The IPL Roller-Coaster: Many IFs … Now, 19th May

S Rajesh of ESPNcricinfo, May 2018 –-where the title is  IPL playoff qualification scenarios – Five teams fight for two spots

With four league games to go, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have already qualified for the playoffs, while five other teams are fighting for the last two spots. ESPNcricinfo looks at how the qualification scenarios will be affected by the results of Saturday’s games between Rajasthan Royals (12 points, -0.403 Net Run Rate) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (12 points, 0.264 NRR), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (18 points, 0.319 NRR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (14 points, -0.091 NRR).

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Dr. Rabada chastises his Paceman Son Kagiso rabada

Bipin Dani in The Deccan Chronicle Dr. Mpho Rabada has supported the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to penalize his son for Shikhar Dhawan send-off. The 22-year-old South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been fined 15 per cent of his match-fees (and one demerit point) for giving Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan a send-off after he grabbed his wicket in the fifth ODI, which India won in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.   “(Shikhar) Dhawan send-off was unnecessary. The player has not only to be within the law but live in the spirit of the game which is a higher than the minimum standard,” said Kagiso Rabada’s father, Dr. Mpho Rabada. (Photo: BCCI). Port Elizabeth: Dr. Mpho Ra “Dhawan send-off was unnecessary. The player has not only to be within the law but live in the spirit of the game which is a higher than the minimum standard,” said Rabada senior. “The management used criterion to usher fines and we have to give them the benefit of doubts that they applied their minds and found a sanction that is in line with not living in the spirit of the game. I have faith in the administrators. Players say all kind of things. I am 100% against that. Let us let the ball do the talking.” Dhawan was looking in fine form as he scored at brisk pace against Morne Morkel and Rabada and had hit the young South African speedster for a four a ball before. However, Rabada managed to dismiss the Dhawan just when it looked like the Indian opener was going to take the South African attack to the cleaners. “(My son’s) action was unnecessary and uncalled for (even if there were words or actions from batsmen directed to him during play). A person is 100 per cent responsible for his own actions. The ultimate bar at the end is ALL has to be done in the greater spirit of the game,” said Kagiso’s father. “Young men and women have to always judge themselves against that threshold both on and off the field,” he signed off. Click here to Reply, Reply to all, or Forward 14.82 GB (98%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms – Privacy Last account activity: 16 minutes ago Details

Move IN Wrist-Spinner! Move INTO the T20 Format

Aakash Chopra, in ESPNcricinfo where the title is 

“What makes legspin effective in limited-overs cricket?”

 “The best chance a spinner has to take a wicket is when the batsman is forced to play an attacking shot, and the length that most legspinners bowl forces batsmen to attack” BCCI

Why are legspinners so successful in the shorter formats?
There are plenty of factors that go in favour of legspinners in shorter formats.

They have the ability to take the ball away, off the surface, from both left- and right-hand batsmen without bending the elbow or the rules.

Manjot Kalra stars as India wins Under 19 world Cup

Shashank Kishore, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo Item, 3 February 2018

India Under-19 217 for 2 (Kalra 101*, Desai 47*, Gill 31) beat Australia Under-19 216 all out (Merlo 76, Uppal 34, Anukul 2-32, Shiva Singh 2-36) by eight wickets

India sauntered to a record fourth Under-19 World Cup title in front of a partisan crowd of 4000 odd at Bay Oval, to finish an unbeaten campaign that had begun against Australia at the same venue three weeks ago. The margin of victory then was 100 runs, and it was comprehensive in the grand final as well – eight wickets.

Manjot Kalra hits down the ground ICC/Getty Images

Surprises and Losers at the IPL Auction 2018

Indian Express News Item, http://indianexpress.com/photos/sports-gallery/ipl-auction-2018-live-player-price-sold-5041190/

1. IPL Auction 2018 saw some of cricket’s biggest name go for auction in Bangalore. The first surprise of the day was R Ashwin. Coming in at number two in the auction, Ashwin was sold to Kings XI Punjab after Chennai Super Kings decided to pull out of the bidding war. He will join Yuvraj Singh at KXIP for a price of Rs 7.60 crore. This auction has not been the best for Indian veteran players as their prices have plummeted. A couple of big names also went unsold on the first day of the auction.

   

A Riddle. A Controversial Photograph

ONE: When presenting my summary information on one of the most momentous moments i Sri Lankan cricket when a “Ceylon”team beat India in an unofficial four-day Test match at Ahmedabad in early 1965, I came across two photographs sis by side: one showing captains Tissera and the Nawab of Pataudi shaking hands at the toss and another of a third slip or gully taking a catch. I assumed [wrongly] that this was catch snaffled by Anura Polonowita referred to in phone conversation by Mano Ponniah.

This identification has been challenged by Mevan Pieris … but his reading is now questioned by Darrell Lieversz. So cricketing aficianados must address ths puzzle.

TWO: A Note from HSM “Mevan”Pieris, December 2017

 “The picture which states Polonowita taking a brilliant catch off Fredrick is wrongly stated. Neither the catcher is Polonowita nor the bowler Fredrick who was a short stocky cricketer. The tall bowler I believe is Mevan Pieris and the fielder taking the catch is Lionel Fernando. The wicket keeper is Russel Hamer and slip I believe is Anura Tennekoon. This photograph probably is one taken when the Sri Lanka Board team under Anura Tennekoon’s captaincy toured South India, about 1971. The bowler is certainly not Norton Fredrick. When Polonowita and Fredrick played for the country in India, Russel Hamer was not in the team and the wicket keeper was HIK Fernando. Anura Tennekoon could probably help to confirm what I say.“

THREE: A Note from Darrell Lieversz, 30 December 2017

Hi Michael, A friend of mine sent me a copy of your article “Tensions and Tales from Sri Lankan Cricket: An Essay from 2009”.  I refer you to the paragraph and photograph titled “Correction” which I have “cut and pasted” and attached a copy to this Email for your perusal.

It is with embarrassed reluctance that I wish to bring to your notice a further correction to the paragraph and photograph.The photograph was taken in Bangalore (India) at the 1^st Test Ceylon vs India in 1963. It is of a dropped catch by Stanley Jayasinghe from Abhas Ali Baig off my bowling. From Left to Right : H I K Fernado (Wicket Keeper), Abhas Ali Baig (Batsman), Dillip Sardesai (non striker), Abu Fuard (1^st Slip), Umpire (??), Stanley Jayasinghe (2^nd Slip) and Darrell Lieversz (Bowler).

It was a sad moment indeed, because Baig went on to score 96 and was ultimately caught by H I K Fernando off the bowling of Abu Fuard.

However, the article in its entirety is as usual very well written with some incredible facts making it an extremely good read.

Kind regards, Darrell  ….   at full bore then

 

Mevan Pieris in later life

Darrell Lieversz in later life

 

India’s Bowling Challenges in South Africa

Sidarth Monga, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 1 January 2018, where the title runs  Same old attack, all-new challenge”

By the end of it, MS Dhoni had almost given up on them. He was helpless with India’s fast bowlers. When on tours, where fast bowling decided matches, he would watch his batsmen having to take risks to score off the home quicks but then his own bowlers would keep letting the opposition batsmen score pressure-free runs. A complete seam-bowling performance such as Durban 2010-11 was a rare bonus.

 Mohamed Shami