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Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons produced a century stand for the first wicket that helped Mumbai Indians prevail over third-placed Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad

The Report by Devashish Fuloria19-May-20148:10

Hattangadi: Rajasthan were oversmart

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFaced with a must-win situation on a dry pitch, Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons produced a century stand for the first wicket – Mumbai Indians’ best in 40 games – that helped them prevail over third-placed Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad. Both batsmen scored half-centuries before Rohit Sharma used the platform as a springboard for a 19-ball 40 that lifted his team to 178. Their three spinners then shared two wickets each to give Mumbai Indians a comfortable win that took them level with Sunrisers Hyderabad on points.However, one has to question the number of changes made by Royals ahead of an important match, given they were still not assured of a place in the playoffs. Kane Richardson, the Royals seamer, had even mentioned on the eve of the match that they were in no mood for experimentation, but there were four changes when Shane Watson came for the toss. They swapped Ajinkya Rahane, easily their best batsman for such conditions, for Unmukt Chand, who hadn’t played a game this season, while also benching their best bowler, Pravin Tambe.With this loss, they have not only kept Mumbai Indians’ dreams alive, but also got stuck on seven wins from 12 games with two difficult away matches to go – against Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.Unlike Royals, Mumbai Indians’ changes didn’t need an explanation. Corey Anderson had come to the end of the long rope he had got from the management, CM Gautam hadn’t set the scene on fire with his batting and Lasith Malinga had left for England to join his national team. In came, Hussey, Krishmar Santokie and the young Karnataka allrounder Shreyas Gopal, all of whom played their parts.Hussey had been dropped after only 30 runs in his first four matches for Mumbai Indians but on a slow pitch in Ahmedabad, he showed the quality that the team had been missing at the top of the order. He remained busy in the first half of the innings, manoeuvring the ball with ease, while his partner, Simmons, mainly looked for the big shots. At the end of five overs, Mumbai Indians were on 34, and more importantly, without the loss of any wicket, nine more than their previous best opening stand this season.Simmons wasn’t comfortable with the deliveries that stopped on him but used powerful cuts and lofted shots whenever offered with the right length. He had six boundaries to Hussey’s one as the partnership reached 50 in the seventh over.Hussey, the more fluent of the two, just got better with the day. He crisply timed a length ball from Stuart Binny through covers for his second boundary before deftly punching a slower delivery from Rajat Bhatia through point for his third.Off the first ball of the 11th over, he hammered a slower bouncer from James Faulkner over deep midwicket. He smashed another six in the next over, before nudging the next ball for a single to reach his half-century off 32 balls, easily beating Simmons to the landmark.Both batsmen were dismissed in the 15th over, allowing Rohit just enough time to cut loose. Even though Kieron Pollard struggled for timing with the ball reversing, Rohit clobbered three sixes and a four in the last two overs that cost Royals 29 runs.Mumbai Indians introduced spin early in the chase and Pragyan Ojha, who had just one wicket this season till then, struck twice in his first two overs to remove Chand and Watson. Karun Nair played a free-flowing innings of 48 from 24 balls, but with batsmen offering catches at the other end, the Royals innings came off tracks early. Brad Hodge and James Faulkner, coming in at Nos 8 and 9, landed some parting blows but the match had long slipped out of Royals’ hands.

Sri Lanka Cricket is in the early stages of planning a upgrade to training facilities at the Premadasa Stadium, with indoor nets, a swimming pool and a dormitory for the cricket academy all being considered

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Sep-2014Sri Lanka Cricket is in the early stages of planning a substantial upgrade to the training facilities at the Premadasa Stadium, with indoor nets, a swimming pool and a dormitory for the cricket academy all being considered, CEO Ashley de Silva has said. The project is presently in the design stage, and is expected to cost around 100 million rupees (approx. USD $770,000).”We hope to embark on preliminary work before the end of this year” de Silva told . “Hopefully we can put the plan together so that it will be ratified either in the next executive committee meeting or the one after that.”Players and coaches have felt that a swimming pool has been overdue for some time at the Premadasa Stadium, which is the primary site for the national team training ahead of any tour. At present, the team largely carries out its nets and gym sessions at the Premadasa stadium, and those who require swimming-pool training do so a few kilometres away at either Nondescripts Cricket Club or Sinhalese Cricket Club. On wet days, both the Sri Lanka team and touring sides normally head to the indoor nets at NCC.The Premadasa stadium is also the epicentre for SLC’s Max Cricket Academy, and a dormitory which will house around 30 players is part of the proposed upgrade. On-site living quarters are largely expected to benefit cricketers from outside Colombo, who have become increasingly central to the nation’s top teams. A dormitory will allow those players to attend training from a convenient location, and prevent the need for frequent trips to their home towns.SLC does not yet have a concrete timeline for the project, with the executive committee expected to decide the exact nature of the upgrade.

While the two great No.10s have made history with the Albiceleste, the nation has been blessed with a host of incredible talents over the years

With two World Cup wins and a further three final appearances, Argentina are up there amongst the elite of international football.

Not only that, but players like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Gabriel Batistuta to name just three have become icons of the game, instantly recognisable the world ever. 

But who is the greatest of all? Here, Goal ranks the top 20 to have ever worn the famous Albiceleste jersey…

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images20Hernan Crespo

Hernan Crespo was, at one point, the world's most expensive football player, a title that, among his compatriots, only Diego Maradona has held in the modern game.

A striker of impossible elegance and potency, he became a firm favourite thanks to his exploits with Parma, Lazio, Milan, Inter and Chelsea among others.

A veteran of three World Cups, Crespo also became the first man to score in the Champions League with five different teams, while helping Inter to three Scudetti in as many years from 2006 to 2009.

He is sometimes overlooked when putting together lists of football's best strikers but, at his most deadly, few could resist the Argentine when bearing down on goal.

AdvertisementGetty19Ricardo Bochini

You know you are not just another run of the mill player when someone of Diego Maradona's stature insists you are picked for a World Cup.

A living legend at Independiente, Ricardo Bochini was the archetype of the languid, supremely gifted Argentina No.10, playing his entire career at the Avellaneda club and helping them to four Primera titles, five Copas Libertadores and two Intercontinental Cup victories in what proved to be their most successful spell in history.

Bochini's time in the national team was understandably curtailed by the emergence of Maradona, who was nevertheless a great friend to his older team-mate.

“Come over, maestro, we've been waiting for you”, Argentina's captain famously said to him when he entered in the 1986 World Cup against Belgium for the last five minutes, his only experience of football's most-coveted trophy.

18Roberto Ayala

When it comes to Argentine football, the list of heroes is dominated by creative geniuses and prolific forwards. It is testament, then, to Roberto Ayala's supreme abilities that the former Valencia favourite is remembered among the nation's elite.

Ayala was a formidable defender in his day, playing 115 times for his nation in a career that spanned three World Cups.

He was also an integral part of Valencia's all-conquering team of the early 2000s, winning two La Liga titles as well as the UEFA Cup in Los Che's most successful spell since the 1940s.

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Gabriel Rossi17Sergio Aguero

While Sergio Aguero has often been criticised for struggling to replicate his club form on the international stage, there is no doubting his brilliance in front of the net.

Ever since he burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old wonderkid for Independiente great things have been expected from 'El Kun', and he has certainly delivered in England.

With two Premier League titles and more than 200 goals for Manchester City, fans at the Etihad Stadium at least have taken Aguero to their hearts as one of the club's all-time greats.

And, at 30, there is still plenty of time for the striker to show Argentina fans exactly what he can do at the highest level.

Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and offspinner Mark Craig will be hoping for Test debuts on New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies after being named in a 15-man squad for the three-Test series in June

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2014Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and offspinner Mark Craig will be hoping for Test debuts on New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies after being named in a 15-man squad for the three-Test series in June. The unexpected call-up for Craig came after Jeetan Patel was reportedly told he was in the squad but made himself unavailable so he could focus on a full season for Warwickshire and be with his wife and baby, who are based with him in the UK.In a statement, New Zealand Cricket said Patel was unavailable for “personal reasons”, while the team will again be without Daniel Vettori, who felt his bowling loads were not yet up to the intensity of Test cricket. The selectors did not consider Jesse Ryder or Doug Bracewell, declaring that they were “yet to satisfy the selectors that they have their off-field issues under control”.There was still room for opener Peter Fulton despite his run of low scores over the home summer – after a first-innings 61 against West Indies in Dunedin he managed only 3, 6, 11, 10, 13, 5, 13 and 1 in the remaining home Tests. Tom Latham was included but coach Mike Hesson stressed it was as a batting back-up only, with Ronchi the reserve gloveman to BJ Watling.Ronchi, who turns 33 next week, has been a regular member of New Zealand’s limited-overs squads since moving from Australia and qualifying for his birth country in 2013. However, he is yet to be given a chance in Test cricket, and Hesson said Ronchi would also provide middle-order batting cover “as he’s a good player of spin bowling”.The biggest surprise was the inclusion of Craig, who at 27 has played only 22 first-class matches for Otago since making his debut in February 2011. An offspinner who finished the Plunket Shield season with 22 wickets at 39.72, Craig was described by Hesson as a man who had been in the sights of the selectors for some time and whose spin “will be valuable against their left-handed heavy top-order batting line-up”.The absence of Vettori was not a great surprise given that he has not bowled a ball since returning home from a BBL stint with the Brisbane Heat. Vettori had been gradually increasing his workload and had played four Plunket Shield matches earlier in the season but he struggled with a back problem following the BBL.New Zealand’s tour begins with two tour matches in Jamaica starting late next month, followed by Tests in Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana throughout June. A pair of Twenty20 matches will follow.”While we gained a convincing 2-0 Test series victory against the West Indies in December, they’ll be a totally different proposition in their conditions,” Hesson said. “They’ll have the added motivation to perform well in the first match which will be Chris Gayle’s 100th Test.”Test squad Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi.

The BCB has lifted the provisional ban on Mosharraf Hossain and Mahbubul Alam, two months after they were cleared of wrongdoing in the BPL

Mohammad Isam27-Apr-2014The BCB has lifted the provisional ban on Mosharraf Hossain and Mahbubul Alam, two months after the players were cleared of wrongdoing in the BPL by the investigation tribunal. Both players are looking to play in the Bangladesh Cricket League, which will restart in early May.The decision comes three weeks after the BCB had decided not to involve the duo in the National Cricket League, as it planned to appeal against the tribunal’s decision to hand the two a clean chit. But ESPNcricinfo has learned that the charges against the duo wouldn’t have resulted in suspension, which supposedly prompted the BCB’s legal team to suggest lifting the ban.BCB’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said on Sunday that there is no bar on the duo from participating in any tournament. “They are free to take part in any form of cricket,” Nizamuddin said. “We have sought legal opinion and they suggested there is no problem regarding their returning to cricket.”Mosharraf and Mahbubul were among nine individuals accused by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit for being involved in corrupt practices or failing to report corrupt approaches made to them during the BPL’s second edition. The BPL tribunal, on February 26, acquitted six players and officials and only found an owner of the defending champions, Dhaka Gladiators, guilty.Left-arm spinner Mosharraf said that he was happy with this decision of the BCB. “I am extremely relieved,” Mosharraf told . “I feel that the toughest phase of my life is just over. I am expecting to play for Walton Central Zone in the BCL. I was practicing and making every effort, still I could not play.”It was really hard. At times the future looked very bleak, making me wonder what is really in store for me. I am hoping to go to England after the BCL and see whether I can find a team in Minor County. Though their season has started, still I will try to get somewhere.”Pace bowler Mahbubul was also satisfied with the decision. “I cannot explain through words how I am feeling. For the last one year it was quite hard for me because of the mental pressure that I went through. Socially it was really hard, as these days cricket is followed by a lot of people.”I don’t know about my immediate future as there are only a few games left in the BCL. I feel that probably I will be back with the Dhaka Premier League.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Dhaka

The Preview by Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2014Match factsFebruary 17, 2014
Start time 1300 local (0700 GMT)Dinesh Chandimal has only one half-century in his last 10 ODI innings•AFPBig PictureBangladesh are slowly creeping closer to Sri Lanka. It happened in the Test series when they bounced back from a horrendous defeat in Dhaka to a first-ever drawn home Test against Sri Lanka. The two Twenty20s were last-ball finishes; Anamul Haque failed to connect a high full-toss in the first and Sachithra Senanayake hit a boundary when two were required to win in the second. Sri Lanka will however look to maintain their excellent record in Bangladesh, having won all their bilateral series in the country.The last ODI series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was a drawn affair. One match in Hambantota was rained off while Bangladesh won the rain-shortened third ODI in Pallekele. It was always important for Bangladesh to finally compete against Sri Lanka, the team against whom they have had a poor record for a long time. They have now drawn two Tests in the space of a year, and ran them close in Twenty20s. Given Bangladesh’s home record in bilateral ODI series over the last two years, they will be expected to push Sri Lanka in the ODIs.Bangladesh have a settled line-up, with Tamim Iqbal and Shamsur Rahman at the top of the batting order. Mushfiqur Rahim will have Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain for company, but have to choose two among Anamul Haque, Naeem Islam, Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah. Sohag Gazi’s bowling form is a concern while they are without Abdur Razzak, which would mean more emphasis on Shakib an Mashrafe.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are a settled side, with their main batsmen among runs. Lasith Malinga, too, found some sting in the second T20 in which he picked up three wickets. But Sri Lanka have won just one bilateral ODI series out of their last five, drawing three. The win came against South Africa at home, whom they edged aside 4-1. Their last ODI series was against Pakistan in the UAE where they lost 2-1. The last time they won a series away from home was against Australia in 2010.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWWLL
Sri Lanka WLLWL
Watch out forMushfiqur Rahim has made just one half-century in his last ten ODI innings, so runs will be expected from him. He will also have a crucial role to play as captain, as Bangladesh have not lost a bilateral ODI series at home since 2011.Dinesh Chandimal was poor during the two Twenty20s but was successful as captain, winning both games. He is a crucial part of Sri Lanka’s middle-order, and will bank on his last ODI performance, an unbeaten 64 against Pakistan, to come back among runs.Teams newsBangladesh have a tricky task selecting their playing XI. Mushfiqur will not keep wickets because of an injury to his hands, but will bat. That would mean that either Shamsur or Anamul could keep wickets. Taking various factors like ODI performance, recent form and team building into account, either Mominul Haque or Anamul Haque would feature No 3, while Naeem Islam may get the nod ahead of Mahmudullah, who has made just one half-century in ODIs in 2013. Shafiul Islam and Al-Amin Hossain will also be second choice behind Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Anamul Haque/Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), 5 Naeem Islam, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Arafat Sunny, 11 Rubel HossainSri Lanka could make two changes to their side that last played an ODI. Nuwan Kulasekara’s impact as a bowler and fielder in the Twenty20 series could bring him back into contention while Thisara Perera also has a chance. There is likely to be a choice between Ashan Priyanjan and Kithuruwan Vithanage.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Ashan Priyanjan/Kithuruwan Vithanage, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha MendisPitch and conditionsThe Dhaka wicket will be slow and low, as it has usually been over the years. Curator Gamini de Silva will stick to the tried and tested, and ensure runs are aplenty on the surface. There was rain in the air around Mirpur on the eve of the match, but clear skies are predicted on match day.Stats and trivia Mushfiqur Rahim is 49 short of 2500 runs in ODIs Dinesh Chandimal has scored only a single fifty in his last ten ODI innings. That innings came in the last ODI, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.Quotes”Dew factor might come in. There was overnight rain. We might play three pacers or three spinners.”

“You just have to concentrate on your role, whether you’re a captain or a normal player in the side. You need to give your maximum to the team regardless of your position.”

Hampshire have appointed Dale Benkenstein, the former Durham captain, as their new first team coach. He will join Hampshire in time for the pre season tour to Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2014Hampshire have appointed Dale Benkenstein, the former Durham captain, as their new first team coach. He will join Hampshire in time for the pre season tour to Barbados.The announcement ends Hampshire’s three-month search for a coach after Giles White’s role as director of cricket became more distant from day-to-day first-team affairs.Benkenstein, 39, has spent the English winter working as a batting coach for the South-African side Sunfoil Dolphins – the club of Hampshire’s overseas signing, Kyle Abbott – who won the Ram Slam Challenge last week.He also had an operation on a serious shoulder operation which kept him out of most of Durham’s 2013 season and which has now contributed to the end of his career.Durham had no wish to stand in Benkenstein’s way as he gained a coaching opportunity he had long planned for, but his departure has aggravated their concern about the small squad they will take into the season as they defend their Championship title. They are already braced for losing Ben Stokes for most of the season after he made such an impact for England in Australia.Benkenstein was regarded by some as an eventual successor to Geoff Cook as coach of Durham. But when Cook suffered a heart attack last season, Benkenstein was absent in South Africa and Jon Lewis supervised Durham’s charge to the title. When Cook was reshuffled into an Academy role late last year, Lewis was appointed as his successor.Benkenstein carries a wealth of first-class experience, with 300 List A and 264 first-class appearances to his name. Since making his debut for Durham in April 2005, he scored more than 9,000 first-class runs at an average of 45.9.He led Durham to their first major title – against a Hampshire side led by Shane Warne – when they won the Friends Provident final at Lord’s in 2007. He also skippered Durham to their first two Championship titles in the consecutive seasons that followed.”I’m looking forward to what is going to be a new challenge for me,” he said. “It’s a brilliant set up here. I’ve spoken to the players and coaches at the club and I’m excited about what’s ahead.”

Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood, both of whom are yet to play a Test, have been added to the Pakistan squad for the Test series against South Africa in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2013Pakistan squad for SA Tests

Khurram Manzoor, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood
Additions Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood

Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood, both yet to play a Test, have been added to the Pakistan squad for the Test series against South Africa in the UAE. Asad Shafiq, who has been a regular in the Test side for a while, was also named.The PCB had announced a 12-man squad earlier this month that was to be expanded to 15 following the tour game between Pakistan A and South Africans, which ended in a draw in Sharjah. Masood and Shehzad opened for Pakistan A and made fifties while Shafiq scored 42.While Shehzad has represented Pakistan in 27 ODIs and 15 T20s, 23-year old Masood is yet to debut for his country. Shehzad averages 41.04 in 50 first-class games while Masood’s average in the format is 34.82 in 56 matches.

Somerset have appointed former wicketkeeper Steve Snell as their second XI coach and academy director

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2014Somerset have appointed former wicketkeeper Steve Snell as their second XI coach and academy director. He joins a new management team at Taunton, overseen by Matthew Maynard, and will help fill the gap left by the departures of Andy Hurry and Dave Houghton.Snell, 31, played the majority of his cricket with Gloucestershire before being released in 2010. He went from playing minor counties to appearing in the Champions League in 2011, after being signed on a short-term deal when Somerset were without both Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler. He also turned out for Somerset in 2012 and, most recently, has coached wicketkeeping at Gloucestershire.”The opportunity to continue the rich tradition of developing exciting and entertaining cricketers through the Somerset Academy and on to successfully representing the Somerset first team is a challenge I am immensely looking forward to,” Snell said.”The Somerset Academy is held in high esteem around the country and I am well aware of the outstanding work by past and present coaches involved with the county’s development programmes. I am thrilled at the prospect of playing a major role in the future success of Somerset.”Maynard said: “This is a key role within the Somerset cricketing structure and we are delighted to have been able to appoint Steve, who has played for the county and knows the set-up at the County Ground. Steve is a high-quality coach and he will bring additional experience, enthusiasm and expertise to the team here at the County Ground.”

Harshad Khadiwale and Kedar Jadhav continued their run feast, scoring centuries on the first day for the second week in succession as Maharashtra plundered 360 for 3 against Goa

Amol Karhadkar in Pune21-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo – Harshad Khadiwale made his third successive century•K SivaramanHarshad Khadiwale and Kedar Jadhav continued their run feast, scoring centuries on the first day for the second week in succession as Maharashtra plundered 360 for 3 against Goa at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium on the outskirts of Pune.The picturesque stadium has been a happy hunting ground for home batsmen and they took advantage of a mediocre Goa bowling attack after being put in to bat.With Maharashtra deciding to alter their combination from last week’s game in Hyderabad, the promising youngster Vijay Zol walked out to open the innings with Khadiwale. Though Saurabh Bandekar did ask a few questions with the new ball, the duo survived the initial period. Zol, who scored a double-century on Ranji debut, moved to 20 before Bandekar breached his defense with an incoming delivery that crashed into the off stump.Khadiwale, coming into the game on the back of a century in each of Maharashtra’s two games so far, looked in supreme touch. He added 75 with Sangram Atitkar before the latter was trapped lbw by the offspinner Amit Yadav in the penultimate over before lunch.That brought together Maharashtra’s in-form combination of Jadhav and Khadiwale, who had shared a 206-run partnership in Hyderabad last week. The pair took on Goa’s spin duo of Shadab Jakati and Yadav, who did the bulk of the bowling in the second session. Jadhav went after Jakati, slogging the left-arm spinner for his first six that rammed into the super sopper outside the square leg fence. Jadhav’s craft was also on display as he then played late cuts whenever either of the spinners pitched it short.Jadhav then danced down the wicket and hit Yadav almost 20 rows back into the stands to complete his fifty. Khadiwale shifted gears and hit Yadav for a six over long-off. Minutes before tea, Khadiwale flicked the medium-pacer Gauresh Gawas through midwicket for a couple and completed his 12th first-class century.The attacking stand prompted the Goa captain Ravikant Shukla to adopt defensive tactics. Jakati changed his angle to over the wicket with a defensive line, hoping to contain the batsmen. Even that didn’t work as Jadhav reverse swept the first ball to the point fence, and then paddled one to the fine leg boundary, much like Sachin Tendulkar.Jadhav threw his wicket away shortly after scoring his second successive century, top-edging Yadav to offer wicketkeeper Keenan Vaz a dolly. But with Khadiwale looking solid and Ankit Bawne having reached a sedate 36, Maharashtra looked set to pile on their third-successive 450-plus total on the board.