Tag Futebol

Scorecard
Sachin Rana’s brilliant maiden first-class hundred, from the No.9 spot, completely overshadowed the good work put in by Baroda’s bowlers earlier in the day as Haryana bounced back from a dismal 159 for 9 to finish on 260 at Sirsa. Playing in just his seventh first-class game, Rana pulled Haryana out of a deep hole in a classic rearguard action with Gaurav Vashisht – who also deserves special mention – adding 101 for the last wicket.Earlier, Zaheer Khan and Rakesh Patel, Baroda’s opening bowlers, took three wickets apiece to cap a convincing performance that completely nullified the cream of Haryana’s batting. In Rana, however, they ran into an obstacle who was unwilling to succumb; he managed as many boundaries (13 fours and a six) as the rest of the 10 batsmen. His defiant knock apart, it was a virtual no-show from Haryana’s batting stars. To show that his prime task was to open the bowling, Rana proceeded to send down a wicket-maiden over in his only opportunity before stumps to leave Baroda 6 for 1.
Scorecard
Shib Paul struck twice for Bengal to leave Mumbai 50 for 2 at stumps at the Wankhede Stadium, but nothing could be taken away from the home side’s clinical bowling performance earlier in the day as a career-best haul from Swapnil Hazare, the medium pacer, dismissed Bengal for 171. Usman Malvi, the opening bowler, chipped in with three wickets as the tourists failed to come to terms with Mumbai’s pace brigade. Only Saurashish Lahiri, sent in to bat at No. 3, put up a semblance of a fight.
Scorecard
Just 5.5 overs were managed at Chennai today as rains marred the first day’s play between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut, the left-handed opener, hit three quick fours to get Tamil Nadu off to a good start before rain and bad light forced both teams to call it a day well before the scheduled time of stumps.
Scorecard
Fine bowling from Mukund Parmar, the left-arm spinner, helped dismantle a strong Railways batting lineup for 188 on a day one turner at Delhi. Sanjay Bangar, the Railways captain, had said before the match that he expected the surface to provide opportunities to both teams to come good. It was to Bangar’s detriment that Parmar found assistance from the wicket to put Railways’ middle order in a complete spin. For his part, though, Bangar (39) featured in a fine 83-run partnership for the second wicket with G Shankar Rao, the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting performance.
Scorecard
A battling fifty from Sairaj Bahutule and a late order cameo from Munaf Patel, the fast bowler, saw their side to 183 for 7 on day one against hosts Delhi. Delhi’s bowlers had done well to leave Maharashtra’s top order in disarray before Bahutule and Patel – who clubbed three sixes – combined for an 80-run stand for the seventh wicket. Maharashtra will undoubtedly look to Bahutule to guide them to a more imposing total on the second day’s play.
Scorecard
Fine bowling from Gagandeep Singh and Hardevinder Sandhu, Punjab’s opening bowlers, restricted Hyderabad to 200 on the opening day of their Elite Group B match at Chandigarh, but the tourists fought back to leave Punjab 83 for 3 at stumps. Gagandeep had struck crucial blows throughout the first two sessions of play to stifle any signs of a worthy partnership, and was ably backed by Sandhu. Kaushik Reddy, with an unbeaten 51 from the No.10 spot, was the lone aggressor in an otherwise meek batting display from the tourists.
Scorecard
A defiant fifty from Yashpal Singh, the middle-order batsman, took Services to 207 for 5 at stumps on day one against Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow. Sumit Tomar and Jasvir Singh also looked good for bigger innings, but Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, bagged three middle-order wickets to sustain Services’ post-lunch aggression. Sensing the need Sarabjit Singh, the Services’ wicketkeeper, and AK Mohanty batted in a stoic manner to play out the remaining fifteen overs before the close of play.

Rashid Latif has sent a legal notice to the PCB to contest the six-month ban imposed on him by Shaharyar Khan, the board’s chairman, for forfeiting a domestic game due to an unfit pitch. In a statement released by his lawyer, Justice Malik Qayyum, Latif said, “I have just sent them [the PCB] a legal notice asking them to withdraw the suspension and fine order. I do not, as a first resort, want to drag the PCB to court as I have dutifully served them. But if I am forced to then I will have to.”The chances of legal action being initiated remain high, as Latif has ruled out going to the appeals committee that Shaharyar had set up to hear the case. Latif told Cricinfo: “I am not going to appeal, especially in this ad hoc setup. This tussle with the board has been going on for a year now, but I think legally this time, they have acted incorrectly. I want to have this ban removed legally because the procedure the PCB undertook is illegal. I will argue that the ban is illegal.”Latif was leading the Karachi Blues in a Quaid-i-Azam trophy match against Faisalabad last week when he declared with his side tottering at 33 for 4, forfeiting the game. The decision to ban Latif alone, and not throw the team out of the tournament – as is required by domestic regulations – has been widely criticised for its arbitrary and unilateral nature. Some ex-cricketers and journalists have suggested the decision to ban him was part of a wider PCB agenda to banish the outspoken Latif – a constant thorn in the board’s side – from Pakistan cricket.The legal notice probably scuppers any chance of a meeting between Shaharyar Khan and Latif. Over the last few days, newspaper reports had suggested thatthere might be a meeting to try to resolve the matter. Earlier, speaking to Cricinfo, Abbas Zaidi, the director of the PCB’s media arm, had reiterated: “If Rashid Latif wants to see the chairman and explain his position, he is most welcome, anytime, to do so.”When asked whether Latif’s views should have been sought before the punishment was handed out, Zaidi replied, “We looked at the views of the umpires and the referees, not the captain. The captain is nobody to decide on this. The point is that Latif had access to the umpires and the referee, yet he still chose to take a unilateral decision. He could have called the chairman then and it would have been fine, but you can’t jeopardise domestic cricket by refusing to play at your own whim. He now has the chance to appeal to the appeals committee or he can come and explain his case to the chairman. We hold no grudge against him.”According to sources in the PCB, there has been extensive correspondence between Latif and Shaharyar on the issue. While Latif accepted the decision he made violated the regulations, he argued that he deserved at least the right to explain his case before any punishment was handed out: “In the current case I have been banned without being even asked as to why I took the decision. The natural course of justice was not followed before the penalty was slapped on me. One could have asked for my viewpoint. In addition, my viewpoint was not something out of the ordinary. Several games this season part of the same tournament have either been relocated or postponed due to below-standard or dangerous playing conditions. [With] such background I at the very least deserved a chance to be asked to explain and justify the reasons for my action.”He also hinted that the PCB was working to a pre-ordained agenda to oust him from Pakistan cricket, although Shaharyar has denied this. He stood by his decision for imposing the ban, arguing that a team ban would have been too harsh, but said that he would meet him personally if Latif wanted to.But Zaidi also said there was little chance that Shaharyar would reconsider his decision to overturn the ban: “I don’t think there is any question of changing the punishment or the ban now. The chairman is the person who has imposed the penalty so he can’t be the appellate authority.” In view of this and the ad-hoc nature of the appeals committee, it is perhaps not surprising that Latif turned to unprecedented legal action to save his career.

When Sourav Ganguly walked into the NCA premises – bulky equipment “coffin” in tow – he was surrounded by so many flashbulbs and microphones that you wondered if it was Oscar night, rather than just the start of the Indian cricket team’s preparatory camp. The man Geoffrey Boycott likes to call royalty was attired in a grey T-shirt and khakis, and there was ample evidence that the training programme prescribed for the off-season had been followed. Like most of his players, who had departed to the team hotel 15 minutes earlier, Ganguly looked in fighting trim, a welcome change from the days when some players arrived at camp as Mr Blobby impersonators.Sachin Tendulkar had made a quiet exit from the gymnasium minutes earlier, with the light-footed air of a man who has lost a couple of kilos. Virender Sehwag had followed him down the stairs with a smile on his face. If the back injury that forced him to cut short his stint with Leicestershire was hurting, he certainly wasn’t letting on. Harbhajan Singh was one of the last to leave, along with Anil Kumble, who was at the receiving end of a couple of questions about the condition of Srinath Bhai.Those who had just returned from the A-team tour were congratulated by the others, with Kumble having an encouraging word or two for Ambati Rayudu. Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan Junior all looked in mint condition, ready for two weeks of hard slog that will set them up for what promises to be a momentous season. After five minutes of media interaction, characterised by much bonhomie and back-slapping, the players were quietly guided away to the team bus. Having been briefed about the aims of the camp this morning, they will be back in the afternoon for the serious business of fitness tests. Once those assessments are complete, the training sessions will start in earnest on Saturday, with fielding drills also high on the agenda.While the players understandably hogged most of the limelight, some of it was left to fall on Gregory King, India’s latest fitness trainer. Adrian Le Roux’s successor, who earned his spurs over six years with the Border Bears in East London, had mischievous eyes and the general air of a prankster. But once he started talking, there was no mucking about.He said he’d met a couple of the players earlier, when he came to India for his interview, but this was his first opportunity to interact with the whole group. “The best trainers needn’t necessarily be cricketers themselves,” he told you solemnly, having mentioned his background in B-side cricket.There would be no major earthquakes on the training front. “The players were very comfortable with the systems Adrian had in place,” he said. “And the boys have been following the training schedules given to them before they went home for the summer. As for the India A boys, most of them will already be match-hard after the England tour.”It’s a great opportunity to work with such a talented bunch,” he added before excusing himself, and leaving the stage to John Wright. Wright was unfazed by the numbers involved at the camp. Wasn’t 36 players a dozen too many? “It’s not an issue if you plan it properly,” he said. “I’d like to think of it as an opportunity to get to know them all, and figure out where they’re at in the fitness scheme of things. Andrew [Leipus] will also be spending time with them assessing any injuries they may have picked up.”Neither Wright nor Ganguly was overkeen to talk about the New Zealand series, or indulge in speculation about the nature of the pitches likely to be used. “After playing 16 Test matches last year, we needed this break,” said Ganguly, “but I’m quite excited about getting back on the cricket pitch. The camp will give me a chance to interact with the younger players and study our bench strength.”There were also words for encouragement for Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who are going through indifferent county stints with Yorkshire and Derbyshire. “County cricket is not easy,” he said, perhaps thinking back to the mixed time he had at Lancashire in 2000. “But it’ll be a good learning experience for them.”And as the notebooks were put away and pens capped, he strode off, giving the impression of a man very much in control of things. The hard work, however, is just about to begin.

England fast bowler James Ormond and all-rounder Jon Dakin have both leftLeicestershire.Ormond turned down a new deal at Grace Road while Dakin has been released from his contract two years early at his own request.Leicestershire secretary James Whitaker said: “Jon asked if he could lookaround for another county and we agreed. His opportunities were going to be morelimited here next season and we decided not to stand in his way.”The club’s former wicketkeeper Phil Whitticase is to be head coach next season, succeeding Jack Birkenshaw who is to become coaching consultant.Leicestershire have signed Jamie Grove from Somerset and are on the verge of a deal with Charles Dagnall, who has been released by Warwickshire at his own request.

Bangladesh A captain Mominul Haque has said he will try to make the best use of his experienced line-up against India A. The 15-man squad, which includes 14 internationals, will depart Dhaka on Monday morning to play three one-day matches and two three-day games starting from September 16 in Bangalore and Mysore.The soft-spoken Mominul would only offer a smile every time he was asked about his captaincy; how he will balance it with his own batting, what aspects of his character he would like to bring to his leadership and his personal goal as a batsman. He said he will try to enjoy the captaincy stint like he enjoys batting, and attempt to bring his calm demeanour into his new job.”I haven’t really thought about these things in the last few days,” Mominul said. “I want to enjoy captaincy like I did with my batting. I have to learn a few things because I am a new captain. I will try to recover in areas I am lacking in. I think it will be good to have experienced players in the team. Most of them have played for Bangladesh, and it is a good team.”I never really thought what part of my character will help my captaincy. I have to give it a think. I think my calm personality might help me.”Coach Heath Streak backed Mominul, saying it could be the start of his captaincy career. “Mini [Mominul] has a very good cricket head,” Streak said. “He has a very good temperament. He has shown it in the Test arena.”His hunger for knowledge in cricket is good. Definitely, he would be a future leader. For him, this is a good reward. Hopefully this will be start as a leader.”Mominul, a Test regular but one who hasn’t played an ODI since February this year, brushed aside any talk of pressure. He said he would like to ensure that the form of the senior team is replicated by the A side in India.”The pressure doesn’t really work on me,” Mominul said. “There’ll be pressure at this level, and if one can’t handle this pressure, it is better to stay away from the game. We have to stay consistent with our winning habit. We will carry this thought to India and wouldn’t like to lose it.”If I do well in this format, it will help me later. I will enjoy the game, try to play well, perform, that’s all. We want to win every game. We won four bilateral series in a row, so people expect from us that we will play well and win the series in India.”Streak, meanwhile, was happy to have four fast bowlers in the line-up, saying he will be working closely with them. He was also looking forward to prepare Taskin Ahmed for the “long road” towards Test cricket. Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh senior team head coach, had said last week that Taskin was close to a Test place but Streak said it was still some way away.Taskin hasn’t played a first-class match since February 2013 due to a long fight with injuries and since making his international debut in 2014, has only been used in limited-overs cricket.”I think it is an opportunity for Shafiul (Islam) and Al-Amin (Hossain) to be looked at by the selectors. Taskin has been playing the shorter format,” Streak said. “We will now try to get him ready for longer-version cricket. But that’s still a long road.”It is hard to put a timeframe on it. We have to prepare him. It is difficult to play only one series of three-day games and then play five-day cricket. It is an optimistic jump. We will be sensible about it. We don’t want to risk him when we have the World T20 coming up next year.”

Over of the day
At 237 for 3 and with half an hour of the day’s play remaining, Englandwere in sight of a satisfactory day’s work. It had been slow andsapping, and possibly less rewarding than they had envisaged. Still, they were expecting to lay claim to at least a share of thespoils. And then Lasith Malinga wrecked all their good work in thespace of two new-ball deliveries. If Cook’s leg-before decision was debatable, therecould be no quibbling with his follow-up to Ravi Bopara. Full, fastand swinging, it ripped through the new boy’s defences and brought tomind the low-slung hostility Malinga generated in that incredibleWorld Cup spell in Guyana. He’s been quiet in this series so far, buthe’s always been about more than just his haircuts.Innings of the day
Throughout the first session, it seemed there was only one man to whomthis day was going to belong. Michael Vaughan was in such superlativetouch that by lunch he had outscored his junior partner by four runsto one. And yet, as the shadows began to creep, only one of thepairing was still standing. Cook committed himself to survival, andendured in the manner that recalled the endeavours of his Essexteam-mate, Nasser Hussain, seven years ago. Patience is the key in SriLanka, as all the sages in the England set-up like to profess. Cookcouldn’t quite see it through to the close, but he was the only manwho looked like heeding that advice.Drop of the day
It hasn’t been the easiest of series for Cook. His Kandy experiencelasted all of seven balls and though he had been hanging around forrather longer than that today, the runs were refusing to flow. Afterlimping to 8 from 38 balls, he edged Dilhara Fernando into no-man’sland between first and second slip. Realistically it was KumarSangakkara’s catch, but Mahela Jayawardene at second dived straightacross his team-mate, and the moment was lost. As England learnt totheir cost at Kandy, such let-offs can be crucial.Dismissal of the day
Like some mad scientist, Vaughan is always on the look-out for new andinventive ways to get out – handling the ball, getting bowled off theunderside of his thigh pad, serving up miracle one-handed plucks tooutstretched fast bowlers and the list goes on. Today, with a centurythere for the taking, he decided to test the adhesiveness of JehanMubarak’s thighs with a firm tuck off the hips. Mubarak at short legstood his ground, clenched his legs together, and rolled overbackwards to end the most fluent innings of the dayControversy of the day
A monstrous moment, and potentially a match-turning one as well.Kevin Pietersen drove with hard hands at his fifth delivery, and squirted asharp edge low to Chamara Silva’s left at third slip. Silva reactedbrilliantly, scooped the ball off the turf, juggled it as he fell toearth, by which time Sangakkara at first had swooped round to tidy therebound. Sri Lanka’s reaction was ecstatic and the umpires wereconvinced, but replays suggested the chance had gone to ground at thefirst attempt. Pietersen somehow attracts these moments. Against Indiaat Lord’s last summer he was reprieved as he reached the paviliongate, and once again he loitered with every intention of carrying onhis innings. This time it wasn’t to be, and England’s momentum waswell and truly quashed.Fight of the day
Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather. It may have been taking place on theother side of the world, but the world title bout in Las Vegas was theonly topic of conversation on the morning of the Test. The ground wasechoingly empty for the first session of play as most of the BarmyArmy chose to watch the contest in the lounge at the Hilton. Onepunter was even said to have asked Angus Fraser over breakfast: “Whichare you off to watch today, the cricket or the boxing?”Idiot of the day
Midway through the 70th over, a streaker decided to liven upproceedings by hopping over the fence and giving a quick twirl of theoutfield. So far, so very average. The amusing aspect came a couple ofminutes later. Reunited with his shorts, and with a T-shirt drapedover his shoulder, he strutted along the hill, taking the salute fromEngland’s fans, and generally loving his moment. Unfortunately, hiscockiness left the ground authorities in no doubt whatsoever as to hisidentity. And off he was led to the local slammer, busted by his ownbravado.

Inzamam-ul-Haq lauded the efforts of Mohammad Yousuf in drawing the secondTest in Multan and said the confidence drawn from saving the match wouldserve them in good stead as they prepare for the final Test at Karachi. AsPakistan aim to seal the series there, they have also announced a recallfor Mohammad Sami to the squad.Pakistan were behind in this Test from the second morning, where acollapse of six wickets for 94 runs allowed West Indies to eventuallyamass a 234-run lead. Yousuf’s seventh century of a fabulous year, histhird in the 190s, saw Pakistan through on a nervy final day.”Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq played very well because it was a pressuresituation for the most part of today. Saving this Test, from such a bigdeficit, will boost our morale and serve us well for the Karachi Test,”Inzamam told reporters in his hometown.Though he refused to be drawn into comparing Brian Lara’s double-centurywith Yousuf’s 191, he said both were innings of a special and rare nature.”Comparing the two is not right as both were high-class innings. Yousufplayed all of it under pressure but Lara’s innings was special as heneeded to score quick runs for his side as well. There are few innings ofthis kind seen in cricket so both were special.”Inzamam’s own recent batting form hasn’t been as special, a far cry from hisfeats of 2005, and he is without a fifty in five Tests. In ten Tests thisyear, he has only two fifties and a hundred and he looked troubled duringhis brief innings of 10 today. “I am trying hard and spending time in thenets. I really want to play a big innings in Karachi and hopefully I can,”he said.The squad for the Karachi Test was announced after the end of play andonly one change has been made. Abdul Rehman, the left-arm spinner whotoured Sri Lanka and Abu Dhabi with the Pakistan squad earlier this yearwithout playing, has been dropped and in his place returns Mohammad Sami.Sami was axed from the Pakistan side earlier this summer, missing the tourto Sri Lanka. He was recalled for the summer series with England asPakistan struggled with injuries to several frontline pacemen but afterthree largely disappointing Tests, where he took eight wickets at nearly60, was dropped again. He didn’t make the team for the Champions Trophyeither but with the futures of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif uncertainand Pakistan short of experience, Sami has a chance to resurrect hisfloundering career in his home city and add to his 28 Tests.Pakistan squad for final Test:Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf,Inzamam-ul-Haq (Captain), Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Faisal Iqbal, KamranAkmal, Shahid Nazir, Umar Gul, Samiullah Niazi, Danish Kaneria, MohammadSami

Marvan AtapattuOn the composition of his team
We haven’t thought of any changes. It is unlikely that we will make any changes to the side that won us the last game.On the win at Ahmedabad and the aims for the last two games
It was a good win and more than anything else it showed the character of the side. To chase 285, despite losing early wickets was a good effort. We are going to take the next two games very seriously and would like to end the tour on a high. It would be ideal if we can end with 3-4 but we must remember we are up against a team who are playing very well at the moment in conditions familiar to them.On whether wins here would help them in the Test series in December
A Test match is a different ball game. What we learn from a one-dayer and what we learn from a Test is completely different. We plan differently for Tests and differently for ODIs. It will be another challenge and we need to prepare for it accordingly.On his batting form
I was batting well in Ahmedabad but I would have liked to have seen the team through. I was unhappy with my dismissal but I thought [Tillakaratne] Dilshan and [Russel] Arnold did a tremendous job of seeing us through. Obviously there is scope for improvement with our batting.On Sanath Jayasuriya’s poor run
He has a fantastic reputation and we all know he can win matches single-handedly. It’s our responsibility to keep him going and support him during this time. When he gets runs, Sri Lanka usually win 75% of the matches. I also think the Indians have bowled well to him on these flat wickets.On his side’s fieldingThere’s been a clear difference in fielding between the two sides. We have had quite a few lapses. The Indians have out-fielded us.Harbhajan SinghOn whether there was any pressure on him to perform
There was no such pressure. It was just a matter of working hard and getting back one’s rhythm. I bowled well in the Challenger Trophy and tried out different angles and different deliveries. I was looking forward to this series and I’m happy I have done well so far.On whether the early breakthroughs have helped him
Definitely. When you take a wicket in your first two or three overs, it builds your confidence.On his strategy of coming around the wicket
It’s all a part of planning for a particular batsman. It has worked when I have bowled round the wicket to the left-handers but if required I will bowl that way to the right-handers also.Mohammad KaifOn his return to the side
I’m looking forward to it. I felt fine while playing in the Duleep Trophy game at Aurangabad. I got a fifty in the first innings and was hitting the ball well.On the team’s success
We’ve started well. There are some fresh guys and the Dravid-Chappell combination is working well. There is healthy competition in the side. It’s important we carry on and get the job done.On the team experimenting
We’re trying out different combinations. Sri Lanka is a good side and it will give the youngsters an ideal chance to test themselves out.

There’s still no guarantee that there’ll be any cricket awaiting them, as the telecast-rights dispute rumbles on through the courts of India, but Australia’s cricketers are nonetheless preparing to fly out to Mumbai, ahead of their four-Test series, which begins in October.Four members of the squad were not involved in the Champions Trophy – the spinners, Shane Warne, Cameron White and Nathan Hauritz, and the opening batsman, Justin Langer – and they are set to arrive in India in the early hours of Friday morning. They are departing their home states today, before convening in Singapore to catch the same flight to Mumbai.For Warne in particular, the coming weeks represent one of the biggest challenges of his glittering career. Despite all his successes, he has never yet successfully cracked India, and if Australia are to avenge their 2-1 defeat in the corresponding series in 2000-01, then he will need to be at the top of his game.No travel arrangements have yet been announced for the main body of players, who are currently in England recovering from the shock of their semi-final defeat at Edgbaston. The first match of the tour, a three-day affair against the Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai, will begin at the Brabourne Stadium on September 30.

It may have the look of the biggest mismatch in history, but Justin Langer insisted Australia’s two-Test series against Bangladesh is important for the game.Despite Bangladesh’s woeful Test record: 18 losses out of 19 matches, Langer said he was looking forward to the series between the world’s top and bottom-ranked teams, which starts at the Marrara Oval on Friday.Langer said: “I will certainly be respectful to the Bangladeshis, they’ve earned the right to play Test cricket.” He continued: “I’m looking forward to (it), particularly playing in Darwin and Cairns, it’s a good opportunity for cricket."He added: “It’s great for cricket in general. I think it’s important not to look at your own backyard, but it’s always a bigger picture. It’s great to have Bangladesh playing a Test match against Australia.”Talking on the new drop-in Darwin pitch, Langer said it looked magnificent: “The wicket looks nice and flat. I’ve played at a lot worse Test stadiums. It’s going to be a great place to play.”Meanwhile, John Buchanan, the Australia coach, has told his team to ease off the sledging if they want to command the respect their achievements deserve.Speaking ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, Buchanan said: “The players concerned let their team down and they let themselves down. They lose respect and team-mates are distracted.”This series follows Australia’s tour of the Caribbean, which was marred by ugly and bitter confrontations, including Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Steve Waugh and Brian Lara.