All posts by csb10.top

The battle lines between Cricket NSW and the SCG Trust have again been drawn, with Blues chief executive Dave Gilbert suggesting Sydney’s next Ashes Test could be staged at ANZ Stadium, the main venue for the 2000 Olympics. Cricket NSW and the Trust were involved in a similar stand-off five years ago during negotiations over the existing tenancy agreement, and Gilbert has again flagged the possibility of moving cricket from its traditional home at the SCG to the 80,000 capacity stadium in Homebush.The last agreement, signed in 2004, expires at the end of 2010, creating an air of uncertainty over where the New Year’s Test of 2011 against England will be staged. The very notion that major international fixtures could be relocated from the SCG will dismay the cricketing purists of Sydney, but Gilbert said he would keep all options open when negotiations with the Trust begin next year.”ANZ is focused on getting a major cricket match to its venue,” Gilbert said. “I know Test cricket will be a difficult one to do at this stage – and you have to weigh up tradition and history and the drama at the SCG – but when I was a kid growing up at the SCG, rugby league Test matches and union Test matches were only ever at the SCG. Not anymore.”If you’re a 15-year-old kid, you’ve only ever known big sport events to be played at ANZ Stadium – that’s not meant to be an inflammatory comment, it’s a fact. If you take the heat and emotion out of it, as CEO of Cricket NSW, I have to do what is best for cricket to generate revenue to keep this game going, and this is what this process is about.”This is what our negotiations will be about the next few months. It has to be recognised SCG and ANZ Stadium run a ground and we run a sport, we need each other and it’s about working out the best deal moving forward.”Simon Katich, the Australian opener and NSW captain, said it would be a “huge surprise” if the decision was made to break with tradition and relocate Test cricket from the SCG to the larger-capacity ANZ Stadium. NSW have staged 20- and 50-over matches at the Olympic venue for several seasons, but as yet no internationals have been played there.”We’ve played a lot of one-day cricket out at ANZ Stadium,” Katich said. “The game is always developing and changing, who knows where it could head now with where we play, but it would be a shock if we moved from the SCG.”I think the only issue might be that the wicket at ANZ is a drop-in wicket and people are always worried about losing the characteristics of all the five different [Ashes Test] venues in Australia,” he added. “That would be an issue, but in terms of attendances out there, we obviously get great crowds for the Blues and being a big stadium, who knows what a Test match could draw out there?”A spokesman for ANZ Stadium said the venue’s primary focus was to attract ODI and Twenty20 international cricket, but would not rule out a bid to poach Test matches from the SCG.

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka has finally emerged from months of virtual invisibility to give an interview to Zimbabwe’s Independent newspaper.Chingoka has maintained a low-profile since he was barred from attending an ICC meeting in January because the Australian authorities decided his connections with the Mugabe regime made him an undesirable alien. That followed similar action by the European Union in 2008. In his place, chief executive Ozias Bvute has been the public face of ZC.Locally, critics of Chingoka believe that he is keen to avoid publicity because of the increasing scrutiny of the activities of the board by MDC minister David Coultard. They wryly add that since Chingoka has all but disappeared, Zimbabwe have made massive steps forward. “He’s yesterday’s man,” one former administrator told Cricinfo. “He is associated internally and abroad with the dark days of the game here and his time is thankfully drawing to a close.”Chingoka brushed aside such suggestions, insisting that his silence was because he had “fewer requests for interviews now than I had in the past, and so it appears as if I have been out of the limelight”. He added: “I have been doing three things: continuing to run the sport and getting more time for my business and also my personal life.”What has changed is the game inside Zimbabwe, with many players who fell out with his board returning to the fold. “You may remember us saying all along that our doors are always open and that our objective has always been to make sure that the game is accessible to all Zimbabweans regardless of race, creed or gender. Thus, since the disputes stemming back to 2004, we have had players, former administrators and coaches returning, at different intervals, to offer their services again.”What we have now is what we have always had, which is a positive spirit.”In a sign that there may be more openness than in the recent past, Chingoka was asked if the developments and changes in ZC are meant to repair the damages of your administration? “The ZC board has always insisted on an open door policy,” he replied, “and has, at all times, welcomed and utilised to the benefit of the game the best people who have walked through that door.”Turning to on-field affairs, Chingoka maintained the timescale set out by the ICC for Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket was “within two years from the meeting of March 2009, but that will be influenced by our results in the next few months”.If they do return then the old issues of games against England, Australia and New Zealand will resurface, but he was adamant there were no problems with the boards of those countries, only the governments. “Our relations with Cricket Australia for example have seen them helping us in our staff development in various spheres of the game. We have had players, coaches and staffers attending courses there.And what about continuing voices, albeit less vocal of late, who question Zimbabwe’s right to continue to be a Full Member of the ICC? “In so far as all the other Full Members are concerned, we have their unwavering support.”It’s worthy to note that Cricket South Africa is right now working on a blue-print following our visit to them and the reciprocal visit by their coordinating committee specifically chosen to help us return to Test cricket. The blueprint is being finalised now by their board and will attach special emphasis on our return to Test cricket at the shortest possible time. It will embrace facets of our cricket from age-groups through to the Test arena.”At the same time, we are also playing our part as an ICC Full Member by helping to upgrade standards in member countries such as Kenya and by sending our sides to age-group tournaments in South Africa where they play against other African countries.It is all part of world cricket wanting to have stronger playing countries. And we are not an island in that.”

Match facts

Sunday, September 6, 2009
Start time 10.15 (9.15 GMT)Luke Wright gave England a chance in the opening match but had been left with too much to do•Getty Images

Big Picture

One down, six to go. Australia took an early lead in the one-day series by holding off a spirited late charge from England’s lower order to secure a four-run victory at The Oval. They almost let the match slip away in the closing overs, but Nathan Bracken held his nerve and Ryan Sidebottom will be the only one who can explain why he left the ball with three deliveries remaining and eight needed.There is a real determination in the Australian side to treat this one-day series as a new chapter after the Ashes disappointment. It is an evolving unit as planning looks ahead to the 2011 World Cup and one of their newer faces, Callum Ferguson, produced a classy, unbeaten 71 to hold the innings together on Friday. Andrew Strauss admitted he hadn’t seen much of him and England need to come up with some plans. Ferguson is already averaging over 50 in ODIs.For England it was a familiar tale of frustration from the top-order as they all reached double figures without anyone passing Ravi Bopara’s 49. There were a number of loose dismissals – Matt Prior top-edged a reverse sweep, Bopara fell to a lazy stumping and Owais Shah tread on his stumps – and too much was left to the lower order. However, England will take encouragement from Adil Rashid’s performance. He followed an impressive bowling spell with 31 off 23 balls, to further enhance his growing reputation.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
England – LWWWW
Australia – WWLWW

Watch out for…

Luke Wright has been up and down England’s one-day batting line-up like a yo-yo but he has returned in a middle-order role to give the side impetus and striking power late in the innings. The early signs were promising as he gave the team a chance of chasing down 10-an-over for the final eight overs and launched the only six of the opening match when he drove Shane Watson handsomely over long off. If it hadn’t been for his run-out off a no-ball England might have got over the line. Wright’s bowling was limited to a single over in conditions which didn’t suit his hit-the-deck style, but he needs to work on his accuracy to become a reliable option for Andrew Strauss.Mitchell Johnson returns to the scene of his Ashes horror show. It was his first-innings display – 132 off 21 overs – in the second Test that went a long way towards costing Australia the match. He admitted to not really having a clue where it was going but, to his credit, recovered well form the ordeal despite still being short of his best. He was back at first change for the one-day series and started with three wickets at The Oval, including the key middle-order brace of Shah and Paul Collingwood, and is capable of winning a match of his own.

Team news

Joe Denly is still ruled out because of his knee injury and no cover has been called up so England’s top order is unlikely to change. The two-spinner ploy also worked well at keeping a lid on Australia’s scoring alongside Paul Collingwood, but their effectiveness also depends on the nature of the surface. Ryan Sidebottom wasn’t quite at his best, but the variety he brings is useful for the side.England (probable): 1 Ravi Bopara, 2 Andrew Strauss (capt), 3 Matt Prior (wk), 4 Owais Shah, 5 Paul Collingwood , 6 Luke Wright, 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.There seems little reason for the Australians to change a winning side. Tim Paine will hope to get off the mark this time but Cameron White’s elevation to No. 3 was a success with a half century.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Cameron White, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Callum Ferguson, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz 10 Brett Lee, 11 Nathan Bracken.

Pitch and conditions

The forecast remains good even though there is an autumnal chill in the air. Lord’s can usually be relied upon to produce excellent one-day surfaces while the outfield is also rapid. The pitch had a tinge of green the day before the match, but expect it to be given another trim before the action begins.

Stats and trivia

• England and Australia have played nine ODIs against each other at Lord’s and the head-to-head currently stands at 4-4 with one tie, which was the Natwest Series final in 2005.

Quotes

“We thought we were in control, but always at the back of our minds was what happened against South Africa. A couple of times when we thought we were in a pretty good position, they’d take the batting Powerplay and overcome us at the end.”
.”It was nice to perform with bat and ball but I have still got a long way to go. It has increased my confidence bowling to the Australians who are a great team. The more you play the more confidence you get and hopefully I can show that in the next game.”
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Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan spinner, has been signed by Hampshire to play in the 2010 season. He will take over from Imran Tahir, who is due to return to The Rose Bowl in 2011, depending on his international commitments.”Ajantha Mendis is the most exciting new bowler to explode onto the world stage since Shane Warne,” said Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire chairman. “We are particularly excited that he has decided to join Hampshire having been courted by a number of counties over the past few months.”Mendis, 24, has played eight Test Matches for Sri Lanka, taking 39 wickets with career-best figures of 6 for 117 against India. He also won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year in 2008.

Opening gambit of the day
Graham Onions was a surprise choice to take the first over of the day, given how much faith England have placed in their senior pairing of Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson in this series. But both men were disappointing in their initial bursts on Thursday evening, and Andrew Strauss wanted a bowler who could be relied upon to aim at the stumps from a full length. He could not have wished for a more dramatic affirmation of his faith in Onions. Two balls, two wickets, as first Shane Watson missed a straight one to be pinned lbw for his overnight 62, and then Michael Hussey, for the second match running, offered no stroke to a ball that picked out his off stump.Innings of the day
Batting was apparently a struggle today, as nine Australian wickets and Alastair Cook’s first-over duck would suggest. But one batsman rose all other contenders, to lay claim to the innings just as he had done at Lord’s. Andrew Strauss’s crisp punchy drives and emphatic cut shots allowed no margin for error whatsoever, as he cruised to his half-century from 92 balls. Ominously for Australia, Strauss’s conversation rate is up there with the best in history. Of the 33 innings he has made it to fifty in his career, he’s pushed on to three figures on no fewer than 18 occasions.Milestone of the day
He got there a touch chancily, with an aerial prod through short leg, but when you’ve racked up more than 11,000 Test runs, it’s fair to say that you’ve earned a bit of good fortune. Ricky Ponting began the match needing 25 runs to surpass Allan Border’s Australian Test record of 11,174, and resumed on the second day with 17 of those already in the book. A thick-edged four through gully reduced the requirement even further, and he finally went clear of Border with three through midwicket off Andrew Flintoff. An appreciative Edgbaston crowd stood to salute him as he raised his bat. Ponting hasn’t been the most popular player in this series so far, but everyone in the ground could appreciate the class of the man.Statement of the day
It didn’t take long for Shane Warne to resume his “Shermanator” jibes from up in the commentary box, but down at pitch level, Ian Bell was determined to make a statement of intent in his first innings for England since February. No single shot was more emphatic than his shimmy and thwack off Nathan Hauritz, who was sent sailing over long-on for six. Bell’s follow-up shot, however, was a little bit dicier however, as he dabbed limply outside off, much in the manner he was dismissed in Jamaica in his last Test innings, but happily for him he avoided getting an edge. He was also outrageously fortuitous not to be given lbw for 18 as Mitchell Johnson clattered his pads plumb in front of middle. But undeterred, Bell followed up with a flowing cover drive for four, to finish the day very much in credit.Ravi Bopara spills a catch off Ben Hilfenhaus•Getty Images

Debut of the day
The record-books will state that Graham Manou made his Test debut on July 30, 2009, but to all intents and purposes his international career did not begin until today. Such was the rush on the first day after Brad Haddin’s finger injury, Manou did not even get formally presented with his baggy green until this morning, and besides, he spent Thursday afternoon in a daze in the dressing-room, coming to terms with what had just transpired. When his turn came to bat, he started with confidence with two fours in three balls, but then attracted the delivery of the day from Anderson, which smashed his stumps from wide on the crease. Still, he later fronted up with the gloves, and stooped well in the second over to collect a low edge off Peter Siddle, and send Cook back for a duck.Cameo of the day
Up until the moment he was adjudged lbw to a ball that might have missed leg, Michael Clarke led a bit of a charmed life. On 18, he was pinned on the crease by an offcutter that looked to be taking out middle-and-leg, but Aleem Dar decreed it was sliding past the stumps. And then, two runs later, he had an even more remarkable escape when Flintoff, of all people, dropped a catch at second slip. Onions was once again the bowler, as Clarke failed to read the outswinger, and guided the ball expertly off the face of his bat as he attempted to leave. The shot selection seemed to fool Flintoff, who barely reacted as the ball thudded into his chest and away to safety.Catch of the day
Matt Prior has had his critics since making his debut in 2007, largely for the fallibility of his glovework – which, in the opinion of many wicketkeeping experts, has stemmed from the leaden nature of his footwork. Against India and Sri Lanka in 2007-08, he spilled chance after chance, most of them off Ryan Sidebottom, and a large proportion of them left-handers, as he seemed slow in pushing off with his right foot whenever a catch flew to his left. Today, however, he demonstrated a new-found agility, as Marcus North edged James Anderson high towards first slip. Quick as a flash, Prior launched himself at the ball, and snaffled the chance one-handed.Drop of the day
Taking the ball over your shoulder while running away from the action is arguably the hardest type of catch to judge, but the chance that Ravi Bopara spilled at point off Ben Hilfenhaus was nevertheless a notable lapse. It wasn’t the toughest opportunity he’ll ever be offered either. The ball went so high off a top-edge that Bopara almost had time to walk into position before muffing the opportunity as it slapped off his palms. Hilfenhaus had made just 8 at the time, and that moment could have closed Australia’s innings on 241. Instead the last pair added 22 extra runs, with Hilfenhaus moving along to 20, his highest Test score.Chant of the day
Like their team, the Barmy Army enjoyed their best day of the series on day two. A tribute to Bobby Robson, the England football legend who died on Friday morning, stirred the emotions of all in the Eric Hollies Stand, but there were many moments of levity too. A panel of Cricinfo chant experts judged “Your next queen is Camilla Parker-Bowles” the victor by a short-half head over “Super Mitchell Johnson” followed by “Where’s your aura gone” in third. A fine field.

Younis Khan has responded to Pakistan’s first Test series defeat in Sri Lanka by pleading for more time to rebuild the team after “very little cricket over the last 18 months”. Speaking after a game in which Pakistan’s batting collapses tilted the balance towards Sri Lanka, Younis said he didn’t want to put blame on any individual – the team was lacking by just 20%, failing to stay focused throughout the games and while facing pressure situations.”It’s very easy right now to write this team off,” he said, “But how many Tests have we played in the last 14 months? For one full year we didn’t play at all. As and when we start playing more regularly, we will learn to adapt. I think it’s not about the technique, not about the bowling, not about the weather.”Give this team some time, don’t point fingers too early. It will be very easy for me too to blame particular players, even myself. But the reality is, we haven’t been playing any Test cricket. It’s very easy for me to give up, to say I can’t captain this team. But somebody will have to stand up and fix the situation.”Before the start of the series, Younis had said that being undercooked should not be an excuse for international teams. But three heart-breaking collapses later, Younis said it was time to analyse the situation, and that he concluded thus not as Pakistan captain but as an analyst. “Out of the four matches we have played, one was stopped midway, one we drew, and lost two,” he said. “And that too it felt like we were not beaten, we lost them ourselves. So I am not looking for excuses but for reasons. And this is one of the major reasons.”The irony of the situation, though, is that it was not the youngsters, the debutants, who let the team down. It was the experienced pros who failed all three times to arrest the collapses. Younis saw that as one of the positives from the series. “This team is in a rebuilding phase,” he said. “We had three debutants in the last match, and one in this. But if Saeed Ajmal is putting up a fight, if Abdur Rauf is putting up a fight, if Fawad Alam is putting up a fight, if Mohammad Aamer is putting up a fight, that gives me some solace. I will have to give them some time. So too the media and the fans.”Younis reiterated that the problem came from not finishing matches. “There is only 20% that we are lacking. If we play to our potential – everybody knows about us – we will start winning. It is all about concentration and how to adapt to conditions.”Over six and a bit days, Pakistan have had three disastrous sessions, while the other sessions have been full of heartening performances from their youngsters. Their bowling attack looks in good health, especially with an impending comeback of Mohammad Asif, and Ajmal and Danish Kaneria fighting for the spinner’s slot. Yet they have lost the series, which can be a very demoralising experience.Younis, though, wants to look ahead immediately, to the next Test. “What can I do? I can only ask them to focus for longer durations. After Tests we have to play one-dayers too. It will be every difficult if we go 2-0 down or 3-0 down. If we push more, keep pushing, we can win the last Test, which should give us a lot of motivation before the one-dayers. And if we can win both, we will get some satisfaction at least.”

Text-book skill of the day
Jacques Kallis didn’t play in the first World Twenty20 – which didn’t go down well with the man himself – and he has gone about proving he can play the shortest format. He had a productive IPL and has now slotted into the opening role for his country. He isn’t the type of batsmen to slog and carve the ball around, but one shot today showed there is plenty of room for elegance and grace in Twenty20. Jerome Taylor bowled a good length slower-ball, Kallis gave himself a touch of room and went inside-out over mid-off with timing to carry the boundary. Some shots in this tournament haven’t been near the coaching manual, but Kallis’ effort could have made page one.Spell of the day
Wayne Parnell is shaping as one of the outstanding bowlers of the tournament at just 19 years of age. On Thursday he helped take out England’s opening pair before wrapping up the tail and was at it again here. First he knocked back Andre Fletcher’s off stump as the batsman had an ugly heave across the line, then claimed the vital scalp of Chris Gayle who lobbed a catch to midwicket. But it isn’t just his wickets that are impressive, the economy rate is crucial and he finished his first two-over spell having conceded just three runs. And to cap his day, he claimed two more at the death.Futile catch of the day
South Africa’s fielding has been one of the stand-out features of the tournament and for a split second Graeme Smith thought he had taken a blinder. He ran in from midwicket to catch Dwayne Bravo, but the chance had been offered from a high full toss by Albie Morkel that surprised the batsman. Mark Benson, the umpire, was already signalling no-ball before Smith took the catch, but the South Africa captain only realised once he’d stood up. He didn’t look best pleased, but couldn’t have any arguments with the decision.Counterattack of the day
With both openers gone for 13 in the fourth over, West Indies needed someone to stand up if they were to have a chance. Enter Lendl Simmons, who wasn’t in the team at the start of the tournament, as he kicked the innings into life with four boundaries in five balls off Kallis in a half-century that took 31 balls. With him at the crease the target was still in sight for West Indies, but when he was caught at long-off the game swung decisively back to South Africa.Bowling change of the day
JP Duminy hadn’t been used in the tournament until being introduced for 12th over of the innings with Simmons flying and Shivnarine Chanderpaul settling in. His first ball was easily pushed away for a single, but the second would have done any frontline spinner proud. He saw Chanderpaul advancing, but had the nerve to toss the ball up and found a leading edge which looped back to the bowler; a vital wicket at a vital time and not a bad moment to claim your first dismissal of the tournament.Wrong button of the day
When Kieron Pollard chipped a low full-toss from Parnell to Smith he stood his ground as the South Africans celebrated, thinking he had hit the ball into the ground. Replays clearly showed he was out, but then the big screen flashed up ‘Not Out’ and there was a collective gasp. A few second later, though, ‘Out’ appeared as the third umpire, Rod Tucker, found the correct button and a controversy was averted.

Stuart Clark’s plans for a pre-Ashes stint with Gloucestershire havebeen dashed after delays in obtaining a UK visa. Clark had hoped toplay two four-day matches for Gloucestershire in a bid to boost hisfitness ahead of the Ashes, but will now head to Cricket Australia’scentre of excellence for extra training sessions.Clark created a major stir earlier in the summer when he signed ashort-term contract with Kent. That deal was scuppered when the fastbowler was called into the Australian squad for the limited-oversseries against Pakistan in the UAE, but a subsequent opportunity toplay county cricket arose when Gloucestershire’s James Franklin waschosen in New Zealand’s World Twenty20 squad.But those plans were also terminated after Clark on Monday informedGloucestershire of the visa delay. He will now enter the Ashes serieshaving played no first-class cricket since undergoing elbow surgery inDecember.”This didn’t have anything to do with [the ECB] not wanting me there,it’s just that the visa is taking too long,” Clark told Cricinfo. “Itwould have been preferable to play a few county games, so in thatsense it’s a bit disappointing. But it’s not to be, so I’ll just headup to the centre of excellence to get a bit more bowling in.”Gloucestershire’s chief executive, Tom Richardson, admitted last month that he was risking a club versus country row in trying to bring Clark to Bristol. “You wrestle with your conscience on these things but we want to win things,” he told BBC Radio. “Yes we want England to win the Ashes too, but we have to focus on getting a really good cricketer in here. If he didn’t come to us he’d go to someone else.”Richardson was less bullish when discussing the Clark situation on Monday. “Fundamentally we have said all along that we would cross that bridge if we came to it, but now we have not come to it, it is all a lot of hot air,” he told Cricinfo.Clark is due to join the Australian squad in England on June 17. The ECB offered no comment on his change of plan.

If Australia’s selectors are chasing Shaun Tait for a recall in September he might be a bit hard to find. A disappointed Tait, who lost his Cricket Australia contract on Thursday, will continue to train after a series of injuries, but suggested he might go on a long holiday instead of waiting by the phone.”It’s pretty easy for CA to say ‘get yourself ready for a tournament’ when they haven’t given you a contract,” he told AAP. “I could quite easily duck off to the Greek Islands for a couple of months if I wanted to. But I’ll keep myself fit, keep bowling and if something does come up well that’d be good.”Tait’s wonky body restricted him to a handful of matches for his country last season, but he believed he was ready to bowl in the Indian Premier League two weeks ago before his lucrative stint in the Indian Premier League was vetoed by Australia’s medical staff. The decision cost Tait up to US$375,000 – it’s too late to join Rajasthan Royals for their final two groups games – and the faith he showed in Cricket Australia was very costly.”When you think you’re ready to go and play, I thought they had me in mind for future tournaments, so that was fair enough at the time,” he said. “But to not let you go, then not pick you in a squad, then not give you a contract is a little bit of a kick in the teeth.”Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Tait remained in Australia’s thoughts and could be considered as soon as the one-day series that follows the Ashes in September. Tait wasn’t impressed by the carrot.He will go to England for a holiday before coming back to South Australia to focus on the limited-overs formats. “It’s no secret I’m trying to concentrate on the shorter form of the game and from what’s happened yesterday, being dropped off a contract it probably frees me up a bit more to do that,” Tait said. “I’m still going to be hopefully contracted to the SACA here, but I can explore other options with the shorter form of the game. Four-day cricket is a fair way out of my mind at the moment.”The longer formats have taken their toll on Tait and he supported the view of Chris Gayle, who said this week it “wouldn’t be so sad if Test cricket dies and Twenty20 comes in”. “It’s a pretty big call coming from a Test captain, pretty amusing really, but I think he’s probably spot-on,” Tait said. “Two years ago we didn’t have those options but now the Twenty20 stuff has really kicked off.”

IPL teams that have more South African players in their side, especially Bangalore, have a clear home advantage now that the tournament has been relocated to that country, coaches and players from the league have said.Ray Jennings, the coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore, which has five South Africans in the team, the maximum in this season’s IPL, says his side has a definite tactical advantage – Jennings himself is a former South Africa coach. Darren Berry, the coach of Rajasthan Royals, the IPL champions who have three South Africans in their side, including Graeme Smith, the national captain, says the insights provided by these players would be an advantage. And Adam Gilchrist, who will lead Hershchelle Gibbs as captain of Deccan Chargers, says that local knowledge would add a new dimension to this IPL starting on April 18.”Tactically, it must be an advantage,” Jennings said. “The coaching staff is also from South Africa so the preparation would be done to perfection because we obviously know what we are doing. Our team may have more of a home base than anybody else because we have five South African players and six if you count Kevin Pietersen, the captain.”Shaun Pollock, who is coaching Mumbai Indians, admits that Bangalore has an advantage with players like Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Dale Steyn in the side. “Probably Bangalore have a slight advantage as they have five South African players,” Pollock said.But Mumbai Indians, who he coaches along with Jonty Rhodes are not far behind, having signed up JP Duminy, the star allrounder, for US$ 950,000 this year. “But it doesn’t count for too much as people play in all kinds of conditions,” Pollock said. “As for Mumbai, quite a few of our Indian guys are here and that works to our advantage as they are exposed to the local conditions and that will definitely help.”Berry says Rajasthan Royals would fancy their chances, too, having players of the calibre of Smith in the side. “It is good we have a got strong South African contingent (Graeme Smith, Morne Morkel, Tyron Henderson),” he said. “It is an advantage. We are lucky that Smith, the South African captain, whose insight will help into what the conditions we can expect.”Gilchirst, who has Gibbs to bank on for Deccan Chargers, admits that local knowledge provides a definite edge. “Obviously some local knowledge always helps,” he said. “But it would be interesting to see various team make-ups coming under close scrutiny now that the venue has changed with different conditions and different circumstances to what everyone was planning for in India. It does add a new dimension.”However, the players and coaches admitted that adaptability would be a key factor on South African pitches, irrespective of whether teams have South African players or not.”South African conditions will present a different set of circumstances than India and with that we have the flexibility in our squad to alter what type of player we will take,” Berry said. “You must have players who can adapt to different conditions. We have that but there were some teams last year in the IPL that didn’t have players who could adapt. Perhaps bowling will have a bigger impact in South Africa as they could benefit from the bounce and carry the pitches offer there.”Pollock agrees but adds that spinners may have a crucial role to play over the next two months. “Yes, definitely,” he said. “If you look at the records during the Twenty20 World Cup guys like Harbhajan Singh and Daniel Vettori did well so I have no doubt spinners will have a role to play.”As for the South African players, they are just happy to be playing at home after almost 18 months on the road, including gruelling tours to England and Australia. “From a personal point of view, it’s fantastic that we don’t have to leave the country again,” Dale Steyn said. “We have spent so much time on the road over the last two years, and to have the Champions Trophy and now the IPL at home will be great for all of us. It feels like we are forever going overseas, and it will be nice to spend more time with family and friends.”