL and those associated with it. "I asked him, 'Is it good for you? Is it ethical? Does it befit you that a 21-year old boy from a college in Mumbai is picked up physically by the joint secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association and pulled out of the ground?'"

Asked whether this was the last chance for a reconciliation, given that Pawar takes over the ICC presidency in 2010, Himanshu Mody, the ICL's operational head, told Cricinfo they would explore alternate options if it didn't work out. "Such things cannot take one year," Mody said. "If it doesn't happen now, it will happen soon. I don't think it will take one year to get the sanction, if the sanction comes. If that (ICC reconciliation) comes through, perfect. Life changes, business plans change. There are a lot of players willing to join and there are lots of grounds that are still available. We can get them."

Chandra and Tony Greig, a member of the ICL executive board, also had cautionary words for the league's players on the "possibilities of corruption" during the second season. "You have seen lots of press that Twenty20 cricket has possibilities for corruption," Greig said at a pre-tournament meeting with players and officials on Thursday. "So please be very careful. There will be people who will approach you. It happened last time; it will happen again. We will dig ourselves into a hole if it happens."

"People who didn't want the ICL to succeed ICL would say, 'What ICL? It's not going to succeed,'" Chandra said. "They said, 'Match fixing happens there'."

Hyderabad win after the lights go out

2008-10-11T08:09:00.001-07:00

The opening game of the ICL came to an abrupt halt as the lights failed and the Hyderabad Heroes were awarded an 18-run win by the VJD method. At 10.57 PM, six overs into the chase, the ground plunged into darkness - a power cut that affected much of the surrounding area - and the game was eventually called off at 11.40 PM.

The evening had started brightly with a simple and short opening ceremony that ended with fireworks.

Razzaq started the entertainment with two fierce square cuts off Mohammad Sami in the second over of the innings. The first whizzed over backward point, the second flew right over the point boundary. But Sami had his revenge in the same over when he induced Razzaq into a nick behind.

Ambati Rayudu ensured the hosts put up a competitive score. The highlight of his stay was a nonchalant pick-up shot over midwicket boundary against Shahid Nazir. While Rayudu attacked, Jimmy Maher, the opening batsman, stitched up one end and rotated the strike neatly. Rayudu's big hits were greeted by swaying cheerleaders and a delighted home crowd - 20,000 people had packed into the stadium.

In all this razzmatazz there was a bit of nostalgia too in the form of Saqlain Mushtaq. That familiar exchange of the ball between the palms, the stuttering run-up, the high left-arm as he gets into a side-on position, and the familiar release - they were all still intact. Even the old accuracy remained till Rayudu spoiled it in Saqlain's third over with two sixes: the first was hoisted over midwicket and the next one, a doosra, over long-off. Later in the chase another former Pakistan great was seen in action; Inzamam-ul-Haq square-drove and then played a characteristic punch off the back foot. However the technical glitch served as an anti-climax to the season-opener.

Dhaka Warriors launch ICL campaign

2008-10-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

Big Picture

The ICL's newest team, the Dhaka Warriors, start their campaign against the former champions Chennai Superstars. Chennai's strength has been their consistency, and they are in good touch too. They finished second place in the domestic Twenty20 tournament which ended last month and have been the team to beat since the conception of the tournament last year. However, they will miss their captain Stuart Law, who is out of the first two games due to injury, and will be led by R Sathish, who starred in the first season with 383 runs. Hemang Badani, G Vignesh, Ian Harvey and Russel Arnold are the other key men.

Dhaka's batting will hinge largely on Aftab Ahmed, Shahriar Nafees, the captain Habibul Bashar and Alok Kapali. The bowling will be led by Mosharraf Hossain, who picked two wickets in the recent warm-up game against Chandigarh Lions.

Watch out for

Ian Harvey: He was Chennai's top scorer with 472 runs in the first season, and as a bowler, his effective slower deliveries will be a handful.

Hemang Badani: The stylish left-handed batsman has the benefit of international experience, so the Dhaka bowlers will have their task cut out for him.

Shahriar Nafees: Nafees boasts of a Test hundred against Australia and importantly, he is in form. In the warm-up game against Chandigarh, he hit a 54-ball 77with nine fours and two sixes.

Pitch & conditions

The outfield was a touch slow yesterday but the pitch played pretty true. It is bound to get better.

Quotes

"We know Chennai have some big names but we too have a right blend of youth and experience. We want to take home the trophy."
Habibul Bashar, the Dhaka captain, hopes for a winning start. "We've been one of the most consistent sides in the ICL. No other side has been able to do as much as we have done in the last four tournaments. Two titles, a second place and a third place are no mean achievements."
Michael Bevan, Chennai's coach, tries to justify why his team are the favourites.

Confusion over Lara's ICL status

2008-10-11T08:04:00.000-07:00