Chari, Moeen succeed in testing chase

Tuskers 317 for 8 dec. (Williams 88) and 307 for 5 (Chari 98, Moeen 95) beat Mountaineers 264 (Querl 5-56) and 357 for 7 dec. (Masakadza 178) by five wickets
Scorecard

Brian Chari and Moeen Ali both fell short of hundreds but their contributions went a long way to helping Tuskers to victory in their opening match. Set 305 to win, Chari and Moeen took the chase to 219 for 2 after an opening stand of 72. First-change bowler Natsai M'shangwe trapped Chari two short of a century after 10 fours and a six, with Moeen playing a more enterprising knock, striking 12 fours and two sixes in 95 in just 87 balls before falling to Shingirai Masakadza.

Mushangwe kept Mountaineers in the game with additional wickets of Craig Ervine and Charles Coventry, but their knocks of 22 and 20 respectively, at nearly a run-a-ball, kept the chase ticking along and it was left to captain Keegan Meth to score the winning boundary.

It was an excellent competitive match with Tuskers taking a 53-run first innings lead after Glen Querl took 5 for 56 to bowl Mountaineers out for 264 having chosen to bat first. It was Querl's sixth five-for in first-class cricket and took him past 50 career wickets. But he only picked up the solitary success in Mountaineers' second innings as Hamilton Masakadza, playing his 100th first-class match, hauled his side back into the match with 178 in 279 balls. That allowed Mountaineers to declare and set up a testing, if ultimately reachable, chase.

Southern Rocks 459 for 8 dec. (Mutumbami 141, Burgoyne 102*) and forfeit beat Eagles 159 for 1 dec. (Chibhabha 102*) and 159 (Panyangara 4-43) by 141 runs
Scorecard

Southern Rocks capitalised on the opportunity to force a result on the final afternoon in Harare, bowling Eagles out for 159 for an easy victory. The captains came together to set up a chase for Southern Rocks of 301 but they were blown away by Tinashe Panyangara, whose 4 for 43 sent his side to an opening match victory.

After just 13.1 overs on day three, the game was destined for a draw but the match came alive as Eagles were fed 72 runs in 21 balls, allowing Chamu Chibhabha to make a century, and Southern Rocks forfeited their second innings. But Eagles were quickly reduced to 17 for 3 and the chance of victory was over inside 10 overs of the final innings. Panyangara did the early damage, having Sikandar Raza lbw for 4 and then five balls later removing captain Stuart Matsikenyeri for a duck. That after opener Chibhabha fell caught behind to Brian Vitori for 5.

Regis Chakabva hung around for 112 balls, making 28 but he was eventually bowled by Panyangara as the last of Eagles' resistance was removed. Vitori went on to pick up Mark Mbofana and Innocent Chinyoka to finish with 3 for 49 but neither he nor Panyangara could ruin Nathan Waller's day. He launched seven fours in an entertaining 53 minutes which saw him make an unbeaten 42 and provide at least some cheer for pointless Eagles.

Southern Rocks took seven points from their win which was set up from a big first innings total having won the toss. Richmond Mutumbami top-scored with 141 including two sixes and 21 fours. He and Derbyshire's Peter Burgoyne put on 153 for the fifth wicket, Burgoyne making an unbeaten 102. Another Derbyshire player, Ben Slater, made 89 opening the batting.

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WICB signs seven-year TV rights deal

Taj TV has acquired television rights from the WICB for a period of seven years, beginning from January 2013. Taj TV, which operates five sports channels including Ten Sports and has previously telecast West Indies cricket, bought the terrestrial broadcast rights for the Caribbean as well as the production rights, the West Indies board said in a release.

In all, the release said, Taj TV will broadcast 253 days of international cricket as part of the deal, and provide television production for free-to-air stations throughout the Caribbean. However, the numbers behind the deal were not revealed.

"We are extremely delighted to continue our long standing association with Taj TV Limited who has been our media rights partner previously and with whom we have had a solid and mutually beneficial relationship," the president of the WICB, Julian Hunte, said.

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Lions roar silences Titans

The Lions recovered from their Champions League T20 final defeat in blazing fashion when they beat the Titans by 269 runs in the first match of the domestic one-day competition at Centurion.

For the Titans, it was more heartache. After they lost to the Sydney Sixers off the last ball of their CLT20 semi-final, they slumped to the lowest total in a domestic limited-overs competition in South African history. They were bowled out for 60 in response to the Lions massive 329 for 6 and that, after they put the Lions in to bat on a belter.

Stephen Cook, who did not take part in the CLT20 but has been in training throughout, led the way with a 122-ball 125. He shared in an opening stand with 161-run opening partnership with Gulam Bodi, who was the second top run-scorer of the CLT20. The pair out on their runs in 28 overs before Bodi top-edged a sweep shot to square leg off Paul Harris.

Quinton de Kock, Grant Mokoena and Neil McKenzie were all dismissed cheaply and the Lions had been reined in to 255 for 5 in the 44th over. Jean Symes, who had a good CLT20 campaign, provided another late burst. His 43 off 27 balls included five fours and two sixes to take the Lions over the 300-run mark.

Surprisingly, Harris, Ethy Mbhalati and Roelof van der Merwe conceded at under six runs to the over but Rowan Richards and CJ de Villiers took punishment. Richards was a victim of Cook's onslaught and conceded 78 while De Villiers bowled his 10 overs for 70.

The pitch would have not made the Lions' bowlers think they would get away with an easy outing and they would have been surprised to see that they did. The Titans were 34 for 9 in the 16th over and all out inside 19 overs. The Titans scorecard included four ducks and only two batsmen got inot double figures.

Hardus Viljoen, who used to open the bowling with Marchant de Lange at Easterns, bowled a blistering spell upfront. With fiery pace in the upper 140 kphs, he took six for 19 and showed off seam movement. Chris Morris and Ethan O'Reilly didn't have much to share between them but picked up one and three wickets respectively. David Wiese managed 24 of 26 balls but it will be little consolation for the Titans who now lost their three of their last four matches against the Lions.

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Watson injury scare ahead of Tests

Shane Watson has sent another shudder through Australia's camp ahead of the first South Africa Test by complaining of calf soreness while bowling for New South Wales against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield match in Brisbane.

In his first appearance at the bowling crease in a first-class match since the tour of the West Indies in April, Watson delivered only one over before speaking with his state and national captain Michael Clarke and leaving the field.

It soon emerged that he was bothered by a sore left calf, the same muscle he strained during this year's ODI tour of England. A calf ailment had also contributed to Watson missing all of the 2011-12 home Test matches.

Medical staff are assessing the problem, and it is unlikely that Watson will return to the field for the rest of day two.

Watson's exit from Allan Border Field continued a fraught round of domestic matches for Australia's Test batsmen, as only Michael Hussey has made any substantial runs while Ricky Ponting was withdrawn from Tasmania's match against South Australia with hamstring tightness.

More to come...

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BBC agrees deal to cover England tour

The BBC has resolved its stand-off with the BCCI and come to an agreement that will see Test Match Special broadcast from the grounds during England's tour of India. The BCCI had reportedly demanded a fee of £50,000, in addition to the sum paid for radio rights, to allow the BBC access to facilities, although it has not been confirmed whether this has now been paid or not.

"We are pleased to confirm that Test Match Special will broadcast England's cricket tour of India from the grounds after agreement was reached with all parties," a BBC spokesman said.

Sky Sports has already indicated that it will not be sending its commentary team to India, after being asked for an extra payment of £500,000. The impasse had arisen because the BCCI retains production rights for the series and wanted to cover "realistic costs". Both Sky and the BBC have agreements as sub-licencees with Star TV.

There had been a suggestion that the BBC, which counts Jonathan Agnew, Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan among its Test Match Special team, could choose not to cover the series at all rather than follow Sky's lead and do so from the UK. However, two weeks before the start of the first Test in Ahmedabad, that situation has been averted.

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'BCB made written commitment to touring Pak'

The Bangladesh Cricket Board recently made a written commitment to its Pakistan counterpart to touring that country at the end of the year, its new president Nazmul Hassan revealed today. Hassan didn't say who sent the letter on behalf of the BCB, but said since it had been sent, the necessary steps would have to be taken.

It was later revealed that it had been sent before he took over on October 18.

"Jalal [Yunus, the BCB's media committee chairman] said in the last press conference that we haven't contacted the PCB regarding a tour [but] we have found out that a letter was sent from the BCB about playing there," Hassan said at the end of a five-hour meeting in Mirpur on Thursday. "The Pakistan media started saying that Bangladesh would tour because such a correspondence had indeed taken place."

The letter, Hassan said, was brief and made no mention of security or any logistical factors. "Since we have found out about the letter, we are considering whether it is mandatory to tour Pakistan or if there are any other options. If we go to Pakistan, we need to be assured of adequate security for our team.

"Actually there are a lot of gaps in that letter, so we have to take all this into account and decide if we want to go or not and if we do [decide positively], then we will go. I would call it a commitment, although it is just a one-line letter, but it is clear the BCB has decided."

Asked if it was mentioned to him at his first meeting, Hassan said, "This wasn't on the agenda at the meeting. I wasn't told about it. I know for a fact that Jalal bhai didn't know too; maybe the others [directors] did."

Yunus said that despite the letter being sent earlier this month, the PCB's stand was that it was still Bangladesh who would decide when to tour. "The letter was sent just before the new president was appointed. He [Hassan] wasn't informed during the transition period. [PCB general manager of media] Nadeem Sarwar has denied that PCB president Zaka Ashraf said Bangladesh will tour Pakistan in December. They have left it to Bangladesh to decide."

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Kallis, Morkel rested for tour match

Australia A won the toss and chose to bat v South Africans

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The South Africans chose to rest Jacques Kallis and Morne Morkel for their only tour match in Australia, against the hosts' A side in Sydney. South Africa have not played a Test since August and nine of their 15 man squad have no played first-class cricket since then, including Kallis and Morkel.

The pair sat out because they have been playing what team manager Mohammed Moosajee called "a lot of cricket," over the last few weeks. Kallis has also not sufficiently recovered from a chest infection which struck him on Monday, although he trained yesterday. Both have played cricket since South Africa's July tour of England, where part of the World T20 squad and took part in the Champions League T20.

Faf du Plessis and reserve bowler Rory Kleinveldt were picked in the South African XI in Kallis and Morkel's place. Du Plessis has been included in South Africa's last two Tests squads but has yet to debut in the longest format while the focus will be on Kleinveldt who could make a maiden appearance for South Africa if they chose to field an all-pace attack in Brisbane.

AB de Villiers was declared to fit to keep wicket, having not played any competitive cricket since the World T20 in Sri Lanka. That meant replacement gloveman Thami Tsolekile was left out, as was all-rounder Robin Peterson.

Australia's team was decided on when the squad was announced. They chose to open the batting with Liam Davids and Rob Quiney and moved former Test opener Phil Hughes to No.3. He had an early change to stake his claim, as Australia A chose to bat on a green top at the SCG.

Australia A: 1 Liam Davis, 2 Rob Quiney, 3 Phil Hughes, 4 Andrew McDonald, 5 Steve Smith, 6 Alex Doolan, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Moises Henriques, 9 Tim Paine, 10 John Hastings, 11 Nathan Coulter-Nile

South Africans: 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Rory Kleinvedlt, 11 Imran Tahir

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Injured Cummins out for the season

The fast bowler Pat Cummins is expected to miss nearly all of the 2012-13 season due to a stress fracture in his lower back. The diagnosis means Cummins, 19, will not be part of the Test series against South Africa or Sri Lanka, and almost certainly will not be considered for the Test tour of India in February, while his possible involvement in the Ashes tour of England might depend on whether he is able to play any first-class cricket before then.

Cummins, 19, has not played a first-class match since his Test debut last November in Johannesburg, where he collected seven wickets and was Man of the Match. Australia's selectors had hoped he would be available for the third Test against South Africa at the WACA, but having returned home from the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa with back soreness, he had scans in Melbourne this week.

"Pat Cummins returned from Champions League Twenty20 duties with the Sydney Sixers with some back soreness," Alex Kountouris, the Australia team physio, said. "Because of his age and past history we decided to investigate the source of the pain and unfortunately he has an early stage stress fracture of his spine, confirmed by scans today.

"Pat had a spine bone stress injury a few years ago but the current injury is new and in an entirely different part of the spine. We expect he will recover fully from this injury and will be closely monitored to determine his return to the playing field, but expect that he will miss most of the 2012-13 domestic cricket season."

Cummins missed most of last summer due to a foot injury and has managed only four first-class matches - including his Test debut - in his short career.

More to follow

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Sri Lanka adjust to unusual pace in Pallekele

Somewhere in the world, a cricket fan may have tuned into the beginning of New Zealand's innings in the Twenty20 on Tuesday and suspected she was witnessing the first ever day-night Test match. The teams were not wearing whites, but New Zealand's kit was unsullied by a sponsor's logo. Perhaps coloured clothing had become part of the deal in cricket's efforts to sex up its fuddiest format, and for some reason, the purists drew the line at advertising. The Pallekele pitch was first-day laurel, rather than limited-overs tan. The ball was zipping about in both directions and carrying through at chest height. And to seal the ruse, New Zealand had lost their customary five wickets in the first hour.

The match, of course, was heavily influenced by the monsoon, which had forced an underdone pitch and given the swing bowlers added venom in the air, and off the pitch. Angelo Mathews did what any backyard cricketer would have done when handed the captaincy, and opened the bowling. But for a scrambled run off the last ball of the third over, he would have started with two maidens in a row. Nuwan Kulasekara, who is almost the antithesis of an intimidating quick, struck batsmen on the body, surprising them with bounce. And only three fours were managed in the first ten overs. 



It was a difficult beginning to the tour for New Zealand's batsmen, but equally, it was a heartening bowling performance for Sri Lanka, who will anticipate another lively surface for the first ODI. The rains have not eased in Kandy, and the square has stayed under covers all day on the eve of the match. The forecast suggests Thursday will be damp as well, meaning that if any cricket is possible, movement in the air can also be expected.

Pallekele may have become a seam bowling stronghold over the last eighteen months, but for most of Sri Lanka's young attack, pitches like this one are an oddity at home. Throughout their school and domestic cricket careers, the low, slow, dusty pitches Sri Lanka has traditionally produced, are their lot. But despite the unfamiliarity, the bowlers quickly assessed the conditions and employed the skills, lines and lengths that would bring them success. Sri Lanka attacks in years gone by, might not have had the nous, nor the expertise to exploit conditions such as these, as well as this one did. 



Each of the pace bowlers moved the ball into the batsman in the air, before taking it away off the seam. Short pitched balls were shelved, though some balls leapt off the surface. And the channel outside off stump was where the bowlers largely stayed for much of the curtailed innings. Even spin bowler Akila Dananjaya seemed to enjoy the extra bounce, relying on top spin to remove two batsmen who tried sweeping him. 



If Sri Lanka's attack can display a similar mastery of these conditions on Thursday, they will carry confidence not only for the remainder of this series, but into the months coming after New Zealand depart. Their captain Mahela Jayawardene has said this tour is good build up ahead of the full tour to Australia, and it is clear that the team already have one eye on their trip down under. They begin with their Test series in Hobart, which produced a greentop not far removed from the Pallekele pitch, the last time a Test was played there. 



"When we went to Australia last year for ODIs, most of the guys enjoyed the pace and the bounce," Jayawardene said. "It is really good, as long as we work hard and learn the tricks, we can perform in most of the conditions. Younger guys learning the trade is the most important thing. It would have been great if our guys had a bat as well on that tricky wicket. It would have been good for our guys to dig in and win that game. That's what we want, for these guys to go through those tough situations and learn the hard way."



Sri Lanka have been planning for even further ahead - looking to the 2015 World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand. Thisara Perera is a player who has benefited from that forward thinking, and was persevered with despite some mediocre early performances, and has now realised some of the potential team management saw in him.

"2015 is long way off, but we need to prepare," Jayawardene said. "The conditions will suit fast bowlers. A few of our guys are struggling with injuries and once they come back we need to build up a good fast bowling unit. Allrounders are going to be important as well on those conditions. The spinners will also play a role. We have x-factor in our unit."

Pallekele may not be the Antipodes, but it is as good a substitute as can be found in the subcontinent. Sri Lanka have only one practice match in Australia before the Tests begin, but if their attack can flourish again in the first ODI, they may feel they have what it takes to adjust quickly in December.

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Must assess if Yuvraj can field for two days - Dhoni

MS Dhoni believes Yuvraj Singh's chances of being selected in India's Test team against England will depend on whether his fitness can withstand grueling challenges, such as fielding for two consecutive days. Yuvraj is a contender for the No. 6 slot in India's batting order, having scored a double-century for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy and a half-century for India A in the ongoing tour game against an England XI in Mumbai, after returning from cancer treatment.

"It is very difficult for me to comment on his [Yuvraj's] fitness sitting over here," Dhoni said in Delhi. "We have to understand that the five-day format has its own uncertainties, unlike ODIs or T20s. In ODIs, you know that you have to field for 50 overs only, while in Test cricket there may be a situation that a team might bat for one-and-a-half to two days. We have to assess whether Yuvraj is ready to field for two days."

During the Duleep Trophy match against East Zone, Yuvraj scored 208 off 241 balls with 33 fours and three sixes, an innings that lasted five-and-a-half hours spread over two days. Until then, he had only played Twenty20 matches since his break from the game from November 2011, during which he was treated for a germ-cell cancer.

"Having said that, it is Yuvraj who is the best judge about how he is feeling," Dhoni said. "He has played quite a few domestic games now and it is up to him to reflect on his game."

The first Test against England begins on November 15 in Ahmedabad, and Dhoni said he was in favour of a Motera pitch that would turn. "I still believe that the groundsmen know what really is good for us. A sporting track doesn't always mean that it will only have grass on it. In the subcontinent it has always been turning tracks, which is for the spinners.

"I haven't seen an offbreak bowler for a long time who is able to hit the rib cage of a batsman with a delivery that has turn and bounce. It's really painful but you enjoy the challenge."

The previous Test series between these sides was in the summer of 2011 in England, where India were blanked 4-0 and lost their No. 1 Test ranking.

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