All posts by csb10.top

Lawson's action on the mend

The West Indies Cricket Board is expected to submit a review of the bowling action of the fast bowler Jermaine Lawson to the International Cricket Council by August 12.Lawson, 21, was reported to the ICC for a suspect bowling action during the fourth and final Test between West Indies and Australia in Antigua in May. His career-best figures of 7 for 78 had decimated Australia’s first innings, but he was unable to take any further part in a famous victory.”Jermaine has been carrying along very well with the remedial programme in Jamaica,” remarked Dr. Michael Seepersaud, the WICB’s chief cricket development officer, who is supervising the review process of Lawson’s bowling action.”The back problems that set back the remedial work on his bowling action are now over,” he added. “He’s free from pain, and substantial progress has been made to ensure his all-round biomechanical efficiency.”Next week, the WICB is expected to fly biomechanics specialist Dr. Paul Hurrion from Britain to conduct an assessment of Lawson. “Dr. Hurrion has worked in a similar capacity for the ICC with other bowlers,” said Dr Seepersaud. “He is highly recommended, so we are pleased to have him come and work with Jermaine. Once we have his analysis, we will convene the bowling committee and send our review to the ICC for their consideration.”Lawson has captured 29 wickets at 24.31 runs apiece in seven Tests to date. In addition to that seven-wicket haul at St John’s, he picked up a hat-trick in the preceding Test at Bridgetown.

Razzaq flurry sinks Zimbabwe

Pakistan’s new-look side – with just four names in common with the team which played their last World Cup match – made an impressive start to their Sharjah Cup campaign, thrashing Zimbabwe by 68 runs. Riding on a dazzling, 53-ball 76 from Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan overcame a nervy start to post 278, and then allowed Zimbabwe just 210, ensuring that they took home the bonus point as well.There were plenty of plusses for Pakistan after their miserable run in South Africa. Younis Khan scored a measured 67, Umar Gul took two wickets in his first one-day international, Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Hafeez – another debutant – had impressive spells in the middle overs, and the entire team was sprightly in the field. But the star of the day – by some margin – was Razzaq.After Pakistan’s top order had made a meal of excellent batting conditions, Razzaq came in and treated the Zimbabwean attack with utter contempt, slamming seven sixes, six of which came in the last 12 balls. In fact, Heath Streak and his team had done an excellent job in the field after losing the toss – after 46 overs, Pakistan had managed just 209. Then, the sluice gates opened, as Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept serving up full-tosses, and Razzaq kept smashing them over long-on. Forty-seven came in the last two overs, by Douglas Hondo and Sean Ervine, and what had been a close contest went completely Pakistan’s way.However, Rashid Latif hardly got the start he would have hoped for after winning the toss. Hafeez, opening the innings with Taufeeq Umar, began with an exquisite back-foot cover-drive off Heath Streak, then nicked one from the same bowler for 12 (32 for 1).Then, three more wickets fell in a hurry – Naved Latif (3) was bowled through the gate, Taufeeq was bowled off an inside edge by Streak for a laborious 50-ball 16, and Yousuf Youhana was smartly snaffled by Tatenda Taibu (69 for 4).Not for the first time, it was left to Pakistan’s lower middle order to engineer the revival. Younis was the protagonist, with two partnerships which laid the plat form and allowed Razzaq to launch the blistering onslaught at the end.The 58-run stand with Latif came at a run a ball, and injected some much-needed momentum to the innings. Latif contributed 34, mixing swift running between wickets with splendid, innovative strokeplay. A fine piece of fielding by Travis Friend at fine ended that partnership, but Younis stitched together a useful 44-run stand with Razzaq, who was content to play second fiddle. By the time Younis left, Razzaq had a platform to tee off from.Zimbabwe’s run-chase never took off, despite Doug Marillier’s enterprising 59, laced with clever paddles and cheeky reverse-sweeps. Craig Wishart, who opened the innings with him, chased a wide one and gave Gul his first international wicket (21 for 1). Gul snared Friend too – playing in this match as a specialist batsman – having him edge one to slip (47 for 2).The early damage done, the spinners took over. Grant Flower, in his 200th one-day international, needed just 14 to reach 6000 ODI runs. He got 13 of those, then smashed a cover-drive off Kaneria which Mohammad Hafeez snaffled with a magnificent diving effort to his right (87 for 3). And when Marillier left, castled by a quicker one by Kaneria (104 for 4), the contest was all but over. Blignaut and Ervine livened up proceedings with entertaining cameos, which never threatened to alter the course of the match.This match gave Zimbabwe their first taste of life after Andy Flower, and it was hardly a pleasant experience.

Frustration gives way to hope as New Zealand advance

Frustration, and the ability to cope with it, has long been the lot of New Zealand cricket fans, but for once, in Durban today, the luck went New Zealand’s way.The horrendous state of affairs that saw South Africa tie their game with Sri Lanka under the Duckworth/Lewis system had to be even more freakish than South Africa’s exit in the semi-finals of the 1999 World Cup.But after suffering the dent that was the lowest score in Test history of 26, for waiting 26 years for their first Test victory, of being denied regular competition against the might of Australia, of losing Martin Crowe to a hamstring injury in the semi-finals of the 1992 World Cup, of having to do without key players at various times over the last three or four years and a host of other calamities that had to be taken in stride, New Zealanders could be entitled to feel that the tide might be momentarily swinging their way.For all those reasons there will be sympathy with South Africa and their failure to advance. However, the signs were there for them.They failed to beat any of the top three opponents they faced in pool play. The West Indies and New Zealand both beat them and then there was the tie with Sri Lanka.Had New Zealand missed out, their demise would have been the result of the first-game loss to Sri Lanka, far more than it might have been because of the forfeiture of the Kenyan game.New Zealand knew before the tournament started they would probably lose those four points to Kenya. They couldn’t do anything about that.However, the beating of Sri Lanka was in their own hands, and they exposed themselves to unnecessary anguish by succumbing to experimentation, and rampant recklessness at the start of their innings which almost undid them.Now the chance is there for New Zealand to advance.The side Stephen Fleming has built around him has shown increasing solidity, confidence and awareness that their time, after years of building up, is upon them.What happens over the next few weeks will define their careers.They are within a chance of establishing themselves as the equal, if not the superior, of the finest team of the 1980s.That is the reality facing a side who have risen to No 3 on the ICC Test Championship, who have won the first international competition by a New Zealand side at the 2000 ICC KnockOut in Kenya, who have proven the only side capable of giving Australia a nudge in Test cricket and who have started to produce world-class performances by individuals within their ranks.Yet, even they would admit that there is a need to step-up their level of performance as they head into the next phase of the tournament.The bowling must tighten up.The respective attacks of Australia, India and whoever of England, Pakistan or Zimbabwe will play them in the Super Six leg will be well-primed to take toll of the New Zealand faults if they exist.What is encouraging is the solidity of the batting that has emerged, after what was a horror season at home in difficult conditions.Yet, of the batsmen, only Fleming and Scott Styris with their centuries against South Africa and Sri Lanka respectively, have really taken attacks apart.Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram and Andre Adams all still have more to pull out of the fire, and they will need to if New Zealand is to realistically aim for a finals place.There is still plenty for all members of the side to offer, and now they have the perfect platform in which to strut their stuff.

Youhana wrests advantage from West Indies

It was a day for the disciplined rather than the dazzling. The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, hosting its first ever day of Test cricket, as well as the fifth ever Test at a neutral venue, saw a low-key Pakistan restricted to 230/5 in 92 overs by a West Indian side who stuck to their guns and made the best of the conditions. Yousuf Youhana, increasingly Pakistan’s Mr Dependable, helped himself to a composed unbeaten 78, and Younis Khan impressed with 53, but those were the only two names to distinguish themselves.The day started with Waqar Younis winning the toss and electing to bat first. Not everyone agreed with his decision, but it was probably the only sensible thing to do, especially with the wicket being an unknown quantity. In the past, it has happened more than once that a Sharjah wicket, parading as a flat batting track, ended up as a slow turner that all but killed strokeplay in the latter stages of the game.As it turned out, the Pakistan skipper could only watch in dismay as debutant opening batsman Naved Latif fell with just three runs on the board. Mervyn Dillon, swinging the ball in late, made sure that Latif had a forgettable debut when he trapped the right-hander plumb in front. Latif did not trouble the scorers.Taufeeq Umar, who made a century on Test debut against Bangladesh at the age of 19, was composed at the wicket and played several shots that marked him out as a player to be watched, but he perished on 24 after looking good for more. Younis Khan, another young talent rated very highly in his country, did his bit at one end. Playing predominantly with a straight bat, Khan worked hard to get a sense of the wicket and the bowling. Exercising abundant caution, perhaps more than was needed, Younis blunted a West Indian bowling attack striving to keep the ball just short of driving length and on the off-stump.Skipper Carl Hooper, who picked up a wicket just before the luncheon interval, understood the need to mix things up a bit and persisted with his off-spin. Keeping one end tied up with steady seam bowling, Hooper flighted the ball just enough to draw Younis Khan into a false shot. Chopping at one just outside the off-stump, Khan (53, 129b, 4×4) found Chris Gayle at slip with the score on 94. His innings had, however, succeded in giving a faltering Pakistan innings much needed solidity.Inzamam ul-Haq (10), of whom much was expected, faintly nicked a Dillon delivery through to the wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs. In characteristic fashion, Inzamam trudged slowly back to the dressing room, visibly unhappy with the decision.At 94/4, there was a tiny chance that the West Indians might be able to run through the Pakistani batting line-up. If Hooper harboured any such hopes, Youhana made sure he laid them to rest by the end of the day. Walking out to the middle as cool as ever, Youhana gave his teammates a display of the kind of approach needed on a wicket like this. Stroking the ball well when it was full, Youhana milked the bowling for runs. When the rare loose ball was on offer, he made sure that he capitalised, showing the full face of the bat at all times.To keep Youhana company was all-rounder Abdur Razzaq, a man who has played the role of second fiddle to perfection many times in the past. Not looking his best and yet keeping his head down and plugging away, Razzaq ensured that Pakistan’s score reached 178 before he made a mistake; that mistake was his last. Chasing at a ball well outside the off-stump from part-time medium-pacer Wavell Hinds, Razzaq (34, 96b, 3×4 ) nicked the ball through to the keeper.Stumper Rashid Latif (27 not out) joined Youhana out in the middle and saw Pakistan through to stumps without further damage. There was one last minute scare for Youhana as a spooned catch off the bowling of Merv Dillon was put down by Cuffy at mid on in the 91st of the day. Youhana’s patient 78 (165 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) took Pakistan to a score that they can build on appreciably when the second day’s play starts.

Upper hand to Bajans

Catches, they often say, win matches.And after an uninspiring display with a series of misses in the first phase of the day, Barbados atoned in the evening session with four sharp catches that have made them firm favourites to secure first innings honours over Jamaica in their third-round Carib Beer Series match.Another big crowd at the lovely North Stars ground in St Lucy would have been giving the hosts a tongue-lashing when they spilled four chances of varying difficulty.However, they would have been singing their praises after tea when Floyd Reifer, Sherwin Campbell and Ian Bradshaw hauled in fine catches that decisively swung the battle for first innings points.The evening session, in which Jamaica slipped from 186 for three an hour after tea to 224 for nine at the close, also produced further drama when fast bowler Tino Best was pulled out of the attack after sending down two waist-high full-tosses in successive overs.Best was into a lively spell in which he removed Jamaica captain Robert Samuels compliments of Reifer’s wonderful catch at first slip when he was required to dive low to his right.The dismissal of Samuels started the slide in which Jamaica lost six wickets for 38 to knock down the platform that was built in successive partnerships of 73 and 64 that involved solid contributions from Brenton Parchment, Dave Bernard Jr and the lucky Keith Hibbert.Let off on 12, 29 and 35, the Jamaican wicket-keeper fell in the middle of the collapse for a dogged 41 that stretched more than three hours.After he departed, two excellent catches followed to transform the sad faces around the ground to happy ones.Campbell did well to haul in a deflection off wicket-keeper Courtney Browne’s pads to account for Gareth Breese, while Ian Bradshaw tumbled low on his follow-through to catch Mario Ventura, who failed to score in 37 minutes.The drama wasn’t over yet.After Franklyn Rose swung Ryan Hurley over square-leg for six in fading light, he edged Ryan Hinds low to slip where Campbell took a low chance on the second attempt.Rose, however, stood his ground showing his obvious disappointment at the verdict against him.The umpires then offered Jamaica the option to go off at 5:51 p.m. because of the light, but Barbados seem certain to achieve first innings points early this morning with Jamaica still needing another 102 to overhaul Barbados’ 325.Jamaica were probably fancying their chances after half-centuries from Parchment and Bernard, both of whom played at this ground as members of the Jamaica youth team in 1999.After the start was delayed by 50 minutes because of a brief shower at 9:15 a.m., Jamaica suffered an immediate setback when they lost Leon Garrick to the day’s second ball.The little opening batsman seemed dumbfounded when a ball from Sulieman Benn came off his inside edge and onto the stumps.It was the only success of the morning session for the hosts, who should have claimed another wicket on the stroke on lunch, but Browne missed a relatively straightforward chance offered by Parchment off Hinds’ second ball.By then Parchment was growing in confidence and played some authentic strokes on the way to a solid half-century. Among them were sixes in successive overs off Hurley and Benn in the direction of mid-wicket and long-off.The former West Indies youth captain also counted eight fours, including successive boundaries off Bradshaw, but gifted his wicket 15 minutes after lunch by flashing at a short ball from Best.It didn’t deserve a wicket, but Parchment edged it to the ‘keeper after batting impressively for 59 in two-and-a-half hours.After his dismissal, Browne sprang a series of bowling changes in the first 45 minutes after lunch when there were at least five switches.One of those changes should have produced a wicket.When Hurley was switched to the southern end, he induced Hibbert into skying an offering to mid-wicket. Both Best and substitute Randy Thomas were converging on the ball and Best, never settled, spilled the chance.There was a much more difficult opportunity to remove Hibbert after tea, but no one could blame Philo Wallace for not holding on to a sharp chance at gully, and it was a similar situation when Browne missed a leg-side chance off the same batsman.All the while, Bernard, who has been enjoying a good all-round season, moved on to his second half-century of the tournament before Hurley claimed him lbw for 53 that occupied four hours.The fine catches then followed.SCOREBOARDBARBADOS 1st Innings 325JAMAICA 1st Innings (overnight 31-0)L. Garrick b Benn 19B. Parchment c wk Browne b Best 59D. Bernard lbw b Hinds 53+K. Hibbert lbw b Hurley 41*R. Samuels c Reifer b Best 8M. Ventura c and b Bradshaw 0G. Breese c Campbell b Hurley 8N. Perry c and b Bradshaw 5F. Rose c Campbell b Hinds 15D. Powell not out 0R. Cunningham not out 0Extras (b4, lb3, w1, nb8) 16TOTAL (9 wkts – 105.1 overs) 224Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Garrick), 2-102 (Parchment), 3-161 (Bernard), 4-186 (Samuels), 5-189 (Hibbert), 6-202 (Breese), 7-202 (Ventura), 8-211 (Perry), 9-224 (Rose).Bowling: Best 10-3-23-2 (nb2), Bradshaw 26-9-61-2 (w1, nb4), Hurley 26-4-68-2 (nb1), Benn 28-16-41-1, Hinds 6.1-3-5-2, Smith 9-4-19-0 (nb1).Position: Jamaica need another 102 runs for first innings lead with one wicket in hand ahead of today’s final dayUmpires: Clive Duncan (Guyana), Vincent Bullen (Barbados). Stand-by: Mervyn Jones (Barbados)Match referee: Carl Brome

Himachal Pradesh snatch thrilling victory

Host Himachal Pradesh registered a thrilling victory over Jammu and Kashmir on the last day of their North Zone Ranji tie at Mandi today, with the visitors losing their last wicket with the very last ball of the matchChasing a victory target of 303 runs, Jammu and Kashmir could score only 257. The last recognised batsman, skiper Vijay Sharma, who scored a spirited 50, was not able to force a draw and was out on the last ball of the match. A deadly spell of 5-103 by Shakti Singh, who was ably supported by Vishal Bhatia (3-66), helped Himachal Pradesh register their first victory this year.Resuming at the overnight score of 38 for no loss, the visitors lost the wicket of opener Ranjit Bali (22) at 51, while the other opener Raju Sharma (39) was bowled out at 71. Kavaljit Singh and Dhruv Mahajan scored 43 and 44 runs respectively, while the extras accounted for 25 runs.

CricInfo Survey of Test Cricket: Are Waugh's Australians the best ever?

Is the current Australian team the best ever in the history of Test cricket?That was one of the questions we asked our users in the Cricinfo Survey of Test Cricket. Today, as Australia continue to assert their superiority over South Africa in the current series, we examine your response to this question as the first in a number of weekly articles related to users’ replies to our survey.It is, of course, extremely difficult to identify a consensus from a sample of in excess of 3,000 Test cricket fans. Nevertheless, there do seem to be a number of running themes among the comments received that are worth highlighting.Michael Breitsameter from Canada summed up the thoughts of many. "Australia are definitely the dominant side, and perhaps one of the best ever seen. They attack from the first ball to the last, their run rates are higher than any other side, they position themselves to get a result. This is definitely good for the game."Cecil Snell in the UK doffs his cap to Steve Waugh’s men "The Australian side of 2000 in England was probably the best Test side ever as the batting, bowling and fielding were at an astonishingly high level."Harry Commerbutch in New Zealand disagrees strongly: "Australia the best team of all time? Don’t make me laugh! They’re a solid team well past their sell by date, flattered by some suspect results against not so great teams."So the debate is well and truly on. Many users tempered our provocative question with reference to recent results in India and at home against New Zealand. Angela Moore in the UK summed up the thoughts of many. "The Australian team is awesome, but they are getting older and will the up and coming youngsters be as good? As New Zealand and India proved, they cannot win every series."Many felt that Waugh’s 21st century Australians were rivalled only by the West Indian team of the late 70s and early 80s.Peter Jonkers in the UK sums up a recurrent theme when he says "The Australian Test side is as good as any that I have seen in my life as a sports fan. Best of all time? Close, I think the West Indies team of the late 70s early 80s was all class and probably gets my vote."Malcolm Sergeant in Australia hails the current Australian side, while yearning for the – hypothetical – greatest cricket fixture ever. "The current Australian side would be up there with the best. However, I would have liked to see how well they would have performed against the great West Indian sides of the 80s and 90s, against the likes of Richards, Lloyd, Holding and Marshall."Rai Ratan Kumar in Singapore disagrees, and it is the same opposition that draws the plaudits. "Australia are nowhere near the best team of all time. In my memory, Lloyd’s West Indians were the best by miles."Richard Corry in New Zealand is equally assertive. "I do not believe they should yet claim the title of best team of all time. They have only two bowlers that could be genuinely rated as greats of the game. This does not compare with the West Indian team of the 1970s and early 80s."Urel Sawyers from America proposes an honourable draw: "The title of best team of all time must be shared between this Australian team and the all-conquering West Indies team that ruled for nearly two decades."Many users chose to hark back further in their comparisons. Andrew Eaton in the UK states "The Australians may be the best in the world at the moment, but are they the best ever? Impossible to tell. How would they have coped with the 1921 Australians or the England of 1902? All you can say is that they would have given any other side, ever, a great game. I wish I could watch it." Peter Unsworth in the UK agrees on the ultimate fantasy fixture "The Australians are by far the best side since the West Indies of the 70/80’s and believe that a game between these two sides would sort the men from the boys."Many found comparisons difficult to make. Paul Spice in Australia comments: "Comparing different eras rarely, if ever works."As with all great empires, the reign must come to an end, and a number of those who took part in the survey foresee the fall of Australia. Simon Davis (admittedly in New Zealand) stated "Australia are at the end of their reign" while Kiwi Heather says "I think the Aussie team will soon be challenged, not only by South Africa but another unsuspecting team, and the Aussie reign will be over."John Haywood echoes the thoughts of many when he says: "In the future, Australian cricket will come back to earth because of the retirements of the Waugh twins, McGrath and Shane Warne. Still a lot of praise should be placed with this Australian Test side because it has done cricket immense credit for getting the game where it is today."And when talking of the "Millennium" Aussies, Dominic Lane in New Zealand cautions over-enthusiasm for the current crop. "It is useless calling any team the best of all time, if it does not contain Bradman." David Vine in Australia harks back the Invincibles: "The greatest of all-time? The Don’s Invincibles of ’48 must be up there as the greatest I think." John Field in the UK agrees. "The 1945-6 Australian Invincibles were the best team of all time."Whether or not they are the greatest of all time, CricInfo users feel that one thing is for certain: Steve Waugh and his side are changing Test cricket – for the better. Ralph Sunley in the UK sums it up neatly when he says "The current Australian team has redefined Test cricket over the last 18 months. Their attacking and innovative play has reinvigorated the game."But if the Australians are reinvigorating the game, was it in a poor state previously? It takes only a quick straw poll among the comments raised to see again and again the theme of resurgent Test cricket.Kyan Barucha, USA: "Test cricket is definitely making a comeback." Dr Krishna Kaphle in Nepal: "Today, Test cricket is in a state of re-emergence." Rishabh Bhandari in the UK highlights the perceived trend: "The crowds that had left the Test match arena for the quick thrills of the one day version are back! And Test cricket is charming all over again!"Jason Macca in New Zealand suggests that Test cricket constantly needs to assert its quality: "Test cricket is becoming stale and requires results like the India v Australia series and the recent Australia v New Zealand series to show that it is still strong."But any negative thoughts tend to be outweighed by praise for the trend towards positive cricket embodied by the side that features in both of the series mentioned by Jason Macca – the Australians. This theme occurs repeatedly in the comments of CricInfo users.Positive play makes for good cricket and entertains the crowds, which is vital for the long-term health of the game. Kapil Gupta relishes battles to come: "The Australians are good players but what puts them apart is their attitude. With other teams ready to go against them with a positive attitude, anything is possible!"Rob Byrne in the UK sums up the general optimism of CricInfo users: "Particularly heartening for me as an avid cricket follower is the attitude of the Australians. They try and win every game and simply do not know how to block out for a draw. This kind of attitude will ensure that Test cricket has a very healthy future."In future articles based on the views of CricInfo users, we will look at the state of the game, suggested improvements to Test cricket, the influence of one-day cricket, the aftermath of match fixing and the Sehwag affair, the behaviour of players, the role of the governing bodies, and concerns about the future of cricket.

SPCL3 Week6 – Hendrikse sends Trojans to table summit

South African Erasmus Hendrikse hit an unbeaten century as Trojans powered to the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 summit with a seven-wicket win at Paultons.The Stellenbosch University all-rounder hit two sixes and 11 fours in an undefeated 103, which carried Trojans past Paultons’ 172-9.John Robinson cracked 65 for Paultons, who were always on the back foot after struggling at 28-4.Australian Justin Larrescy blasted a quick-fire 115 as Rowledge easily overhauled South Wilts’ 172-9, Alton, the third club with an unblemished record, trimmd resurgent Hambledon (185), with Bruce Oliphant hitting a match winning 58 not out.West Indies B all-rounder Chaka Hodge hit 73 and Mark Fletcher (53) set the stage for Jeff Hose to score an unbeaten 40 in Ventnor’s five-wicket win over Hungerford. The Berkshire side included several MCC Young Cricketers in their side.Winchester KS leapt several places in the log with a handsome 60-run win over Havant II, while Flamingo’s dropped into the relegation zone after a thumping 132-run defeat at Hook & Newnham Basics.

Punjab draw with Delhi

A match that saw two high first-innings total, the Ranji Trophy league tie between Punjab and Delhi at Amritsar ended in the expected draw on the fourth day.Punjab, still continuing their first innings on the fourth day, were finally bowled out for 441, with Amit Bhandari picking up 7-92 for Delhi. The visitors, on batting again, could not repeat their first-innings heroics; barring a resolute 75 from Pradeep Chawla, no batsman could really get going, and the innings was declared at 198 for nine.Set a target of 257 off 16 overs, Punjab inevitably played for the safe draw and reached stumps at 58 for one. Delhi, by virtue of their first-innings total, collect five points from this match, while Punjab collect three.

Indian news round-up

* Bengal select 28 Ranji probablesThe selection committee of the Cricket Association of Bengal havesprung a few surprises by omitting notable players like SrikantKalyani, Alokendu Lahiri, Wrichik Majumder and Sujay Parui from thelist of Ranji probables for the 2001-02 season.The 28 probables will start their conditioning under the guidance ofVace Paes from the first week of August. Bengal’s new coach, formerTest all rounder Karsan Ghavri will reach Kolkata on July 27. Thisyear the Bengal team will play in the Buchi Babu Trophy tournament inChennai and the Moin-ud-Dowlah Trophy tourney in Hyderabad. The seniorselection committee and the junior selection committee sat along withThe CAB President Jagmohan Dalmiya and the joint secretaries and theassistant secretaries while selecting the players.The probables: Arindam Das, Amitava Chakrabarty, Aurijeet Basu, NikhilHaldipur, Rohan Gavaskar, Devang Gandhi, Subhamoy Das, SaikatMukherjee, Soumen Singh, Safi Ahmed, Souvik Mukherjee, SubhradipGanguly, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ranadeb Bose, Sabir Ali, Shib ShankarPaul, Samad Akhtar, Sanjib Sanyal, Dharmendra Singh, Samrat Guha,Utpal Chatterjee, Pradipta Majumder, Gaurav Sharma, Murtaza Lodghar,Sourashish Lahiri, Saujan Biswas, Deep Dasgupta and Ritesh Jaiswal.* 54 teams for Chennai inter-school tourneyThe Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, with the help of sponsors,regularly conducts age wise tournaments in the age group of 12, 14 and16 to help unearth young talent. And the Parle-G TNCA C RamaswamyTrophy (under-16) tournament is a step in this direction.According to Ashok Kumbhat, secretary, TNCA, Parle Products Ltd aresponsoring this tournament for the second year in succession. Thetournament will be played at various grounds in Chennai from July 25.As many as 54 school teams are in the fray. Matches will be played on30-over basis initially and on a knock-out format till the prequarter-finals. The last 16 teams will be divided into four groups andthe matches will be played on 50 overs on a league basis. The top teamin each group will qualify for the semifinals to be played on 50overs. The final will be a two day match.To make it attractive to the young participants, the sponsors havecome up with a number of incentives. There are prizes for the teamswho qualify for the semifinals while the prize money to the finalistsis Rs 9,000 (runners-up) and Rs 16,000 (winners) besides trophies.There will be a man of the match award for all games. Uniforms will begiven to the players with the logo of the sponsors and the TNCA.

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