Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sangakkara praises combined effort of teammates
Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara showered encomiums on his teammates after they scored a comprehensive 97-run win over New Zealand in the first ODI of the Compaq Cup tri-series here today.
Hosts Sri Lanka put up a brilliant all round show as they folded Kiwis innings for just 119 after putting up 216 on the board.
Thilan Samaraweera (104) and Anjello Mathews (51) starred with bat while Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara did well with the ball.
"When you lose three wickets in the first six seven overs it is always difficult but it was magnificent recovery specially by Samaraweera, who clawed his way back to the one-day side.
"It shows how good he is and what a solid batsman can do when chips are down," he said after the match.
"And Mathews along with Samaraweera showed a huge amount of character and then fast bowlers and spinners did everything right," he added.
Sangakkara also praised his pace trio.
"Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga have now taken over the responsibility of putting in match winning performances day in and day out.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
New Zealand beaten fair and square by Sri Lanka
When restricted to 216, it seemed a tight contest on the cards for Sri Lanka, but instead it proved too much for the Black Caps. New Zealand were all out for 119, thus by giving the home side a huge victory in the inaugural match of the Compaq Cup in the R Premadasa Stadium.
Thilan Samaraweera was the batting mainstay of the Sri Lankan innings, surpassing his highest ever score in ODIs, in the way posting his first ever hundred which enabled a big way in ensuring the victory of his country. Lasith Malinga later followed it up with a superlative bowling performance which saw 3 wickets fall in a single over that too of important batsmen.
In-form Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram then Nathan McCullum all fell in the 19th over bowled by the slinging action bowler and from there onwards, it was downhill for the visiting side.
Such was the magnitude of Sri Lanka's victory, that in a tri-series like this, they have incurred the all too important bonus point also. But the early stages of the match, did not give any indication of all the happenings in the evening.
When Sri Lanka were restricted to 216, it seemed a tight contest was on the cards, sending the smattering of spectators home early. Sri Lanka's innings had been resurrected from 69 for 5 by Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews, but New Zealand never recovered after Sri Lanka's fast bowlers sliced through the order.
Within 29 balls, Jesse Ryder (0), Martin Guptill (3) and Ross Taylor (2) were left brooding in the dressing room. New Zealand's shot at victory had been squashed and any self-belief that lingered after the Tests now vanished.
Malinga was a revelation with the ball when your top order has been blown away, and what followed was stunning. With his first three overs, comprising deliveries on all sorts of lengths, Malinga kept the batsmen tied down. The fourth was something out of a shooting gallery. Brendon McCullum had run the risk of being arrested for loitering as he squeezed 14 from 51 balls before Malinga rattled his stumps. Two deliveries later Malinga held back his length and drew an edge off Jacob Oram's bat to Kumar Sangakkara. With his next ball, Malinga hurled down a corker that went right through debutant Nathan McCullum.
At 41 for 6 in the 19th over, this game was as good as done. The only batsmen to cross 14 were Grant Elliott, with a brave 41, and Ian Butler, whose efforts lessened the margin of defeat. Completing the rout with another yorker was Malinga, whose aggressive bowling had undoubtedly been fuelled by Samaraweera's inspirational batting.
Samaraweera, whose highest ODI score coming into this match was 38 not out, teamed up with Mathews and averted a meek surrender with a 127-run association from 134 balls. The pair combined exceptional running between the wickets with some fireworks to help Sri Lanka reach a total that looked remote when they began.
Conventional wisdom and statistics at the Premadasa suggest strongly you bat first in day-night matches, and when Sangakkara won the toss it was greeted with loud cheers as the crowd anticipated a quick start. But this was an unusual two-paced track that didn't encourage for blazing shots and Sri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3.
There were only two boundaries by the half-way mark - both inside the first three overs - and a run rate of 2.72 indicated how much Sri Lanka had struggled. Almost immediately, Samaraweera and Mathews began to build some momentum, unfazed by the nature of the track and energetically hunting for scoring possibilities. A boundaryless streak, lasting 143 deliveries, was soon snapped.
Vettori has a tough match ahead of him against India, who are keen to wrist the No. 1 spot in One-Dayers. The only hope seems to be look forward to a new pitch.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Team India looks to break finals jinx in Lanka
Having led India to many great victories since donning the captain's mantle, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has another chance to ink his name in the record books when the team begins the new season with the tri-series in Sri Lanka.
India have the opportunity to clinch their first final in a multi-nation event in almost 11 years in the island nation when they take on the hosts and New Zealand in the ODI event at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo from September 9-14.
India had last won the final of a major one-day event on Lankan soil in 1998 and then shared the rain-marred ICC Champions Trophy with the hosts in 2002.
The team rode on twin centuries from openers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, now retired, to defeat the home side, led by another ex-player Arjuna Ranatunga and clinch the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy eleven years ago. Incidentally that tri-series also featured New Zealand.
Since then India have participated in five multi-national tournaments (excluding the abandoned Unitech Cup in 2006) but have failed to break the summit clash jinx.
They have finished on the losing side to the hosts on all other occassions.
Since winning the triangular event in 1998, India have taken part in 12 multinational ODI tournaments, barring the abandoned Unitech Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006, in the Indian sub-continent. But their record in these finals has hardly been impressive.
The team emerged joint winners in two tournaments -ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and the 2003 TVS Cup in Bangladesh - by sharing the top prize with Lanka and South Africa respectively.
On seven occasions, India have finished second-best, while crashing out of the tournament thrice in the league stage itself.
However, Dhoni's team has gradually gained a reputation of not being bogged down by history and past baggage, as is expected from a team that hit a purple patch with five consecutive bilateral ODI series truimphs.
What will boost the squad's morale further is that three of these five recent series triumphs have come against the two opponents it will face in the tri series.
India have not only defeated Sri Lanka in their own backyard twice in the past two years, but also humiliated the Kiwis in New Zealand earlier this year.
A win in the tri-series will not only add another feather to Dhoni's cap, but may also act as a balm for the cricket-mad fans who have not forgiven the team for its below-par display in the T20 World Cup in England in June.
India have the opportunity to clinch their first final in a multi-nation event in almost 11 years in the island nation when they take on the hosts and New Zealand in the ODI event at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo from September 9-14.
India had last won the final of a major one-day event on Lankan soil in 1998 and then shared the rain-marred ICC Champions Trophy with the hosts in 2002.
The team rode on twin centuries from openers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, now retired, to defeat the home side, led by another ex-player Arjuna Ranatunga and clinch the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy eleven years ago. Incidentally that tri-series also featured New Zealand.
Since then India have participated in five multi-national tournaments (excluding the abandoned Unitech Cup in 2006) but have failed to break the summit clash jinx.
They have finished on the losing side to the hosts on all other occassions.
Since winning the triangular event in 1998, India have taken part in 12 multinational ODI tournaments, barring the abandoned Unitech Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006, in the Indian sub-continent. But their record in these finals has hardly been impressive.
The team emerged joint winners in two tournaments -ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and the 2003 TVS Cup in Bangladesh - by sharing the top prize with Lanka and South Africa respectively.
On seven occasions, India have finished second-best, while crashing out of the tournament thrice in the league stage itself.
However, Dhoni's team has gradually gained a reputation of not being bogged down by history and past baggage, as is expected from a team that hit a purple patch with five consecutive bilateral ODI series truimphs.
What will boost the squad's morale further is that three of these five recent series triumphs have come against the two opponents it will face in the tri series.
India have not only defeated Sri Lanka in their own backyard twice in the past two years, but also humiliated the Kiwis in New Zealand earlier this year.
A win in the tri-series will not only add another feather to Dhoni's cap, but may also act as a balm for the cricket-mad fans who have not forgiven the team for its below-par display in the T20 World Cup in England in June.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Eden may get India-Lanka Test this November
For cricket-starved sports fans in Kolkata who are dying to catch some action at the hallowed Eden Gardens, there's finally some good news.
Come November, Eden may get to host an India versus Sri Lanka Test match. The Sri Lankans will be touring India for three Test matches and five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in November, and the BCCI is apparently mulling over allotting a Test match to Eden Gardens.
The last time Kolkata hosted an international cricket match was way back in 2007 November-end, when India and Pakistan played out a tame draw in which city icon Sourav Ganguly stood out with his maiden Test century at his home ground.
Ever since that match, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has somehow been off the radar for the BCCI when it came to international fixtures.
However, after CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya admittedly sent out repeated requests to the Board to allot an international tie at Eden, the BCCI seems to have finally thinking over handing out one of the India-lanka Test matches to Kolkata.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, a senior CAB functionary said: "If things go according to our wishes, then we may get to host a Test match this November. It's been a very long time since Eden hosted an international match. People in Kolkata have nearly forgotten the last time they sat through an international match here."
Problems with Eden missing out on international fixtures began way back in early 2007 when the previous CAB administration misread the loopholes in the Board's renewed rotation policy and agreed to be featured at the bottom of the new priority list of venues.
The new rotation policy that was drawn up just a week or so after an India-Sri Lanka one-dayer at Eden Gardens was washed out.
The new system placed Eden right at the bottom at No 22, as a result of which the CAB has been made to wait for over one-and-a-half years now for the next big tie.
In between, the CAB hosted just the one India-Pakistan Test match in November 2007.
Come November, Eden may get to host an India versus Sri Lanka Test match. The Sri Lankans will be touring India for three Test matches and five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in November, and the BCCI is apparently mulling over allotting a Test match to Eden Gardens.
The last time Kolkata hosted an international cricket match was way back in 2007 November-end, when India and Pakistan played out a tame draw in which city icon Sourav Ganguly stood out with his maiden Test century at his home ground.
Ever since that match, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has somehow been off the radar for the BCCI when it came to international fixtures.
However, after CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya admittedly sent out repeated requests to the Board to allot an international tie at Eden, the BCCI seems to have finally thinking over handing out one of the India-lanka Test matches to Kolkata.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, a senior CAB functionary said: "If things go according to our wishes, then we may get to host a Test match this November. It's been a very long time since Eden hosted an international match. People in Kolkata have nearly forgotten the last time they sat through an international match here."
Problems with Eden missing out on international fixtures began way back in early 2007 when the previous CAB administration misread the loopholes in the Board's renewed rotation policy and agreed to be featured at the bottom of the new priority list of venues.
The new rotation policy that was drawn up just a week or so after an India-Sri Lanka one-dayer at Eden Gardens was washed out.
The new system placed Eden right at the bottom at No 22, as a result of which the CAB has been made to wait for over one-and-a-half years now for the next big tie.
In between, the CAB hosted just the one India-Pakistan Test match in November 2007.
New Zealand clinch Twenty20 series win over Sri Lanka
New Zealand won the second Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka by 22 runs to clinch a 2-0 series victory on Friday.
New Zealand followed their thrilling three-run victory on Wednesday night with an impressive all-round display, following the disappointment of a 2-0 test series defeat.
The tourists won the toss and piled on 170 with Jess Ryder scoring a 37-ball 52 that included three huge sixes. Brendon McCullum scored 49 from 34 balls.
Sri Lanka's bowlers, with the exception of spinners Ajantha Mendis (1-21) and Sanath Jayasuriya (2-22), were punished as Ryder and McCullum gave New Zealand a winning platform with an 84-run opening stand.
Sri Lanka made a poor start to their run chase, collapsing to 11 for 3 with Tillakaratne Dilshan (one), Mahela Udawatte (nought) and Jayasuriya (seven) all going early.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara repaired some of the damage with a 67-run partnership.
Jayawardene stroked 41 from 30 balls, with five fours and a six, and Sangakkara cracked a career-best 69 from 50 balls with seven boundaries.
However, the hosts were always behind the run rate as New Zealand bowled tightly and fielded brilliantly throughout the innings.
New Zealand followed their thrilling three-run victory on Wednesday night with an impressive all-round display, following the disappointment of a 2-0 test series defeat.
The tourists won the toss and piled on 170 with Jess Ryder scoring a 37-ball 52 that included three huge sixes. Brendon McCullum scored 49 from 34 balls.
Sri Lanka's bowlers, with the exception of spinners Ajantha Mendis (1-21) and Sanath Jayasuriya (2-22), were punished as Ryder and McCullum gave New Zealand a winning platform with an 84-run opening stand.
Sri Lanka made a poor start to their run chase, collapsing to 11 for 3 with Tillakaratne Dilshan (one), Mahela Udawatte (nought) and Jayasuriya (seven) all going early.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara repaired some of the damage with a 67-run partnership.
Jayawardene stroked 41 from 30 balls, with five fours and a six, and Sangakkara cracked a career-best 69 from 50 balls with seven boundaries.
However, the hosts were always behind the run rate as New Zealand bowled tightly and fielded brilliantly throughout the innings.
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