All posts by n8rngtd.top

West Indies will visit Sri Lanka for three ODIs starting January 31, a series scheduled after the five one-dayers they were supposed to play last month were postponed because of torrential rain in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2011West Indies will visit Sri Lanka for three ODIs starting January 31, a series scheduled after the five one-dayers they were supposed to play last month were postponed because of torrential rain in Sri Lanka.The series will provide a final tune-up for West Indies, who now get the chance to test themselves in subcontinent conditions two weeks ahead of the World Cup which begins on February 19.All three matches will be at stadiums which will host World Cup matches. The first one-dayer is in Hambantota on January 31, and the other two are at the revamped R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, on February 4 and 6.

Michael Clarke believes Australia’s record run chase against England was the perfect preparation for the World Cup where large totals are going to dominate the tournament

Andrew McGlashan at the SCG02-Feb-2011Michael Clarke believes Australia’s record run chase against England was the perfect preparation for the World Cup where large totals are going to dominate the tournament. Clarke hit 82 off 70 balls as Australia reached 334 with four balls to spare in their penultimate match before leaving for the subcontinent.”The boys are stoked. It’s a huge win for us and again we can take a lot of confidence from that run chase going into the World Cup,” Clarke said. “I think there’s going to be some pretty big scores in the World Cup on pretty flat wickets similar to that. I think you’re going to have to get used to chasing some big totals. It’s great practice for us.”To make Clarke’s night even sweeter his decision to promote Mitchell Johnson to No. 4 paid off as he hit 57 to keep up Australia’s early momentum after a rapid opening stand. It was Johnson’s second fifty in ODI cricket although Clarke admitted he hadn’t quite followed his instructions to the letter.”He was the only left-hander in our side today and I was confident that if Mitch miss hits the ball he could still get a couple over the rope,” he said. “It was more a game situation, we were chasing a big total, we had to gamble and fortunately it paid off.”If the ball was in his zone batting from the bottom end towards the short boundary I told him to back himself. Mitch thought he’d go the other way and hit towards the long boundary but he cleared the ropes. He played a really good innings through the Powerplay then rotated the strike really well in the middle when they had five fielders out.”Clarke also hinted that it may be a tactic Australia employ in the future with Johnson’s ability to attack the spinners an eye-catching prospect on the subcontinent where slow bowlers are expected to play a key role.”It shows if you give guys an opportunity they grab it with both hands. I think Mitch, throughout the World Cup, is going to play a big part not just with the ball but also the bat, being a left-hander, hitting the ball as well as he does and playing spin pretty well.”Life is suddenly looking much rosier for Clarke after back-to-back half-centuries in Brisbane and Sydney plus Australia being 5-1 up under his leadership. He also left the field to a standing ovation today as his home crowd warmed to his efforts after a difficult season. Clarke has never wavered in his belief that hard work and commitment would eventually bring results and is starting to feel vindicated.”I’ve not changed my game, I’ve not changed my training, I feel like I’ve worked my absolute backside off the whole summer,” he said. “It’s just nice to get some runs in the last game and contribute again tonight. It’s a nice feeling.

Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh’s bowlers and set up a convincing victory

The Bulletin by George Binoy19-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli reached his hundred off the penultimate ball of the Indian innings•AFP

There was no reprise of the 2007 upset at Port of Spain in the opening game of this World Cup. Instead, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh’s bowlers. Shakib Al Hasan’s men failed to maintain their composure in the grandest match of their lives and conceded a total beyond the reach of their batting abilities.There was wisdom in Bangladesh choosing to chase – the previous 12 day-night matches at the Shere Bangla were won by the team batting second – but their bowlers were wayward on a slow pitch that kept low and had loopy bounce not conducive to shot-making. Shakib wanted to keep India below 260 when he put them in because of the dew factor later in the evening. He watched the target surge past that as Sehwag and Kohli, who justified his captain’s decision to leave out Suresh Raina, dismantled the attack in front of a shell-shocked crowd and powered India to 370.Bangladesh, however, did not go quietly. Faced with an impossible chase, Imrul Kayes attacked from the outset after which Tamim Iqbal and Shakib took charge. They set off at a sprint, swinging fearlessly, edging luckily, and brought cheer to their supporters. What Bangladesh failed to do, though, was sustain the aggression for as long as Sehwag did, and the asking-rate soared irreversibly out of reach.With a withering back-foot drive, Sehwag had slammed the first ball of the tournament to the cover boundary, the opening move of his maiden century against Bangladesh silencing a boisterous Mirpur crowd. Shafiul Islam had given Sehwag too much width, and in his second over he strayed twice on to Sachin Tendulkar’s pads with dire consequences. His day would not get better and he conceded 69 off seven.India raced to 36 after four overs, forcing Shakib to turn to his premier spinner, Abdur Razzak, in the fifth. Razzak looped the ball into Sehwag from round the wicket, following the batsman and cramping him for room as he tried to hit inside out through the off side. Sehwag had scored 12 off his first six balls and 13 off his next 24.Bangladesh were listless, though, as Sehwag regained his touch and never lost it again, but they also had some good fortune. A mix-up, during which both Tendulkar and Sehwag were ball-watching, left both batsmen at one end and the Mirpur crowd found its voice again.Sehwag, however, continued piercing gaps and hit the tournament’s first six, hoisting Razzak over wide long-on to reach fifty off 45 balls. With Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag added 83 to build on the opening stand of 69. While Sehwag used muscle, Gambhir played with precision – dabbing, pushing and chipping into gaps. His dismissal for a run-a-ball 39, bowled by a straight one from Mahmudullah, was against the run of play.The exceptional feature of Kohli’s innings was his driving. On a surface this slow, he reached the pitch of the ball, gathering momentum with a forward thrust of his body, and drove crisply through the off side with a whip of his wrists. He did it against pace and spin, scoring effortlessly at more than a run a ball. In the 33rd over, Kohli drove Naeem Islam twice to the cover boundary and pulled him behind square, placing the ball just wide of the fielders each time. India took their batting Powerplay after the mandatory ball change and scored 48 for 0 during the fielding restrictions.At one stage Sehwag, who had Gambhir running for him because of an injury, had a shot at a double-century. He fell in the 48th over, though, almost making good his pledge to bat through the innings. Kohli continued to motor towards a hundred in his first World Cup match and got there off the penultimate ball of the innings, possibly having secured his spot for the rest of the tournament.The pitch quickened in the evening, making shot-making easier, and the dew greased the outfield, making the ball harder to grip. But Bangladesh’s bowlers had conceded too much ground for their batsmen to regain. They tried, though, and the initial assault on the Indian bowlers was fierce.The highlight of that brief blitz was the attack on Sreesanth. Kayes edged, flicked, pulled and drove him for boundaries, and a wayward wide contributed to Bangladesh taking 24 runs off the fifth over. They were 51 for 0. Kayes then tried to force the slower pace of Munaf Patel, who replaced Sreesanth, through the off side and played on, ending the opening partnership at 56.Zaheer Khan’s control and the introduction of spin resulted in an increase in dot balls and a reduction in boundaries, and by the half-way stage the asking-rate was already 9.36. Tamim and Shakib completed aggressive half-centuries and the rest of the batsmen also struck the ball fluently during a heartening display. Victory, however, had already escaped them. Bangladesh will hope to reproduce this batting effort in a match in which their bowlers get their act together.

Match Timeline

Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh seamer, has cleared himself to play against Australia in the three-match limited overs series starting on Saturday in Mirpur, his captain Shakib Al Hasan has said

Daniel Brettig in Mirpur08-Apr-2011Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh seamer, has cleared himself to play against Australia in the three-match limited overs series starting on Saturday in Mirpur, his captain Shakib Al Hasan has said.A combination of fitness issues and the poor health of his wife had left 27-year-old Mortaza a doubtful starter for quite some time after he missed the World Cup with a knee problem.
But Shakib indicated on the eve of the first ODI that Mortaza was allowed to make up his own mind about participating in the series, and had chosen to stay.”He decided he’ll be staying with the team and he’ll be part of this series,” Shakib told reporters at the Shere Bangla Stadium.There could be plenty of difficulty in all this for Mortaza, as whispers of board pressure have also swirled around his presence in the squad.”I think it would not be wise to talk about the issue now. What I can say is that I am honest in my position. It would be good not to make public what happened before the selection,” Mortaza said this week in response to questions about whether he had been consulted prior to selection.”I’m giving 100% in my bowling and it’s not as if I was far away from my standard. But it could have been much better if I got at least one more week for preparation. Physio (Michael Henrry) also told me that I need a few more days for gaining full fitness.”Because of family problems I was out of touch for almost 40 days which made it difficult for me to regain full fitness. As a player I want to play this series but I have to think about my team also.”As for the series, which forms an odd little postscript to unsuccessful World Cup campaigns for both sides, Shakib refrained from any bold statements. “I don’t think it will be easier for them, it will be always a hard game,” he said of Australia. “The three matches we’re playing will be very competitive. I’m not putting any number, or whether we’ll win any games or not.”I think it will be a very competitive series.”

Australia’s new assistant coach, Justin Langer, believes Ricky Ponting should stay at No. 3 in the batting order when Michael Clarke leads his first tour as Test captain later this year

Brydon Coverdale12-May-2011Australia’s new assistant coach, Justin Langer, believes Ricky Ponting should stay at No. 3 in the batting order when Michael Clarke leads his first tour as Test captain later this year. Langer has spent the past 18 months around Australia’s squad as a Test batting consultant, but his new role for the next year is as the full-time assistant to head coach Tim Nielsen.However, Langer will still work closely with the batsmen, and one of the major questions surrounding Australia’s batting order over the next year is how to handle Ponting. At 36, Ponting is in his twilight years as an international player, but he showed with his century in Australia’s World Cup quarter-final loss that he still has something to offer, and Langer believes he can remain a top-order force.”In my opinion, now that he has relinquished the captaincy, I still think he should bat No. 3,” Langer told ESPNcricinfo. “He could bat anywhere in the order, so I guess they’ll be looking at what the best balance is, but in my opinion he is still suited to that No. 3 spot. He was a little lean during the summer but he’s outstanding, and we saw that in his last innings at the World Cup.”Another of the challenges for Langer and the rest of the coaching staff will be to turn around the Test form of the new captain Clarke, who in the past year has made 367 Test runs at a dismal average of 21.58. The initial signs for Clarke’s leadership, during the one-day tour of Bangladesh, were positive, but he cannot afford to struggle with the bat during his first two Test tours as leader.Those trips will most likely be to Sri Lanka in August, where his ability against spin will be critical, and in November to South Africa, where he will need to counter a high-class pace attack in unfriendly conditions. Langer is confident that Clarke can thrive as a batsman with the new responsibility of being the side’s official leader, in the same way as his predecessors did.”If you look at Steve Waugh and Punter, Andrew Strauss in England – the added responsibility might be good for him. In a lot of ways, Clarkey has been like the bridesmaid for a while, he’s almost been waiting for the opportunity to be captain and now he has become captain, I expect him to really grasp it and show great leadership on and off the field.”Ultimately, great leadership on the field is about scoring runs. That’s why I admired Ricky and Steve Waugh so much, because in their tenure as captains they’ve also been absolutely outstanding batsmen. Their statistics as captain are fantastic.”Langer’s appointment came on the same day that Craig McDermott was named bowling coach, and between them the two new mentors have represented Australia in 176 Tests. The pair should bring a serious Test-match mentality to the group, and Langer is looking forward to instilling some of his wisdom into all the players, not just the Test batsmen.”I want to really develop my coaching and not just be pigeon-holed as a batting coach, but develop all aspects of my coaching. That’s what really interests me. To me, it’s a brand new appointment, really, as assistant coach. With Troy [Cooley] going to the academy and Mike Young going, I’m looking forward to being Tim Nielsen’s right-hand man and really helping him in this resurgence of Australian cricket.”Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket, Michael Brown, said Langer had been a valuable presence around the squad since he joined the staff in November 2009. “Justin’s record as a player and then over the last 18 months, as coach, leader and mentor within the Australia team coaching group, speaks for itself,” Brown said, “and we are all delighted he has agreed to continue his outstanding work with the Australia team.”

Rain and bad light prevented a gaggle of hardy Kent supporters from suffering further punishment in Canterbury where the hosts are facing County Championship defeat

28-Apr-2011
ScorecardRain and bad light prevented a gaggle of hardy Kent supporters from suffering further punishment in Canterbury where the hosts are facing County Championship defeat to Division Two rivals Gloucestershire in their opening home game of the summer.With chilly winds sweeping clouds of concrete dust from the redevelopment site across the ground and spectator seating areas, barely a couple of hundred fans stayed until the bitter end at 5.30pm, when the umpires took the sides off for rain and bad light with Kent struggling on 52 for 2.Having been set a daunting 291 for victory after Gloucestershire were dismissed for 206 second time around, Kent lost their skipper Rob Key (11) in the ninth over of the reply then Sam Northeast for 34 to the last ball before the first rain in three weeks arrived at the St Lawrence ground.With Joe Denly out of the match with a fractured thumb and Robbie Joseph hampered by a quad muscle strain, the home side are effectively four down going into the final day and need a further 239 to force an unlikely win.With the odds already stacked against him, Key received a beauty from Jonathan Lewis that feathered the edge through to wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty to make it 31 for 1. Then, 12 overs from the scheduled close, Northeast’s uncomfortable 76-minute stay ended when he attempted to flick one from Ian Saxelby that sailed wide down the leg side only to find an edge through to Batty. The dismissal just about summed up Kent’s fortune during a game Gloucestershire have controlled for long periods.The visitors resumed at the start of day on their overnight score of 40 for 1 but lost four wickets by lunch, all caught behind, to give Kent some hope of turning the course of events. Hamish Marshall (30) edged a bouncing delivery from Simon Cook to the keeper, then Chris Taylor and Richard Coughtrie followed suit for 0 and 20 respectively.Alex Gidman (23) was also caught by Kent’s keeper to give teenager Adam Ball a maiden first-class wicket on his championship debut, but only after an ugly smear by Gidman skied high to short fine-leg.Gloucestershire worked harder for their runs in the afternoon session and although Kent’s attack kept chipping away, their eventual target crept ever nearer 300 as Batty (19), Will Gidman (34) and Saxelby (34 not out) all made valuable contributions.James Tredwell snaffled a spectacular return catch to account for Gidman then Azhar Mahmood returned to wrap up the innings and finish with 4 for 56, the best figures of the game to date, but Gloucestershire remain firm favourites to chalk up their second win of the second division campaign.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s recently axed one-day captain, has announced his “conditional” retirement from the international game, as a mark of protest against the way he has been “humiliated” by the PCB

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2011After weeks of growing tension and speculation Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s recently axed one-day captain, has announced his retirement from the international game. It is, however, a “conditional” retirement in protest against the way he has been “humiliated” by the PCB, a temporary self-imposed exile more than a permanent retirement. Afridi said he was ready to reverse his decision if and when a new board came into power.”There is nothing bigger than a man’s respect, and the way the board has treated me, there is a limit to everything,” an emotional, angry Afridi told from London, where he is currently preparing for a Twenty20 stint with Hampshire. “I will not play under this board. If a different board comes in, I will definitely return but I cannot play under this board. When you have been humiliated like this, by dishonourable people, what is the point in playing on?”The way I’ve been treated… the future doesn’t look too good. I can’t play under a board that doesn’t respect its players. Because of this, under protest, this is a conditional retirement.”Afridi, a Pathan who has lived in Karachi all his life, also hit out at “a Lahore lobby that has been filling the chairman’s ears against me,” reviving an issue of regionalism that has been festering for some time now, and shows few signs of stopping; in recent weeks, Karachi officials have protested loudly against the PCB for not selecting players from the city.The decision caps – for now – a saga that began last December effectively, when the board first began to hesitate in appointing Afridi captain. He was made leader for the New Zealand ODI series and then, only two weeks before the tournament began was he made captain for the World Cup. The impermanent nature of his appointments was one of the reasons for Afridi’s unhappiness.”I wasn’t told anything when I was made captain, I wasn’t given a tenure, I wasn’t told what my squad would be, nothing,” Afridi said. “I took a broken team along with me. When I took over the Pakistan team was in the middle of the spot-fixing crisis. Then the Zulqarnain Haider case happened but my side fought both against England and South Africa in the ODI series. Then we beat New Zealand, we got to the semis of the World Cup and beat West Indies there as well. Maybe I have become a thorn in their throats. It’s better that I step aside for now as I have respect for myself.”But the tipping point came upon Afridi’s arrival back from the Caribbean, growing differences between him and coach Waqar Younis over matters of selection being another concern. Then, he told reporters, “Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other’s work”.That led to the board issuing him a show-cause notice to explain his remarks, unhappy with his penchant for public straight-talking and his cosy relationship with the media; indeed it is understood a major concern of the board was their belief that Afridi was leaking news to the media. Incidentally, Afridi didn’t touch on the selection issue at all when announcing his decision, though he did say that as captain, if he “didn’t speak to the media, who else in the team would?”Soon after his return, the board removed him from the ODI captaincy he picked up in June 2010, not giving any official reason for the removal. “We had very solid reasons to remove Afridi and I will reveal them when the time is right,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said recently. “We haven’t taken this action without any reasons.”That prompted Afridi to pull out of the two ODIs against Ireland; speculation was that he was unhappy over his ouster, though he said he had decided to miss the series due to his father’s ill-health. It was around this time that stories began to appear that he may retire soon.Afridi is not new to retirement. He first announced a temporary sabbatical from Test cricket in April 2006, in a bid to concentrate only on ODIs in the lead-up to the 2007 World Cup. He later returned to the side, and even led Pakistan’s Test side at the start of their tumultuous tour of England last summer. He, however, once again retired from the longest format, as soon as Pakistan lost the first Test against Australia at Lord’s.How long the current impasse lasts is difficult to ascertain. Afridi, until the World Cup, was Pakistan’s most effective and successful limited-overs bowler of the last three years. And his public popularity – he remains the most sought-after autograph in Pakistan as well as the only current player brands will invest in – ensures that the pressure on the PCB, and in particular the chairman, will be immense.In any case, Butt’s tenure has been pockmarked by constant instability – nine captaincy changes in Tests and ODIs, five different selection heads and three coaches – and regular spats with senior players: Mohammad Yousuf announced a brief retirement last year and Younis Khan wasn’t chosen for almost a year after the pair were handed open-ended bans last year. Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have also faced one-year bans (eventually overturned), while after the World Cup, Butt had a dig at Abdul Razzaq as well, saying that he should retire now.Afridi will play in the Friends Life t20 for Hampshire, and he will also be available for the inaugural edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League, while continuing to participate in domestic cricket in Pakistan as well.

Fidel Edwards, the West Indies fast bowler, has said that he is mastering the art of reverse swing and wants to be the world’s best bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2011Fidel Edwards, the West Indies fast bowler, has said that he is mastering the art of reverse swing and wants to be the world’s best bowler. Edwards, 29, made his comeback in the series against India after two years in the wilderness and, since his return, he has taken 13 wickets in two Tests.”My aim has always been to be at the top,” Edwards said. “Now that I’m back my goal is to be the No.1 bowler in the world. I was away from the game for a few years and it feels good to be back. I’m bowling quite well and also getting the ball to reverse swing. During the time off I worked a lot on getting the ball to reverse swing, now it’s working well for me.”Edwards said the wait out of the side – he didn’t play a Test from May 2009 until last month – had made him hungrier to succeed. He took eight wickets in the second Test, including a five-for in the second innings, and produced spells of reverse swing.Fidel Edwards has taken 13 wickets in his first two Tests back in the side•AFP

That effort has pushed him up the ICC’s bowling rankings and at No.18, he is higher than any of his current West Indies team-mates. Edwards bowled long spells in the Tests and said he was happy with the workload, and he was slowly returning to his best form.”I’ve played back-to-back Test matches and my back has been holding up very well. I have been doing a lot of strength work with the trainer and things have been going well so far. I won’t say I’m back to my best, but I have been taking wickets and it’s the wickets the team needs. If I can keep taking wickets and keep improving, I believe I will be back to my best quite soon. I have to improve my consistency, so hopefully I will be able to put it together even more in the match here [Dominica] and get more wickets.”Edwards replaced Kemar Roach, who played the Tests against Pakistan, and has partnered Ravi Rampaul against India. He said it was a positive experience to share the new ball with Rampaul. “It has been great. He has been great throughout the season and has been getting early wickets for us. We just want to keep improving. It has been a good partnership with the new ball.”

Scotland’s cricketers dared to dream of a first-ever win against a full member after a fighting display with the ball at the Grange, but were rapidly brought down to earth by a feisty Sri Lankan attack

The Bulletin by Ger Siggins in Edinburgh 13-Jul-2011Scorecard Scotland’s cricketers dared to dream of a first-ever win against a full member after a fighting display with the ball at the Grange, but were rapidly brought down to earth by a feisty Sri Lankan attack.Buoyed by their victory over Ireland, the Scots restricted Sri Lanka to 284 for 7 at the break. That target was 36 less than they successfully chased against the Irish, but it was never in sight as Scotland collapsed to 101 all out in 32.4 overs.The Grange pitch traditionally becomes easier to bat on in the afternoon, and Scotland again decided to insert the opposition after winning their second toss of this tri-series. It seemed a quixotic call as the Sri Lankan openers rapidly settled into their easy run-scoring ways.Mahela Jayawardene was into his stride early, caressing a pair of boundaries off Safyaan Sharif’s first over. He continued to guide and flick the ball around while Dimuth Karunaratne played the foil. His concentration lapsed on the first ball of the ninth over, which was Josh Davey’s first, lofting the ball to mid-off where Gordon Drummond got under it. However the Scotttish skipper unaccountably let the ball slip past him and it fell to earth.Jayawardene was on 38 then, and moved to fifty off the first ball of Richie Berrington’s spell. The Sri Lankan guided a wide delivery to the cover point fence, and repeated the shot next ball. His fifty came up in 45 balls.He finally fell in 20th over for 64, shortly after the 100 was posted, when he turned Majid Haq around the corner where Kyle Coetzer snapped up the catch. Tillakeratne Dilshan’s recent struggles with the bat continued, and he edged to keeper Gregor Maiden for 6.Karunaratne had been content to watch Jayawardene’s masterclass, and didn’t hit a boundary until the 13th over. The Colombo batsman, who made his debut in the fifth ODI against England, made his maiden international fifty before being out at 140 for 3. Haq switched to an over-the-wicket line and instantly provoked Karunaratne into lofting the ball to MacLeod at long on.A succession of Sri Lankans came and went as Scotland successfully kept the middle overs tight. Preston Mommsen, who took 3 for 27 against Ireland, again worked his magic with 2 for 19 off four overs. Kandamby fell trying to lift him into the burger van, while Chandimal’s dismissal was the softest of all. Mommsen tossed him up a flighted full-toss and, with a choice of places to despatch the ball he opted to return it to the bowler.With ten overs to bat Sri Lanka were 198 for 5, and it took some belligerence from Lasith Malinga (32 off 15 balls) and Jeevan Mendis (34) to take the Sri Lankans to respectability. Calum MacLeod ran a full 30 yards at full pelt to take a diving catch to dismiss Perera, but Malinga took two sixes off the 49th over to ruin Drummond’s analysis.If Scotland’s in-form batsmen had notions of victory, they were swiftly disabused. Lasith Malinga has had a poor trip to Britain, but was unplayable here. In the fifth over Fraser Watts mistimed to Jayawardene at cover, and two balls later Malinga demolished MacLeod’s stumps. At 12 for 2 Scotland were reeling, and were rocked once more in Malinga’s next over when Kyle Coetzer was far too late on another express yorker.Middlesex allrounder Josh Davey looked uncomfortable but had reached 17 when Dhammika Prasad trapped him in front. Next ball lifted off a length and took the top of Tuesday’s hero Robin Berrington’s bat before ending in Chandimal’s gloves.The Scots slumped to 49 for 7 when Ajantha Mendis trapped Mommsen for 8. Gordon Drummond joined Majid Haq and the pair steered their side past Scotland’s lowest-ever total of 68, before Malinga returned to york the captain. Haq made a battling 34 but Malinga’s 5 for 30 was decisive.Irish wins over Full Members are now in double figures, but their Celtic rivals must wait a little longer for their first.

Zimbabwe seamer Keegan Meth has suffered a laceration to the lower lip and lost three upper row teeth following a ghastly incident at the end of the Bangladesh innings in the final ODI in Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2011Zimbabwe seamer Keegan Meth has suffered a laceration to the lower lip and lost four upper row teeth following a ghastly incident at the end of the Bangladesh innings in the final ODI in Bulawayo.Meth, who bowled the final over of the Bangladesh innings, was hit in the mouth by Nasir Hossain’s full-blooded straight shot off the last ball. He went down immediately in pain, and had to be stretchered off the field with a bloodied face. Meth played no further part in the game as Zimbabwe lost by 93 runs, conceding Bangladesh a second consolation win after having sealed the series with three straight victories.Meth was treated by the doctor on call at the ground, before he had his lower lip sutured at a nearby hospital. He was able to join his team-mates during the chase and also took part in the celebrations following the series win. The extent of damage to his jaws and mouth can only be ascertained following the dentist’s report and an X-ray examination.”Due to the extent of the injury we had to rush him [Meth] to the hospital,” the team physio Amato Machikicho said. “He will have to go for X-rays tomorrow to establish the nature of the dental injury. He will require some orthodentistry for the four teeth and any other possible injuries that might have ensued from the impact.”