All posts by csb10.top

ScorecardSam Billings’ 61 in 36 balls was by far the best innings of the day•Getty Images

Kent were not to be denied. As Gloucestershire added 93 for the last four wickets, nerves were stretched tight and the crowd shouted themselves hoarse. With 32 required from 23 balls, Ben Harmison could not hold a diving, one-handed catch a long-off. Benny Howell was the batsman to survive but he was bowled off the final delivery of Mitch Claydon’s over, leaving Gloucestershire nine down.When Rob Key stooped to take a catch off Craig Miles from the first ball of the 48th over, cheers rang around the ground, only for the third umpire to rule that he could not be sure it was cleanly taken. Two balls later, David Griffiths broke the bails of last man David Payne and victory was sealed.The plight of the British seaside town has been brought into focus this week by confirmation that Ukip leader Nigel Farage will stand for parliamentary election in South Thanet, the constituency adjacent to Canterbury and Whistable. It is tempting to see this decline as in some ways mirroring county cricket’s struggle for relevancy – both are pleasures from simpler times – but at the St Lawrence Ground, just a few miles from Farage’s prospective Ramsgate base, it was possible to witness something resembling hope.Kent were one-day kings during the ’70s, which was about when it was last cool to spend your holidays messing about with a bucket and spade. They have not won a lot since but reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Royal London Cup with a 24-run win. Farage was spotted at the Tunbridge Wells festival earlier this season, though it is unknown whether the association is mutual. It seems unlikely that real ale and the fight against EU bureaucracy are central to the philosophy of Jimmy Adams’ side.The whirlwind batting of Sam Billings certainly is and his rambunctious 61 made Kent’s wicketkeeper the third-highest scorer in this season’s competition. It was the most fluent innings of the night by a comfortable majority, as both sides battled on a treacle surface that did not benefit from a cloudburst before the start of play.Gloucestershire began with a flurry of boundaries from Chris Dent but, in their haste to make a statement, got ahead of themselves. With the assorted mysteries of Ben Harmison, Darren Stevens and Fabian Cowdrey – as well as the more classical merits of Adam Riley’s offspin – ranged against them, the visitors slipped to 125 for 6 at just past the halfway point of their chase.

Kent handed tough semi-final

Kent’s reward for a hard-fought victory over Gloucestershire in the quarter-final of the Royal London Cup is an away tie at Warwickshire.
In a see-saw match, Kent saw off Gloucestershire by 24 runs to extend their excellent run in the Royal London Cup but they will have to overcome the form side in the country to reach their first Lord’s final since 2008.
Warwickshire have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and will fancy their chance at Edgbaston as they seek a clean sweep of domestic titles.
The other semi-final sees Durham play host to Nottinghamshire. Durham meanly defended their total at Headingley to knock out Yorkshire while Notts hammered Derbyshire and kept their title defence alive.
Semi-finals
Warwickshire v Kent, Thursday September 4 D/N
Durham v Nottinghamshire, Saturday September 6

A stand of 53 between Will Gidman, the folk hero who is set to leave Gloucestershire for the bright lights of Nottingham next season, and Howell ensured home nerves remained taught but Griffiths followed a run of three successive wides by yorking Gidman. Without Michael Klinger, their overseas player and captain who broke an arm in last week’s final group game, this was a chase too far for the last side remaining from Group A.Billings has thrived on the return of 50-over cricket, averaging over 100 at a frankly indecent strike rate of 162.64. With a golden blond quiff and schoolboy grin, he radiates energy. Billings is from Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells, but played the sort of shots that would put creases in the locals’ freshly starched linen.His half-century came from 29 balls, with Dent’s left-arm spin twice crunched over the midwicket boundary. He was lucky not to drag the ball on to his stumps in the following over, bowled by Jack Taylor; he proceeded to launch a six like a mortar round over long-on, followed by a rubber-wristed reverse-sweep for four. Billings is packing heat, that much is clear, though England do not want for an explosive keeper-batsman right now.For both these sides, the Royal London Cup represented an opportunity to gloss another season of bobbing along in the quieter reaches of the county circuit. Kent are the only Division Two Championship side left in the competition. The prospect of a first knockout semi-final in five years and, potentially, a trip to Lord’s thereafter should add frisson to the final few weeks.Kent were without Doug Bollinger, who has returned to Australia ahead of the Champions League, and James Tredwell, on England duty. Suggestions that Tredwell has asked to be released from his contract and allowed to join Sussex, where he has been on loan for Championship cricket, were rebuffed by the club.In preparation for this match, Kent had fielded a strong XI against New Zealand A earlier in the week. They were dismissed for 67, their second-lowest score in List A cricket, to lose by 172 runs. Nevertheless, Key chose to bat on winning the toss, only to become the first of two wickets in two balls for Payne. A score of 11 for 2 in the fifth over did not augur well for the chances of Kent posting something more substantial.Key was back in the side after missing most of the campaign with a hamstring problem, replacing Daniel Bell-Drummond. After his brief return, it was left to vice-captain Sam Northeast and 21-year-old Cowdrey – the name of whose grandfather, Colin, looks down from the stands – to repair the early damage. Northeast is developing into an increasingly proficient limited-overs cricketer and played tidily for 78 but, perhaps inflamed by Billings’ bloodlust, missed a straight ball attempting an ungainly swipe as Kent lost their last six wickets for 27 runs.Will Gidman was treated disdainfully by Northeast and Cowdrey but he removed the latter when a ball stopped in the pitch, after a stand worth 106. Alex Gidman took the catch, a moment for the brothers to savour. There will not be many more.

Sohag Gazi is confident of returning to bowling in international cricket quickly after remodelling his bowling action, which was deemed illegal by the ICC last week. He will begin work on his action within a week, with the BCB hoping to appoint an independent coach to help the offspinner.BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan met Gazi on Saturday for the first time since the ICC announced the suspension. Mohammad Salahuddin, the coach who monitored Abdur Razzak during his suspension in 2008-09, also had a meeting with Akram and Gazi. Salahuddin is a coach at a Malaysian university and was in Dhaka on Eid vacation when Akram asked to meet him. He returns to his job tomorrow, but Akram has asked him do draw up a schedule to work with Gazi by next month.Gazi believes that he will not even take as long as Razzak did – from end October 2008 to March 2009 – to return to bowling in internationals. He said that apart from being randomly tested in South Africa in 2011 and being reported by an umpire in Bangalore in 2012 (after which there was no official report), he was never told of anything being suspect in his bowling action. He said that his leading foot while landing could be the basis of the issue, as it hinders the balance of his body.”The suspension has come upon me so the harder I work, the quicker I will return,” Gazi said. ‘I don’t think it will be a problem; I don’t think I will need as long as three months. I have heard that I have [averaged] 25 degrees, which is being considered to be not so much.”I have done many spin camps but no one really told me that they see a problem with my action. There was something wrong with my feet while landing, which hampered my body balance. I think generally that’s one crucial area that I will work on.”Asked about how he was so confident of a quick return, Gazi said he was offered “assurance”, but did not explain in detail. “I will always have this confidence. I am a mature guy, so I know when I am overconfident,” he said. “I don’t think I am being overconfident, because I know that if I am that way, things will go in the opposite direction.”I think I have the confidence because I was given some sort of assurance. I was shown video footage in Cardiff – of the test and the match in which I was reported. They matched the two and told me that if they are close, it is enough [for me to play]. They told me that the two are quite close.”Gazi said he still understood the need to be thorough and smart with the remedial work, though. “If I can’t pitch the ball properly by changing my action, I will slowly recede from the picture. So I will try to keep both in mind, the action and that I can perform well with the remodelled action.”

Two members of the Indian cricket team landed in Auckland today, and were $200 lighter in the pocket before they boarded a plane for their first base in Christchurch.Harbhajan Singh, the highly-talented off-spinner, and Virender Sehwag, the dashing opening batsman, were both fined $200 by customs officials because they had dirty cricket boots in their luggage.However, the Indian team management were not visibly upset by the fines. Mr N R Chaudhury, the Indian manager, said he understood the reasons for the fines – “these things happen.”

A place in the quarter-finals of the 38 County Cup competition awaits Lincolnshire if they beat Leicestershire County Board XI at Cleethorpes on Sunday.But the county team will be without captain Mark Fell, who has been at the bedside of his two week old son after it was found that the baby needed an urgent operation.Instead, vice-captain James Clarke will be leading the Lincs team which includes Cleethorpes’ Simon Webb, who replaces Fell, and sees the return of Simon Oakes who missed the recent three day game against Bucks. Webb’s team mate Jonathan Davies, now back in action after injury, is rested for this game in preparation for the next three day match, against Northumberland in mid-July.The match, which is 50 overs per side, begins at 11am and spectators are welcome at the Chichester Road ground.

Lincolnshire squad:J HarrisonR HowittM DobsonJ TrowerJ Clarke (capt)S WebbO Burford (w/k)R ChapmanD ChristmasD PipesS Oakes12th man:  J Davies

Hampshire find themselves with the advantage at the close of the second day of the Frizzell County Championship match at Headingley. Having been bowled out for 354, Yorkshire made heavy progress and are still 180 behind with six wickets in hand.With rain allowing just three minutes play in the opening seventy – play starting 30 minutes late before another heavy shower interrupted Hampshire’s innings – Steve Kirby removed Nic Pothas’ off stump with the fifth of the five balls bowled.After the restart, Yorkshire failed to follow this up and helped the visitors to move their score along at a healthy rate with a precession of no-balls and loose deliveries. Chris Tremlett joined Shaun Udal in a frustrating for the hosts ninth-wicket stand of 45.Tremlett became the sixth man dismissed bowled when Matthew Hoggard beat him for pace but Alan Mullally aided Udal’s advance with a useful 33 run partnership, including two lots of four byes and a pulled six into the incomplete new members stand off the England paceman.Udal was left unbeaten on 43, while the extras joined John Crawley and Will Kendall in recording half-centuries. Hoggard was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-93 while the fiery Kirby closed with three.Yorkshire opener Matthew Wood continued his dreadful run of late when he fended off a lifter from Mullally’s second delivery of the innings to Crawley at short-leg, being dismissed for his third consecutive duck.A sparkling knock from First Test centurion Michael Vaughan was in contrast to his partner Craig White, who remained stoic but undefeated at the other end.Vaughan, timing the ball with ease helped himself to a 68-ball 54 before Tremlett trapped him leg before and captain Darren Lehmann looked comfortable in reaching 21 before the same fate ended his innings, this time to Mascarenhas.Hampshire ended the day in the ascendancy having prized Anthony McGrath into driving Mascarenhas into the hands of Giles White at short mid-wicket.White remained unbeaten though the 54 overs one short of his half-century, while Michael Lumb kept his head on 14.31 runs are required to save the follow-on but Yorkshire are looking at a sizable first innings deficit if Hampshire can continue the good work of today.

Lance Klusener’s poor form with the bat may have continued, but the all-rounder starred with the ball to ensure that South Africa A completed a convincing 65-run victory against the touring Sri Lankans at Potchestroom on Saturday.Klusener, retained in South Africa’s one-day squad for the first two games of a five-match series starting Wednesday at Wanderers, lasted just four balls in the morning before dragging a ball on to his stumps, but then redeemed himself by grabbing three middle-order wickets.The all-rounder completed a fightback started by left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who made a 69-ball 61 that helped South Africa A recover from a parlous position in the morning when they had crashed to 124 for eight.Peterson added 57 with Charl Langeveldt (33*) and then 40 with last man Monde Zondeki (23), guiding South A to a respectable 221.Darryl Cullinan missed his opportunity to persuade the selectors that he is ready for an international recall when he swung wildly at Pulasthi Gunaratne’s second ball of the day and was caught at mid-on.Earlier, Sri Lanka had been boosted by the news that Sanath Jayasuriya hadrecovered from the ankle injury that had forced him out of the second Test atCenturion.In the event the left-hander failed with the bat as he was trapped lbw by Steve Elworthy, who went on to claim the wickets of Jehan Mubarak (17) and Kumar Sangakkara (21), finishing with three for 34 from seven overs.Sri Lanka’s middle order failed too, including veteran Aravinda de Silva wholingered 44 minutes at the crease for just seven runs in his first outing sincearriving in South Africa on Monday.Cape Province pace bowler Zondeki celebrated his surprise call-up into SouthAfrica’s 14-man squad for the first two one-day internationals with a fieryseven-over burst in which he claimed the crucial wicket of Mahela Jayawardene and conceded just eight runs.The visitors were eventually restricted to 111 for eight after 32 overs inan innings twice interrupted by rain.

Somerset go into their penultimate championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road on Thursday knowing that nothing less than a victory will save them from relegation to the second division.The Cidermen are currently in eighth position in the top flight in the four day game whilst their opponents are sixth , just above the danger zone, with four wins to their credit.In addition to victory at Grace Road, Somerset also have to achieve a result from their final match against Lancashire at Taunton next Wednesday, a tall order for a side who have only achieved one victory from their previous fourteen championship matches.When the sides met earlier this season Somerset were in a strong position, and will feel that they missed out on a victory when rain deprived them of the last day’s play.Over the years Leicester has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Somerset. Last season the match was drawn and in 2000 it was the hosts who recorded a victory.Despite the daunting prospect ahead of them there was an air of confidence about the Somerset team before they left the County Ground early on Wednesday morning ahead of their NUL day/night game.Coach Kevin Shine was in no doubt about the importance of the championship match and told me: "This is a must win game for us, nothing else will do for us if we are to stay up."The coach has named the following squad for the championship game: Jamie Cox, Peter Bowler, Matt Wood, Mike Burns, Piran Holloway, Keith Parsons, Pete Trego, Rob Turner, Keith Dutch, Richard Johnson, Matt Bulbeck and Simon Francis.Meanwhile the Somerset coach has confirmed that paceman Steffan Jones who has been carrying an injury for much of the season is to undergo an operation on his foot in the next few days which will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Seven days ago Sri Lanka were preparing for the opening Test in highspirits: the batsman had the luxury of having spent time in the middleduring the two warm-up games and fast bowlers were looking forward to plyingtheir trade on the more responsive pitches typical in South Africa.But a week is a long time in international cricket and after a crushinginnings and 64 run defeat at Wanderers, they have now lost their services oftheir leader, Sanath Jayasuriya, during the second Test at Centurion thatstarts Friday for the first time in a Test match since 1999.Jayasuriya damaged ligaments in his right ankle whilst warming up for netpractice playing football on Tuesday and is also in doubt for at least thefirst part of the one-day series that follows soon after this game.Muttiah Muralitharan, their premier bowler, is also struggling with ahernia, but, fortunately for Sri Lanka, he is currently pain free anddespite a swollen lower abdomen is expected to play a full part in the Testbefore undertaking surgery.Jayasuriya’s injury means that left-hander Jehan Mubarak, the only otherspecialist batsman available in a 17-man squad laden with fast bowlers, willplay his second Test match and open the innings with stand-in captain MarvanAtapattu.Russel Arnold, who bagged a pair at Wanderers as opener, edging into theslip cordon in both innings, will drop down into the middle order.Sri Lanka are also considering a change to their bowling attack. Left-armerRuchira Perera was banned from bowling in the first innings at Wanderersafter persistently running onto the danger area and the management arereluctant to risk a repeat performance at Centurion.One option is to pick wicket-keeper Prassana Jayawardene to take the loadoff Kumar Sangakkara at number three and go into the match with only fourfrontline fast bowlers. That would add depth to a frail looking lower orderbut the management have all but discounted such a move, preferring insteadthe option of four seamers and one spinner.Thus Chamila Lakshitha Gamage, a right-arm fast bowler who claimed a wicketwith his first ball in Test cricket when he made his debut againstBangladesh in July, is set to play his second Test.Sri Lanka will, at least, be pleased to see that the groundsman at Centurionhas ignored the South Africa’s preference for a well-grassed, quick surface.The mowers were pressed into action on Wednesday afternoon and the result isa brown, flat looking pitch that promises a fair contest between bat andball.However, no matter how the pitch behaves, acting captain Atapattu, takingcharge for the first time in a Test, is looking for his team to learn fromthe mistakes made at Wanderers.”We did so many things wrong in the first Test and we are trying to put themright,” said Atapattu. “We have discussed where we went wrong and we willtry out utmost to correct that in the next match.”As a batsman, once you get a start you have to go on, especially inconditions like these which we are not very used to – hopefully we will putit right this time.”He doesn’t expect it to be easy, however: “We know what we are up againstand the task that we face. Whatever the pitch we have to do the basicsright.”And he doesn’t want the players dwell over the loss of Jayasuriya: “It is agreat loss but we have to understand that these things are going to happenfrom time to time. We have got to keep our heads high and perform.”A frontrunner for the captaincy should Jayasuriya decide to handover thereins after the World Cup, he is looking forward to the challenge of leadingthe side: “It is a great privilege to captain your country and I enjoy it.It is a bit different for me half way through the tour but hopefully I willhandle it well.”Likely Eleven:Marvan Atapattu (Capt), Jehan Mubarak, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jaywardene,Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Hasantha Fernando, Chaminda Vaas,Dilhara Fernando, Chamila Gamage Lakshitha, Muttiah Muralitharan.

Somerset Under 11’s were victorious in their recent 45 over match against Wales Under 11’s at Croesyceiliog CC.Somerset won the toss and put their hosts into bat first.Wales were dismissed for 84 in 38 overs thanks to some tight bowling by the visitors.Will Carpenter was the pick of the Somerset attack, ending with the impressive figures of 10 overs, 1 maiden, 3 wickets for 15 runs.When Somerset batted they Jamie Howson was in good form, scoring an unbeaten 47 as the visitors reached the required total for the loss of 4 wickets in just 25.5 overs

Glamorgan Dragons’ fire proved too much for Yorkshire Phoenix at Cardiff in their Norwich Union League Division One encounter.Both teams were level on 26 points at the start of play and retained legitimate hopes of winning the trophy. But it is the Dragons – who still have a game in hand over many of their competitors – that now find themselves only two points away from the top of the table, while Phoenix are left as outsiders in what is proving to be a frustrating season for them.It was the spin bowling of Robert Croft (3-27) and Dean Cosker (4-17) that turned the game in favour of the home team after Phoenix had looked to be cruising to victory in a rain-affected contest.Set 175 runs in win (by the Duckworth/Lewis method), Phoenix were well set at 86-1 in just the 10th over when Croft started their slide with the wicket of Matt Wood. Chris Silverwood followed just eight runs later, for an excellent 55 in 39 balls as pinch-hitter, while Richard Dawson and Anthony McGrath both followed before the 100 was posted.Michael Lumb and Gary Fellows regrouped for a while, but the introduction of Dean Cosker’s left-arm spin into the attack hastened the end and Phoenix fell away to be dismissed for 153, 21 runs short of their target.Earlier the Dragons made a decent start after electing to bat. Robert Croft began a good all-round performance with a brisk 37 (in 45 balls with seven fours), putting on 84 for the first wicket with Ian Thomas (40).But after Ryan Sidebottom claimed Croft’s wicket, more rain caused more delays and the game was further reduced to 22 over a side.Upon the resumption four wickets fell for 12 runs. Again it was spin that caused the problems, Andy Gray striking in his first over, having Ian Thomas – who had looked so good before the rain came – stumped. Fellow off-spinner Richard Dawson then took two in two balls, bowling Michael Powell for 12 before having Dragons’ skipper Steve James lbw first ball. Gray – who finished with 3-23 – then dismissed the dangerous Maynard before Darren Thomas provided some acceleration with three quick boundaries in a nine-ball cameo of 19.But Gray struck once again, dismissing Thomas before Adrian Dale and Mark Wallace took the total to 149 from their 22 overs.Duckworth/Lewis saw the target rise to 175, but despite the continued form of Silverwood as pinch-hitter this season, Croft and Cosker’s spin proved too much and the run chase ended in failure.